Garmin Nuvi 200
The Garmin Nuvi 200 series has started to hit store shelves, and we’ve finally put enough miles on our Nuvi 200 to produce a comprehensive review. As the name implies, the Nuvi 200 series is designed to set a new mark for the entry level Nuvi series. Many have speculated that this new series will be a replacement for the StreetPilot “c” series. Here is what we think of the Nuvi 200, and where it fits into the bigger picture of auto GPS devices.
Physical
The Nuvi 200 is almost the exact same size as the Nuvi 300 series. It has virtually the same width and height, but is just a sliver thinner than the 300 models. It also comes in at virtually the same weight.
Like its siblings there is a power button across the top, but the operation of this power button has changed. Rather than a push style button it is a slider. You slide the button to the left and release to turn the power on or off. You can also move the slider to the right that locks input to the device, much like a hold button on an iPod. I’m not really sure why a hold button is necessary on this device unless they have it in mind for the pedestrian mode. Perhaps they will use this on future Nuvi models which include an MP3 player (The Nuvi 200 does not include an MP3 player).
The SD card slot has moved from the right side to the left side. If I had a choice I would prefer it on the right since sometimes I place the GPS up against the left side of the dash, but without an MP3 player it isn’t likely you would use the SD card slot all that much anyway, so no big deal. The right side and bottom have no buttons or connectors. The only other item is the USB/power connector that has been moved from the right side to the back of the Nuvi 200. Since there is no MP3 player there is no headphone jack.
The only other physical difference is that Garmin has finally gotten rid of the “flip up” GPS antenna. As much as I didn’t like the flip up design, being able to disable the GPS did have some advantages. The other Nuvi devices can only calculate routes starting at your current location unless you perform a weird workaround of disabling the GPS, setting a new location, and then calculating a route. Without a way to disable the GPS on the Nuvi 200 series, even that long workaround becomes impossible. I often fly for work and I like to calculate how long it will take to get from my destination airport to the hotel. This isn’t possible with the Nuvi 200 series.
Mount
Another interesting change in the 200 series is the suction cup mount. I’ve praised the mount on the 300 series as being the absolute best mount in the industry. Unfortunately Garmin changed the mount slightly in the new Nuvi series. The mount is still easy to assemble, easy to adjust thanks to the ball and socket joint, compact, and a nice simple design. What sets the other mount apart is that the power cord connects to the mount and then the mount feeds power to the Nuvi. That is gone in the 200 series and instead the power cord connects directly to the device. So now when you take the GPS off the mount you also need to disconnect the power cable and have a power cable dangling inside your car. It just isn’t as clean as the mount for the 300 series.
Screen
A 3.5″ touch screen display powers the Nuvi 200. This screen is BRIGHT! It is brighter than the screen on the 300 series and is visible from a wider viewing angle. The whites are extremely white and bright sunlight never made the Nuvi screen difficult to read. The screen is one area where the Nuvi 200 performs better than the 300 series. This is one of the best 3.5″ screens I’ve seen.
Under the hood the Nuvi has a very powerful chipset which had no trouble quickly acquiring a signal within my office, kept a strong signal, and never dropped out when near tall buildings.
A few of the menu items have been rearranged a little bit if you are used to other Nuvi designs, but not so much that they make an important difference in function. The “Where to?” menu has been changed to include a separate button for Points of Interest rather than cramming them all into the parent menu. This is a welcome change and makes it easier to access the buttons for intersections, cities, browsing the map, etc. And if you need to use the Nuvi 200 for emergency geocaching events it will navigate to a set of coordinates.
Navigating to an Address
Setting up Navigation to an address has changed very little. The buttons have a little bit of a more modern looking design and are more rounded than the squarish buttons on other Nuvis. When it asks for a state the Nuvi still can’t figure out that when I type in “NY” I mean “New York”. Instead it insists on me typing in “N E W _ Y” before it figures out where I want to go. Likewise the rest of the process is the same as it asks you next for the city, then house number, and finally the street name. After finding the address you click the ‘Go’ button and you are on your way.
Navigation to a POI
As mentioned earlier, there is now a dedicated menu button for POIs. The POIs are still not arranged in alphabetical order, but thankfully there are only fourteen primary categories to choose from. Many of the categories like ‘Food’ do include sub menus. In the case of food you can select from about 20 different categories of food to suit your tastes.
The display of search results has also changed on the Nuvi 200 series. The 300 series shows you five results on one screen, lists the name, and straight line distance from your location. The Nuvi 200 series only displays four results per page, but includes the street address (but not town) in smaller print below the title. Personally the town name might be more helpful than the street here, but the important note is that more detail is shown at the sacrifice of one fewer result per page. Clicking on one of the results will display the phone number as well as town of that particular POI, along with a Go button to route to that location or a save button to save it to your Favorites.
Navigating
While navigating the next turn information is displayed in text across the top of the display. I’d still like a nice big graphical arrow showing the next turn somewhere, but I’ve learned to live without it on the Nuvi devices. At the bottom left is a field showing you your estimated arrival time. At the bottom right you are shown the distance to the next turn. Clicking on this button will show you a text display of your next instruction, a zoomed in view of the intersection, a voice prompt will read the distance to turn and the direction of the next turn and the estimated time to that intersection. People seem to be split in their preference of wanting to see “distance to turn” or “time to turn” on the primary display, but you only have the option of seeing distance. There is also no way to see the amount of time you have left to your destination!. Kinda sad that this GPS won’t tell you how long (in time) it will take to get there unless you do the math between the estimated arrival time and the current time.
Voice Quality
The speaker is plenty loud and I could clearly hear instructions at highway speeds with the radio on at normal levels and the windows cracked. It isn’t quite as loud as the speaker on the Nuvi 300 series, but it performed just fine. There is no text-to-speech option on the Nuvi 200 series, but the voice prompting was timely and of very good quality.
Advanced Features
Like the rest of the Nuvi series, the point of this device is simplicity. As a result there are routing features you might want that are not included in the Nuvi 200 series. As mentioned above you cannot set your starting location when calculating routes so you can’t plan ahead unless you are already at your starting location. There is a simple detour function but unlike the detour function on most other devices you cannot specify how far ahead you wan tot detour from the current route.
Likewise there is no ability to specify a group of destinations or multiple via points and build them into one route. You can specify one via point per route, but no more than one.
