I've got a non-current unlocked version of City Navigator on a PC that I have the urge to experiment with. Want to try it out on my Montana and then if I like the way it works switching between the 100k and 24k topos that I have on there, I'll buy the latest greatest City Nav and put it on there instead of the old one. My question concerns what is essential or necessary. for the City Nav to function properly and fully. I made a Garmin folder on the uSD card and copies the gigantic .img file over to it. Now, the Montana seems to display and show tracks as they are being created on the City Nav map (when enabled) but surely there must be more to it than that. There are many files and subfolders on the PC that must have importance. Any thoughts?
The last time I loaded a City Navigator img file to my Garmin all I needed was that file. Have you tried entering a location/address and letting CN calculate a route for you? It should work fine.
It was able to navigate correctly to an address on the other side of town. I tried this with only the City Nav map enabled as well as with the other (topo) sets on the unit enabled. No difference. I suppose the next test should be finding POIs.
...and it seems to find things like shopping and gas stations similarly to another unit I have on hand.
I thought all City Navigator releases were locked to just one or maybe two GPS units. And they could only be unlocked to that unit. It sounds like the version you have is unlocked to as many units as you would like. How did that come to be? I bought a Montana last summer and also bought a new CN because I assumed my old CN was permanently locked to my 60CX. I have seen several posts from people who asked Garmin and Garmin said the license could not be moved. I don't feel too bad because the CN2013 I got is noticeably improved over my old CN2009. I do the same as you - switch back and forth between CN and Topo 100k and Topo 24k depending on the situation. If I am able to just follow a planned track, CN is my preference.
I didn't see that the original poster said anything about CN unlocked to as many units as he like anywhere..... But, you put a City Navigator $$DVD$$ in the microwave (cough: Pirate Bay: cough and it becomes unlocked. It's like magic. Then you "experiment" for a while, and if you like the product you buy it. It's piracy for a test drive. I'm sure the files mentioned in this thread are paid for and unlocked only for the devices owned by the user. The discussion of pirated files is expressly forbidden on this site. What files?
Guys, let's not jump to conclusions here. If I were going to pirate, I would get the most current version, not an old one.
Not ALL CNNA releases are locked to specific GPS units. If you purchase CNNA on a uSD card (instead of DVD or download), you can use it in as many GPS units as you want. When I purchased my Montana, I knew I was also going to get a smaller backup unit (eTrex 20) so I purchased CNNA on a uSD card and can use CNNA on either one or anyone else's GPS for that matter. It is not locked to any device or user. I could also sell the uSD card to someone else (with or without a GPS) and they could use it on as many units as they want. The downside is that the maps on the uSD card cannot be upgraded and the maps are locked to that specific uSD card, but that was not an issue for me.
That's interesting. Can you transfer them to a computer and use them in Mapsource or Basecamp? Or does the card have to be connected to the computer? And even then is there a way to make the software see the map?
I do not believe that you can transfer the maps from the uSD card to your computer. Basecamp can definitely access, display and use the maps on the uSD card if it is installed in a GPS that is connected to the computer to create routes, tracks, etc. on your computer just as if the maps were installed on the computer. I have not tried that with the uSD card in a card reader. Mapsource does not have that capability.
You can use CN from an SD card on your computer in BaseCamp and Mapsource. BUT you must have the CN SD loaded in your GPS and connected to your computer. And as someone said earlier, the SD card is not locked to any gps. You can use it in any gps. I always bought Garmin maps on DVD before this. But at least with CN, the SD versions now have some advantages. For Topo I still prefer the DVDs. FWIW.
Great to know. The Edge 800 I just picked up for my bicycle came with the CN maps on an SD card. Now I know not to buy more maps when I order the Montana 600.
I have tried that with Mapsource but it was not able to access the CN maps on a uSD card in my Montana. There was no problem with Basecamp. Have you actually connected to Mapsource and have it access the CN maps on a uSD card in a gps?
My experience with CN was with the Garmin SD card version. So I don't know if the Lifetime maps are different or not. In working with the 2011 version of CN on DVD, I was able to copy CN to my computer and use it there without being connected to the gps. In a previous response I indicated that I could access CN 2013 on my computer (using CN on SD) in either Basecamp or Mapsource. I just double checked and I can only access CN in Basecamp--not in Mapsource. I have been bouncing back and forth between BC amd MS trying to make to switch to BC. Sorry if I confused anyone with with my reply.
