garmin nuvi 250/w latest software version?

octyvrs

anyone know the latest version, have 2.90 on my own, want to see if i've v10 maps installed, but cant see it at the minute under tools (no map info symbol) , is there a update available, and a link would be great thanks....

Benolam

I got my 250W in early December and is has software version 2.7. It has >Tools>Settings>Map>Map Info>City Navigator Europe NT 2008. Strange that 2.9 doesen't have this.

DannyBuoy

My 250W has the map info button, running V2.9...

octyvrs

thanks guys, going blind , can see it now- only bought it yesterday and was told it had nt 2008 installed but software was only 2.6 but i updated it today to 2.9, just thought i seen it somewhere it was now 3. something or other...
thanks again...

Benolam

Where did you get the 2.9? I don't see it on the Garmin site.

DannyBuoy

Benolam wrote: »

Where did you get the 2.9? I don't see it on the Garmin site.

Donwload and install WebUpdater from the Garmin site on your pc, connect your sat nav and run the program, it'll check back to Garmin to see if there are any updates for your particular unit. If there are, it'll install them.

eileen2007

I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 250 for Xmas for my husband and I am wondering if it has the 2008 maps on it. The software version is 3.10 and the map info. is NT2008. My brother got one for Xmas as well, except his map info. is NTV8, are they both the same or is one newer than the other?

Hope you can help.

Eileen

DannyBuoy

eileen2007 wrote: »

I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 250 for Xmas for my husband and I am wondering if it has the 2008 maps on it. The software version is 3.10 and the map info. is NT2008. My brother got one for Xmas as well, except his map info. is NTV8, are they both the same or is one newer than the other?

Hope you can help.

Eileen

What exactly does it say, ie, click on spanner, map, map info...Whats the full text in there for both models? NT2008 is current, AFAIK, not sure about NTV8, hope it isn't the Version 8 of 2006...but the full text would help.

Aodh62

Just upgraded to version 3.60 via Webupdater

eileen2007 wrote: »

I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 250 for Xmas for my husband and I am wondering if it has the 2008 maps on it. The software version is 3.10 and the map info. is NT2008. My brother got one for Xmas as well, except his map info. is NTV8, are they both the same or is one newer than the other?

Hope you can help.

Eileen

eileen2007

Hi and Good Morning

My system is Nuvi 250
Audio Version 2.20
Softwear Version 3.10
GPS SW Version 2.30b

Map
City Navigator North America NT 2008

(1) All

As for my brothers, I am sorry I was wrong, it is a Street Pilot 330

Map:
City Navigator North America V8:o

System Info:
330 Street Pilot

Software Version 3.10
Audio Version 2.60

Hopefully from this you can tell if they are the most recent.

Is it important to upgrade the Software Version?

Regards Eileen

Thanks for the help.

DannyBuoy

Is it a European model? The reason I say that is it looks like you have US maps only. The relevant software levels may be different. They are different to my 250 which I'm happy has the latest (some are higher, some are lower...). Have you done the WebUpdater check as posted earlier? The later software levels may give increased functionality or bug fixes, they would be the reasons to upgrade it.

shayser

Anyone know what the latest software versions are for the 250W.

Garmin list available updates here as far as I can see, but the 250 isn't on the list:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/blosp.jsp

My versions are:

Software version: 3.00
Audio version: 2.30
GPS SW version: 3.00s

Is this the latest?

It's a new unit that's not registered yet. Are there other advantages to registering apart from updates?

Tiesto

I bought a nuvi 250w widescreen version this evening in Currys on impulse.
I paid 250 euro..
Did i get ripped off?
i got a feeling i did..

Edit : Damn, after looking around on the net.. i got screwed.. Is it possible to get a refund ?
Or anyone know anything about their returns policy?
Just after remembering, Ive already registered the damn thing, so not a hope of a return i guess.
Ahwell, lesson learned.

rrpc

shayser wrote: »

Anyone know what the latest software versions are for the 250W.

Garmin list available updates here as far as I can see, but the 250 isn't on the list:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/blosp.jsp

My versions are:

Software version: 3.00
Audio version: 2.30
GPS SW version: 3.00s

Is this the latest?

It's a new unit that's not registered yet. Are there other advantages to registering apart from updates?

Use the webupdater proggie, it's the only way to update the 250w anyway.

Macers

Hi Guys,

The 250W is going for €169.00 in Currys now - why?

Is there new software being broght out or a new model etc?