Purchasing Advice
The Nuvi 200 series is a great simple device. It has an absolutely amazing screen, the voice prompts are easy to interpret, and the map is very easy to follow. If your navigation needs are simple and you just want to get a device that will remind you of turns and take you to new destinations, the Nuvi 200 would be a great choice.
It does have some limitations though. There is no advanced planning function, no multiple destination routing, and a detour function that is too simple to be utilized. But hey, you do get a calculator, currency converter, picture viewer, unit converter, and a world clock. (Slight sarcasm.) It would be worth comparing the Nuvi 200 with the slightly older Nuvi 350.
They both have the same screen size, similar physical size, similar weight, nearly the same interface, similar battery life, and most of the same navigation functions. But the Nuvi 350 offers maps of all of North America (the 200 only has the US 48, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico), the ability to connect to a traffic receiver, an MP3 player, text-to-speech, and small case included. You get all of those extra features and based on current prices you will actually pay less for the Nuvi 350 than the Nuvi 200. I expect that within a few months the Nuvi 200 prices will drop below that of the 350, but for now why pay $40 more for a device that has less features?
If the ability to have more advanced routing features is important, compare the Nuvi 200 vs the TomTom ONE. The Garmin Nuvi 200 isn’t a bad GPS by any means, it is an extremely solid performer, but the pricing is what will make or break this GPS for many people.
| Store | Rating | Best Prices |
|---|---|---|
Compare all prices on the Garmin Nuvi 200 Auto / Road GPS ranging from $99.99 to $326.99. | ||
 |  In stock at AVALON TRONIX | $117.80 |
 |  In stock at TigerDirect.com | $99.99 |
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Just a word about the Advance Planning, it can be done on the nuvi 200 series. I have a nuvi 250 (firmware version 2.40) but this should apply to the 200 as well. There’s a settings option to turn off the GPS (menu->wrench->settings->system->GPS Simulator->on). After you do this, you can use the workaround as mentioned above.
Also it is possible to check total time until you reach destination.
Just click the text on top of the screen and then View map.
I have a problem navigating with an address. It does not seem to recognise any on the towns in Malaysia.
BY the way mine is a Nuvi 200
I received this as a Father’s Day gift when visiting my daughter in CA. Within a short time I was able, without maps or written directions, to drive to Half-Moon Bay, Napa wine Country and other places with ease. Problem: home in AZ it doesn’t list some small towns and if I do not list an address, there is a problem. So, I just devise an address… Also, I checked and there are no updates for my serial number; however, we have major changes on I-10 (Tucson) not recognized. Once I take the detour, Nuvi 200 “recalculates” with no problem. This is a wonderful driving helper! I highly recommend it because it is SIMPLE and portable.
hi there just want to say i have just purchased the nuvi 200 and all these other functions duch as mp3 players and bluetooth do you realyneed them?i find its user friendly software and simple small desgn is perfect!only garmin needs to be more open with maps as many people get fustrated after buying a gps and find that it dosent work in there country!
can the nuvi 200 be set to display current speed when driving please?
You should be able to find the speedometer window located at the bottom left of the Nuvii 200 screen.
Yes, but not on the same screen as the map view.
It is displayd on the map view, just not when navigating to a specific destination.
For what it costs it works pretty good. [snip] Voice is clear, display is great. 4Hrs on batt charge. So how do you update the maps in a few years???
Nuvi 200 doesn’t come with a usb cable to download updates from the internet. But can buy one from Garmin’s website I am told then I can download updates.
As a matter of fact, Dave, mine (Nuvi 200) came with a USB cable. I think all of them – factory-direct ones- should have it.
Actually, until very recently none of the 200s came with a USB cable.
My dad just got one of these for Christmas ‘08 and there is no cable
I used my blackberry’s USB cable. Any USB should be fine. I think my 200w came with a cable but i used my blackberry one since it was already connected to my computer.
I just purchased a Nuvi 200 and it didn’t come with a cable which I just found out I need to register the product
I used the USB cable that came with my wife’s Kodak camera – worked fine.
I want to know the same, The day I bought my Nuvi 200, the dealer charged me for a cd to update but it seems not to do what it is suppose to do. How do I update and where do I find the positions of speedtraps for South Africa
1. For Malaysia, you can’t use “address” – this is for USA. But, you can, at POI, “spell name”, enter the road name, like “Tun Razak J” or just “Tun Razak” and it will search for the road or others begin or end with Tun Razak. (J stands for Jalan)
2. For current car speed, you can tap on the lower left to switch another page showing all the meters….including current speedometer.
I’m going to Japan next month, if I want to install Japan GPS navigation software into my Garmin (Nuvi 200W, is that possible?
In the review the complaint is no arrow for the turns….How big an arrow does he want? My Nuvi 200 has a very prominent arrow that points out the turns! I’m very pleased with my unit, but would have liked some mounting options beside the suction cup.
I want an arrow in one corner of the screen which always points the direction in the next intersection. Almost every other GPS on the market has this other than the Garmin devices. Yes, the Nuvi does display an arrow on the map itself on top of the street, but that only does you good when you are close to the intersection. I want to know further ahead what direction the next turn is with a visual indicator.
Tim, this is a very good point, especially if you are traveling in 4 lane traffic. I would like to know ahead of time, which lane I should be aiming for.
Arrows: by touching TOP of the screen (which shows the next route), you can see Three Upcoming Route, with ARROWS (reading Top Down); presseing BACK again with resume to the orignal MAP page;
Hong, yes. I’d love it if that arrow, but a bit smaller, was on the primary map display. I’d rather not touch the GPS to get that information while trying to drive at the same time.
I have the 255wt (4.3″ screen) and it has the next turn and the direction of the turn in the upper left corner as well as the time of arrival on the lower right corner the speed of the road and the current speed on the lower left corner all on the original user page- no need to tap the screen. By tapping once on the car you also get the current location, the closest gas station, police station, and hospital
Does this run off of car power to recharge the batteries i.e. does it plug into the car or does it stop working if I am on a 10 hr trip?
Yes, there is a car charger.
Just bought a Garmin 200. Have not used it yet. Can you tell me if it audibly (sp) gives names of up-coming streets?
The device does not provide the names of streets in the audible directions. They are only displayed at the top of the screen.
is the SD slot used for future map updates?
Karl, the 200 doesn’t include “text to speech”. The most similar model that does is the Nuvi 260.
Mark, map updates typically override the maps in the internal memory. You could however use the SD card slot to add maps of a region not already covered on the device.
