Am I going to hate Garmin more than Micro$oft?
Roger Long
I install the Blue Charts. It asks for the serial number of my GPS which it
says is either on the bottom of the unit or the box.
No number on the bottom of the unit. No number on the box.
Over on the right are instructions for displaying the unit ID. No choice
for GPSmap76cx but a line listing all the other 76 units. I select that.
It says, "Click Menu twice then System Info".
I do that. There is no System Info choice. I look in setup and a bunch of
other menus and places. There is no System Info anywhere.
I open up the case. There is a sticker in the battery compartment with the
right number of digits. Its the only number anywhere in the packaging or on
the unit that is the right length and isn't molded into the case. I get my
unlock code.
The web page and email that send me my unlock code list the GPS as "unknown"
and with a different serial number! I load some charts on a data card and
stick it in the GPS.
When I turn the GPS on, I get a message saying it can't unlock the charts.
Sure enough, there's nothing there except the base map.
I look back at the email with the unlock code. It says, "If you are having
trouble, contact us here." I click.
It says, "WEB PAGE UNAVAILABLE!"
I've seen all the warnings that there are no refunds for unlock codes.
Wadda you bet that, after spending an hour waiting on the support phone line
tomorrow, they tell me I'll just have to purchase another unlock code?
Now that I've spent all this money, is managing this thing going to be the
never ending nightmare of frustration that Micro$oft has beaten us into
accepting as the human condition?
--
Roger Long
Roger Long
I registered the GPS which I hadn't done the first time. The information on
finding the serial number in that site section is more complete but still
wrong. It says it is on the back but it is inside and is the sticker I
first used. I also appeares on a very small sticker on the top (not the
bottom) of the box that doesn't look like the sticker they show a picture of
on the web site.
Anyway, I went through the routine of unlocking for a second GPS (you are
allowed two) and it worked. I have my GPS working but now I have to call
Garmin and find out whether they think I have two units and see if I can
pursuade them to delete the first, ghost, unit so I can load the charts on
the backup GPS I have yet to buy.
--
Roger Long
NE Sailboat
All I do is turn it on, insert the little card with the navigation charts ..
and these charts cover everywhere on the east coast, west coat, everywhere.
The reason I went with Lowrance was the unlock code setup from Garmin..
A sailor on the newsgroup recommended the Lowrance to me.
I bought mind from Tiger GPS.. and internet store.. total was under $300.
If you are really upset with Garmin bring the GPS back and go Lowrance.
===
"Roger Long" <rlon...@maine.rr.com> wrote in message
news:462bf699$0$24717$4c36...@roadrunner.com...
Wayne.B
wrote:
>If you are really upset with Garmin bring the GPS back and go Lowrance.
Good advice in my opinion. I helped a neighbor set up his Blue Charts
and felt the same level of frustration. CMAP and Navionics chips can
be plugged into any compatible GPS unit, or read on your PC with a USB
adapter. The new NT Max chips are quite nice.
Roger Long
use as Harbormaster and became familiar with it and built a nice mount for
it on the steering pedestal. As a result, I didn't do the kind of
comparison shopping and research I would normally do when I decided to get
my own. The unlock codes are non-refundable so I'm in too deep now and I've
been using if for road naviagation since Christmas so taking it back isn't
an option.
I've got it figured out now so it will work for me but, even without having
seen a Lowrance directly, I'd urge anyone to look very carefully before
leaping into the "blue".
--
Roger Long
Roger Long
units registered. One was a ghost with a unit ID matching the serial number
of the real one and a serial number that came from God knows where. Since
you can only get the charts to unlock with two units, this meant that I
wouldn't be able to load them into a back up GPS when I purchase one.
I wrote and email to technical support asking them to please kill the ghost
GPS. Immediately after, I went back to the Garmin site and my account to
look around some more. The ghost GPS had already disappeared! It clearly
wasn't a case of the fastest technical support response on the plant becaust
it was less than a minute since hitting the sent button. The Garmin system
must have automatically checked, figured out that something was bogus, and
killed the record.
Cool.
(I'd still buy something else though)
--
Roger Long
Roger Long
The ghost unit still shows up in the unlock section.
Too weird. Buy Lowrance.
--
Roger Long
KLC Lewis
FWIW, I have two Garmin GPS units -- one on Essie, one on the Trophy 180,
and they both set up easy as pie. I don't recall ever having to "register"
either unit to get them working, and I have a bluechip card that I use in
both of them, depending upon which boat is going out. Never a problem.
>
Roger Long
"KLC Lewis" <nos...@spamless.com> wrote
>
> FWIW, I have two Garmin GPS units -- one on Essie, one on the Trophy 180,
> and they both set up easy as pie. I don't recall ever having to "register"
> either unit to get them working, and I have a bluechip card that I use in
> both of them, depending upon which boat is going out. Never a problem.
