Help Me Brainstorm On Updates For My Oldest Sister's Garmin Nüvi 55LM

Rest areas with WC - Set them for alerts at 5280ft.

Gas station chains - some are specific to state as Raceway in FL. But if you go to GasBuddy.com you can find out who has the cheap gas.

Her favorite food chains, or just the notably ones if they are close to her route. - breakfast, lunch and dinner

Maybe some tourist attractions if she is into that.

Hotel/motel chains

How about lighthouses........just kidding.

One other thing you may want to consider and that is setting up a spare SD card so you can download new maps for her and have her just swapout the SD. She could then mail the one she removed back to you for the next release.

That is an excellent idea. Thank you very much!

Thought you had to plug in the unit so GE would know the unit was eligible? If you don't have the Garmin unit hooked up so GE can see it how can you download maps to simply an SD card?
I get downloading POI's to a SD card without the unit but not maps.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39231

It will work quite well for Jim1348's situation. All he needs to do is teach his sister how to email him a copy of the current GarminDevice.xml file from the device (a very small text file). He can then update the map on a SD card and send the card to her.

I figure with a program such as TeamViewer, you would be able to do pretty much everything (transfer POI'S, update maps, delete unwanted voice, text, keyboard etc)

I think all he has to do is to keep a copy of the GarminDevice.xml file. I also don't think it matters too much if it is an older file. But someone will prove me wrong, though I've done that.

@Melaqueman ... That will work OK unless there is some type of software update (firmware, voice, timezone, etc.) available in addition to the map update. In that case, Garmin Express will want the other update applied with a reboot before it will install the map update. Of course, you can't reboot a clone card.

So the safe thing to do is make sure the device is up to date and then get a current copy of GarminDevice.xml before making the clone on the card.

Of course on a device as old as a nuvi 55, software updates will be rare, so your method will probably work most of the time.

That's probably a dumb question - who doesn't like Cracker Barrel? If she does, I'd say put some alerts for Cracker Barrel in there.

Definitely rest areas. I set alerts for those to 8000' (about a mile and a half) as it gives you plenty of time to get in the correct lane for the exit in heavy traffic.

- Phil

Interesting. I use 16,000 feet as my alert distance to rest areas, roughly three miles. That gives me almost two minutes before seeing the "Rest Area 1 Mile Ahead" sign (plus any indication of the type of RA and services, etc.) and almost another minute to decide if I should take the exit.

Rest Areas, Cracker Barrel, and Mickey D's. If she needs to go potty, there is always a Mickey D's close by and the rest rooms are usually pretty clean. (Just in case there is not a rest room on the interstate that is close enough.)

I have an older firmware version on my 255WT & when I update my maps using your clone method, Garmin Express downloads all updates in one single sequence & no reboot is required.

After the update is completed I transfer all new files replacing the older ones & simply delete the new firmware file GUPDATE.GCD that it downloaded onto the SD Card & I'm good to go

Let me know if you want to experiment the above & I'll email you my Garmindevicexml.

I always do my research before a trip and load POI in my GPS.

A lot of good tips here.

I will say I use Teamviewer and it "can" present another set of problems as it can be hard to troubleshoot with someone far away when things aren't working as they should.

I'd probably think the MCD restrooms are cleaner and safer than interstate stops.

I was able to save two trips in her trip planner. She likes to come south on I-35 to I-40 in Oklahoma City area. That is not the route that Garmin would select normally. I just hope that she remembers how to find the trip on her Nuvi!

Use the Starbucks bathrooms. Just don't buy anything.

ROFL

Did anyone see where they interviewed the CEO (I think) of Starbucks on one of those morning shows and he was talking about how they were giving GMO coffee beans/seeds to coffee farmers in exchange for having them sign a contract that said they would harvest the beans for them at super-low wages? He spun it like they were doing a great thing for poor coffee farmers!

Their "solution" to those pesky Fair Trade agreements...

- Phil