I get very frustrated trying to figure out something (a common driving experience) like “How do I get back to route 10″. If you put Route 10 in the address it won’t work. It wants to know the town first and what if I don’t know what town I want? ANyway to have it find a numbered route?
“Address” is only applicable to USA. If you wish to find a road, like “Route 10″, you have to search from POI, and then spell the name. It all depends on data in the origianl map whether the name of the roads exist. None of the Map is perfect!
I found the Nuvi 200 often worse than useless. Final straw was when it took me a half-mile beyond the restaurant address I was seeking in Waco and I ended up lost and late to meet my colleagues. At least half the places I tried to navigate to in OK and TX were not found. Although my hotel was in it’s database, the address was on the wrong highway. A great screen, easy menu, good voice instructions and a super accessory dashboard-top mount are of little use if the unit can’t get you where you want to go. BestBuy gives a 30-day return with 15% restocking fee. They’ve got it back and my life is a lot better for it. I won’t be buying another Garmin to replace it, either.
I understand how frustated you are. I only live 1 hour away from Raleigh NC and It took me 3 hrs to get home. I had to get directions from a man. He told me that he had a navagagtion system and it will leave you in a field somewhere. I ask him if he wanted anotyher one. I was so upset . I couldn’t even give it away. I want to know why it does not take you to the main highways it takes you all the back ways thur the neighborhoods and everything so can someone tell me how to get it to work propertly? or it that not even possible
Maybe you have it set to avoid using highways. To check,
Go to the first screen,
Click the WRENCH icon in the lower right.
Click SETTINGS.
Click NAVIGATION.
Choose AVOIDANCES.
Make sure HIGHWAYS is not selected and click OK.
Richard, beware that the grass is probably not greener on the other side. As you mentioned most of the issues you had were with the mapping, not the device itself. Mapping is an issue regardless of device. Here in North America all of the GPS manufacturers use one of two vendors to provide their maps and most POIs. So even getting a device from a different manufacturer can get you a device with different functionality, but the exact same maps with the exact same issues. And even if you get a device which uses maps from the other major mapping vendor you will still run into those issues from time to time.
I’m not trying to talk you into keeping the Nuvi 200, but just making sure to set your expectations of what other devices will deliver.
Tim, that’s important information. I wonder if there are varying levels of mapping detail from the two source map providers. The Nuvi 200 has a pretty small memory, and no ability to accept maps from CD like higher-end Garmin’s.
I’m thinking about the Tom Tom Rider 2 or Lowrance i600. Both are waterproof and will work on my motorcycle as well as car. I like the itinerary feature of Tom Tom and the marine map and satellite imagery feature of the Lowrance.
I did download some software called ExpertGPS to build my own waypoints for the Nuvi 200 and that worked well. Do the Tom Tom or Lowrance also accept .wpx files for personal waypoints? Your’s is a fine website and the comment responses are super.
Hi Richard, the mapping detail is pretty much identical for a given line of devices. For example the most expensive Nuvi will have the same road database as the 200. There can be small differences, but those differences are generally things like the number of lakes/rivers shown, but not something like the precision of addresses or locations of streets.
The TomTom devices can also accept custom POIs, and there are tools online where you can convert custom POI databases built for Garmin devices into the TomTom format. I don’t recall if custom POIs are available for the Lowrance devices, but I believe they are available there too.
what’s the difference between the Maps of North America and US 48? I live in NYC and I travel everywhere (north east, south, west). Is the map in the 200 able to cover cities and highways in the US or not? Am I supposed to buy or download more details into the unit to get to an address in Phoenix as well as in Washington DC? Thank you for your answer and my compliments for your site
“North America” means the maps cover all of North America, i.e. the United States and Canada. “US 48″ means the maps cover just the 48 continental United States.
I am new to the GPS world and looking at the 200. The “Traffic Option” – that tells you a better route if there are delays or construction?
Yes, however the Nuvi 200 doesn’t have an available traffic receiver.
in the store when i looked at the 200 series it has at the bottom of the screne like fastes route and traffic something like traffic delays or something like that, is this something you have to download to get that information>
Just got the Nuvi 200. I like the unit but would like to add some additional voices other than the default. Is that possible?
looking at buying first gps unit…either TomTom One, or Nuvi 200? don’t need all bells and whistles, but advanced planning would be a good thing. recommendations?
Brad – Not that I know of.
Chaz – If you need advanced planning then the TomTom ONE is the way to go.
Does SD data card, City Navigator Australia NT or Mapsource City Navigator Australia work on the Nuvi 200?
The guy in the office next to mine purchased the 200 and loves it. I am considering getting one as well. The thing is, the first address I asked him to put in the unit to see if it ‘works’ would not come up. The street (Logan Way) in Youngstown, OH does not show up either. It has been in existence more than 25 years. This makes me wonder about the unit, although, as has been indicated in other comments, this is not necessarily the unit’s fault. Should Garmin be made aware of shortcomings like this, or the map vendor? Also, do you have an opinion on the ‘Traction’ mount which sits on the dashboard and can be removed easily? Can these units be left in a hot car? I had a Wayfinder compass which seemed to have a meltdown during warm weather. Thanks for the information and the site.
Dave – Yes, either will work. The SD card can be more convenient if you don’t already have an SD card.
Bob – Sometimes it comes down to not being familiar with how to search for addresses. I found Logan Way in Youngstown on my Nuvi 200 without any problems. You will find map errors though with any GPS and the best thing to do is notify the vendor.
I’m sure the owner’s manual specifies some sort of temperature storage limit. I haven’t had a problem with any device itself being left in a hot car, however I’ve had a few suction cup mounts melt to the windshield.
The friction mounts work very well. You can read comments about them from here, here, and here.
Tim,
Thank you very much for your prompt response and for the review links.
Bob
Can the 200 series be used to put in a coordinate for a destination.
I checked out vent mounts for the nuvi 200 as suggested by links in earlier post. Some say they have ’swivel’ mounts, while others advertise ’stabilizer bars’. Some even call themselves ‘high end’. Some units are more than 3 times the price of other ones. Are they all basically the same?
Thomas – Yes, you can enter coordinates as a destination (Where to -> Coordinates) however depending on what you are trying to do it can sometimes give some odd results/routes if the destination is too far from an existing road.
Can you change the position format and the map datum as well to for exemple RT90 (Swidish Grid)?
You can change the coordinate format, I don’t believe you can change the datum.
Ok, thanks Tim for your help.