That's very interesting. Maybe the chips, which are the same price as equal
coverage area unlocks from the CD, are more swapable from GPS to GPS. I
went with the CD so I could do trip planning on the computer at home and
because you can get an unlock code for a new area in minutes instead of
waiting for a chip to arrive in the mail. You could do it with a laptop via
WiFi somewhere.
When you unlock a region on the CD, you have to enter the information for
your GPS at the same time. The software then encrypts the data card so that
the maps will only unlock in the two GPS units you entered information for.
Can you stick your data card in a USB card reader (available for ten bucks
from Radio Shack) and read the charts back into Mapsource on a computer?
I'm curious but I'll bet not. The would have killed the rational for buying
the CD if they allowed that.
I wonder if you can make a back up copy of your data cards with a card
reader. I'll bet they have figured out a way to prevent that as well.
--
Roger Long
KLC Lewis
Ah, I see now. That probably is the difference. I'll have to get that reader
(does it allow writing too? Special software?) and see if will allow me to
make backups. I have a card for Lake Michigan and another for Southern
California (obviously not much use to me anymore, as long as I'm here), and
would hate to lose them. On the other hand, though, I have The Cap'n and its
charts, so a loss of bluechip data doesn't leave me in the dark. And since
the Cap'n charts are on CD's, if I lose the computer I can always rebuild
them.
Wayne.B
wrote:
>the Cap'n charts are on CD's
The Cap'n should be able to use NOAA's free, down loadable BSB charts.
Larry
> I've seen all the warnings that there are no refunds for unlock codes.
> Wadda you bet that, after spending an hour waiting on the support
> phone line tomorrow, they tell me I'll just have to purchase another
> unlock code?
>
> Now that I've spent all this money, is managing this thing going to be
> the never ending nightmare of frustration that Micro$oft has beaten us
> into accepting as the human condition?
>
> --
> Roger Long
>
>
In your position, Roger, I would not HESITATE to ask them if they'd seen
you on the Titanic programs and use that position to get your GPS
unlocked....subito!
If I were a marine electronics manufacturer and a marine architect,
especially one involved with finding the truth of Titanic, called to
complain about his little handheld GPS...knowing the people he even may
know in the marine community, I would be sending out a NEW GPS already
programmed with the MASTER unlock code to ALL the charts so this person
could use it while he is at sea on the next TV voyage.
To do otherwise would be just SUICIDE, not to mention really STUPID!
Larry
--
KLC Lewis
"Wayne.B" <waynebatr...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ie7o231ole8ga4510...@4ax.com...
Possibly. It comes with all of the US on the CD's, you would really only
need additional charts for outside these areas, Caribbean, etc.
Dennis Pogson
It's easy to confuse the Unit ID with the serial number of the unit.
However, connecting the unit to a laptop or PC with Mapsource installed
searches for and displays the Unit ID, since without this, no connection is
established to enable data, map or chart transfers between.the unit and the
PC,
Unlock codes require the unit ID, area code, and software code (type), for
Garmin to generate the unlock codes. Unlock codes that will often work with
the PC will not unlock maps/charts for the instrument, although unlock codes
for the specific instrument will unlock maps/charts on your laptop or PC.
The reference codes that are supplied with the software you buy, eg
Bluecharts, have to be supplied to Garmin, together with your unit ID,
before they can supply you with an unlock code for that instrument, and ONLY
that instrument. True, Garmin allow you 2 sets of codes with your software,
and it would seem that you would have to re-register your 2nd instrument
(when you buy it) and explain to Garmin that you have mistakenly supplied
them with the wrong unit id the first time you sent the info to them,
otherwise they will assume that you already have 2 instruments and have
used up your allocation of unlock codes.
I don't see the point of buying a second unit, since you will already have
the charts on your laptop and some of these on your handheld GPS. Garmin
however do recognise that some people will own 2 GPS mapping units, hence
their software allows 2 such installations.
One tip Roger. When selecting charts to upload to the unit, you may overlook
the fact that some larger area charts contain smaller area charts, ie the
same area is covered on 2 or more charts, but be aware that the detail
contained in the small area chart can be substantially greater than that
contained in the large area chart, so that zooming in to a large area chart
does not give you the same amount of detail as using the smaller area chart.
I therefore tend to ignore large area charts when uploading and instead use
more small area charts in my instrument (a GPSMAP60CS).
I have also found that road maps, (City Select and City Navigator) over-ride
the BlueCharts when loaded to the same unit, and you have to untick such
maps in the Map Page before you can use the BlueCharts. This can be a
nuisance in coastal areas when you may have used the road map to drive down
to the marina and want to use the BlueChart to navigate out of the marina
and along the coast. This may be specific to my particular instrument, but
it's worth checking if you are faced with a chart with no detail!
Dennis.
