1) GPS MAPS: Breaks in routes or route calculations
If you experience a problem when doing trip planning on PC software like Mapsource or Basecamp, where you notice a small break in the route in your maps and it forces the route calculation back on itself, and it does not work etc. PLEASE NOTE:
We normally break roads in our GPS Maps very deliberately in order to influence routing calculations. It may well be that you are not allowed to enter eg. Mana Pools from eastern side where you notice the break, as the official entrance gate is on the western boundary. The eastern side is normally taken up by concession holders.So there could be a valid explanation for the break in the road you are encountering.2) GPS MAPS: Using T4A GPS Maps on the Old Garmin GPSMap 276C
This unit comes with a memory card inside the unit, there is no GPS slot to insert an SD card.
You would need to first install T4A GPS Maps on your computer and then send the maps via Garmins Mapsource Software to the internal memory card of your GPS unit.
Mapsource only works on windows. Garmins new software, Basecamp, does not work with the 276C. But in order to make Mapsource work on your computer, you would have to install Basecamp first and then Mapsource - this is the way Garmin works. Both software products are available for free from the Garmin website, just google 'download Basecamp' and 'download Mapsource' and be sure to download from the Garmin website.
You can then purchase our GPS maps electronically from our website, then install them on your computer and transfer them to your GPS unit. If you purchase the T4A SD card, the installation files are available on the SD card, under 'PC Install Files'. Please refer to our FAQ for more assistance with using Mapsource and Basecamp.
If you have upgraded to Windows 11: It is apparent that the device drivers in Win11 do not include that which is needed for the old 276c device. If you apply these steps, BaseCamp then seems to work with the 276C. You can try this: Follow these steps: 1) Download the latest USB Drivers Software: Garmin: USB Drivers Updates & Downloads 2) Install the latest web updater: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=931after installing both of these and doing a restart, BaseCamp should now recognise the 276c (note Not the 276cx)3) GPS MAPS: How do I REGISTER my T4A GPS Maps SD Card?
Go to our online shop and register here.4) GPS MAPS: Route planned on Basecamp/Mapsource perfectly, but when transferred to GPS shows a straight line on GPS
If you sucessfully created a route and a trip plan in Basecamp/Mapsource, and after transferring the route to your GPS, your GPS routing is all wrong, or shows a straight line...then please read the following:
Firstly, about transferring routes: we do not advise our clients to do this. The transfer of routes between Garmin's Basecamp and GPS is a dark science which yields different results based on which units are used. It has nothing to do with the maps loaded.
However if you are going to try and do this then note the following:
- Basecamp/Mapsource and GPS must have the exact same maps loaded, i.e. the map you used for calculating the route in the first place must also be on the GPS
- The GPS will always recalculate the route once loaded (on some units you have to import the route after transferring it). For this reason the route calculation settings on the GPS and your Basecamp software must also be exactly the same else you will get different results. E.g. if you use Shortest Distance on Basecamp then GPS must also be set to Shortest Distance (these settings are not transferred to the GPS)
- In some cases it simply does not work.
If you succeed in transferring a route and you select this route then your GPS will now try to get you to the start of the route. If your starting point is different from what you calculated on the GPS you will have to recalculate the route from your current location.
We normally advise people to calculate their routes on Basecamp in order to do their trip planning. Then on the GPS on the day of your travel find the destination and let it calculate the route from where you are to that destination. You may want to print your itinerary or even send some crucial waypoints/POIs from your trip plan to your GPS which is then stored under Favourites for easy access, as waypoints/POIs to route to on your GPS.
5) GPS MAPS: Trip Planning & Transferring Routes to a GPS
Firstly, about transferring routes: we do not advise our clients to do this. The transfer of routes between Garmin's Basecamp and GPS is a dark science which yields different results based on which units are used. It has nothing to do with the maps loaded.
