Garmin 90 Database Updates Discontinued

[Val Christian]

Apparently Garmin has recently discontinued database updates for the
G90 GPS.
A friend contacted his friend at Garmin, and was told that the
database became too big for the G90, and they decided to drop support.

Several years ago, the G90 database was the Americas, and was broken
into a North America and South America product, to allow it to fit.
It seems that Garmin / Jeppesen could have done a similar pruning,
having a US/Canada, Central and South America product. I suppose they
expect that by simply dropping coverage all together, they will cause
loyal Garmin 90 users to upgrade to a newer Garmin unit.

The discontinuance of support for older, but quite servicable avionics
is a singificant aviation consumer issue. Several years ago, we found
that our IFR capable Loran would have the database discontinued. AOPA
and others have pushed for common database formats, which would allow
legacy products to continue to obtain updates of government data.

Most pilots I know have Garmin 90 units. They meet the aviation needs
of most users, and are quite cost effective. It's too bad that
database support has rendered all those units boat anchors, as their
database can not be updated anymore.

If you're a Garmin 90 owner, you can fill a Tech Support form on their
web site, www.garmin.com, enter your serial number and your software
version (shown at power-up). Tell them you want to know how to get an
update. Since this decision was a recent one, perhaps there's a way
to let them know that Garmin customers aren't ready to retire their
Garmin 90s.

Blue skies.

[Jim Weir]

Just did my notification. How about it, gang. Ya gonna just sit there and let
this happen?

Jim
Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

[Jay Honeck]

> Just did my notification. How about it, gang. Ya gonna just sit there
and let
> this happen?

Wow. One of the reasons I was going to buy a Garmin hand-held at OSH 2003
was because I was ****ed at Lowrance for discontinuing support for my 4-year
old Airmap 300.

Guess maybe I'll have to reconsider, since it seems they're no better.
Shoot, at least Lowrance is continuing to update the database!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

> Just sent my complaint to Garmin!

Me, too!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Todd Pattist]

I also have Garmin 90 that I use regularly. I'll send in a
complaint as soon as I get my serial # off it.


Todd Pattist
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
___
Make a commitment to learn something from every flight.
Share what you learn.

[Wayne]

Is that for the GPS92 as well?
Wayne
"Val Christian" > wrote in message
m...
> Apparently Garmin has recently discontinued database updates for the
> G90 GPS.
> A friend contacted his friend at Garmin, and was told that the
> database became too big for the G90, and they decided to drop support.
>
> Several years ago, the G90 database was the Americas, and was broken
> into a North America and South America product, to allow it to fit.
> It seems that Garmin / Jeppesen could have done a similar pruning,
> having a US/Canada, Central and South America product. I suppose they
> expect that by simply dropping coverage all together, they will cause
> loyal Garmin 90 users to upgrade to a newer Garmin unit.
>
> The discontinuance of support for older, but quite servicable avionics
> is a singificant aviation consumer issue. Several years ago, we found
> that our IFR capable Loran would have the database discontinued. AOPA
> and others have pushed for common database formats, which would allow
> legacy products to continue to obtain updates of government data.
>
> Most pilots I know have Garmin 90 units. They meet the aviation needs
> of most users, and are quite cost effective. It's too bad that
> database support has rendered all those units boat anchors, as their
> database can not be updated anymore.
>
> If you're a Garmin 90 owner, you can fill a Tech Support form on their
> web site, www.garmin.com, enter your serial number and your software
> version (shown at power-up). Tell them you want to know how to get an
> update. Since this decision was a recent one, perhaps there's a way
> to let them know that Garmin customers aren't ready to retire their
> Garmin 90s.
>
> Blue skies.

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Wayne wrote:
> Is that for the GPS92 as well?

No, it's a newer unit with more memory I believe. But you might
want to voice a complaint anyway; in a few years the 92 could
be next on the block if the trend continues.

Sydney

[Wayne]

Will do. I don't own one but I know plenty of guys that do and I usually do
their updates for them.

Wayne
"Sydney Hoeltzli" > wrote in message
...
>
> Wayne wrote:
> > Is that for the GPS92 as well?
>
> No, it's a newer unit with more memory I believe. But you might
> want to voice a complaint anyway; in a few years the 92 could
> be next on the block if the trend continues.
>
> Sydney
>

[Nick Funk]

For everybody with the GPS 90, I got this reply yesterday from Garmin.


"Thank you for contacting Garmin,

Within about the next week, hopefully we will have the June cycle
vailable online for you to download. Keep an eye on the website for this
update. It will be the 0306 cycle and will be the last one available for
the GPS 90 and 95xl.

PS-Please include all email correspondence already written when you
reply to this email so that it can be answered in a timely manner.
Erasing the text may mean a delay in response, or that the email does
not reach the person(s)with whom you are communicating. "

Best Regards,

Mike Sheehan
Product Support Specialist
1200 East 151st
Olathe, Ks 66062
Garmin International
(913)397-8200
(800)800-1020
(913)397-0836 Fax

www.garmin.com

[Mark]

Lowrance Airmap 300 owner > wrote in message >...
> HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone have this last update? I need to update mine since this
is the last one for the GPS-90.

