Garmin 478 users/owners thread

I've had my new 478 now for a few days and went to register it at garmin.com and see that they are providing me with a free map update. cool.

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Free Map Update

Thank you for registering your product.

Our records indicate that you are eligible for a free map update for the device below. Follow the screen prompts to take advantage of this special offer today.

Unit: GPSMAP® 478

Serial Number:

Map Update: City Navigator® North America NT 2010 Map Update

Expiration: Free update expires May 10, 2009 *

*You have 30 days to take advantage of this free map update. After 30 days, this map update will be available for purchase from our online store.

Customers outside the US and EU will be responsible for any additional taxes and customs fees.
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I was wondering on just how I was going to make routes on my computer without a dvd and now this is my ticket I was looking for!

edit: as it turned out, at this time the dvd wasn't yet available so I did the download option instead.

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useful threads on the 478:

Garmin's 478 webpage
https://buy.garmin.com/support/productSupport/productSupport.faces?productId=402#

Garmin FAQs:
https://buy.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/search.faces?refresh=true&productName=GPSMAP%20478

Update 4.00 out for 478
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446679

XM Navweather and Garmin 478
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442973

can u reverse a route ?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109127

Best Motorcycle mount for the Garmin 478 ?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=444920

Garmin GPSMap 478 Question or Two...
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=374862

Garmin 478 and Blue Tooth
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450782

If you're on a mac then you need to see this thread!
Garmin Mac Software
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331421

378 or 478 ?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=374963

Garmin 376c Discontinued? (but shifted towards a 478ish talk)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=462452

GXM 30 antenna getting wet
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=469508

XM weather radar in Canada - How far north can it be received?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=463364

376C lost my GXM 30
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=461562

Garmin 378 Audio Out Noisy
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=457927

GXM 30 Cable length?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=453457

GXM 30 problems
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=477423

Inland Lakes and waterways DVD, preprogrammed cards, blank 512 data cards
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=493874

478 usb problem / garmin return
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511521

looking for a 478?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=550471

got a dead battery? try this:
http://forums.gps.org.nz/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4131

Garmin 478 is discontinued...
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=541282

Can't find the satellites as fast anymore? maybe it's the coin battery?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364208
http://www.gpsinformation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4701
or here:
http://csobeech.com/Garmin-Internal-Battery.html

updates to 2011 maps
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584008

478 Caution
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=643412

XM Navweather and Garmin 478
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=442973

Garmin 478 quick connect/disconnect
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=602679

no DVD
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=592842

I would like weather on my 478, how ?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=591314

Completely clearing the memory of a 478?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583018

Dead GXM-30 antenna's (Can you fix them?)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=580347

Garmin 478 and aquiring satellites
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=570267

Where do you have your Garmin GXM 30 mounted
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=572560

What replaced the Garmin 276C and 478?
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=643287

Offroad/enduro mounting for GPSMAP 478/276c
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659804

Q: good screen protector for 276c/478
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=660891

the "Master Reset" button:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15613460&postcount=183

Is your GXM30 software up to date ? :
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16032980#post16032980
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Just a warning before you jump in. The new updates starting with CN2009.1 are only viewable on Mapsource 6.14.x and beyond, or Roadtrip (Mac). A search will provide insight into why this may not be a good thing....

It is getting better with every update to Mapsource though.


I love my 478 btw.

I just downloaded the latest version of roadtrip (bobcat) for the mac and base camp.

list of all mac related garmin software:
http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/index.jsp

and this is the thread Brian (GarminMac), an engineer for Garmin on their Mac software team started to help us out and get feedback to help further develop the mac based garmin software. If it wasn't for him, I would have looked much harder into buying another brand of gps.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331421

This thread was a pretty good 478 summary thread.

oh yeah, that's a good thread, I'll be stuck there for awhile! I already learned a few things from the first few pages! cool ..... thanks for sharing that link!