However if you are going to try and do this then note the following:
-
Basecamp/Mapsource and GPS must have the exact same maps loaded, i.e. the map you used for calculating the route in the first place must also be on the GPS
-
The GPS will always recalculate the route once loaded (on some units you have to import the route after transferring it). For this reason the route calculation settings on the GPS and your Basecamp software must also be exactly the same else you will get different results. E.g. if you use Shortest Distance on Basecamp then GPS must also be set to Shortest Distance (these settings are not transferred to the GPS)
-
In some cases it simply does not work.
If you succeed in transferring a route and you select this route then your GPS will now try to get you to the start of the route. If your starting point is different from what you calculated on the GPS you will have to recalculate the route from your current location.
We normally advise people to calculate their routes on Basecamp in order to do their trip planning. Then on the GPS on the day of your travel find the destination and let it calculate the route from where you are to that destination. You may want to print your itinerary or even send some crucial waypoints/POIs from your trip plan to your GPS which is then stored under Favourites for easy access, as waypoints/POIs to route to on your GPS.
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6) GPS MAPS: Enabling multiple GPS Maps on a GPS Unit
Please note: The Tracks4Africa GPS Maps cannot be enabled on your GPS Unit at the same time as your Garmin Street Mapsfor example. These maps will clash in geographical areas, and will cause routing and navigation problems on your GPS Device.
HOWEVER, if you have purchased Regional Tracks4Africa GPS Maps from our Website, you can enable the Tracks4Africa GPS Regional Maps at the same time, for example you can enable the T4A Namibia GPS Map and the T4A Botswana GPS Map at the same time, as they do not clash geographically. DO NOT enable the Garmin Street maps at the same time as the Tracks4Africa GPS Maps in any instance.
7) GPS MAPS: Are Road Alerts included or available for T4A GPS Maps?
No, we no longer include road alerts on our GPS MAPS SD Cards.
We included Road Alerts on our GPS Maps SD card up to ver 11.10. (ie. Oct 2011).
Too many people complained about the annoyance of road alerts, and we do not have a huge request from the market for these alerts.
The Road Alert files are however available for up to ver 15.05 (ie. May 2015) on our website, as seperate download links. You can download your preferred Alert file from our T4A GPS Road Alerts Page. (Please note: As these alerts were configured in 2015, some of them will no longer be true, therefore please use these files at your own discretion).
On the Road Alerts Page - please click on the Alert file name you would like to receive, in order to send an email request to our sales staff.
8) GPS MAPS: Gamin Drive 40 & 50 LM: this device asks to format T4A SD Card
According to Garmin they are aware of the problem with the Garmin Drive 40 & 50, they are trying to figure out what causes the device to want to format the T4A SD Card. It seems like a problem with the device.
Garmin has also subsequently discontinued:
- Garmin Drive 50LM (P/N: 010-01532-4B) and Drive 60LM (P/N: 010-01533-4B).
You are welcome to contact us so that we can try to assist you with Tracks4Africa GPS Maps. We can send you a download link which you can transfer to your internal memory at your own risk, as you do not want to overwrite any internal street maps on your GPS unit etc.
9) GPS MAPS: My Garmin Colorado switches off when I go to the “Select Map” option to change between different mapsets. However, I am able to load multiple mapsets to it.
This is a potential problem on some units and it has been addressed by Garmin in the unit firmware update v2.51. The Garmin website lists the potential shutdown when selecting maps with a large variety of maps loaded as being one of the issues being fixed between v2.40 and v2.51 of the Colorado firmware. To correct the problem please download the latest unit software from the Garmin website.10) GPS MAPS: I am unable to locate any POIs on T4A with the Garmin Colorado GPS.
The Colorado GPS only searches for POIs within a certain radius of the current location. If you are outside of that radius (typically 1000km) it will not find any POIs outside of that radius. You can solve this problem by setting the Colorado to Demo mode.- Then set the New Location to a point closer to the area you want to search for POIs.
- This is done by going to the Satellite Navigation Page > Options> New Location and it will bring up a world map.
- Select a new lLocation by pointing the arrow to a position on the map and select Enter.
- You will then be able to search for POIs within the radius of the new location you have just entered.
