Whaaa? Maps not available to work with in Basecamp?

Former Member over 12 years ago

I searched for this but couldn't find anything so I apologize if this is old news or a dumb question.

I have BaseCamp installed on my PC and I own a Nuvi, for which I purchased "lifetime map updates". Great, I connected the nuvi and got it updated to the latest North America set of maps.

Yesterday, I went into BaseCamp to work on some route planning, and when launching the program was greeted with a "shortcut to map file blah blah blah...was not found".

I called Garmin support and was told that "Garmin is moving away from allowing map products to be installed on personal computers, and requires that the device hold the map, and be connected to the computer in order to use BaseCamp to do route planning, using the purchased map products".

I used the example of if my wife happens to have the nuvi on a trip and I am at home and need to do route planning -- I'm unable to do that now. After asking to speak with a supervisor, the customer rep sent me a link in an email for a "secret" place to download something called "Garmin Map Updater" -- which appears as though will allow me to download my maps to the computer and do what I had always been able to do in the past.

What the heck is going on? I'm totally uncomfortable now that this functionality is being taken away and I have to rely on this "one time customer satisfaction" action to allow me to download the maps that I PURCHASED to my computer so I can work with them. Is this common knowledge among the BaseCamp users, or did I just get a customer rep that didn't know the facts?

0 SUSSAMB over 12 years ago

If you search through the forums you'll see various threads about MapUpdater and Garmin Express. There is no plan as far as I'm aware to move away from allowing map products to be held on a PC for BC to use. MapUpdater isn't really a secret, just search the threads here, but Garmin's new 'kid on the block' is Express. At the moment it won't allow you to download maps to your PC, but one of the developers mentioned here that they hope to have that functionality in time for 2014.10. In the meantime, MapUpdater is still available and will do what you/we want.

0 SUSSAMB over 12 years ago

See the post here from Falagar https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?34660-Garmin-Express-and-Basecamp/page3

0 Former Member over 12 years ago

Maybe I just got a newbie on the phone or the wires got crossed within Garmin somewhere.

Having, as a developer, worked with tech support people here's my take.

Most tech support people aren't, despite the name, technical. Often they read scripts from a computer screen. Also they only know what they've been told. Often they're not part of an Engineering group but are in another department.

In short, and this is not criticism of these folks, they don't know that much.

My guess is that Garmin tech support have been told that Garmin Express is the solution. As SUSSAMB said it is better to use GarminMapUpdater (and keep a copy).

0 Former Member over 12 years ago

...I also know that it would be easy enough for Garmin to update their canned response on this point.

Well I don't want to get into a whole discussion about this but I've worked in high-tech companies for decades and I know, first hand, how internal politics can affect this stuff. It drove me nuts. I often worked directly with tech support people to get around that .... kind of thing. I also know how frustrating it is to be on the other side of the fence.

You're also correct about "tribal knowledge". However not being a Vulcan I can't perform Vulcan mind-melds.

0 Former Member over 12 years ago

Ahh I see.

I've dropped some companies product(s) for that very reason. It's a general trend :( Or maybe I'm just getting older and wiser.