Dang, they got MapSource 2010 out now? I just did get my 2820 and 376C updated to 2009.1. My 478 is still on NT V8 though.

according to garmin, the 2010 map dvd won't be available for awhile but the download is. something screwed up while I was attempting the download, had to download "communicator" first? then for some reason their website showed that I had already ordered the dvd and no longer gives me the option of downloading the 2010 maps, oh well, I'll be calling garmin in the morning ..... it's supposed to be a huge download btw .....

It is and there's a glitch.... Seems to be more of them than not with Garmin lately. The update automatically installs MapSource 6.15.5 and the search function is fooked up. It will not accept criteria. I've filed a bug report.

according to the software update 4.0 the gxm 40 is now supported. a garmin tech says it's only a traffic receiver antenna not a xm antenna. they seem to have to look everything up btw ...... so you can't have both xm weather and traffic together ? that doesn't sound right at all. I don't think the tech knew what he was talking about?!

GXM30
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=311

GXM40
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=15004

Garmin GPSMAP 640 (this is the chartplotter that uses the gxm40)
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=14898#featureTab


the garmin XM page:
http://www8.garmin.com/xm/index.jsp

I also asked about the gxm31 and if that would work with the 478 and the garmin tech said it would if I was to make an adapter connector. (i might be able to get one of these cheap)
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=345

note: there also another antenna listed that will work
GA 26C low-profile remote automobile antenna
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=477

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presently I'm downloading the 2010 map updates, I'm 73 % done ..... no problems so far ...

I also ordered 2 otterboxes, one clear, one black, and will try to swap covers so I can have a clear cover on the black box. Hopefully the clear cover will be clear enough to see the gps screen ......

I just used the "webupdater" (for the mac)
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3699
to upgrade the firmware from 3.8 to 4.0
wow, was that easy!

I downloaded the 2010 map updates (for mac )without a hitch.
It also installed onto the 478 smoothly ......
and no PC required! oh yeah baby!!!
this is so way much better than what I had to do
with the 2610 2 years ago, it's a night and day difference!

I got both otterboxes in today but the clear one isn't quite clear enough and there's a big ol' recessed sticker square right where the 478 display sits so I'll be using the black box and black lid and cutting out the display and keyboard areas like i did for the prior 2610 in the first lime green 2500 otterbox.
the object of the clear lid was to keep the display protected as much as possible since this is on a full blown dirtbike and after the death of the 2610 I'm still gun shy of screen problems.

If you'll notice I've started a list of useful threads about the garmin 478 in the first post. If anyone comes across anymore I'll add them to the list.

I'm in the middle of a road trip from N CA to Chicago and made the stupid mistake of purchasing the City Navigator NT 2010.1 updated maps from a motel room. The update downloaded successfully to my MacBook (Roadtrip), but it keeps blowing up when trying to transfer it into the 478, giving a message indicating that the update did NOT occur and that I should check to see if the unit was plugged in and turned on, which of course it was. Worse - it erased my entire City Navigator NT 2009 map in the 478, so I'm left without any detailed road map...

I attempted Garmin Support, sat on hold for over 2 hours, finally got transferred to "Tier-2" software support and never did get an answer - I needed to hit the road. Now it's the weekend, so no support available.

Any advice anyone?

try asking brian (garminmac), the garmin development tech on the thread he started.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331421&page=75

Did you have the unit plugged in to Wall power? It seems that it makes a difference.

Hmmm - maybe that's the trick, though I wonder why that would make a difference. Can you please elaborate on why you believe this might work - i.e., have you installed the update this way, when it didn't work unplugged?

Unfortunately though, I didn't bring the AC Adapter with me. At this stage, I'll need to wait until I arrive in Chicago, but I'll report back either way after I try it. Thanks.

I had to install mine 3 times before it would take. As suggested I plugged the unit in and I also turned off the screen saver on my Mac. It should not be this finicky. I emailed Garmin about it at the time but have had no reply.

wow guys, I'm feeling pretty lucky that mine loaded first try ...... but i did do everything by the directions, and using the ac power supply.