NUVI 500

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Do Not delete these.

GMAPBMAP.IMG (basemap on the internal memory) BaseMap is Needed for Navigation
GMAPTZ.IMG (dont know what this is but on the internal memory) This is Time Zone Map Needed

''Do Not delete these''
Already went down that road ....I then unlocked the maps to fix it, although all my maps were acquired and paid for in case anyone is concerned.

My thinking was that if the unit is used in South Africa only and i overwrite the BaseMap with the South African Garmap maps then i don't see any impact or what am i missing? Call me curious.

Ito the unit refreshing quite slowly such that sometimes you are driving blind, is this normal for this unit? I'll try and take a pic of what i mean and maybe put that up because not sure i am explaining this properly

[dasilvarsa]

When You Zoom out a lot on a Nuvi You see the whole world.
What You are seeing is the Basemap.
Also detailed maps only have a few Zoom Levels, The remaining Zoom Levels are supplied by the Basemap.
You could say the Basemap is the Skeleton Map and it is routable.
If there is a flaw in the Detailed map the Basemap can be used.
To Quote our friend Shorty (I Navigated from South-Africa to Cairo just using a Basemap).
Regarding slow refresh, I don't have a 500 but have played with all Nuvi 1xxx.
Nuvi 1XXX does the same you are describing. Slow Refresh when Changing Zoom Levels.
To Speed it up a Hard Resed does not hurt, Also limit the amount of resources that the Nuvi has to deal with.
I'm talking about Voices, POI, Favourites, Texts,Keyboards, etc etc.
Also clear the trip Log on a regular Basis, A Clean Nuvi does run a bit Faster.
Before cleaning up always backup your favourites and all files to the PC.
You can download Basemap and Timezone Map using Garmin Webupdater or My Dashboard (on some Models).

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Thanks for all the assistance and for Otto Roth for pointing me to the forum in the first place.

dasilvarsa: thanks for clarifying, makes perfect sense.

I've cleaned up the unit removing uneccessary files etc.

Next up is to find the most appropriate map for this unit for my needs.

I'm struggling to figure out which one to get. It looks like the Topo features appear nice for the Nuvi 500 as it is still one of the few units that support it. What would you recommend?

[dasilvarsa]

I can't recomend maps because I've only ever used Garmap 2011.3 StreetMaps and City Navigator.

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okay cool - no problem. After doing the clean up and deleting the unused stuff it has now completely stopped having the refresh issue

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My NUVI 500 now runs as best it can and it will get you from A to B no issues.

HOWEVER This unit is currently on sale at Cape Union Mart for R2500 and this does not include lifetime maps. I am of the opinion that was once a nice unit is now old technology and severely overpriced for what you get. Apart from being waterproof which is important for certain users it is severely lagging current models in terms of resolution, map updates and screen size and other functionality. This is just a heads up for someone considering these units at current prices. A Garmin NUVI 3590 with LMT you can likely get for around R3000 and is vastly superior in all departments apart from not being waterproof but a waterproof bag could be an option....

[dasilvarsa]

The Unit is suitable for boating. ++Price
Just the same as the Zumo Range is suitable for Biking ++Price
These units fall into the Category of Specialized units and basically they can charge what they like for them.
Reduced Sales but Extremely High Margins.

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Agreed - i just wonder if it is not better to get "regular" units and get a really good waterproof casing if needs be