Holey Moley what a process!!!

[bncinwv]

Per a previous post, I bit the bullet and decided to purchase the lifetime maps update from Garmin. I finally got around to updating the maps yesterday evening on my prehistoric Streetpilot 340C garmin. I tried it on my work computer and wasted two hours trying to get the necessary computer upgrades installed and then switched over to DW's laptop which runs Windows 7. Everything went well other than the time required for the map installation, preparation and transfer. Everything was accomplished last night at 11:15 p.m. after a total three hour process, an hour and a half of which was actually the process of upgrading the maps. We did have new construction in the local area on US Route 35 of which I was pleased to see that the new road is now on the GPS. Hopefully the new construction on 220 at Rockingham, NC will be there too, that constant blathering of "there is a better route available" and "re-calculating" will hopefully go away as well on this years trip to the beach!!
Bingo

[BB_TX]

I have found that new or highly modified roads tend to show up within a year or so of completion. I update my maps 2-3 times a year. It does take a while, but I just start it when I have nothing else to do and go off and leave it.
A couple years ago as we were traveling up US287 across the panhandle of Texas, the GPS kept saying "recalculating". Became agravating as I knew I was on the right road and a road that had been there for years at that. I finally realized that on that section of highway, they had recently expanded it from 2 lanes to 4 and we were driving on the new lanes. The GPS thought we were out in the middle of a pasture. The next year the map had been updated and no more annoying reprimands.

[doofus]

It does take a long time to update the maps!

[oldelmer1]

And the first time I updated mine, I used my laptop cause we were on the road. When I went to do it the second time, I used my desktop cause I was home, would not work. Have to use the laptop each time.

[Cyrus]

I bought a Garmin 1390T awhile back after my old Garmin PalmPilot cashed after many years. The old one was nice but this was a major move up in technology. Yesterday I did the map upgrade and it also loaded software that grades your driving, fuel usage MPG, interesting. I did all this because I also ordered the Low Clearance software which I don't have yet but thought it might be neat to have everything in one place rather then counting on my memory and notes while driving. I plan to do alot of traveling this year, planned to last year to and didn't, so we will see what this year brings?

[sreigle]

I have the lifetime maps and try to do the updates when we have a relatively fast connection. That download is usually about 2GB, 2000mb. Normally that's a couple of hours or so but one time it took 40 hours. That was a very slow connection. Fortunately if you lose your connection it will resume the download where it left off.
I 'spose I ought to check for an update now while I still have a decent connection.