Was gonna buy one for my father - no point if its going out of date...

whiterebel

New range of Nuvis coming out, or maybe out already.....

dowtchaboy

In an idle moment this evening I connected my nuvi 250W to the PC and ran Garmin WebUpdater - it updated my firmware to version 3.40. (from 2.90 I think)
I haven't had a chance to try it out on a journey but so far there does seem to be an improvement - it got solid signal bars and locked on faster than before, and is showing an accuracy figure a bit better than usual. My reception is usually worse than most people's as I use it in a campervan with half the sky blocked out by the overhead bit. There have been some cosmetic changes to the menus too.

I'll be interested to see if the improvements are really as good as first appearances.
db.

BTW - if you don't know what I am on about re signal bars - you can get to this hidden feature by holding the green signal bars for 5 seconds (you need to keep your fingers right up in the corner though).

DannyBuoy

Updated mine tonight aswell, will be doing a good bit of road this week so will see if there's any differences.

What accuracy where you getting on the signal meter? Best I ever got was about 15 feet.

dowtchaboy

DannyBuoy wrote: »

What accuracy where you getting on the signal meter? Best I ever got was about 15 feet.

Usually it shows about 10 to 8 metres when in the van, now its showing about 7 to 5 metres - that's stationary mind you. I may have seen 4 or 3 metres occasionally, especially in the open - but you have to take some of these "accuracy" figures with a grain of salt. I'll be interested to see if it stops making the mistake of sometimes placing me on the parallel road at the back of the house - there's about 15 metres between them.
Still - it's amazing really that signals from bits of metal 12,000 miles away can be interpreted to work out that you have walked a couple of feet and in which direction you have walked.....

I'm not sure that you can expect accuracy of less than 5 metres without WAAS/EGNOS capability which I think is not on the cheaper Garmin devices. I used to have a Garmn GPS76C for marine use - it could never "see" 12 satellites like the nuvi and was not nearly so sensitive, but it did have WAAS and could store its routes and tracks so later on I could even see which side of the lane I had walked on..... For road use the nuvi sensitivity, maps and rubber-banding features are much more important than that last bit of position accuracy.
BTW - I use metres all the time now 'cos it helps me with the speed limits and also my van is LH drive and so the speedo is kilometres.
Also BTW: have you ever turned the "navigation" from Road to OffRoad? Then you'll see on the map where nuvi REALLY thinks you are - it's very distracting to do this while driving as it looks like you are crossing ditches into fields and so on! Also you destination will be shown as a straight line ahead - "as the crow flies".
db.

coylemj

That's weird because I hooked up my Nuvi 250 (non-W) on Friday and it updated me to 4.10.

dowtchaboy

coylemj wrote: »

That's weird because I hooked up my Nuvi 250 (non-W) on Friday and it updated me to 4.10.

I wonder if the reason Garmin don't publish (or not that I can find anyway) a list of the software revisions is that maybe there are quite a few - different for say 200 and 200W etc. - maybe they are concerned the we users might download the wrong ones? Hence they make us use WebUpdater? Or maybe they are trying to stop people hacking the software.
I'll try mine again later and see if there is yet another update available.

DannyBuoy

Ran with v3.1 about 200 miles yesterday, tbh, I didnt notice any difference, maybe some place names came up a bit faster but it may just be my imagination.
I have distances set to miles and feet etc because mph still means a bit more to me than kph although the car is kph

dowtchaboy

There was another update for the Garmin firmware (not the maps!) in July I think.
I connected my nuvi 250W to the laptop and fired up Garmin's WebUpdater a few days ago and it did a big update. Can't remember the version number - sorry. It took quite a while to update the unit next time I turned it on. Good news is that my unit now seems a LOT faster in getting its "fix" in the morning, and in warm starts later in the day. I have been watching it for 3 or 4 days now and I'm pretty sure it's not just wishful thinking! It has not done any of its "trouble finding satellites - keep looking?" lark since the update.

Also (and this seems less likely) it stopped doing one stupid loop where it refused to recalculate a route when I ignored its suggestion (due to "local knowledge") and kept telling me to do a U-turn - now it meekly recalculates when I ignore its first suggested route. She seems a lot less bolshie now.... (for it is indeed a "she" - she's called Brenda - as in Brenda the Navigator.... groan.....). db.

PS: for those of you interested - it seems that Garmin BlueChart marine data CAN be added to a nuvi! Saw this referred to on the Garmin website - haven't got round to trying it out yet - have to "borrow" a BlueChart CD first...

cianr

BTW - if you don't know what I am on about re signal bars - you can get to this hidden feature by holding the green signal bars for 5 seconds (you need to keep your fingers right up in the corner though).