The latest update from Garmin has “log tracking” (touch “speed” from main map & hold down speedometer dial for 10 seconds). You can also use track logs to reset your start position. Also get the Bravo GPS chip update through “web-updater” if you don’t have it.(top of the list). -Locks on satellites much faster now.
I just got my nuvi 200, and I remember seeing something about downloading new voices when I was playing with it last night. Now I can’t find it. I’ve done a bunch of searches on google as well as at the Garmin site to no avail. Can someone please tell me if there’s a way to get new voices?
Truman, use Garmins “web updater” to see the voice updates for the 200. Check Garmin.com/vehicles for new vehicles for all nuvi’s (check out the new “Christmas sled”. -Ron
What is the chip GPS chip set for 200 or 250 and what is the processor speed of 200/250 compare with the new 750/770
Charles, Garmin hasn’t released those specs and we haven’t yet independently confirmed any of them.
Ron – Thanks for the info. It sounds like you are telling me that the only way to get new voices for the nuvi is when Garmin creates them and makes them available?
Truman, there are some 3rd-party voices available however I would stay with the Garmin site. Also check the gpspassion site for more detailed info regarding nuvi’s. -Ron
Is this the latest version map for the nuvi 200:
NT 2008
Dave, yes that is the latest map available from Garmin for your device. According to Garmin it is based on the NAVTEQ Q3 or Q4 2006 release.
Is it possible to create a custom route with the nuvi 200, manually selecting the roads for your trip?
No, unfortunately it is not. Sometimes you can force the route you want by selecting a cleverly placed “via” point, but otherwise no.
I have a TomTom that I bought a 3 years ago. I got a sticker shock when I tried to update the maps. It looks like it may be cheaper to buy a new unit – so I am considering the Garmin Nuvi. Does anyone have any comments on the cost of updating maps for Garmin?
Alam – If you qualify for an update from Garmin, as opposed to needing to purchase a full map product, the cost is typically about $75. The full map product is about $150.
Thanks for the info Ron.
Why Garmin don’t want to release GPS chipset information of the 200 series. Is it that because they use a cheaper or not the most update tech chipset than others?
Charls, not listing a specific chipset is becoming more and more common from all manufacturers recently. I suspect they might be wanting to help get rid of the notion that the SiRFstarIII is the only good chipset out there (it isn’t, others have caught up) or so that they could make a change in mid production without needing to update specs.
Does the Nuvi 200 come with a USB cable and a Mapsource CD so that you can put in waypoints on a computer then transfer them to the unit?
Thnaks
It doesn’t, Scott. You need to purchase those extra.
Is it difficult to put in waypoints with this unit?
Thanks again!
What types of things are you referring to as waypoints?
Tim, using the via point option to force a route the nuvi 200 temporarily takes me off the main highway and then brings me back to the main highway to continue my trip. When I actually take the trip I will ignore the via point route instructions that temporarily take me off the main highway and continue on the main highway. Will the nuvi 200 just recalculate the trip once I by pass that via point and have me continue along the main highway?
I’m not completely sure I’m following you because I’m not sure why you would put in a via point if you don’t want to go there. However it won’t make you go back to the via point once you have reached it.
Tim, the via point was only used to force the route because I wanted to create a custom route to my destination. Thanks.
I was wondering if you could point to a spot on a road or highway ( on the touch screen ) and have the unit go to that spot. You see, I had a Streetpilot 2610 which had that option.
Yes, you can. From the Map view you can zoom out, then click on a location, and click GO. You can also select Where to -> Browse Map -> click on a location, and click Go.
Thank you!
I have been trying to update a the latest map on my nuvi 200. I went to the Garmin site and downloaded the webupdater and downloaded from that the latest updates. Is this how I update the maps?..or am I doing it wrong?.. because it doesnt work. The map is still out of date and doesnt contain new roads and takes me to petrol stations that have been shut down for ages etc…
Plz help. Thanks.
Kes, those programs won’t update the map. You would need to purchase the map update on CD/DVD from Garmin (called City Navigator NT) if you don’t already have the most recent available from them.
Is there a address book in Nuvi 200, searchable by names?
Can I see the coordinates for a location? If I can’t what is closest models that will show?
Thanks
Hi Tim, I am new to the GPS world…I am interested in the Nuvi 200 but was wondering if there are any others in the market that would be a better bet as a starter product or if this would be a good start…I know some of the top lined models do practically everything, but I don’t think I am at that level yet…thanks.
Ararat – There is an address book. It is sorted, and you can search it. You can’t see coordinates for a location unless you are already there as far as I know.
Naveen – The Nuvi would be a great place to start, as would these devices.
Am thinking of getting a GPS and have heard (and read here) that the nuvi 200 is good entry level. I do a lot of back road motorcycling … I come to a cross road and don’t know where the side roads lead to. Can I scroll right / left on the display to see where roads go (ie lead to a dead end, etc)?
Does the Nuvi 200 give local information like restaurants and hotels?
Art – Yes, you can scroll the map.
Mary – Yes, it does have POIs.
For Author Jerry Osser:
As a use of Nuvi 200 since receiving it as a Father’s Day gift. I strongly support your comments. It continues to make my driving so much easier. Incidentally with my bad hearing I have the sound up to 100 percent and appreciate the voice guidance. I named her “Hortense”. I do have a question: Since we in Arizona do not have daylight savings time, I keep the time zone on Pacific – that’s now one hour earlier. Is there a way to keep it on MY time zone?
I enjoy the comments section very much.
I have the Nuvi 200. Is there any way to verify what version of maps is loaded on the unit. I purchased the unit in mid-September. Also, how does the unit calculate the route to take? Sometimes it seems as if it is not the most direct route, is it based on time or distance?
Thank you
John, you can check your map version by going to Tools -> Settings -> Map -> Map Info. ‘City Navigator … 2008′ is the most recent.
Route calculations take into consideration many factors. Obviously the speed limit of the road times the distance will give you an estimated time which is the primary way it determines the fastest way, but also things like knowing that any turn you need to make will take time, thus fewer turns should make for a faster route all other things being equal. Even things like right turns are known to be faster than left turns because left turns typically require crossing traffic.
Can I use my Garmin 200 on my motorcycle. I know its not water proof and thats not a problem. Can the unit itself stand up to the vibration.
Thanks for your last reply, Tim. I have come down to either the TTOne LE or the Nuvi 200…which one do you prefer? (I am leaning towards the TTOne…)
Mike, I think I just answered your question in the forums.
Naveen, Both are excellent picks in this category.