I guess this is Garmins trick to force users to upgrade to newer
units, well it will work, but I won't buy Garmin.....

[CryptWolf]

John Galban > wrote in message
om...
> Looks to me like the database has just outgrown the GPS-90s
> available capacity. That strikes me as being more likely than a
> sinister plot by Garmin.

As an old computer hacker, (25+ years) I have to wonder
why no one is looking into removing parts of the database that
aren't needed. For example, someone who does mostly local flying
might not need much more coverage than a few states.

Along these lines, what program loads the database, what format
is the database in, any special hardware needed, and where can you
get a current database that might be converted? There must be a
number of programmers around who are also pilots besides myself.
Why couldn't a program be written to convert a current database
so that the GPS-90s could be used a while longer? I'd bet quite a few
would like to have a free program that simply converted another
database into the correct format. What about using an FAA database
and converting it directly?

If this GPS can be updated with a freeware program, then what
about other databases? I suspect several other GPS units will
become obsolete because of memory restrictions. Also note that
it will be unlikely that all GPS brands will be immune. Your brand-Y
unit may be ok today while falling into the same boat as brand-X
next year.

Oh, before you get to deep into what a hacker is, try to forget the
media hyped version. There is usually 3 definitions of hacker.
Only one is a criminal and one is a bad programmer. I'll let you
figure out what the third one is. ;)

[Greg]

I'm looking for the last database update as well, since I missed it
from the Garmin site before it became obsolete.
Thanks.
Greg

(Mark) wrote in message >...
> Lowrance Airmap 300 owner > wrote in message >...
> > HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Does anyone have this last update? I need to update mine since this
> is the last one for the GPS-90.
>
> I guess this is Garmins trick to force users to upgrade to newer
> units, well it will work, but I won't buy Garmin.....

[John Galban]

(Mark) wrote in message >...
> Lowrance Airmap 300 owner > wrote in message >...
>
> I guess this is Garmins trick to force users to upgrade to newer
> units, well it will work, but I won't buy Garmin.....

I've heard that, but I'm not sure if I buy it. Garmin's contention
is that the memory available for waypoints (like intersections,
navaids, etc...) can no longer hold everything in the Jepp database.
Apparently, the number of waypoints has been increasing substantially
over the last few years(possibly due to new GPS approaches). I know I
had to install an operating system mod on my 195 that shrunk the OS to
create more room for the latest database.

Looks to me like the database has just outgrown the GPS-90s
available capacity. That strikes me as being more likely than a
sinister plot by Garmin.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[Greg Kainz]

It sounds like that's already happened. I got an email from someone
who has written such a program. I'm probably going to check this
route out, as Garmin says I can't buy a database from them for the
GPS 90; even an old, out of date database...
Greg
"CryptWolf" > wrote in message
s.com...
>
> John Galban > wrote in message
> om...
> > Looks to me like the database has just outgrown the GPS-90s
> > available capacity. That strikes me as being more likely than a
> > sinister plot by Garmin.
>
> As an old computer hacker, (25+ years) I have to wonder
> why no one is looking into removing parts of the database that
> aren't needed. For example, someone who does mostly local flying
> might not need much more coverage than a few states.
>
> Along these lines, what program loads the database, what format
> is the database in, any special hardware needed, and where can you
> get a current database that might be converted? There must be a
> number of programmers around who are also pilots besides myself.
> Why couldn't a program be written to convert a current database
> so that the GPS-90s could be used a while longer? I'd bet quite a few
> would like to have a free program that simply converted another
> database into the correct format. What about using an FAA database
> and converting it directly?
>
> If this GPS can be updated with a freeware program, then what
> about other databases? I suspect several other GPS units will
> become obsolete because of memory restrictions. Also note that
> it will be unlikely that all GPS brands will be immune. Your brand-Y
> unit may be ok today while falling into the same boat as brand-X
> next year.
>
> Oh, before you get to deep into what a hacker is, try to forget the
> media hyped version. There is usually 3 definitions of hacker.
> Only one is a criminal and one is a bad programmer. I'll let you
> figure out what the third one is. ;)
>
>

[Mark]

(Mark) wrote in message >...
> Lowrance Airmap 300 owner > wrote in message >...
> > HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Does anyone have this last update? I need to update mine since this
> is the last one for the GPS-90.
>
> I guess this is Garmins trick to force users to upgrade to newer
> units, well it will work, but I won't buy Garmin.....

(my database is from Nov, 96!!)

I did some calling and if you call Gulf Coast Avionics they will
update it to the last update (June 03) for $75. Also, Tropic Aero will
update it to their latest update (April 03) for $50. Both places ask
you to ship your unit to them, they pay the return shipping charge.

I ONLY use mine for backup, so I really don't need the latest update.
As i said, mine was almost 7 years OLD!! I still love my old GPS-90,
it's a understandable shame that Garmin has discontinued support.

I sent mine to Tropic Aero and it only took 8 days week to get it
back.

mark