|
Cellular forums Home > Archive > Magellan GPS > October 2005 > Meridian Marine/MapSend BlueNav - SD Card Question
You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread.
To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to
this thread please [click here]
| Author |
Meridian Marine/MapSend BlueNav - SD Card Question
|
|
| Jack Erbes 2005-10-13, 5:48 pm |
|
Has anyone here gotten unlock codes from Magellan to enable the use of
MapSend BlueNav with a SD card? If so, what sizes of SD card were
unlocked?
I would like to use a larger SD card so I can store *.img files from
other MapSend products (DirectRoute and Topo 3D) along with a BlueNav
file.
Magellan says not to try to store other product files on an unlocked
BlueNav SD card because the other MapSend product will overwrite the
BlueNav unlock code. But if the files are written to a hard drive and
then copied to a BlueNav card, that does not appear to happen. I have
already tested that and am been able to have and use Topo 3D,
DirectRoute, and a BlueNav files from a unlocked SD card.
Thanks for any help or insights.
Jack
--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Pieter Litchfield 2005-10-13, 5:48 pm |
| My bother-in-law tried to store BlueNav charts along with his MapSend Topo
3D USA map files in main memory of a SporTrak Marine, and the unit locked
right up. A call to the customer service number produced the answer that
the two are completely incompatible and can never co-exist in the same unit.
I don't know if this is, in fact, true, but he has been erasing one map file
before adding the other, and there have been no further lockups.
Hope this is a partial answer to your question.
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ppWdnf-nZcbE1tPeRVn-jg@adelphia.com...
>
> Has anyone here gotten unlock codes from Magellan to enable the use of
> MapSend BlueNav with a SD card? If so, what sizes of SD card were
> unlocked?
>
> I would like to use a larger SD card so I can store *.img files from other
> MapSend products (DirectRoute and Topo 3D) along with a BlueNav file.
>
> Magellan says not to try to store other product files on an unlocked
> BlueNav SD card because the other MapSend product will overwrite the
> BlueNav unlock code. But if the files are written to a hard drive and
> then copied to a BlueNav card, that does not appear to happen. I have
> already tested that and am been able to have and use Topo 3D, DirectRoute,
> and a BlueNav files from a unlocked SD card.
>
> Thanks for any help or insights.
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Jack Erbes 2005-10-14, 5:48 pm |
| Pieter Litchfield wrote:
> My bother-in-law tried to store BlueNav charts along with his MapSend Topo
> 3D USA map files in main memory of a SporTrak Marine, and the unit locked
> right up. A call to the customer service number produced the answer that
> the two are completely incompatible and can never co-exist in the same unit.
> I don't know if this is, in fact, true, but he has been erasing one map file
> before adding the other, and there have been no further lockups.
>
> Hope this is a partial answer to your question.
Hi Pieter
It is, and it's helpful too. I just got started with a Meridian Marine
that came with the BlueNav CD and am starting to figure out how I can
use that and what the limitations are.
With a SporTrak he has to upload from MapSend on the PC direct to the
GPS, right? Because the SporTrak memory is not seen as a removable
drive like a SD card is?
If so, the issue may have been that of the upload process overwriting
the BlueNav unlock code or something like that.
Thanks,
Jack
--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Earl F. Parrish 2005-10-15, 11:48 pm |
|
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:ppWdnf-nZcbE1tPeRVn-jg@adelphia.com...
>
> Has anyone here gotten unlock codes from Magellan to enable the
> use of MapSend BlueNav with a SD card? If so, what sizes of SD
> card were unlocked?
>
> I would like to use a larger SD card so I can store *.img files
> from other MapSend products (DirectRoute and Topo 3D) along with a
> BlueNav file.
>
> Magellan says not to try to store other product files on an
> unlocked BlueNav SD card because the other MapSend product will
> overwrite the BlueNav unlock code. But if the files are written
> to a hard drive and then copied to a BlueNav card, that does not
> appear to happen. I have already tested that and am been able to
> have and use Topo 3D, DirectRoute, and a BlueNav files from a
> unlocked SD card.
>
> Thanks for any help or insights.
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot
> net
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
What's wrong with using two SD cards? It is a lot easier to change
an SD card than what some people go through using a PDA or even a
camera to move files around. None of the SD cards containing
BlueNav charts are larger than 64 MB, so why waste a 512 MD SD card
for one chart? Activate a 64 MB card exclusively for BlueNav charts
and use your larger cards for other maps.
--
Earl F. Parrish
| |
| Jack Erbes 2005-10-15, 11:48 pm |
| Earl F. Parrish wrote:
<snip>
> What's wrong with using two SD cards? It is a lot easier to change
> an SD card than what some people go through using a PDA or even a
> camera to move files around. None of the SD cards containing
> BlueNav charts are larger than 64 MB, so why waste a 512 MD SD card
> for one chart? Activate a 64 MB card exclusively for BlueNav charts
> and use your larger cards for other maps.
>
Nothing wrong with it, but would I find it easier to have more files on
one card and choose from them. I had not unlocked any cards yet and
wondered if there was a limit.
I can have multiple DirectRoute and Topo 3D files on the card because
those files can have different names. I want to do that but the
unlocked card does not have enough room on it. It seems silly to carry
around one extra SD card with only one BlueNav file on it.
Magellan's specs say that the Meridians have a limit of 128mb on SD
cards but it is widely known that they will work with larger cards. I
have used 256mb, 512mb, and 1Gb cards with mine and not found any
problems yet.
Jack
--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Earl F. Parrish 2005-10-16, 2:48 am |
|
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:D8SdnVIUhonkO8z
eRVn-iQ@adelphia.com...
> Earl F. Parrish wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> Nothing wrong with it, but would I find it easier to have more
> files on one card and choose from them. I had not unlocked any
> cards yet and wondered if there was a limit.
>
> I can have multiple DirectRoute and Topo 3D files on the card
> because those files can have different names. I want to do that
> but the unlocked card does not have enough room on it. It seems
> silly to carry around one extra SD card with only one BlueNav file
> on it.
>
> Magellan's specs say that the Meridians have a limit of 128mb on
> SD cards but it is widely known that they will work with larger
> cards. I have used 256mb, 512mb, and 1Gb cards with mine and not
> found any problems yet.
>
> Jack
>
>
You get to unlock one SD card per BlueNav CD or one non-SD card
based GPS device per BlueNav CD. If you pay for another unlock
code, the first SD card will no longer let you store BlueNav charts.
There can never be more than one CD/SD card marriage or one
CD/SporTrak type marriage. The BlueNav charts preloaded on SD cards
can be used in any GPS device but they are more expensive than the
CD which allows you to load only one chart on the card and replace
the existing chart whenever you want a different one. More people
are concerned that they can have only one BlueNav chart on the card
at one time than that they cannot load other maps. You would have
to have your laptop computer, SD card reader/writer, serial cable
and the BlueNav CD to change charts. You could get by without the
SD card reader/writer if you load the chart through the serial
connection but many newer laptops do not have a serial port. You
have to drag more stuff along.
Since the BlueNav CD is a significant investment, why run the risk
of not being able to use it because you added maps in the wrong
order? If you ever load a MapSend map directly to the SD card
containing a BlueNav chart, you might turn off the unlock code and
not know it until you try to use the BlueNav chart when you are out
on the water.
--
Earl F. Parrish
| |
| Jack Erbes 2005-10-16, 5:48 pm |
| Earl F. Parrish wrote:
<snip>
> You get to unlock one SD card per BlueNav CD or one non-SD card
> based GPS device per BlueNav CD. If you pay for another unlock
> code, the first SD card will no longer let you store BlueNav charts.
> There can never be more than one CD/SD card marriage or one
> CD/SporTrak type marriage.
I knew all that, there is no charge for an unlock code as far as I know.
> More people
> are concerned that they can have only one BlueNav chart on the card
> at one time than that they cannot load other maps.
That is one of my concerns, I sometimes cross two or three charts a day
when I use the charts and use a total of six or seven different ones in
two or three days. The limitation, as stated in the license and on
Magellan's page, is that "only 1 chart can be chosen and loaded into
your GPS" and that is exactly how I am using it.
> You would have
> to have your laptop computer, SD card reader/writer, serial cable
> and the BlueNav CD to change charts. You could get by without the
> SD card reader/writer if you load the chart through the serial
> connection but many newer laptops do not have a serial port. You
> have to drag more stuff along.
Not true. You can generate the files, and copy them to a hard drive.
Then you can copy them to other types of storage media, and, from there,
copy one file at a time to an unlocked SD card as you voyage proceeds.
If you want to constrain your carry alongs, you could rename a bunch of
the files, put them on a larger unlocked SD card, and use a PDA to
rename files to the one name that will work as you proceed. It is a
little awkward in that you have to shut off the GPS, move the card to
the PDA, rename the file, move the card back to the GPS, and then
restart it. But it is certainly easier than what you describe. And
allows for a realistic usage of the charts.
> Since the BlueNav CD is a significant investment, why run the risk
> of not being able to use it because you added maps in the wrong
> order? If you ever load a MapSend map directly to the SD card
> containing a BlueNav chart, you might turn off the unlock code and
> not know it until you try to use the BlueNav chart when you are out
> on the water.
That's not going to happen because I know better than to do that. I
test this stuff before I go, and if it is working I use it. I always
have my chartbook, compass, and eyes and ears should all the other stuff
quit working. My greatest fear is that of forgetting my destination or
being struck blind mid route. :> )
I am using my BlueNav CD as I got them and within the terms of
Magellan's licensing limitations and intentions. I have not hacked
anything and am not "cheating" or breaking any laws, I really don't
understand why you feel that I should not do this.
Jack
--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Earl F. Parrish 2005-10-16, 11:48 pm |
|
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:DvGdnYKRE_Gk2s_
enZ2dnUVZ_tOdnZ2d@ad
elphia.com...
> Earl F. Parrish wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> I knew all that, there is no charge for an unlock code as far as I
> know.
>
>
> That is one of my concerns, I sometimes cross two or three charts
> a day when I use the charts and use a total of six or seven
> different ones in two or three days. The limitation, as stated in
> the license and on Magellan's page, is that "only 1 chart can be
> chosen and loaded into your GPS" and that is exactly how I am
> using it.
>
>
> Not true. You can generate the files, and copy them to a hard
> drive. Then you can copy them to other types of storage media,
> and, from there, copy one file at a time to an unlocked SD card as
> you voyage proceeds.
>
> If you want to constrain your carry alongs, you could rename a
> bunch of the files, put them on a larger unlocked SD card, and use
> a PDA to rename files to the one name that will work as you
> proceed. It is a little awkward in that you have to shut off the
> GPS, move the card to the PDA, rename the file, move the card back
> to the GPS, and then restart it. But it is certainly easier than
> what you describe. And allows for a realistic usage of the
> charts.
>
>
> That's not going to happen because I know better than to do that.
> I test this stuff before I go, and if it is working I use it. I
> always have my chartbook, compass, and eyes and ears should all
> the other stuff quit working. My greatest fear is that of
> forgetting my destination or being struck blind mid route. :> )
>
> I am using my BlueNav CD as I got them and within the terms of
> Magellan's licensing limitations and intentions. I have not
> hacked anything and am not "cheating" or breaking any laws, I
> really don't understand why you feel that I should not do this.
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot
> net
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
I was reading a review on the web concerning the BlueNav CD.
Magellan requires you to purchase a new CD if you destroy your
unlock code. There can be only one unlock code per CD. If you go
to the web unlock site, you will be prevented from proceeding if you
enter the same CD software serial number again. Magellan did not
tell purchasers who bought the Mariner package in Europe that the
software was already unlocked and mated to the included SD card.
There was no software serial number included in the package.
Magellan could look up the unlock code based upon the SD card serial
number which the BlueNav software would reveal but it would only
work with that SD card.
--
Earl F. Parrish
| |
| Pieter Litchfield 2005-10-23, 11:48 pm |
| You are correct - the SporTrak Pro Marine ( and of course the plain pro)
have only internal memories and therefor the MapSend Topo 3D USA or BlueNav
charts must be uploaded directly from the PC tp the GPS.
I would think that if one had a "BlueNav" card with only the nautical data
and a seperate "Topo 3D USA" card with the topo data that it would work -
wouldn't changing the card (and loading the new map into main memeory) be
the same as the "erasing and replacing" operation my brother-in-law does?
Pieter
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:05Odnetmxs5_AdL
eRVn-rg@adelphia.com...
> Pieter Litchfield wrote:
>
>
> Hi Pieter
>
> It is, and it's helpful too. I just got started with a Meridian Marine
> that came with the BlueNav CD and am starting to figure out how I can use
> that and what the limitations are.
>
> With a SporTrak he has to upload from MapSend on the PC direct to the GPS,
> right? Because the SporTrak memory is not seen as a removable drive like
> a SD card is?
>
> If so, the issue may have been that of the upload process overwriting the
> BlueNav unlock code or something like that.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Jack Erbes 2005-10-24, 5:48 pm |
| Pieter Litchfield wrote:
> You are correct - the SporTrak Pro Marine ( and of course the plain pro)
> have only internal memories and therefor the MapSend Topo 3D USA or BlueNav
> charts must be uploaded directly from the PC tp the GPS.
> I would think that if one had a "BlueNav" card with only the nautical data
> and a seperate "Topo 3D USA" card with the topo data that it would work -
> wouldn't changing the card (and loading the new map into main memeory) be
> the same as the "erasing and replacing" operation my brother-in-law does?
> Pieter
Having the separate cards will work. I sometimes go 150 miles or more
by car to pick up a boat and bring it back to near where I live, so
having both the DirectRoute maps and BlueNav maps on the same card is
very convenient.
I got a chance to use that last week and have figured out how to better
use and live with the BlueNav charts. I moved a boat and had to cross
three charting regions in the process.
What I did was create the three chart regions to the hard drive.
MapSend BlueNav creates those with the name detail00.img and they must
that name in use on the Meridian. I renamed the three files to
1_detail00.img, 2_detail00.img, and 3_detail00.img then copied them to
my unlocked SD card.
When I went on the boat delivery, I took a Palm device with a SD card
slot in it along with me so I could rename the region files as I
proceeded. To start, I changed 3_detail00.img detail00.img , put the
card in the Meridian and I was off and running.
As I got near the edge of the first chart region (the regions do have
some overlap) I shut down the Meridian, took the SD card out, and put it
in the Palm device. I renamed detail00.img back to 3_detail00.img,
named 2_detail00.img to detail00.img, put the SD card back in the
Meridian and I was back in business. And I did that again for the next
region a few hours later.
I know that process sounds awkward but it is much better than being
limited to a single chart or taking a PC along and uploading chart
regions from the BlueNav installation as you proceed. It is way better
that not having a backup navigation system with me. The Meridian has
all my routes on it for use or reference. If I have any problems with
navigation electronics on the boat the Meridian will get me through the
trip.
No one in their right mind would want to create the BlueNav chart
regions directly to the Meridian with the SD card in place. It takes 30
minutes or more to create a chart region to the GPS with the SD card in
it. You can do that in about 30 seconds if you have the GPS attached to
the PC and the SD card in a reader/burner on the PC (both the GPS and SD
card have to be in place). It is even faster to create the chart
regions to the hard drive and then copy them to the SD card in the
reader/burner.
As it turns out through discussion and negotiation with Thales, I cannot
get a larger SD card unlocked for my Meridian but I now have a workable
solution with the one I have.
I also figured out that I can copy DirectRoute and Topo 3D map image
files to the same SD card and use those too (they can be named as I like
and do not require any renaming to use). Creating those directly to the
SD card would mess up the BlueNav unlock code but creating the files to
the hard driver and copying them over works fine.
Jack
--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
| |
| Pieter Litchfield 2005-10-24, 5:48 pm |
| Thanks Jack for a very understandable discussion. In addition to a SporTrak
Pro, I have an Explorist 600 ( with a couple of SD cards and a Meridian
Color (with SD cards). In both cases, I use a cheap (>$20) USB card reader
to write the "region" output files from MapSend Topo 3D USA to the SD
card(s). Of course, the region files are in different formats for the two
GPS, and they cannot "understand" the other's format. Magellan does provide
a translator utility program with the Explorist, which to me is a poor
second to rewriting the file writing procedures for the MapSend program to
make writing SD cards easier. However, in both cases I can use english-like
names ( "W_NY" for western New york state for example), keep multiple
regions on a SD card, and use the card utility to change detail maps. Like
you, I create overlapping regions. Too bad the GPS can't look for all files
on card that describe the "current position" of the GPS and offer you a
choice (like OziExplorer does for example), just to make the transition
between maps seamless.
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:88edndeh3bLgnMD
eRVn-pQ@adelphia.com...
> Pieter Litchfield wrote:
>
>
> Having the separate cards will work. I sometimes go 150 miles or more by
> car to pick up a boat and bring it back to near where I live, so having
> both the DirectRoute maps and BlueNav maps on the same card is very
> convenient.
>
> I got a chance to use that last week and have figured out how to better
> use and live with the BlueNav charts. I moved a boat and had to cross
> three charting regions in the process.
>
> What I did was create the three chart regions to the hard drive. MapSend
> BlueNav creates those with the name detail00.img and they must that name
> in use on the Meridian. I renamed the three files to 1_detail00.img,
> 2_detail00.img, and 3_detail00.img then copied them to my unlocked SD
> card.
>
> When I went on the boat delivery, I took a Palm device with a SD card slot
> in it along with me so I could rename the region files as I proceeded. To
> start, I changed 3_detail00.img detail00.img , put the card in the
> Meridian and I was off and running.
>
> As I got near the edge of the first chart region (the regions do have some
> overlap) I shut down the Meridian, took the SD card out, and put it in the
> Palm device. I renamed detail00.img back to 3_detail00.img, named
> 2_detail00.img to detail00.img, put the SD card back in the Meridian and I
> was back in business. And I did that again for the next region a few
> hours later.
>
> I know that process sounds awkward but it is much better than being
> limited to a single chart or taking a PC along and uploading chart regions
> from the BlueNav installation as you proceed. It is way better that not
> having a backup navigation system with me. The Meridian has all my routes
> on it for use or reference. If I have any problems with navigation
> electronics on the boat the Meridian will get me through the trip.
>
> No one in their right mind would want to create the BlueNav chart regions
> directly to the Meridian with the SD card in place. It takes 30 minutes
> or more to create a chart region to the GPS with the SD card in it. You
> can do that in about 30 seconds if you have the GPS attached to the PC and
> the SD card in a reader/burner on the PC (both the GPS and SD card have to
> be in place). It is even faster to create the chart regions to the hard
> drive and then copy them to the SD card in the reader/burner.
>
> As it turns out through discussion and negotiation with Thales, I cannot
> get a larger SD card unlocked for my Meridian but I now have a workable
> solution with the one I have.
>
> I also figured out that I can copy DirectRoute and Topo 3D map image files
> to the same SD card and use those too (they can be named as I like and do
> not require any renaming to use). Creating those directly to the SD card
> would mess up the BlueNav unlock code but creating the files to the hard
> driver and copying them over works fine.
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)
|
|
|
|
|