You can select Tools (spanner symbol) and select setting to see your system. Actually you may install webupdater provided free by Garmin and when you connect your Nuvi 200 (using USB cable), it will update automatically, when there is any new version. I have done it before.
Is there a way of checking the satellite status in the nuvi 200?
Ramanesh, on the top left corner of the main menu there is a satellite reception icon. If bars are in red it is still trying to get a signal. Also during that time the top of the map view will say ‘Locating Satellites’. Once it has reception the quality will be shown in the top left of the main menu again, but with the bars in green. More bars = better reception.
Tim, thanks for your speedy answer. I understand what you’re saying, but I mean is there a way to check the satellite status on the nuvi 200? I know it is possible on the nuvi 200w.
Ramanesh – Unfortunately the 200 currently does not have the detailed satellite status “map” page the other nuvi’s have, just the signal bar Tim mentioned. But the latest firmware updates from Garmin lock on and hold satellites much better now, so it is not really an issue for me. (Be sure to get the latest “Bravo” sat chip flash update using Garmins’ “Web Updater”) -Ron
Thanks for the info Ron. My nuvi 200 is with a SIRF chipset and has the firmware version 3.40 which is the latest, I think.
I HAVE RECENTLY AQUIRED A NUVI 200 AND HAVE BEEN GENERALLY SATISFIED. THE PROBLEM I’M HAVING IS WHEN I PLUG IN THE POWER CABLE FROM MY VEHICLE THE DISPLAY JUMPS FROM WHEREEVER IT IS TO A STATIC SCREEN SHOWING THE ICON ONE SEES WHEN ITS PLUGGED INTO A COMPUTER FOR UPDATES. IF I DONT USE THE POWER CABLE ITS WORKS PERFECTLY. MY QUESTION IS IS THE POWER CABLE ONLY USED TO CHARGE THE UNIT AND THEN DISCONNECTED, OR IS THE UNIT SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE POWER CABLE CONNECTED AT ALL TIMES WHEN IN USE.
Remember all – The “Bravo” chip flash update is listed separately from the 3.40 firmware update. It should be listed at the top of the Web-updater list (above the new voices, etc.)(Note: Bravo is Garmin’s version code name for the satellite chipset found most new nuvi 200’s today).
Sean, if your device is going into USB mode when you plug it into the cigarette lighter then most likely it isn’t getting the proper voltage. Most GPS devices determine if they are being charged or if they are plugged into a computer by the voltage. I’ve seen this several times before and in every case either the cigarette lighter wasn’t producing the proper voltage or the device was being plugged into a cigarette lighter splitter or some other device rather than going directly into the car.
This is an excellent website, I am currrently in the market for either a Tom Tom one or a Nuvi 200, after reading all the preceding post, I am more confused as to which brand to buy. I did recently receive a ViaMichelin X-930, I have just started using it and it does have some of the features that some of you had said Garmin does not do such as pre-planning route, any comments on this unit?
I bought a nuvi 200 for my wife and havent recieved it yet. I bought online and say that there were no maps for canada. So I bought a tom tom sd card that has the maps, it didn’t even dawn on me that they might not be compatible, are they?
If I buy a brand new nuvi 200 during thanksgiving from any store, can I expect to find the latest map version preloaded on it?
Joe, those are popular in Europe but haven’t made much of a splash yet here. I don’t have much info on them.
John-david: no, those maps won’t be compatible. Each manufacturer has their own proprietary map format.
Sri – You are not 100% guaranteed, but I’d be very shocked if it didn’t.
RON–WHAT CAN I DO TO ADD MAPS OF CANADA TO MY NUVI WHICH HAS MAPS OF “NORTH AMERICA” ?? AS SOON AS I CROSS THE BORDER IT LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED THANKS — **YOU HAVE A VERY INFORMATIVE SITE **
If I have saved a point to favourites, where do I read its coordinates?
Murray, on the nuvi 200, first switch on gps simulator, then go to your desired favorite location and tap on show map, then tap on set loc. then go al the way back to the main screen and tap on view map, and then tap on the car icon to get your coordinates..simple as that.
Jan, you can purchase them from Garmin.
Do you know the internal storage capacity of this unit? Is it 2gb like most of their newer units, or 1?
Can you use this unit just as a GPS, without navigating to a destination? I really don’t like the turn-by-turn directions on GPS units, but would still like to see a map of where I’m at, versus having it try to map my destination.
David – I don’t have it with me to confirm but I think you are correct.
Van – Yes.
I am considering the Magellan 3200 and the nuvi 200. This is my first GPS purchase, so I am not sure if I am comparing the critical features accurately. The nuvi 200 is described on Best Buy’s website as having download capability, while the Magellan system is listed as not having this capability. Why would this be an important feature? Any help would sincerely be appreciated.
Pat, I have no idea what they could be referring to.
Bought the parents Garmin Nuvi 200 – they live in central Minn and have been having issues with dropped satellite coverage in MN and on travels to Montana. Any hints or updates suggested?
Cheryl – See comment #60 on the 760 page. A reset (described in the manual) beforehand can also help. GPS comes from satellites, not terrestrial sources, so as long as you are on Earth and have a view of the sky you should get good reception.
Tim, during Black Friday, I bought a TomTom 3rd edition, and someone also bought a Garmin Nuvi 200 for me. I’m going to return one of them, but not sure which. There are several things that are important to me.
Map accuracy is probably the most important, of course. I’ve read a lot about how Tele Atlas comes in second place when compared to Navtek, and would love your opinion on this.
Second is the number of POIs. I tried looking up the # of POIs for both of these units, and I see anything from 2 million to 6 million for either one. That’s a WIDE range!
Third, I’d love to be able to add changes in the map to my unit. Basically, I like Mapshare. I know this comes with the TomTom, but I don’t think the Garmin 200 has anything like this, but I’m not certain. This is imporant to me for one big reason– I live in the middle of a block, but right next to my house is a government-installed gate that basically separate the “old” part of the street from the “new” part of the street. Only gov’t types have a key to this gate. Because of this, I’m forced around the block just to get to the other side of the gate, and online maps like Mapquest and Google don’t realize this. If I want to reach a main road, thye just tell me to simply go down the street past the gate, and that’s physically impossible. I’m guessing the TomTom would allow me to make this change onto my GPS, but can I make a similar change on the Garmin? Thanks!!
