OK, here's the situation. I have MapSource and nRoute and both North America 2008 and Europe 2009 map DVDs. The MapSource DVD are locked to Garmin Mobile XT that I used to run on my Windows Mobile Smartphone with the Garmin 10x Bluetooth GPS (i.e the maps are locked to the specific GPS serial #).
As I now have a Blackberry, and cannot get straight map based (versus Internet data based) US and international navigation, I downloaded and installed the Garmin Mobile PC trial software on my netbook. I was assuming that the software would recognize my Garmin GPS and allow me to target Garmin Mobile PC from the MapSource maps, as it did with mobile XT.
It does not seem to work that way, as the software only recognizes the Garmin GPS as a Bluetooth GPS, and does not come up with the locking serial number. Net result is that if I add a gpsupp.img file to the mobilepc directory, the program loads with a black screen. I could not find any way to force the software to recognize the Garmin GPS as a Garmin GPS, and allow the maps to be unlocked and displayed.
I have paid for the DVDs, and paid for the GPS, and assume there should be some way to do this. Am I missing something?
To buy Garmin Mobile PC with another GPS seems like a waste, and I can buy Microsoft Streets and Trips 2010 for the US and Europe for less money, and use the GPS I have.
Thoughts and suggestions.
As I now have a Blackberry, and cannot get straight map based (versus Internet data based) US and international navigation, I downloaded and installed the Garmin Mobile PC trial software on my netbook. I was assuming that the software would recognize my Garmin GPS and allow me to target Garmin Mobile PC from the MapSource maps, as it did with mobile XT.
It does not seem to work that way, as the software only recognizes the Garmin GPS as a Bluetooth GPS, and does not come up with the locking serial number. Net result is that if I add a gpsupp.img file to the mobilepc directory, the program loads with a black screen. I could not find any way to force the software to recognize the Garmin GPS as a Garmin GPS, and allow the maps to be unlocked and displayed.
I have paid for the DVDs, and paid for the GPS, and assume there should be some way to do this. Am I missing something?
To buy Garmin Mobile PC with another GPS seems like a waste, and I can buy Microsoft Streets and Trips 2010 for the US and Europe for less money, and use the GPS I have.
Thoughts and suggestions.
You are right. The software version of Mobile PC will not allow you to used locked maps, regardless of if they are unlocked to the Garmin GPS you use. Your only avenue if you wish to do this for free on your laptop is nRoute. It will work with locked maps and recognize your 10x as the GPS they are registered to.
Terry
Terry
With Mobile XT, the maps are locked to the GPS not to the software. You would think that Garmin would do the same with Mobile PC, and bring their customers along with them.
As an owner of various Garmin GPS products, including a trex, the 496 and Nuvi (stolen from car and Garmin cannot transfer the map unlock code), the whole map unlock process has been extremely irritating, as what I think most people would like is to buy the maps with upgrades every year or so, and target the data to the devices they own as required.
At this point it would seem pointless to stay with Garmin as all the choices seem to be considerably more expensive than buying Streets & Trips 2010 and Autoroute 2010 combined for $79 on Amazon, and using the 10x that I have (I believe this Garmin GPS will work with S&T). Shame really, as I would have been happy to buy Garmin Mobile PC software with updated North America map data to use with my existing unlocked Europe maps for $60, and would then downstream have bought the updated Europe DVD to use via MapSource, to build specific maps targeted to Garmin Mobile PC for business trips for another $145.
As an owner of various Garmin GPS products, including a trex, the 496 and Nuvi (stolen from car and Garmin cannot transfer the map unlock code), the whole map unlock process has been extremely irritating, as what I think most people would like is to buy the maps with upgrades every year or so, and target the data to the devices they own as required.
At this point it would seem pointless to stay with Garmin as all the choices seem to be considerably more expensive than buying Streets & Trips 2010 and Autoroute 2010 combined for $79 on Amazon, and using the 10x that I have (I believe this Garmin GPS will work with S&T). Shame really, as I would have been happy to buy Garmin Mobile PC software with updated North America map data to use with my existing unlocked Europe maps for $60, and would then downstream have bought the updated Europe DVD to use via MapSource, to build specific maps targeted to Garmin Mobile PC for business trips for another $145.
The 10x will work fine with S&T.
Terry
Terry
If you want to be able to use your Garmin European maps on the laptop with your 10x, you can consider using nRoute. It's not as pretty as Mobile PC but it works fine for navigation.
This requires that you have the maps installed in Mapsource on the PC.
That way you could move to Streets&Trips and your 10x for updated North America data and continue to use City Navigator Europe maps with your 10x in nRoute.
Of course using Streets&Trips and Autoroute with your 10x will accomplish the same thing. You can download both of them for a free trial to make sure they are what you want.
...ken...
This requires that you have the maps installed in Mapsource on the PC.
That way you could move to Streets&Trips and your 10x for updated North America data and continue to use City Navigator Europe maps with your 10x in nRoute.
Of course using Streets&Trips and Autoroute with your 10x will accomplish the same thing. You can download both of them for a free trial to make sure they are what you want.
...ken...
Yeah thats the setup I have on my netbook now, Mapsource and nRoute 2.7.6 with the US and Europe maps with the 10x receiver. Works fine. I used the Mobile XT on my old Blackjack 2 smartphone and it worked well for traveling and the Mobile PC seems to be an extension of the same interface.
Mobile PC is an extension of the Nuvi and quite similar to XT. However, it is not available in a form that can use existing locked maps with an existing GPS, Garmin or otherwise. If you want to have more than one map and one of them is locked, you must have the Mobile PC version that comes with a GPS. This provides a serial number to unlock the second map.
The software-only version only works with the map included and other non-locked maps such as Topo Canada. However, it will work with non-Garmin GPS, a feature XT can't duplicate under normal circumstances.
Terry
The software-only version only works with the map included and other non-locked maps such as Topo Canada. However, it will work with non-Garmin GPS, a feature XT can't duplicate under normal circumstances.
Terry