Roger Long
computer. You can transfer files back and forth using Windows Explorer.
Mine is a Targus TGR-CDR25 and it has got to be the most useful computer
item I ever got for ten bucks. It has slots for four different kinds of
cards.
I think Garmin puts all its copy protection encryption in the file written
to the card. All the maps go in one big file and the GPS or Map Source
program then reads the unit ID numbers included in the file and compare them
with the hardware. I'll be very surprised if you don't find that you can
make as many backups as you want for the GPS(s) you are using or make back
up files on your computer disk that can then be used to make new cards
later. I'll bet you can't view the maps on your laptop though. Please let
me know if you can.
Since the cards can be easily written to, I'll bet that the first GPS you
insert them in writes it's unit number to the card and they won't thereafter
work in other units. You probably "registered" without realizing it.
Garming is putting us through all this to keep a hot gray market in copies
from developing.
--
Roger Long
BrianH
because of their piracy paranoia that I would seriously
think twice before continuing with this brand. Having
purchased a GPSMAP 172C and the Atlantic BlueChart, plus a
data card to write the relevant Adriatic charts to that I
had paid for, I was ready to set off with my notebook PC for
my boat in Italy.
As I had a few hours to spare I idly put the CD into my
desktop and found that I had to jump through all the on-line
hoops to register and get my unlock codes - a procedure I
could never have embarked on if I had left it to when I was
on board without any internet connection.
Then, after three weeks the unit failed - no power-up. When
I was back home I tried to contact Garmin, to be put on hold
for hours. My e-mails went unanswered. Eventually, after an
incredibly frustrating series of attempts to get a response
I did manage to contact someone in the European repair
centre in the UK who told me to send the unit to them. Here
things got better, I received a new unit in short time at no
cost - other than my courier cost to them.
Then the problems began again. The data card would not read
- I had to again jump through the unlock code hoops on-line
again; now my second unit allowance is used.
I have noticeable chart errors for the northern Adriatic -
possibly these are fundamental errors in the original
Italian charts, although a friend with C-Map does not have
them. I reported them to the Garmin cartographic group -
without acknowledgement. I did note a later upgrade to my
set of charts but have no intention of having to pay for it,
which I would have to do, even if I hadn't used up the
second permitted unlock code.
No, never again Garmin.
BrianH.
Roger Long
"Dennis Pogson" <dennis_no...@ntlworld.com> wrote
> One tip Roger. When selecting charts to upload to the unit, you may
> overlook
> the fact that some larger area charts contain smaller area charts, ie the
> same area is covered on 2 or more charts, but be aware that the detail
> contained in the small area chart can be substantially greater than that
> contained in the large area chart, so that zooming in to a large area
> chart
> does not give you the same amount of detail as using the smaller area
> chart.
Are you saying that, if you have both charts loaded and active and zoom in,
the unit will give priority to the large scale chart and suddenly present
you with no detail as you sail into a bay or harbor? This is a very
important point because it could lead to loss of a boat and life in a high
stress situation. Having to suddenly go back into set up and turn off the
large scale chart just as I'm entering a harbor would probably be enough to
lead me to Ebay the whole thing. I'll check this on mine but I'd appreciate
your (or other Garmin user) clarifiying as these kinds of operation are not
always consistent.
The road / chart conflict I know about. That's why I'm segregating road and
marine data on two separate data cards.
--
Roger Long
Roger Long
"Charlie Morgan" <*@*.com> wrote
> If you connect your GPS to the USB port on your laptop and connect to
> Garmin's
> website, it will automagically get your serial number for you.
It would have been nice it it had said that on the web site instead of
telling me to look for serial numbers in places where they weren't. A big
note to register the GPS first would also be good. I followed the other
directions properly except for registering first and it didn't send back an
error message but simply made up a bogus serial number.
In you other post you mention that it is easy to delete units. I just went
back and through the site and don't see any choice for doing that. I tried
right clicking, hitting the delete button, clicking "More Information", etc.
If it's there, they don't make it very obvious.
I'm beginning to think that the underlying system is better and more robust
than the poor web site design would indicate though.
--
Roger Long
Ed Being There
on my 276 I had to
1. hit menu twice
2. select the "set-up" choice from the list of tabs (all of this from
memory as I no longer have this unit)
3. then hit menu again and on the bottom of the window is something
like "system information".
hope this help.
Ed Reiss
Don White
"Larry" <no...@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns991B3D1927...@208.49.80.253...
>
> In your position, Roger, I would not HESITATE to ask them if they'd seen
> you on the Titanic programs and use that position to get your GPS
> unlocked....subito!
>
> If I were a marine electronics manufacturer and a marine architect,
> especially one involved with finding the truth of Titanic, called to
> complain about his little handheld GPS...knowing the people he even may
> know in the marine community, I would be sending out a NEW GPS already
> programmed with the MASTER unlock code to ALL the charts so this person
> could use it while he is at sea on the next TV voyage.