Dave – Tele Atlas Versus NAVTEQ Article. Most of the GPS manufacturers don’t provide exact numbers of POIs installed, which I agree is a pain. Keep in mind that 2 million versus 6 million is still a tiny fraction of all known POIs. Garmin doesn’t have anything like TomTom’s MapShare at this time. The current Garmin map is based off the Q3 or Q4 2006 release from NAVTEQ.
Tim, I read the article. Seeing as how Tele Atlas is on par, or superior to, NAVTEQ in locating addresses, AND it allows for Mapshare, I don’t see why the TomTom doesn’t win HANDS DOWN in this comparison.
There is one thing that I don’t think was addressed in your article, though, and that is the intelligence of the systems in finding routes. I read a review of the TomTom that praised all aspects of the unit EXCEPT its ability to find the best route. In the review, both the Garmin and TomTom could find both the “to” and “from” addresses with ease, but the routes taken were different; and the Garmin was clearly shorter. Can you share your opinion on this?
Finally, I feel like I’m still unclear on this. I understand that Garmin doens’t have something that’s the equivalent of Mapshare, but is the user at least able to update a map/destination in his own unit permanently? I mentioned the gate in my street that essentially makes my house at the end of a cul-de-sac. If the unit can’t recognize that, it’s a BIG minus. Thanks again.
David,
the built in memory of the nuvi 200 is 256MB, but the memory can be expanded with an SD card up to a maximum size of 2GB.
Dave – Comparing routes is tricky business. In my article comparing addresses I used a sample size of several hundred and was criticized for not having enough of a sample. Comparing routes on that scale is very difficult. Consider this. How many times have you seen, or participated in a debate about the “best” way to get from point A to B. Everyone has their own opinion… ask 10 people their roue from A to B and you will often get several errors. You might find this interesting. After all of my years working with GPS I can find routes that are poorly created (in my opinion) on any GPS.
In the example of your street, you cannot change where the street numbers are, but you can create favorites based on their actual location (coordinates) rather than the physical address. But no, you can’t change anything about the underlying map.
I live in Alaska. Garmin handheld works great, so I know coverage is good. Problem is adding maps to the Nuvi 200. Do I have to buy a chip for ~ $139, or is there a cheaper method to add maps for AK? Almost doubles the (Holiday sales) price. Thanks.
Tim, do you know if the current production of Garmin Nuvi 200 units come with new 2008 maps or outdated ones from a couple years back? I just bought it at a major retailer on BF.
I just realized that Garmin’s website doesn’t list a USB cable as being part included “in the box”. I haven’t gotten my Nuvi in hand yet so I can’t confirm this, but how can that be? If I want to get any sort of updates or downloads, I guess I’ll have to buy this separately
Frank – Depending on how long you’ve had it an the return policy you would likely be better off with the Nuvi 250 which includes Alaska and Canada. Otherwise you are correct.
Dave – I believe the new production models are shipping with 2008. Of course 2008 is a bit of a misnomer because that product is based on the NAVTEQ map release from the second half of 2006.
Dave – Correct, no USB cable in the box. If you have a digital camera there is a good chance it is the same cable. (USB to mini USB.)
I was having “buyers remorse” with the 200, until I found this site. WHEW! It sounds like a fine “entry level” GPS. Think I’ll still keep the Rand McNally atlas for a while, though. Thanks
Is there an after-market battery charger (wall) to use for the 200 instead of the cigarette lighter charger that comes in the box? Hard to believe this isn’t standard equipment since one feature is “pedestrian”. Thanks!
Hal – You could pick up an inverter at an electronics store or purchase the Garmin AC adapter. The part number for the Garmin AC adapter you would need is 010-10723-00.
I recieved the NUVI 200 as a birthday present from my brother. I am interested in using it for GeoCaching. Will this unit allow me to load Delorme Topo-USA? Will it allow me to download waypoints from the GeoCaching website?
John, you won’t find the Nuvi 200 very useful for geocaching. It isn’t designed for outdoor use and creates routes on roads.
Great review! Curious, so far the device is working fantastic; however, I am wondering how to get POIs to show up while I am driving. For example, the fork along the highway. I have been through the device numerous times and just cant figure it out.
Again, so far the device has been amazing. There are several insurances when I could not find a particular POI, but found another that was similar.
Michael – You actually can’t do that on the Nuvi devices. They don’t display POI icons in the map view like many other companies do.
Thanks Tim for the quick reply. That is interesting because a sales clerk was able to get it to work on a 200w. It was not a POI icon, but just plain symbols like a fork representing a restaurant. Are you sure it is not capable on a 200?
Thanks again!
Michael, you can see POI icons (including the one you mentioned) in the 2D mode while browsing/panning the map, but not in the 3D driving mode. That applies to the 200W as well.
Tim,
We had a chance to use Garmin C330, loved it. Bought us a Delphi Nav 200, thinking all GPS are same … not! It takes about 5-10 seconds to load up the page, everytime. The screen freezes too. Now, we got Garmin Nuvi 200, and need to know if it is fast in loading up the page, I mean is it at least as fast as C330?
And what would you get C330 or Nuvi 200?
Thank you in advance!
Tim, do you know if it’s possible to “hard reset” the nuvi so that it’s completely restored to factory settings? Like some others here, I bought both the TomTom LE and the nuvi 200 on Black Friday. I’d like to test the nuvi (if even just for a day or 2) and possibly return it, but the store has a 15% restocking fee. Unlike the TomTom the nuvi comes in a regular, unsealed box so it can be repackaged. However the CSR at the store said they will turn on the nuvi to see if has been used. I couldn’t test the reset of the nuvi in the store display unit.
BTW, I know the TomTom does a full reset, but it doesn’t matter because I am using it and plan to keep it (or give it to my parents if I like the nuvi better).
I just bought the Nuvi 200 and informed the sales person that I was from Canada. He assured me that it would work in Canada. I tried it out on my way back yesterday and I wasn’t able to find simple locations like the Airport in Mississauga. When I type in the province of Ontario, it doesn’t recognize it. What should I do to ensure that it works correctly. Thanks.
Shakil – Yes, the Nuvi 200 will be as fast as your c330. I’d prefer it over the c330 because of the more sensitive GPS chipset.
zkam – Page 9 of the user manual details the reset options.
Deb – If you purchased the Nuvi 200 in the States it doesn’t include Canadian map coverage.
Does the Nuvi 200 charge (when plugged into my car) all the time or just when the unit is turned off? If all the time, does it charge slower when it’s turned on? And, how long to fully charge the Nuvi’s battery from almost dead (again, charging in the car). And what the heck is the “GPS Simulator”? Thanks.
