A GPS has now become a critical piece of equipment in any vehicle. This device eases the driving process of getting from point A to point B. It saves time, fuel and headaches. Many cars sold today include an option of a built-in GPS, and any car can accommodate a portable GPS. Although most drivers applaud these devices, it is frustrating when instructed to turn onto a closed street, or an error message is received for an entered address. Whether using a car GPS or a portable model, periodic GPS updates are needed to keep the information used to guide a driver through traffic accurate.
Many navigation system companies announce updates on an annual basis, but a few issue updates more frequently. Since portable devices are easily updated via the internet or by connecting the device to a computer, this article will concentrate on built-in car GPS systems.
How To Obtain For GPS Updates?
It looks like Navigon may be making a marketing push for their FreshMaps service by offering a one-time free map update for current owners. The updated maps will be complimentary with the version 1.2 firmware update, which is reported to have the following release schedule: Navigon 5100 – April 17 Navigon 2100 – April 22read more. The Navigon 2120 GPS makes sure you have all the necessary assistance for your road trips. Featuring a large 3.5-inch display, its equipped with 2D and 3D ma. NAVIGON FreshMaps – Keep your 2200T as up-to-date in 3 years as it was on the day you bought it with NAVIGON‘s FreshMaps accessory, providing up to 12 map updates for three years for $79.99. The new portable and ultra-thin Navigon 2200T GPS device which measures less than ¾-inch thick is expected to be available later this fall for $229. GPS MAP UPDATE HIGHLIGHTS. 64,238 miles of new roads. 716,867 restaurants. 340 new speed limits. 149,494 fuel stations. Power up your navigation system.
There are two different ways of updating car GPS services these days:
paying for a single update
subscription updates
Payment Charges For Individual GPS Updates For Cars
For a single map service, the car owner needs to decide how often to update. This move is safe to play if one is not sure for how long they want to keep the car or the current GPS. The updates for individual map services run $80-$120 depending on the vendor and types of maps. This cost can significantly increase if the car is taken to a dealership for the updates with labor costs being added.
Subscription Package For Car GPS Update
Navigon Gps Update
For people who rely on built-in car GPS, they can purchase map updates on a subscription basis. For this, they need to pay the up-front price to receive their latest map updates. The subscription package for updating the car GPS works well for those who intend to keep the car for an extended period or for those who prefer the latest up-to-date availability of maps. It is an individual’s choice.
It also depends on GPS companies and how they offer updated map services. Some companies provide a lifetime subscription package. Other companies offer less expensive subscription packages, but for a limited time or on a less frequent schedule. Bear in mind that there is a small catch – subscriptions for map updates are attached to the original owner of the device and are not transferable.
How The Subscription Packages For GPS Update Works?
When someone buys a GPS device, turns it on, gets it registered and starts using it is when the subscription begins. With most companies, a person can enjoy the latest updated maps for three months. After the initial trial period, an individual needs to pay for the map subscriptions to receive the most recent updates (quarterly or annually).
Verdict
The cost of updating the car GPS depends on the anticipated use of the GPS. Be smart when choosing the car manufacturer and which GPS is installed in the car. Always ask the cost of GPS updates if the car will contain a built-in GPS. If one intends to keep the car for an extended period, then evaluate the value of GPS updates over the planned use period.
Third-party companies offer low-cost GPS map updates. Navigation Updates is one of those companies. Check out the latest GPS updates with thousands of changes in streets, roads as well as points of interest (restaurants, gas stations, etc.).
This is the simplest tutorial on how to add or update maps to your Garmin Sat Nav.
Garmin maps are simple .img files (files with .img extension). So updating or adding maps is as simple as copying and pasting a file, which has to be named gmapprom.img or gmapsupp.img. In some places, you may find locked files, but there are tools to unlock those.
An additional option (but not free) is to purchase official maps from Garmin’s website. The cost in the UK (Europe map) is £49.99 for a single update or £74.99 for LifeTime update (updates forever). If your GPS has LMT in the description is because LifeTime updates are included already (no extra charge). Once you got this, you install Garmin software from their website and you get the updates whenever you want.