>
> To do otherwise would be just SUICIDE, not to mention really STUPID!
>
> Larry
> --
Yeah but....then they would expect him to hold up that Garmin GPS every
close shot Roger was in and give a blurp about how he couldn't have done
anything without his trusty tool.
Dennis Pogson
No, I am saying that if you load the large-scale chart, but miss out the
smaller-scale chart, you will have only the detail which is included on the
large-scale chart, so either load both, or just the small-scale charts. The
Garmin always seems to seek out the chart with the greatest detail when you
zoom in. These smaller charts do not always overlap anyhow, so you are best
to load the large-scale charts as well as the small-scale ones. If you find
yourself in an area not covered by a small-scale chart, you will know,
because as you zoom in, you lose detail.
Be careful when using the selection tool in Mapsource and examine the
highlighted chart borders carefully. As a check, list the charts you have
selected before uploading them to the Garmin, including any Tide and Marine
Services files since these are very useful when calculating HW and LW and
range without having to use your tide tables from the almanac. If you forget
to load these you have to do a complete reload of all the charts together
with the Tides and Marine Services files.
This is the way it works with my 60CS, your unit is obviously a CSx unit so
maybe using data cards does eliminate the problem of the Garmin deleting all
the charts in it's memory before loading new ones, i.e. you can't add charts
to the ones that are already there (in my 60CS that is), you have to upload
the whole of the old portfolio plus any new charts you may have forgotten.
Built-in memory probably behaves differently to SD card memory, so ignore if
all this is bullshit!
I have found that having a pocketable chart display unit, which contains
good detailed charts, is a great asset, and saves having to leap up and down
the main hatch to check your laptop screen. I am getting too long in the
tooth for this game, and can do without the excercise! The BlueCharts are
superb in this area (West of Scotland) and I can usually manage without
resorting to paper stuff!
Dennis.
KLC Lewis
"Don White" <whi...@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:g92Xh.27232$PV3.2...@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
Heheheh -- He said "trusty tool."
Dennis Pogson
Have just re-read my last post.
Please substitute the word "area" for the word "scale" in my previous post.
Small-scale charts cover a LARGE area and large-scale charts cover a SMALL
area!
You would think I'd been navigating for 2 weeks instead of 45 years, the old
brainbox must be suffering from all this global warming!
Dennis.
richforman
> Roger ,, my Lowrance H20 C GPS is sitting on the desk. No unlock code.
>
> All I do is turn it on, insert the little card with the navigation charts ..
> and these charts cover everywhere on the east coast, west coat, everywhere.
>
> The reason I went with Lowrance was the unlock code setup from Garmin..
>
> A sailor on the newsgroup recommended the Lowrance to me.
>
> I bought mind from Tiger GPS.. and internet store.. total was under $300.
>
> If you are really upset with Garmin bring the GPS back and go Lowrance.
>
>
> news:462bf699$0$24717$4c36...@roadrunner.com...
>
>
>
> >I got it.
>
> > I registered the GPS which I hadn't done the first time. The information
> > on finding the serial number in that site section is more complete but
> > still wrong. It says it is on the back but it is inside and is the
> > sticker I first used. I also appeares on a very small sticker on the top
> > (not the bottom) of the box that doesn't look like the sticker they show a
> > picture of on the web site.
>
> > Anyway, I went through the routine of unlocking for a second GPS (you are
> > allowed two) and it worked. I have my GPS working but now I have to call
> > Garmin and find out whether they think I have two units and see if I can
> > pursuade them to delete the first, ghost, unit so I can load the charts on
> > the backup GPS I have yet to buy.
>
> > --
>
> - Show quoted text -
I have the same Lowrance and like it very much for the same reason -
the simplicity of just snapping the memory chip in for the maps, not
only no unlock codes, no cd's and no computer.
richforman
Roger Long
> Nope. Garmin allows the enduser to register and unregister units as
> often as they please, as long as they only have two units registered
> at any one time. Garmin has excellent tech support for those who
> can't follow printed directions. :')
I just got an email from Garmin Tech support saying that they had
unregistered my "ghost" GPS and I am now free to register a second unit.
They did not point me to anyway that I can unregister a unit myself and I
still can't find any choice to do that. Can you tell me how to unregister
on the web site?
--
Roger Long
Roger Long
> It's been a long time since I did it, and I wasn't trying to remember
> the procedure. It was a matter of clicking on the unit and selecting
> "delete" or "unregister" or something along those lines. I suppose
> it's possible they no longer have that feature.
You really, really think that I didnt' try that (right click, left click,
Registration Details, etc.) before we even had this exchange?
No, the option has been deleted. I can't complain about the quick respone
from tech support in deleating thed bogus one though.
--
Roger Long