eMap problems

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My eMap has suddenly stopped locking onto the roads when I travel. It doesn't matter if I'm using the base map or MapSource maps, it still won't lock. I've tried resetting the unit, switching the road lock option off and on again, and upgrading from 2.72 to 2.73 but nothing works. Any ideas?

[Guest peter]

I wish mine would do that. I really like the eMap, but wish Garmin would scrap their 'road-lock' feature that tends to mess up the accuracy of the tracklog. At least we can now turn it off, but only by also disabling the 'Next Street' feature.

 

'Road-lock' only works with the MetroGuide maps, so it's not surprising that you aren't getting it to work with the basemap. Is it possible you have Roads&Rec or Topo maps loaded in your area rather than MetroGuide?

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Prior to loading the Metro Guide maps the unit would still lock on the roads in the base map (using 2.72 firmware). After loading the Metro Guide it continued to lock on (providing the feature was locked on.) It was after I removed the Metro Guide maps and replaced them with Roads and Recreation maps that I started having the trouble. I won't even lock onto interstate highways!

 

I also noticed that the "display next street" feature rarely works - although it did work when I was travelling up the interstate on Saturday.

[Guest peter]

The only time that the eMap had "road-lock" on the basemap was in firmware 2.05 and before. It was a disaster since the basemap is missing so many roads. Any time I drove near a highway on a city street, the unit would become confused and show me rather randomly jumping on and off the highway. Garmin then eliminated road-lock for the basemap in 2.50 and it has been off ever since. If you thought it was active, I would suggest that the basemap just happened to be especially accurate where you were driving so it looked like it was locked-on. Even though road-lock does not apply to the basemap, the 'Next Street' feature does show the upcoming exit while traveling on most interstate highways.

Roads & Recreation has never supported the 'road-lock' feature. I was about to return my eMap, which came with firmware 2.05, because the road-lock with the basemap made it unacceptable to me. But then I learned that loading R&R maps would turn that feature off.

 

In summary, it sounds like your eMap is working just the way it is supposed to: road-lock can only function if you load the MG maps. The Next Street feature does work when on most interstates using the data on the basemap and also works on local streets if MG is loaded and the road-lock feature is turned on. Next Street does not work on local streets with R&R, Topo, or any maps other than MG.

 

[This message has been edited by peter (edited 12 November 2001).]

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I guess the confusion was caused by the fact that, until I loaded the MG maps, I had been using an old version of the firmware. (I had forgotten about that until you mentioned it.) When I replaced the MG maps with the R&R maps the road lock stopped because I had upgraded to 2.72 by then. I didn't realize that the firmware version was what made the difference. I appreciate the info...