But because we like free stuff, these are the steps:
Step 1. Buy a cable and connect your Sat Nav
The first step is to connect the device to your computer. For this purpose, you need a mini USB cable. If you are an Andriod user you probably have one already, otherwise, you can get one in Amazon for around USD 3 (option 1, option 2, option 3).
Step 2. Find your Map
Open Street Map (OSM) is the most used and globally recognised source for maps. They are free, created and updated by users and volunteers across the World.
The easiest thing to do is to find the map of your interest ready to use in .img format. So select your map from this link (once you find the one you need, click on the Provider column), only make sure that it says Yes in Routable column. In my case I wanted France so I download the map from the following website. There you click on Europe Maps and then Benelux & France.
That’s it! Your browser will start downloading a .zip (if it is compressed) or a .img file. In my case the file is called “Benelux & France-IMG-UL.zip“, and it is around 600MB.
Clarification: If you cannot find your map in the link above, follow the following steps:
1. Go to http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ 2. In “Choose a predefined country” select Thailand 3. Click “Download map now” 4. Select only the file “osm_generic_gmapsupp.zip” to download. 5. Unzip the file above 6. Copy the unzipped file (gmapsupp.img) to your SD card
[Only for advanced users]: browse OSM website or other providers to find more specific maps. If your map has .osm extension, use one of these tools to convert it to .img. Mkgmap is a good one.
Step 3. Copy your Map to your Sat Nav
Here you have two options, you can copy the file to your Sat Nav memory, or you can use an external SD card:
Option A: Use you Sat Nav inbuilt memory
You can now just copy and paste your file to your device. Once connected to your computer, it will appear as an additional drive, as shown in the image below.
You may not have enough space on your device, but you can remove some files and replace the existent map. You can always make a backup and copy the files to your computer.
gmapprom.img is the pre-installed map, so you can just replace it. gmapbmap.img is the base map containing only large roads and larger cities, not really suitable for routing. You could delete it but as it is only about 50 MB you wouldn’t gain much space. You can also delete some of the voice files to make room. These probably contain lots of different voices and languages (files with .sum and .vpm extensions) that you never use, so maybe taking up quite a bit of space. They should all be in the GarminVoice directory. This is also only around 50MB. Another option would be to go to garmin.openstreetmap.nl and select only the files you are interested in and see if the generated map fits on your device.
Option B: Use an external SD card
If you do not want to remove nor touch the original maps (the ones that came when you bought your device), you can play safe and use an external SD card (read more at our “Best Travel Gadgets” post). You only need to create a folder called Garmin and copy your .img file in this directory.
You can get a 4GB SD card for around USD 4: Kingston, SanDisk. You need to format it with FAT32 [Windows, Mac]. Garmin says it will only accept up to a 4GB card for certain models, so check that in advance.
Step 4. Check your new Map in your Sat Nav
To check if the map was copied correctly and it is ready to use, follow these steps:
Disconnect your Sat Nav from the computer
Turn it on and click on Tools (bottom right corner)
Click on Settings, then on Map, and then on Map Info.
You should now see your new map, as the image below:
Recommended devices
You can find many Garmin Sat Navs on Amazon at different prices (from USD 100):
New devices can load multiple “*.img” files. If you want to have more maps on your device you can rename maps file in: gmapprom.img (original map/ or renamed new map), gmapsupp.img (2° map), gmapprom1.img (3° map), etc.
Some other recommended Garmin Sat Navs are the ones below. Bear in mind that nowadays most of them come with LifeTime maps from the country you buy it from, so better to buy it with the maps you are most likely to need.
Additional tips and information
How To Update Navigon Gps
I strongly recommend Skyscanner for searching both cars and flights. I always find the best deals. For cars, local agencies are normally much cheaper than the big names such as Europcar and Hertz.
Do not forget to visit our “Best Travel Gadgets” post to find other useful artefacts for your trip!
Are you still having problems with your maps? Please ask for help here or use the Forum.