GPS Question

[88Racing]

I have a ford licenced authorized gps dash mount system purchased it with the truck at dealership. Well to make a long story short this system keeps reminding me to get it updated and know body has a clue about it at the dealership! The one salesman with that knowledge was let go.

Anybody have an idea where or how the update can be done?

Thanks for the input

Lars

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by 88Racing

I have a ford licenced authorized gps dash mount system purchased it with the truck at dealership. Well to make a long story short this system keeps reminding me to get it updated and know body has a clue about it at the dealership! The one salesman with that knowledge was let go.

Anybody have an idea where or how the update can be done?

Thanks for the input

Lars

OK, Lars -

If your unit is like mine, it's a Magellan Roadmate 760 and it has a USB port on the side of the unit itself - but, you have to take the unit off the dash and remove it from the custom housing (that replaced your dash tray) to get to this USB port.

To download the update, you have to have registered the device with Magellan and they will want the serial number when you do it. The S/N is on the bottom of the unit itself too, and is visible when you take it out of the custom housing.

According to the Magellan site, the latest firmware for the 700 series is version 3.32 and they warn you not to apply this to any unit having this version number or higher. Mine is actually 5.xx, so I don't have anything to download. Also, the latest map database is Version 6, and again, mine has this. I'm getting no update reminder like you are, so possibly it's one of these. Once you register, the Magellan site will indicate what update you need.

Hope this is helpful.

- Jack

[88Racing]

Thank you!
Jack
Did not know dis-assembly was required!
Probably would have read that in the instructions if they would have been included.

Once again
Thank you

Lars

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by 88Racing

Thank you!
Jack
Did not know dis-assembly was required!
Probably would have read that in the instructions if they would have been included.

Once again
Thank you

Lars

No Lars, I don't think there was anything about disassembly in the directions. In fact, I just looked at my directions before answering you because I needed the serial number and thought maybe I'd written it down - I hadn't. But then, I found it on-screen in Option->Configuration->Diagnostics->Product Information.

The current FirmWare (S/W) version is also shown on that screen.

I only knew about taking it apart because I'd installed it myself.

I'm puzzled that your's is telling you that you need an update. How does it know? I wonder if it's based on "time" or something? As I said, there are no updates for my unit.

- Jack

[88Racing]

Jack,

I was just kidding about taking it apart.

I looked at it after your post and was just a little irritated by having to pull the radio dash panel off to get at the screws that hold the unit in. Thought by chance that the was an easier way this could be done.

No info was ever documented by me or others when I picked up the truck.

The update message threw me off also because I thought it was always talking with the satelites. The message is like this "map updates are available please visit magellen.com for further insructions" then it gives a remind me again menu. Well went to the web site and found alot of models available so being clueless to which one I had e-mailed them 4 times and no response.

Maybe a satelite told it that it was not current?
Maybe there is a timer?
Who knows why.

Thank you again for the help

Lars

[Jackpine]

Lars, I think the model number is on the case of the unit when you take it out of the Ford mount. The reminder is sounding like a map database update (Which is in the neighborhood of $75 I think). But, you would be wasting your time if you didn't need it.

I'm actually less than thrilled with the Magellan website. I had bought a hiking GPS from them and could not get it to work properly. I also emailed them and got no response. I returned the unit and bought a Garmin (which I'm happy with). But, I had already registered the hiking GPS with Magellan before I returned it.

When I went back to their website a couple of days ago, I found that there was an update shown there for the unit I returned, but nothing for the GPS in the truck. So, it's possible that if you register your unit, you might be told exactly what updates are available.

- Jack

[kd4crs]

Here is the link to the Roadmate 700/760 v6 Map and Software update:

http://www.magellangps.com/products/MRM_software_v6.asp

The Roadmate 760 is what the dash tray replacement type GPS systems were based on. The Roadmate 760 was officially discontinued in January 2008. If you buy it I hope you have better luck getting it to install than I did with my RM 800 update from Magellan. I ended up having to send the entire unit in to have the update completed by the service center after the update bricked it. Last Magellan product I will ever buy. Don't even get me started on my experience with their tech support now that it is based in India. That's about a month of my life I won't get back.

[Jackpine]

Yes, that's the unit I have, and, it pretty much works OK. On trips, it's tried to take us on roads that no longer exist at times and I was not impressed with the "shortest route" it decided on from Rocky Mtn National Park to Blue Mesa on our last trip, but it's a real help in figuring out in advance which lane to be in when a turnoff is approaching, when I'm pulling the trailer.

Like you though, I'm not really impressed with Magellan's support. (But I'm trying to be diplomatic about it).

- Jack

[kd4crs]

I've been called many things, diplomatic isn't one of them.

[88Racing]

I have actually had only minor problems, like roads and some land marks not being there. But when it locked up twice and each time going to bring it back it started to work. It knew where it was going and started to behave. Other than those it better than some other apps.

Lars