Garmin Map Updating - Does it suck or is it me?

[RaYzerman19]

I find that most of what is included in the map set updates is new POIs. Roads do not really change all that often, but POIs come and go a lot. Unfortunately, they are not as diligent about removing old POIs that are no longer present as they are at adding the new ones. That is part of why the map set continues to get bigger in each iteration.

The way I understand it, there is a food chain.... local municipalities and other food chain feeders (POI creators) upload their new road data to databases that eventually end up being one big happy database where all road info and POI's reside....... the Garmins of the world create their map sets from those big happy databases...... if somebody along the way doesn't add or delete or otherwise properly edit the data, then................

I had a local guy drop by offering to create a POI for my business. Turns out you can do it yourself for a smaller fee, rather than him tacking on his 'fee'.

 

[TomInPA]

How long did it take to update? I have to admit, it only taking 30 minutes was unusually fast for mine this time, but it now shows the 2016.20 version on both my computer and device.

This update has been around since October, so you're not competing for bandwidth with all the Garmin nerds that update the day the release is made public. You have a good internet connection, and reasonably recent device with fast USB transfer, so 30 minutes is good. I know people that let the update run overnight.

 

[RichDoyle]

How long did it take to update? I have to admit, it only taking 30 minutes was unusually fast for mine this time, but it now shows the 2016.20 version on both my computer and device.

For me, it takes a couple of hours apiece. But I now live in an area where I have limited Internet speeds: 8-10 Mbit.

 

[HyperPete]

My $99 Nuvi 1490LMT usually takes about an hour to update. It works just fine for me, no sense in upgrading to some new expensive version.

 

[rbentnail]

My $99 Nuvi 1490LMT usually takes about an hour to update. It works just fine for me, no sense in upgrading to some new expensive version.

I'm still with my $170 WalMart special- a nuvi 780. Recently got a new laptop so had to start over. Downloading and installing BaseCamp & Garmin Express took about 1.5 hrs. Updating computer & device maps to 2016.x took a little over 1 hr.

 

[mikeames]

Roads change. I rode through Reno (or maybe it was Carson City) a few years ago and they had obviously built some new freeways as Garmin was completely lost. That's when I realized it was time to breakdown and buy the update.

 

[Fred W]

Yes, roads do change, and "Garmina" can lose her mind when that happens.

One thing that you can do with many Garmin GPS devices (including all of the zumos) that will make these occurrences less painful is to go in and turn off the auto recalculation mode.

I have mine set to "prompted", which seems to be the most useful. In that mode, when you drift off course, either due to a change in the roadway, a wrong turn, or maybe you intentionally want to go off the planned route for some reason (like to get fuel) it will not just recalculate your route and mess it up. Instead, you'll get a pop up on the screen, and an audible prompt "Bing! Off route. Recalculate?"

If you answer no it will not recalculate the route, but at least you are made aware that you are off the track in case it was a mistake. This is also a critical setting when attempting to run a complicated route of any kind, because the recalculated route is often very different from the originally planned one for several reasons.

 

[ionbeam]

...This is also a critical setting when attempting to run a complicated route of any kind, because the recalculated route is often very different from the originally planned one for several reasons.

Off route. Recalculate?

"Yes"

Turn around and go back 145.3 miles then turn left...

 

[HotRodZilla]

Man...I gotta find the auto-recalculate setting. Never thought of that. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I saw it the other night. I especially hate it when I'm pulling off for gas and the GPS freaks out. This will work well, I think. THANKS!

 

[TomInPA]

The automatically recalculated route from refueling will not usually be a problem, but when you pass a critical intersection in Utah, and have no U-Turns and automatic recalculation on, it can change your day. DAMHIK

 

[El Toro]

I use the GPS for entertainment. It is especially hilarious when the GPS maps are behind and don't know about completion of new roads.

The display shows you going along through open space, with no road. And every time it thinks there's a road nearby, it trys to take you to it.

This was especially funny after the so-called "shovel ready" projects of the recession were completed. There were a lot of these projects in Kentucky, and not just a few in Tennessee too.

When I get tired of hearing the voice tell me that it is recalculating, I just hit the mute button. The mute feature is God's way of civilizing the GPS.

I get a kick out of the routes it chooses through major cities too. If it's a city that I know, like Nashville, it is pretty funny to watch it recommend that you take the major thoroughfares during rush hour. It's pretty funny how it wants to take you out on to the limited access highway when a surface street is actually closer.

