Garmin Express and Basecamp

Former Member over 12 years ago

Since there is not a separate sub-forum for Garmin Express, I'm posting here as these issues came up during last night's Lifetime Maps Update to 2013.40 that affected Basecamp and my zumo 665.

In an email reply to another rider, Garmin Management admitted to the following unannounced change:

"With Garmin Express, the map update will not be installed to the computer if the device has sufficient internal memory for the computer. This was a decision made by Garmin to simplify the map update process. I apologize for any inconvenience. You can view the mapping on the computer using Garmin's BaseCamp program. BaseCamp can pull the mapping from the GPS device when the device is connected to the computer."

This is disastrous on 2 fronts:

1) If your device has sufficient memory, you will be forced to mount it whenever planning in BC, resulting in painfully slow map loading (each and every time), route planning and modifications, and map re-drawing. This wastes all of the processing horsepower of your pc, and for cross-country trips, it is unworkable.

2) If your device has insufficient memory, you will be allowed to download the full mapset to your pc, but since Garmin Express does not recognize any installed SD card, and because Basecamp eliminated the map transfer feature, you will only be allowed to install a subset of maps to internal storage on your device - in my case, about 1/4 of NA on a 665, even though I have a 16GB SD card. So, for my trip from Colorado to Maine via Florida this summer, I would be required to carry my laptop and actually swap out mapsets on my device 4 times along the way.

It's impossible to discern what Garmin's navigating vision might be, especially considering these latest moves, but I'm quickly coming to the conclusion I'd be just as well off to tape a brick to my handlebars.

The motorcycling community absolutely must have the ability to load the full mapset to both Basecamp and the device+SD card, or Garmin has rendered their technology platform obsolete.

0 Former Member over 12 years ago

...In an email reply to another rider, Garmin Management admitted to the following unannounced change:

"With Garmin Express, the map update will not be installed to the computer if the device has sufficient internal memory ...

Annoying but easily worked around on my nuvi with lifetime maps. Simply changed the existing gmapprom.img file name to gmapprom.ximg so that Express would not see it was a map. As there was no longer enough space for the new Europe map, Express then gave the choice of an install to a SD card or a Partial Install. I selected Partial Install and then selected the "Full Install" at the top of the list on the next page. It's now installing to the computer.

0 Emoto1 over 12 years ago

What good is BaseCamp if one cannot use the maps that we have paid for? I have two Three Garmin GPSs, one in each automobile and one that I've given to a grandson (an older one :-)). But my wife is a definite Ludite and occasionally I need to create a paper map for her. BaseCamp serves that need plus the need to plan a long trip at a speedy computer (a link to a GPS that is down in the car is not a really good alternative and even if I get it the wire link is way too slow to be really useful).

And what is this nonsense of disallowing printing of the BaseCamp map if the map is 2013.4 or greater? I can always get a screen shot of the window and print that, so what are you preserving? Or is there some software cost in creating the printed output that you are saving? I thought that you would have BaseCamp programmed to print any map it displays and the software costs are over and done with.

I use an older version of garmin map updater when I update my maps and it lets me update both the unit and my PC. I recommend this. I will test printing from BaseCamp of 2013.4. Has everyone run into your same inability to print?

0 Emoto1 over 12 years ago

I use an older version of garmin map updater when I update my maps and it lets me update both the unit and my PC. I recommend this. I will test printing from BaseCamp of 2013.4. Has everyone run into your same inability to print?

Ok, I just did a test print using BaseCamp and CN 2013.4. It printed without error or problem. Looked really good, in fact. FYI, I do have the maps installed on my PC hard drive; I don't know how much of a factor that is for printing, but I expect it is important.

I may start printing paper backups of my routes when I go on trips now.

0 Former Member over 12 years ago

Is it possible to delete GPS units from Express?

As I prepare and update Garmin for customers there's a growing list of models in the Device list but there does not seem to be an obvious method to delete them. Is it possible to delete units from the list?

0 Former Member over 12 years ago

I also was stunned on first use of Express to find it had not updated the map on my laptop. And that after a 13-hour or so download for updating the Nuvi's map. I emailed Garmin and was given instructions to use MapUpdater to update the map on MapSource (and now BaseCamp since i recently started using BC). So, I had to do yet another 13-hour download (we were on a slow connection in that rv park).

I will not use Express again until this oversight is fixed. The way to handle this for "average" users is to give us the gps and/or computer option we had before Express.

0 Marcel_Mescher over 11 years ago

Dear people at Garmin: Here are my findings: I own a NUVI 220 and have purchased LIFETIME updates for it (starting at City Navigator Europe NT 2011.40). When it's up and running, I like the unit allright and it is my main navigator on my motorcycle since IP57 water and dustproof, and since it came with the nice dock station solution. I have however always had serious "mixed" feelings about the painful and slow map update process, and every couple of months I was faced with new challenges, including the painful and sometimes not working procedure for unlocking my updated maps ! Don't do it when in a hurry was the lesson, and sometimes it cost me hours of fun before going on a ride... But now since the introduction of Garmin Express and BaseCamp I simply can NO longer update anything, and it always breaks of with error messages. It's a disaster as far as I'm concerned. Since the internal memory is limited to 2GB on that model and the maps are now larger, I am frustrated that I cannot write to the added 8GB SD card either (which is recognized alright) Sorry, but with my CAR navigator from the competition - TomTom- updating is at least a much more reliable and faster process. I am reading that I have to revert to "older" methods of updating. I will still "try" to continue to use my NUVI 220 but since my overall experience of map updates it will probably be the last Garmin purchase ever ! So no motorcycle Zumo either for me in the future. You did this to yourselves. Sincerely, a now more than frustrated user.
PS, you should adopt the KISS principle. Keep It Stupid and Simple. will keep your customers way more happy and remember, the best publicity is still the enthusiasm of the end user about a product !