Fun with Garmin unlock codes

Short version:

I'm after a way of using mapsource metroguide v6 maps on 3 GPSs. Garmin only allow 2 to be unlocked. Can anyone help?

Long version:
2001, I bought a Garmin Emap and Mapsource City European somethingy wotsit (lost the CD a long time ago, can't remember what it was called).

2005, bought a Garmin Quest which comes with City Select Europe 6, used
Garmin's online unlock thing to unlock the maps for the emap (Oh god do I wish I hadn't). Since then, never used the emap.

2007, bought a GPSMap 60c which comes with no maps. Tried to unlock the maps, get told I can't. Garmin only allow 2 GPSs per licensed copy of Mapsource. Technically I have 2 copies, one I bought with the emap, one came free with the quest. Likesay, emap old version has been lost for a long time. Garmin want 175 dollars to enable the maps for my GPSMap. They don't let you upgrade your GPSs, you have to buy a new unlock code.

Now, I know I am legally entitled to use mapsource maps on all three of my GPSs, I just don't have the paperwork to prove it. In fact, I don't want to use the Emap anymore, I bought the GPSMap to replace it.

Is there a crack or an unlock code generator I can use to unlock the maps for the GPSMap? 175 dollars is way too steep.

Cheers,
Gavin.

PS: Garmin have had about 800 quid of my money over the years and I'm about
to buy the Topo maps, another 150 quid. Don't say I'm 'doing Garmin out of their money'.

Give them a call with the serial numbers of the units. In my experience they'll try and help.

Only City Select and City Navigator Europe have the 2 unit unlock limit

As far as I am aware MetroGuide Europe does not use unlock codes

There are a fair few alternatives...spend a bit of time with Google and you'll find lots of free topographical overlays for download....I use a set for Morocco and it's very good, and I've seen topo maps for most other countries on the web as well.

You might want to start HERE...Whatton's list of topo overlays gfor Garmin...have a look in particular at the wanderlust one.

I'm afraid we can't have any info, links or pushing of cracks or pirated stuff here

BurnieM said:

Only City Select and City Navigator Europe have the 2 unit unlock limit

As far as I am aware MetroGuide Europe does not use unlock codes

Click to expand...

You will be able to use metroguide with all 3 units as long as they work with each other.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the help. I've now got the functionality I want by using Metroguide maps (which don't have unlock codes) and metrowizzz.

My topo DVD arrived this morning. Its also locked like City Select. 2 GPS limit.

The alternative maps I found (wanderlust, contour maps) all seem woefully disappointing. Aberdeen's got no streets on wanderlust!

Garmin helpfully ignored my emails asking questions about their software
and unlock codes.

Cheers,
Gavin.

Gavin, how well does metrowizzz work, does it end up similar to City Navigator running on the GPS?

ebbo said:

Gavin, how well does metrowizzz work, does it end up similar to City Navigator running on the GPS?

Click to expand...

Sorry to butt in, MetroWizzz works really well. I wasn't too impressed with the bigger tile sizes in City Navigator which at a stroke limited my Quest (with it's fixed 243MB of available memory) to a greatly limited range for continental touring. Eventually discovered that MetroGuide Europe retained the small tile sizes of the earlier mapping but alas wouldn't do routing on the GPS. MetroWizzz builds the index that's required to do this and sort if integrates with Mapsource in a loose sort of way, it runs as an external wizard that you run alongside Mapsource.

The only issue I've come across (have only tested it briefly in the UK) is that roundabouts don't get announced in the audio instructions, instead you get "turn right" where City Nav might say "take 3rd exit". If the roundabout presents the possibility of confusion given these instructions a quick glance at the screen in such a situation will confirm the exit you need to take.

Bumpkin said:

The only issue I've come across (have only tested it briefly in the UK) is that roundabouts don't get announced in the audio instructions, instead you get "turn right" where City Nav might say "take 3rd exit". If the roundabout presents the possibility of confusion given these instructions a quick glance at the screen in such a situation will confirm the exit you need to take.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input
So long as the routing is shown on the map, I wouldn’t be to bothered. Usually when I come to a jcn, I just look down at the GPS and follow the route displayed, so this may well be worth a play.

Any more info would be welcome

Metroguide Europe v9 should be available any day now, still retains the small tile sizes. Hope they haven't done anything to prevent the use of MetroWizzz.

Metroguide Europe v8 costs around £100 ISTR but can be had off eBay for around £60. As it requires no unlock it's not constrained to be set-up whilst it's the current version like the regular Garmin mapping. For the unscrupulous it can be downloaded via bitTorrent for £0.

There is no difference that I can see, in terms of navigating with it, from City Navigator v8 apart from the roundabouts issue. Everything else is the same, you set-up your route in Mapsource, select map tiles, can plot and upload way-points and routes to the unit as you would normally. It's only when you go to upload the map tiles themselves that you need to run MetroWizzz.

Further to my above post which appears to not be editable.

I have discovered that there are differences between the mapping products (MetroGuide, City Select and City Navigator) in respect of the road attributes that they contain which will, most likely, effect route calculation so for on unit routing MetroGuide (with it's reduced data on what the road is like) might be a bit prone to producing inferior routes when compared to City Navigator. Obviously if you are plotting a route in Mapsource following the roads that you want to ride then this isn't an issue.

Personally I tend to do my preliminary route in MS AutoRoute and then duplicate this in Mapsource anyway.