John – Yes, it charges all of the time. It does charge slower when turned on, but not by too much. Full charges will probably take 3-4 hours from completely dead. The GPS simulator allows you to preview/simulate the drive as if you were moving along the route.
Hi, I couldn’t find a forum for Nuvi260, so I thought I’d give it a try posting my question here. I’ve just got my new Nuvi260 and I’m wondering if I can charge the battery by connecting it to my PC or I have to do it with my car? If PC works, how long to fully charge the battery from almost dead? I read in the last post that it’ll take 3-4 hours charging it in a car, does it apply to charging it with PC too?
Thanks a lot! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!:)
Kate – You can charge it via USB so long as your USB port is “powered”. Charging it that way will typically take longer, probably 5-6 hours.
Deb – The 200 only has the US lower 48 and Hawaii + Puerto Rico. (Hopefully you can return yours)You need the 250 for +Canada or the 260 (adds TTS & +Europe). The 260 is available under $300. I would highly recommend it. *****
Now that I am going to be stuck with the challenge of trying to exchange or sell my Garmin – US version I was wondering which do you find is better. I want the GPS for travels mostly within Canada but also to the US. I would like one that has completle coverage and not select coverage… example the Garmin that I currently has coverage of Continental US and Puerto Rico and Hawaii. I saw some that are selling at the same electronic store, but in Canada. Which would you recommend of the ones I’ve listed or others that I may not know about? TomTom One 3rd Edition GPS Navigation System or TomTom One GPS Navigation System – Bluetooth Ready
-Thanks.
Hi Tim, thanks for the quick response… but how do I know if my USB port is “powered”…?
Thanks!
Deb – That TomTom ONE would (either edition) would be good choices and include North America coverage. The ONE 250 would also be good and is identical to what you purchased except for full North America coverage.
Kate – If it is directly connected to your computer then it is most likely powered. If it is connected to a keyboard, monitor, or USB “hub” then it might not be powered. So plug it directly into your computer if you can.
Garmin has released thier new 3.5 firmware update for the 2xx series, available through the Garmin web updater.
Changes made from version 3.40 to 3.50:
(note: the hidden track log feature has been
removed from v3.50, but performance has improved noticably).
* Improved overall map drawing speed to display refresh up to twice as often.
* Fixed an issue where the last entry in a list of Custom POIs could be blank.
* Fixed an issue where using an SD card with maps overlapping the maps pre-loaded could cause the unit to shut down.
* Fixed an issue where searching for an intersection across all cities in a country could result in no matches being found.
Deb – I would highly recommend the nuvi 250 (has Canada) or 260 (has Canada + TTS) or if you need bluetooth one of the other nuvi line like the 7xx series – but I may be biased
Thanks Tim! I have one more question. How can I update my nuvi’s map when it’s time…? The nuvi shows up as a removable hard drive on my computer…
Thanks so much!!!
Kate – The maps typically come as a DVD with an installation program. You just connect your Nuvi to your computer via USB and run the updater program which will load the maps for you.
i bought the Nuvi 200 on saturday, and so far i love it. i was looking for a plain get me there GPS, and this seems to do the trick. i don’t need all the other stuff that just runs the price up. i have found that around town, it likes to stay to the main roads, and not the side streets. most of the time around town, i stay off the main roads to avoid traffic. my only question is, when i set my own favorites, can i go back to see the long./lat. and elevation of these? it seems like i can only get that information if i am at that location.
Lee – I don’t believe you can access the lat/long of the favorites from the device itself. However there are probably some “back doors” to get the lat/long (but probably not altitude) from the file that gets saved on the device with your favorites.
Kate, when you plug the USB into the Nuvi, it will come on. When it says “Loading Maps” at the bottom of the screen, press the power-on switch and hold it for a second or two.
A Battery charging message will appear for a few seconds then fade out.
Leave it hooked up for few hours and it should be good to go..
I use the USB socket on my Cable TV box to charge my Nuvi 200 when the computer isn’t on..
Lee, if you want to use side roads and shorcuts, set the nuvi to shortest distance instead of faster time in the navigation settings. Also, you can view the coordinates of all your favorites on your nuvi by following these simple steps. Turn on gps simulation mode, then go to your desired favorite, tap show map and then tap set loc. Then go all the way back to the main screen and tap view map. It will displat the location of your favorite. Tap the car icon to get your coordinates. As simple as that!
Lee, same as Ramanesh said, also try:
show map > set loc > back to where to, down to “coordinates” will also show you lat/long
of your selected favorite or anywhere else you set loc to.
i live in an area where there is alot of sub divisions, and the nuvi dosnt recognize them to help find streets etc… can i upgade or download more maps to it?
Dan, if your map version is “City Navigator 2008″ (settings, map, map info) then you have the most recent map available which was released in the second half of 2006. Assuming you have that version there isn’t anything you can do at this time, you have the most detailed map available from Garmin.
I purchased the nuvi 200 after seeing a demo of it and being talked in to getting it. I then did some heavy research and I returned it, got a TomTom One 3rd edition and about $40 back. HANDS DOWN it is better in so many ways I am really shocked at the difference. A few examples, you can have multiple waypoints and advanced planning. You can download custom stuff and fix your maps and get fixes from other users for FREE. Garmin nuvi 200..none of this. The only advantage to the Garmin that I saw after using 3 days each and about 150 miles each is that it has a picture slideshow……and a slightly prettier map…slightly the keyword. BUT the tomtom displays about 5 things the garmin doesnt….simply put it is a wonder to me that this thing is cheaper because it is FAR beyond the nuvi 200. Also worth mentioning is that the tomtom 7 out of 10 times literally took me to the driveway of a house, where the garmin did that 0 out of 10, usually putting me about 2 blocks past the actual street number. Dont waste your money on this people, seriously.
I bought the Nuvi 200W earlier this month and, with it being my very first GPS, am quite happy with it. There are things that it doesn’t come with, but in the world of GPS units I find that higher price doesn’t equate to better performance (necessarily) as much as it equates to more features…which you may or may not want or need. I laughed at the text-to-speech feature, for example, after hearing it botch a street named ‘Muskatanipus Circle’ during a demo. That was enough to convince me of the marginal utility of this feature. So, I’m happy with my Nuvi 200W.
One issue I read about was the satellite map. Some owners of the 200 series said that they couldn’t bring this screen up; others said that Garmin disabled it. In my case, a quick touch of the ‘bars’ does nothing. BUT, if you hold your thumb over the bars about FOUR SECONDS, the satellite map DOES come up.
