Geocaching Australia

For the last 3 hours I've gone through the Garmin help page, and googled answers elsewhere, when I probably should have come here first.

Issue: Brand new Garmin Oregon 550
Brand new CD Garmin Topo Map
Action: Insert CD, allow to extract files, identify GPS. All easy so far. Checked on MyGarmin account - recognises Topo map as unlocked.

System ran through, GPS says "Can't unlock maps"
OK - found fix for that; now GPS "can't authenticate maps"
On Settings on the GPS, the Topo map does not appear.

Any ideas?

Have you checked that the map files actually made it to the GPS OK and that the SD card is sitting OK in the GPS. The Oregon models have a habit of letting the SD card loose so you lose access to the card until you physically reset it back in place.

Chwiliwr wrote:Have you checked that the map files actually made it to the GPS OK and that the SD card is sitting OK in the GPS. The Oregon models have a habit of letting the SD card loose so you lose access to the card until you physically reset it back in place.

The computer "finds" both the GPS and the SD card, so it must be connected OK. But yes, the problem is that I can't recognise the map files. The 2 files that downloaded are gmapprom.unl (1 kb) and Garmindevice.xml (14kb) - neither are big enought to be the maps.

Have you changed the settings for maps to recognise the SD card, or the specific map file?

Thanks for reply, Cheesy Pigs. Yes, the download settings recognised the Garmin unit, and I downloaded to the unit. Then when the map didn't load, I tried to download it again to the SD card, but then it didn't recognise the product serial number and/or product key.

I'm about out of ideas then lol. My new maps I bought on an SD card and plugged and played. The only other thing I could think of would be load the maps from CD to SD without the gps unit then put the card into the device but I think you have covered that

THanks CP - I don't think I can jsut drag the file from CD to card - it needs to go through the unzip/install process I think.

Thaks for help anyway, my next step is to sit on the phone for an hour waiting for the Garmin help desk - but first I'm going kayaking!

Did you open the Mapsource program and then clicked which maps you wanted to load onto your unit?

You can't just copy and paste the map files straight from the cd or pc

You also need to unlock your unit using the 25 digit number provided and adding your 10 digit unit id into Mapsource

Skippy wrote:Did you open the Mapsource program and then clicked which maps you wanted to load onto your unit?

You can't just copy and paste the map files straight from the cd or pc

Thanks for the reply Skippy. I don't have any reference to Mapsource on the packaging nor on the myGarmin page - the maps I bought are Garmin TOPO Australia and New Zealand, and the installation instructions are basically to put the disc in the drive and run Set up. When it recognised my Oregon GPS I tried first to send it to the unit, then 2nd to send it to the SD card.

Garmin have just asked me to update drivers and communication plug-ins, which I've done but it's made no difference.

MyGarmin page tells me the maps are unlocked.

Talk to them about returning the CD and getting the SD card version

Cheesy pigs wrote:Talk to them about returning the CD and getting the SD card version

Hi CP, that's a definite possibility at this stage. Do you know if it's still possible to load additional caches onto the sd card, or to swap the map files onto a bigger card?

yes it can be done. I bought the card which is about 2.7g. I've transferred the files onto a 4g card. The maps work and theres room for opensource maps or other things there

Cheesy pigs wrote:yes it can be done. I bought the card which is about 2.7g. I've transferred the files onto a 4g card. The maps work and theres room for opensource maps or other things there

Thanks, I'll give it a go!

The latest Garmin Topo Aust NZ is 2.75 Gig.

It is just possible that it will not fit into the memory of your GPS, and must go onto a SD card.