Garmin SD card maps - Can I use secondhand ones?

PanEuropean

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I have cut this post from the Travel section.


Be careful buying an SD card of Garmin maps from somebody else. They are sometimes coded / keyed to specific devices, rendering them useless to someone else.

Perhaps this information might help someone who is looking here in the future.

There are two ways to obtain a Garmin (say, a) Morocco map: You can buy it and download it and then transfer the file onto a SD card for use in your navigator, or; you can order a little pre-loaded SD card from Garmin.

If you download the map and transfer it to your own SD card, the card will be locked to your serial number of navigator. But, if you order the SD card from Garmin, it can be used in any navigator.

The rationale behind this is fairly simple - Garmin doesn't mind the cartography (the IP) being transferred from one person to another, but they have to implement serial number locking for the downloaded version, otherwise, someone could buy one download and then supply all their friends with maps by just continually transferring the download to new SD cards.

Michael
 
In other words, take care as to which version of SD card you are buying or borrowing.
 


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