I know you can change the preferences to avoid some of these issues ... but what's the fun in that? If you know the routes, just take them.

But the GPS is still pretty humorous.

Probably the best feature I've noticed in recent years has been the addition of the "traffic" information. This has actually gotten better over the last couple of years, and even if I am not interested in what the GPS thinks would be a good route, I often turn it on just to see what it thinks the traffic conditions are. It's not always right ... but it is always worth considering.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Off to find the re-calculate setting. It's good to have you fart smellers around here once in awhile!

--G

 

[Fred W]

The automatically recalculated route from refueling will not usually be a problem...

That has not been my experience, but it may depend on how you have created your routes.

For some Garmin GPS devices, if the via point is placed at an intersection it will shape the route the desired direction but it will not announce the via point and it also will not affect the "distance to next turn" calculation. This is a handy way to shape your routes with lots of via points (so your route goes where you want) but without having to listen to Garmina constantly yacking in your ear, interrupting your musically enhanced bliss. So, my normal MO for creating routes (for myself) is to place the via points on intersections that I will be passing straight through, not at turns so you will hear the announced turn directions if the intersection muting doesn't work (which it doesn't always seem to).

However, the first time that the route is "recalculated" when you load the route on the GPS device it will strip out the unannounced via points. So if a second recalculate happens the route path may change rather drastically depending on how much you depended on those now missing vias.

When I create routes for people with unknown GPS devices I just place all the route shaping via points immediately after a turn, so the turn directions announce first and then the via point is announced, and it doesn't affect the "distance to next turn" calculation too much. Sometimes, if you get the point close enough to the last turn, it is busy announcing the turn and you are past the via point before it gets a chance to announce it. However, this technique means the route is "directional," and can't be quickly reversed unless you move all those points to the other side of the intersection

 

[gixxerjasen]

You guys listen to your GPS? I obsess over my turns. I have to know when my next turn is and what it is and I'm usually watching for signs. Last thing I want to do is listen to her tell me directions to efftee worth.

I have to say, if you are within range of mobile data, google has recently gotten REALLY good at rerouting around traffic, as per my own experience. First time I encountered it I looked and thought google had lost it's mind. I was only using GPS for the last part of my trip as I didn't know the exact location of my destination but knew how to get to the general area. I just need to take 80 till it merges onto 30, then follow directions once I get close to downtown Dallas. I look and Google is telling me to exit in the hood. I'm thinking "Google, you have lost your mind" when I see nothing but a sea of brake lights ahead. Turns out there was a major accident that had the highway completely shut down.

I was pretty happy to be routed around and not end up late to my appointment, though I wash I had an option for "The hood" in my avoidances settings.

 

[rbentnail]

though I wash I had an option for "The hood" in my avoidances settings.

Yeah, me too. Those types of "travel adventures" I surely would like to avoid in the future.

 

[yanktar]

Shoot! And I thought Tom Tom was bad! Updating maps is a pain in the ass but nothing like you describe. I do have a Garmin somewhere but when we replaced the sound system in the car with an Alpine system, it came with nav so the Garmin was obsolete. Rather use my Galaxy, so there's one less gadget to carry.

 

[birkdale10]

Just making a comment. I have a Zumo 550, and Sheila tells me where to go. (I think the name is Karen: the Australian accent). I am royally entertained at the pronunciations of some streets and roads. In Dallas there is a street called Coit (pronounced similar to 'coin') and Sheila tells me 'Co-It'.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Just making a comment. I have a Zumo 550, and Sheila tells me where to go. (I think the name is Karen: the Australian accent). I am royally entertained at the pronunciations of some streets and roads. In Dallas there is a street called Coit (pronounced similar to 'coin') and Sheila tells me 'Co-It'.

Actually, I think it was google that told us to go toward Eftee Worth. Took us a minute, but we died laughing when we figured it out.

 

[BigOgre]

Just making a comment. I have a Zumo 550, and Sheila tells me where to go. (I think the name is Karen: the Australian accent). I am royally entertained at the pronunciations of some streets and roads. In Dallas there is a street called Coit (pronounced similar to 'coin') and Sheila tells me 'Co-It'.

Actually, I think it was google that told us to go toward Eftee Worth. Took us a minute, but we died laughing when we figured it out.

Went back and forth between the British and Australian chicks (birds?) before I settled on the one from Down Under. I sorta like listening to her. Sometimes.

 

[rbentnail]

I've turned them off. With riding I escape the wife- the last thing I wanna hear is some broad telling me where to go.