Any plans for a patch/delta update scheme for map updates?

Former Member
Former Member
Are there any plans to teach Garmin Express to download/use "patches" for the map installs, rather that downloading a full City Navigator North America map-set (full install DVD, 4.6 GB) every time?

Sitting this time out in the middle of the boonies looking at the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, there is hardly even cell phone service to run my hot-spot (and for sure no fast Internet to grab on to).

Just a couple of weeks ago I downloaded the full 2014.30 map set update (from a different but almost as bad location), which between failures/disconnects and slow downloads took me almost 2 days (and ate up a way large chunk of my cell-data allowance, yanking out a total of 7+ GB on the way).

Now 2014.40 has arrived; I would assume that not all map-segments really need to be sent out every time. Only segments that actually changed?
So when a previous version is already installed, it would seem a fairly simple matter to allow download of a patch delta instead, and "create" that next version locally, rather than having to download a full install DVD+ across the Internet on every update?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Your proposal is a good one BUT I doubt that any Garmin employee in the Cartography (maps etc) dept. will ever read it here. The hard part would be finding the right person, at Garmin, to send such an idea to.

    BTW I believe that I had success many years ago with Garmin's MapSource software. They'd recently put out a few beta versions and provided an email address for feedback. I sent a suggestion to that mailbox and a few versions later the feature (a URL field in the waypoint properties dialog) appeared.

    At times Garmin has also had beta releases of device firmware and I've sent emails to the specific address provided. I'm not sure if my comments/suggestions ever went anywhere but at least there was a mechanism for feedback.

    Now one thing to try is to send an email to [email][email protected][/email]. That used to be a good address. I've no idea if it still is.

    BTW I wouldn't expect any kind of response. I've never received any.

    My 2c for what its worth.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    But at least I got it off my chest and can stop cursing at Garmin Express/City Navigator...


    Don't get me started on GE. I was forced to use that steaming pile of xxxx today and my brain still hurts from doing so....

    City Navigator North America NT 2014.40 available


    PS: I bet that I'm way more of a geek that you.
  • It's a bit like going from Mapsource to Basecamp, once you get some experience with Express it works fine :)

    But I sure hope MapUpdater continues to work, it's certainly easier for some tasks.

    P.S. I would never comment on your 'geekiness' :p
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    P.S. I would never comment on your 'geekiness' :p


    Sure you would--just not in public :p

    I was able to get GE to do what I wanted yesterday but only with a large amount of "persuasion" (just like the Mafia does). Fortunately my Geek knowledge served me well.

    There are literally hundreds of threads on this board about GE issues. That said I've noticed that Garmin is pushing it as the exclusive means for updating maps and even for seeing if there's an update available (one used to be able to see that in their myGarmin account but no longer). I too hope that GarminMapUpdater survives but it wouldn't shock me at all to see it stop working.

    Right now all I'm lacking is the full JCV file for CN NA NT 2014.40. Hopefully Garmin will make it available. Then again maybe they won't.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    I really can't see Garmin spending the money to develop the infrastructure to support delta-updates to maps--even though Garmin Map data is architected in such a way as to accommodate.

    I'd be happy with just a 21st century download service that can pause/resume/resume-upon-failure given the size of the files.