It's almost unusable. I'm running Windows 7 64bit with an nVidia GTX 275 video card, 6 GB of Corsair Dominator RAM, 300GB 10,000RPM WD VelociRaptor HD and an Intel I7 920 processor. My system should handle this with no problem, however, the basecamp software is almost unusable while panning, zooming, or just navigating on the map. I get lots of freezes (it will say "NOT RESPONDING") for up to 2 minutes and then start working again. I am able to download birdseye maps and I'm also able to load them to my garmin Oregon 550 with no problem, but I DO get an error that says unable to connect to my SD card on the oregon, (even though it connects) I'm using the latest release of Basecamp that I downloaded 2 days ago. Also, I have installed the same software onto my secondary desktop and have the exact same issues. I am going to try to install it onto my 3rd desktop which is running XP 32bit SP3. Will see if it makes any difference. Garmin .... can you please look into this? I am going to Colorado in a few months to hike Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. I'll be heartbroken if I can't get this software to function properly before my trip. Thanks
We're constantly looking for ways to speed up our map drawing performance though we really aren't seeing instances where BaseCamp just freezes up like you're describing. Your system should clearly outperform even our development boxes.
Can you give me a little more information about which product you're using when you see the slowdowns? Is it a standard desktop install? Card install? Built-in map? Do you have the detail level turned up above medium?
For the SD card issues check out the "Known issues and workarounds" thread I was just updating while you posted :)
I'm using only Basecamp 3.0.1 and the detail setting is medium. I did a standard desktop install from the file I downloaded from your website. It slows down when I use any of my purchased maps or the basemap. I have TOPO 2008, City Navigator 2010.30 and US 24K Southwest. All have the same sluggishness. I have downloaded several birdseye maps and when I click on them in basecamp (in the left pane), it takes the software about 20 seconds to display the map info in the properties tab. If I click on something else during this 20 second wait, then I get the "not responding" at the top of the window pane and the software freezes for a minute or 2. Also while building routes, I can click the mouse but nothing happens but then suddenly the software unfreezes and makes all the mouse clicks that I had done. It's like it has to catch up. Hope this info helps you.
I will try the workaround for the SD card issues.
Just wanted to drop in a note that I haven't forgotten about your issues.
I tried convincing my boss that I needed to upgrade my rig to be the same as yours (or at least the same video card) so I could investigate but didn't have much luck with that.
I'll update again as soon as I have more information or ideas on what we could do to speed BaseCamp up on your system.
Basecamp seems to be running even slower than before. It now crashes when trying to transfer my birdseye maps to my oregon 550. I've sent the crash report to garmin one time (I didn't get the opportunity the other times) My birdseye subscription has now become useless since I can no longer transfer to my device. Downloads have become extremely slow too. Please fix this!!!
Same here. I contacted Garmin support about this issue.
BaseCamp is a HUGE Memory hog. It used to consume approx 100MB of RAM on startup and behave pretty decently. After downloading a few BirdsEye "squares" now at startup it consumes 600MB of RAM and 30 seconds or so before I even get the BaseCamp logo pop up. As it continues to grind away, funny things happen like the screen going blank and partial window panes appearing sporadically. After several minutes the map screen comes up as it rearranges all the tool bars and window panes (doesn't remember how I set them up). It continues to consume up to 2GB of RAM before it crashes.
I have a Windows XP SP3 CAD workstation and 3.0.2 BaseCamp crashes constantly. It did not do this at first. It has took me over 2 weeks of constant trying to download 14 pieces of BirdsEye imagery or .jnx files. I download the highest quality imagery available and the largest area possible. BaseCamp estimates this to be around 300MB, but in reality, I am seeing these square selection boxes range between 150 and 330MB.
I have found that If I don't connect the GPS, BC consumes less RAM and works a little better. If I connect the GPS, performance degrades as it usues more RAM to read the GPS. If I connect the GPS with the SD card that has over 2GB of .jnx files, you can forget it! No way!
The only way I could get more than 5 .jnx files on my 4GB SD card inside my Oregon 400C was to transfer 5 of them to the card (through the GPS and BC because that's the only way you can do it), move those .jnx files to my hard drive using a card reader (removing the files on the card) then repeat the process.... transfer more to the card dump them down to the HD clean the card.... repeat till you have all the .jnx files on your HD then transfer them to the SD card through a USB 2.0 card reader.
My Oregon 400c with the marine database loaded to the Oregons' internal memory (39MB free) City Nav 2010, US Inland Lakes 2009, a few topo's some Custom Maps and 14 pieces of imagery, will process this information OK. It is sluggish when zooming way out, but after you zoom down to normal operating range, it performs OK, not stellar, but OK.
I really feel like the problem lies with BaseCamp requiring that all that data be loaded into RAM. BC loads up all of the BirdsEye imagery data that is downloaded and held encrypted somewhere inside the BaseCamp program (If you do a search on your Hard Drive, there are no .jnx files). It also loads the same imagery (.jnx files ) again from the SD card if it's inserted into the GPS, consuming more memory. The 14 files of imagery I have downloaded total 3GB of info and it is only a small portion of my home state!
File transfer to SD card is also a long tedious process. BC doesn't show a status, you have to open a windows folder and keep checking back to see when its done. If it doesn't crash that is, then you have to start over.
It has taken countless hours of attempting workarounds to gain this knowledge. This is something that Garmin should have already done and fixed. They rushed it to market and have chosen to let the end user debug the software. It's sad, but typical of so many software developers today. I have found more useful information from sources other than Garmin.
Hey TJ311, Good luck with Elbert!!! That's a nice fourteener! I hope to get to Colorado this year for some hiking.
I sure hope Garmin fixes BC before your trip. That would be a shame not to have that for your hike! The Sat imagery feature on the Oregon was one of the key features that caused me to purchase it.
I have been having the same problem with base Camp It IS unusable. Most useless program I have ever used. I am currently looking for other ways to load maps and data onto my device because I cannot put up with the constant crashes and instability of base camp. I am running an Acer travel mate 8200 with Windows XP with 2 GB of RAM. Basecamp constantly utilizes from 750 MB to 1 GB of RAM. The program freezes for a couple minutes after I try to click on the eagle eye file in the left-hand column then I have to come back in 5 mins right click it, come back in 5 then click transfer to my device (I’m not exaggerating the times). This is just stupid. I just purchased a Oregon 550 and will be returning it soon if this is not fixed. You would think that Garmin producing a high quality GPS unit would at least have a decent program for transferring maps to the unit. I am currently looking at other ways I can load my unit with maps but the only other solution I have found is by bypassing base camp altogether. (And therefore the payment process). Garmin you have to realize you are losing customers because they are fed up with base camp. Please fix this issue ASAP!
Anybody have workarounds other than transferring .jnx files to HD , cleaning of SD card and then downloading more? You eventually hit a wall with just having them loaded into BaseCamp. I guess the only thing to do now is to delete them from BaseCamp, but then if I want to see the images on my computer, I will have to download them again??? Anybody try saving off a .jnx file to the HD, deleting it from BaseCamp, and then try to reload the .jnx file back into BaseCamp?
