Garmin data card and Streetpilot III
According to the Garmin blurb, the Streetpilot III can only read up to 128MB cards . Although the 256MB cards will work, you cannot take advantage of the extra storage space and you may not be able to read some of your data.
I've not tried the bigger (256MB and above) cards on my SP III so cannot confirm this 100% but if the Garmin blurb is correct, you will be wasting your cash if you buy the larger capacity card for this model. ( Unless of course you got it very very cheap).
Garmin states that only 16, 32, 64 and 128MB cards are recommended for the Streetpilot III.
I've seen Garmin branded, 128MB data cards on eBay from £40 upwards and Unbranded compatible cards from around £30 which is quite reasonable considering the cost new from Garmin.
There is also an outfit in the US of A. who regularly advertise Garmin accessories on eBay for quite reasonable money. ( due partly to the favourable £/$ exchange rate), including Motorcycle mounts. (Hard to find at reasonable cost)
While I'm on the subject of eBay ( again!!!) I've also spotted a lot of Mapsource maps for the Streetpilot III. If you have this Model, you will need Mapsource City Navigator V5 ( and /or V6/V7 upgrade) or the latest V8 or V9. The City Navigater V9 NT DVD is not recommended for the Streetpilot III.
Remember, you will need V5 already installed for the v6 or V7 upgrades to work ( also the unlock codes), although contrary to what is being put about, you do not need to access the Garmin site to unlock these versions if you have the correct unlock code!!
If you buy a StreetPilot III second hand, there is a free firmware upgrade available on the Garmin site. If you are not sure if you need it or not, go to the Main menu on your GPS, and select "System Info". A Window will pop up giving the unit ID and software version. The latest version is 2.80. If you have this, you don't need to download the upgrade.
Another handy tip, if you have a Garmin GPS but don't have the correct AC power adaptor ( or adapter?) but happen to own a car battery booster pack with a cigarette lighter socket, you can run your GPS indoors by plugging it into the boost starter. Works a treat and you can play with your Streetpilot indoors all day without killing the 6 AA internal batteries.
Anybody got any handy Streetpilot III tips I don't know about, I'd be happy to hear them.
Happy Garmination!
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