How to Update Garmin maps?
Mon, 07/08/2013 - 10:33am
 |
 13 years
|
Just bought a nice Garmin c580 with City Navigator North America NT 2008.
I'm looking to see if updating the map makes sense, but when I go to the Garmin automotive map website all I see ifs a mostly blank page:
https://my.garmin.com/gcpInstall/checkPlugin.htm?target=http...
What gives? I'm trying to figure out how much m it costs to update and if that's more expensive than buying a new unit... I was told $80 and that's outrageous, I can buy an updated Tom Tom unit for less than that.
Put the $80 towards a new one.
Put the $80 towards a new one with lifetime maps.
I got one at Sams for $119. I won't pay $80 for a map update. That's nuts.
Go Dawgs!!!
yeah but supposedly its $80
yeah but supposedly its $80 for lifetime updates. which i believe 4 per year. i guess you need to decide if its worth the money. If your techno savy there are alternate ways to update for free
A GPS can take you where You want to go but never where you WANT to be.
Traffic
Put the $80 towards a new one with lifetime maps.
I got one at Sams for $119. I won't pay $80 for a map update. That's nuts.
Plus the C580 used MSN Direct for traffic which is now defunct. You can get used old-style GTM-20's on eBay that will work but as noted above, by the time you pay for maps and a traffic receiver, you are pretty close to a new device.
I support the right to keep and arm bears.
My thoughts
First, $80 is the MSRP for numaps lifetime map updates. Amazon and others will sell the lifetime updates from the mid$40s-mid$50s.
But, I worry about updating a c580. The c340 is a model with 2 GB of internal storage and the c530 has just 1 GB:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/34375
You should check and see how much storage your c580 has. If a device has less than 4GB of total storage, I would not buy a map update for it, especially since the Streetpilot series is not auto-offered a map installation to SD card:
https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?...
As pointed out, newer nuvi models can be found for $100-150 that include lifetime map updates and offer many more features than the older StreetPilots.
I would upgrade a GPS before
I would upgrade a GPS before I would pay for upgraded maps. The tech in newer GPS almost always allows for a better/faster every day use.
Best to buy a new GPS
I paid $119 5 years ago and get 4 updates a year on my old C550. I guess I got my money's worth, however today I would opt to buy a new GPS than pay for updating on older GPS.
Retired Street Pilot C550, Garmin Drive 50 USA+CAN LMT 5, I phone 12 pro.
Updating Maps
Really - it is worth it to spend a little more to get lifetime maps and traffic on a new model which will have more internal storage and the ability to add a SD micro card.
Plus with Garmin now announcing the new HUD unit for around 130.00, it makes sense to investigate the models to get the best for your money.
Free Maps
While I have newer GPS units with lifetime map updates, I still like to keep current maps on my older GPS V and GPSMAP 176. I'm not sure what type of mapping you are looking for but check out this site:
http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/.
They offer a variety of mapping options at no cost. Maps are downloaded from the site and then installed on your GPS using Mapsource or Basecamp.
Install to SD card
The SD card on the c580 will take a 4GB card. A
"City Navigator North America NT 2013.40" is 1.83GB.
Put the map on my SD card in the folder Garmin. Tested the SD card in both my units.
My older c340 recognizes the map "City Navigator North America NT 2013.40", but my newer c580 does not.
Any ideas?
Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln
Not recognized
You maps will only work in and for the unit to which they were downloaded to!
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.
2013.40 is too tight a fit
2013.40 is too tight a fit on the c580's internal memory, but 2013.10 is 220M smaller and fit just fine.
I had to delete all the voices I didn't use to make room, but my c580 map is now updated. And I have exactly 240M free.
Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln
good advice
good advice
A GPS can take you where You want to go but never where you WANT to be.
c340
As for my c340, there doesn't seem to be any reliable information on how to install a map in the internal memory. So I have 2013.40 installed on the external memory card. I'm using a Class 4 card so the map loads very quickly on boot.
The drawback of that is external memory draws more power, so using an external memory card is going to hurt battery life.
Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln