Garmin's Own Speed Camera Download

bluka · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2005 Posts: 21

Garmin's own download service is now up and running for registered users at the following site

https://my.garmin.com/mygarmin/customers/myGarminHome.faces

There is a 90 day trial available and so I have just downloaded it.

First impressions whilst sat in my house - it looks like mobile cameras aren't included, which if true, would be a serious omission. I have only come to this conclusion by simulating a route with both fixed and mobile cameras on it.

The fixed camera showed up ok (effectively covering the pocket gps alert), but only pocket gps mobile alerts showed.

Someone else may be able to test it more fully than I am able to in the next couple of days.

The icon used for the fixed cam is that of a camera, which really isn't as good as the speed limit icon of pocket gps database.

Also, they don't show up in POIs, so you can't check the location of each camera (unless I missed them).

So far then, nothing makes me think I would swap my subscription from here. (And that doesn't even take into account the price difference - since the Garmin one would still be good value if it was complete)

Ian

zogman · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:56 am Post subject:

i get the impression from the introduction that the site is still in its developement stage.....nice though..
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MaFt · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:33 pm Post subject:

not compatible with the i3...

swing

swing

bluka · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2005 Posts: 21

Swing,

Can't give you much more info, 'cos I'm unable to test at the moment. (Stuck at home with a bad back!)

I ran a route simulation to come up with my earlier opinion, so can't comment on what happens at speeds other than at the limit or in real navigation situations.

Also don't know how to uninstall, which I never thought about when downloading!

What I really needrd to do was run the same route with only one set of data installed at a time and which I can't do now.

Going to play a bit more this evening, still in simulation, and i'll post any new findings later.

Ian

bluka · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2005 Posts: 21

So what more have I found?

Firstly must point out still in simulation.

Garmin speed cams are installed as two files in the poi folder, safety_camera_UnitedKingdom.gpi (549kb) and safety_camera_UnitedKingdom.unl (1kb)

Still can't get a mobile camera to trigger.

Speed cam warnings do appear to be directional. (ie no alerts for cameras on other side of carriageway)

Database is inaccurate. One camera that was removed over two years ago still gives an alert, and on the the same road (Stanningley Bypass in Leeds for those that know it) an alert is given for a camera that was never installed (although the road markings were).

I suppose in this instance you could argue better safe than sorry though.

Went to the website to see if it had updated (yeah I know not likely after only one day) but it is down anyway. Was suffering Java script errors yesterday but I put this down to my browser (IE7 - please no comments!!).

Ian

swing · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject:

bluka · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2005 Posts: 21

Managed to get out to run a small test on the mobile warnings and in a short stretch of the M1 three mobiles showed up on the PGPS database, but nothing from the Garmin database.

Did get back on the mygarmin site yesterday and there was an update available. Have to say that this part of the Garmin service is very good. You login, select the device from your list of registered devices and select speed camera subscription. you are then taken to the update page where it notifies you if there any updates available since you last connected. if there are, you connect your device to your computer and allow it to go into pc mode, click the connect button on the same webpage. the database is installed/updated.

Very simple and takes about a minute.

I do think that if the database were more up to date (see my earlier post) and had the mobile cams, it would actually be a very tempting set up. Ease of use and directional alerts are both very big plus points. As it stands though, can't recommend paying for the service. At least they give a reasonable 90 day trial service and maybe in that time, mobile cams, will be added. It is afterall, a new service for Garmin.

Ian

pushandpull · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:13 pm Post subject:

I tried to d/load the free trial but couldn't. Kept giving me an error telling me to go back and re-enter my information which was in fact correct anyway!
Got through to Garmin Helpdesk - eventually - the guy there didn't know it had been released. With my assistance he eventually found it and agreed it didn't work.
He then contacted to Web guy to get him to sort it out. Ten minutes later the site was taken down and hasn't come back since!
Looks like the whole thing has been released too early and they're still sorting it.

One other point. I dowloaded the 2v9 update and noticed that the option in settings for the Garmin Camera database (seventh picture in "Settings") was no longer there.
Contacted Garmin - (got through again eventually) was told to revert to version 2v80 and that Garmin do not advise installing updates unless you're suffering from whatever it is the update is fixing.

After the 3.60 debacle which totally ruined the sound on my Nüvi300 to the point where I had to send it back for repair (they actually sent me a brand new replacement - lovely!) this is advice I for one shall be taking in future.
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pushandpull · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:32 pm Post subject:

OK! Just tried the site again. It's up again and I have successfully managed to download the free trial.
Activated it in the Settings menu.
Am removing the GPS database in case that interferes with Garmins' stuff and will see how it goes.
I suspect this is something that will improve over time which alone will tell.
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bluka · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2005 Posts: 21

Managed to get out for a short run today, to test the Garmin Database.

I can now say that the alerts are definitely directional, as I suspected they were.

Also got a mobile camera speed 'zone' show up. Not quite sure how long this zone was, as I was busy watching what I was doing rather than watching the screen!

A redlight cam didn't show up that is definitely there (and in the PGPS database).

pushandpull - I didn't need to uninstall PGPS database, just turned off alerts in the settings menu. It's peculiar your icon has gone missing that would allow you to do the same. Also, I assume you mean you were told to revert to 3.80 from 3.90 not 2.80 to 2.90 (unless you got a 310 by way of replacement). Either way, I consider that strange advice from Garmin - what are they playing at? They normally add features at the same time as bug fixes, so to tell you don't update is peculiar.

Ian

pushandpull · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:55 pm Post subject:

bluka - you're quite right, I did mean versions 3v80 and 3v90 not 2v80 and 2v90 - sorry about the typos.
I have reverted to 3v80 and everything's fine including the setting for the Garmin Camera database.
Once I'm satisfied the Garmin ones work OK I'll put the PGP ones back on as well and see what happens when a camera appears on both databases.
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bluka · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2005 Posts: 21

pushandpull,

wasn't trying to correct you, but trying to ascertain whether your missing settings menu item was occurring on a 300 or a 310. I updated to 3.90 on a 350 without any trouble. Then again, i was one of the lucky ones that didn't have any trouble with the notorious 3.60

been back to the mygarmin site for the fourth time in four days, and each time there has been an update to the database available. strange that they are adding cameras on Sundays!

It's a shame that there is no more detail, like how many cameras have been added or taken away in each update.

Ian

pushandpull · Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:51 am Post subject:

Yes, I've just been to the site again and found another update.
Definitely seems to me like this is a "Work in progress"job with bits and pieces being added all the time.

Probably the best thing to do is to check the site daily 'till it all settles down.

As you say a little more information on the update page would be nice, such as the number of cameras in the database, plus added and removed and the date of the update.

Could be of course that Garmin are adding things a bit at a time to ensure that each bit works properly first instead of doing it all in one go!
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