How to install maps (starting with a sealed TomTom Navigator 5 box):
Install conduit
The CD that came in the box didn’t work. I first installed
the Macintosh conduit
(tts104) I downloaded early summer 2005. I then ran the conduit
updater (navupd512) I downloaded September 2005. The first link installs the conduit,
the second updates
the whole thing to the latest version so it works properly. You’ll
need both of these for a successful installation. Note that the first
link takes you to an article about backing up your SD card. Even though
it’s about backing up your card, there’s a link to the Macintosh
setup program there.
Install a map using the TomTom Setup program in the navupd512 disk
image
The installer on the CDs won’t let you pick an expansion card as
the destination. I found this out the hard way and had to reinstall everything.
That’s how
I know how to do all this. You can actually mount the update disk image
and then drag the installer off it onto your desktop and run it from
there. For the first map, pick a small one and not one of the big major
region
maps. The region maps take forever to load via the conduit, maybe as
long as an hour (but more on that later).
Activate everything
This all works fine if you follow the instructions on the “poster.” It’s
really a folded sheet of paper, but that’s what they call it.
Set up your preferences and play with the software on your Palm
Have fun!
Step
by step instructions for installing maps
First, take your SD card out of your Palm and put it in a card reader. This will mount it on your desktop as if it were a disk.
Here’s my TomTom folder on my hard drive. I mounted the navupd512 disk image, then dragged the installer program to my disk. Launch the installer to get started.
You
need to have one of the TomTom CDs in your drive. If you don’t it
will ask you for one.
Pick
your language, check the I Agree checkbox, click Continue.
Enjoy the odd drum thing.
Select Palm Powered-Handheld, click Continue.
Select Add maps, click Continue.
Select a region, click Continue.
If you don’t happen to have the needed CD in the drive it
will ask you for it. You’ll then be taken back to the Add Maps screen,
where you’ll have to pick the map again.
Click
Choose when it asks you where to install the software. If you don’t
see this dialog box it probably means you’re using the wrong setup
program, which is what happened to me the first time I installed the software.
If you use the one from the conduit installer or the CD, you probably won’t
get this dialog and so won’t be able to install to the card in your
computer or in your Palm.
Find
your SD card in the dialog that comes up, then click Choose.
You’ll
see the progress bar and your maps
will then start to install, which will take around 7 to 10 minutes for
a single regional map set. Once the maps are installed on the card,
simply
put it
in
your
Palm and
you’ll be able to use them right away.
You
can also install maps via HotSync. I would only do this for small local
maps rather than for large regional maps as a region
can take as much as an hour to install via HotSync. To install local maps,
first click Other in the Add Maps screen.
Choose
the map or maps you want to install, then click Continue. I’m not
sure if you can select and install more than one at a time as I’ve
only installed one map this way.
Once
the maps are installed you’ll get the HotSync Now dialog. Click OK.
You’ll
then get the Please Register dialog. I have never been able to successfully
register after clicking the OK button, so I recommend you simply click
Quit.
To
get your maps onto your Palm you’ll have to HotSync,
but don’t do it yet as you’ll have to check the map folder
on your Mac to see if the maps are in there correctly. The maps can be
found in the TomTom Navigator folder in your Palm folder.
If
you see a folder with the name of the map or region you’re interested
in it’s not going to work. You’ll be able to HotSync but you
won’t end up with any maps on your Palm.
What
you’ll have to do is drag the files in the map folder out of there
and directly into the TomTom Navigator folder.
Drag
the map name folder into the trash. You’ll now be able to HotSync
and your maps will transfer. One thing I’ve noticed about this is
is the progress bar stays empty and the percentage stays at 0%. The maps
will still transfer successfully if this happens but it is a little disconcerting.Some notes on the map CDs
Here’s what’s on the first two map CDs:
CD 1
Northeast
Midwest
Plains
Canada
Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico
Major Roads (Major Roads of the USA, smaller)
CD 2
West
South Central (142 MB, 7 minutes)
Southeast
Major Roads (Cities of the USA, larger)
As noted somewhere above, if you don’t have the correct CD in the drive the installer will eject the CD that’s there and make you put in the correct one. However, since you can’t run the installer without a CD in the drive the odds are good you’ll pick the wrong one to start with and end up swapping CDs a fair number of times. That’s why I’ve included the map list above. It only covers the major regions of the country but I figure that’s what most people will need.
TomTom Navigator 5 comes with eight CDs, so I guess the other CDs besides the first two include the various maps in all their combinations. I recommend installing the regional maps, however. I was afraid that larger maps would mean longer searches, but I found that not to be the case. I have a 2 GB SD card in my Palm, which can easily hold the entire US and Canada. If you install all the major regions you’ll end up with basically two CD’s worth of stuff (approximately 1.3 GB of map data).
One note about the Major Roads maps is that you need only one. In fact, you can install only one of them. If you try to install the other one it will take the place of the one you have. The smaller one, Major Roads of the USA, is basically an insterstate highway “base map.” The larger map, Cities of the USA, is exactly the same except that it includes detailed maps of many major US cities as well. If you happen to live in one of the included cities it may be possible to install only this map and never use any of the other maps at all.
Well, that’s it. If you’ve followed these instructions you should have been able to successfully install the conduit and transfer maps over to your Palm. Any corrections will be appreciated.
If you have any questions, comments or any corrections please feel free to email me at
©2005 Seth Elgart
Introduction
TomTom installation how to
TomTom updater how to
Comparison chart of some Garmins and the TomTom
Thoughts on the TomTom
Other GPS thoughts