Hey that's cool, thanks for the tip dowtchaboy!

I'd be interested in running Garmin Updater but does this register my device? Ive had it since xmas but haven't reg'd it as I'd like to wait til the next map updates are out. Any way to just download the update to my pc or something and then run it(i.e. not Garmin Updater)? Any ideas? Thanks!

Alun

cianr wrote: »

I'd be interested in running Garmin Updater but does this register my device? Ive had it since xmas but haven't reg'd it as I'd like to wait til the next map updates are out. Any way to just download the update to my pc or something and then run it(i.e. not Garmin Updater)? Any ideas? Thanks!

I've been reading recently that Garmin have wised up to this tactic, and now require you to connect your GPS up to the PC when you request the map updates online. It then reads the date of first satellite acquisition from the unit and uses that to determine your eligibility for an upgrade and not the date of registration. I've no direct experience of this, only what I've read in various fora and newsgroups.

cianr

Alun wrote: »

I've been reading recently that Garmin have wised up to this tactic, and now require you to connect your GPS up to the PC when you request the map updates online. It then reads the date of first satellite acquisition from the unit and uses that to determine your eligibility for an upgrade and not the date of registration. I've no direct experience of this, only what I've read in various fora and newsgroups.

Well i hope not because I'd like one free update!

dowtchaboy

Alun wrote: »

.. It then reads the date of first satellite acquisition from the unit and uses that to determine your eligibility for an upgrade and not the date of registration...

That's clever! But this squeezing the extra few bob out of us users is going to backfire on Garmin. I've been comparing my 250W with a friends TomTom and even though his maps are less accurate, the fact that he can enter and find addresses more easily, that (it seems) he can upload corrections to TomTom and get online updates back, and that his unit seems to be just as fast as Garmin in locking on to the satellites is making me think seriously about TomTom if ever I lose mine. I think it's only €40 or so for him to get European maps for his one which only has Ireland and the other island on it.

Thoie

Alun wrote: »

I've been reading recently that Garmin have wised up to this tactic, and now require you to connect your GPS up to the PC when you request the map updates online. It then reads the date of first satellite acquisition from the unit and uses that to determine your eligibility for an upgrade and not the date of registration. I've no direct experience of this, only what I've read in various fora and newsgroups.

From here.

"Get the newest maps available and navigate with confidence with our nüMaps Guarantee™. Simply register your new Garmin nüvi or zūmo at myGarmin within 60 days of using your device and you’ll be able to see if a free map update is available for your device. The nüMaps Guarantee program will begin on October 15, 2008. Anyone who first used their new Garmin nüvi or zūmo on August 17th or later will be eligible for a free map update if one exists within 60-days of the unit's first use.
Be sure to check back on October 15th and see if newer map data is available for your compatible unit. With our nüMaps Guarantee, you’ll be up-to-date when you hit the road."

So by the sounds of that I might as well register the Nuvi I bought today now? But if there isn't a new map by October 28th then I don't get the update for free?

coylemj

If they haven't announced new maps then there's no incentive to register even with that announcement. Note that the free upgrade only applies to the first 60 days since first satellite acquisition, not to the first 60 days after registration.

What they're saying that you must register within 60 days of the first satellite acquisition in order to be eligible for the free map upgrade but if your unit is 59 days old and they haven't yet announced any map upgrades, what's the big deal if you don't register? The free upgrade only applies within the first 60 days after first satellite acquisition so it make no difference if you don't register in the first 60 days if there's no upgrade available.

In the absence of any announcement about map upgrades I say do not register and see what happens.

Thoie

coylemj wrote: »

In the absence of any announcement about map upgrades I say do not register and see what happens.

I should have read this first :S

Ah well, I registered today, and here's the info after I registered:

City Navigator Europe NT 2008 UK & Ireland Limited- Deluxe
Region: City Navigator Europe NT 2008 UK & Ireland Limited, Deluxe All Regions, Aug 07
Code: XXX
Unlock Code: XXXXX
Date Unlocked: Aug 31, 2008

(I x'd out the codes in case they're deeply private and personal )

From that I'm guessing that it doesn't know when you first use the device (as I used it yesterday, the 30th).

Techless

MemoryC are offering this at € 232 plus vat.

Is this good value?

If you had this, you wouldn't need a separate bluetooth connection for your phone, is that correct?