One question I have: when downloading custom POI lists (found in the ‘Extras’ section), is there a way to delete them if you’d like to do that?
Chris – The smaller 2xx series does not have the satellite status screen the wider 200W does.
Cory – All: Garmin.com has released the latest firmware version 3.60 available free through their web-updater. This version increases performance and accuracy. There may also be a GPS chip flash update available at the top of the main web-updater list page depending on the GPS chip your unit has.
You can find your nuvi 2xx version numbers tapping: Tools > Settings > System > About
-Ron
My firmware updated automatically yesterday. Has this happen to anyone else ? Do I still need to update anything else from Garmin.
Dennis, Garmin webupdater automatically updates your nuvi to the latest firmware and any other updates like the gps sw, etc. After updating, try updating again, and if it says no new updates, then you have all the latest softwares on your nuvi.
Where do I find information on the use and downloads for the SD memory? Who, what, where etc. I have this folder from Garmin but no idea what to do with the information.
Thanks. Gene
Basically on the 200 the SD card can only be used for viewing .jpg picture files or loading supplemental maps or poi’s.. that I know of.
Thanks Ron. I have a 250W but I assume the basic features are the same as the 200. By the way when I press the bars in the signal strength section for a five seconds and release it the satellite information shows up. What I was wondering was is there a place with other features not listed in the manual? I just got this and I will never be without one again. Thanks Garmin.
I have had my NUVI 200 for 3 days and am new to GPS systems. The problem I’m having is that when the calculated route comes to an intersection, the unit, visually and verbally indicates a turn one way and then an immediate turn the other way. It results in a “jog” in the large arrow which shows direction. It appears that the unit is correcting for a misalignment of the magenta colored route track with the road on the map. I’m wondering if anyone else has reported this and if there is anything I can do to correct it, short of returning and exchanging the unit. I do like it and so far it has performed as it should with this one exception. Thanks.
I’m not sure if I’m interpreting your problem, but my 200W will ask me to take a right at an intersection then a left…which if I do that would put me on the same road as if I had just gone straight through the intersection. I toggled between ’shortest distance’ and ‘quickest time’ and that directed me the ’straight-through-the-intersection’ way. Maybe you can toggle between those options and see what happens. Again, I may be totally misinterpreting your issue, and I apologize if I did.
You understand my dilemma perfectly, Chris. It doesn’t happen at every intersection, but more than I think it should. I’ll try going between the “shortest distance” and the “quickest time” as you suggested. Thanks for your suggestion. I’m really happy with the 200!
You have it right, I believe, Chris. The “left and then right” occurrs at an intersection where there really isn’t anyplace to turn, other than maybe to another lane and immediately back to the lane and road where I was! It doesn’t happen at every intersection, but seems to be more than I’d expect! I’ll try going between the “fastest” vs. the “shortest” routes and see if that helps. Thank for your suggestion.
Gene – Some undocumented nuvi features:
On all nuvi’s from map > tap speed, in the speed status screen hold down the center of the speedometor dial for 10 seconds for system status.
On the 2xxW & most (wide) versions from menu > hold down very top left corner of screen 3 seconds for satellite status screen. Tap screen to exit. This feature is not on smaller 2xx units.
On some wide versions, hold down top left corner when turning on unit for maint. screen.
On all nuvi units hold down lower right corner while turning on unit to reset user data.
On the 2xx (small) units from menu > hold down battery icon for 10 seconds for diagnostic screens.
On most nuvi units tap tools > system > about for software version numbers. On the nuvi 2xx:
GPS SW x.xxb = bravo gps chipset
GPS SW x.xxm = MTK gps chipset
GPS SW x.xxs = Sirf gps chipset
(all are decent, they evolve with time).
Note: Do not change things in the various maintenance screens unless you know what you’re doing! Disclaimer: ..at your own risk!
Thanks Ron. I enjoy these unusual modes. I also have only had a GPS 4 days. Being a test system designer I look for wierd patterns and operation to try and understand why and how this unit works under odd conditions. I also noticed an unusual attempt to jog like George and I continued down the road the GPS was trying to prevent me from going. I “suspect” the data base believed this road was a dirt road or a bad road. It kept trying to route me off it even at the expense of a longer travel time. I live on a dirt road and it doesn’t like to route me there either which is why I believe this may happen sometimes.
I use it on the ocean sometimes.. Don’t forget there is an “off road” (crow fly) mode. Settings > Navigation > Route preference..
Also for those of us that prefer that blue triangle vehicle icon: The nuvi has a default slate blue 2d triangle icon if there there is no vehicle icon available. To see this slate blue triangle icon just change the name of your selected vehicle icon with your pc in the nuvi garmin\vehicle folder (you won’t lose it) and let the nuvi reboot. The slate blue triangle will remain until you select another vehicle icon in settings > map > change vehicle. I actually prefer this slate blue icon most.
I didn’t read the whole list, but I bought a new NUVI 200 in Dec 2007 and several streets so far are not correct. My question is there an update card that has been issued and when will the next one be available. Are the updates pretty accurate? Where can they be purchased. I bought 2 so will one update card work for both NUVIs? Thanks for any replies.
Map updates come out about once per year (typically late Spring) and cost about $75. The most recent map (called 2008) is based on a release from their map vendor in the second half of 2006.
my daughter has a garmin and she gets free downloads from her computer to her gps. No cost. Don’t know what gets downloaded but she has the webupdater icon. I don’t understand why the normal updates, street corrections should be a cost to a Garmin owner. Is there ANY GPS that provides free updates?
No – Nobody is offering free map updates. Driving millions of miles of roads to update maps costs the mapping companies an enormous amount of money. They charge the GPS companies for map updates, and they pass those updates along to the consumer.
A nice entry-level unit, with some very awkward design choices. I am astonished that they set intrinsic display polarization to 45 degrees off vertical – it’s a tad cheaper to cut the glass, but throws away a third of the brightness when wearing polarized glasses. I also think it’s a real shame that they waste so much screen height (when there’s width to burn) or chartjunk. Would have been just as easy to put the MENU button on one side. And with voice available, it would be nice to be able to toggle off the top line of text. Silly having a 4:1 or so aspect ratio for anything but 3D view, and terrible for “track up” plan projection. Also details like positioning the plug in back, which makes it harder to run the cable and handle the unit when connected. I hope that software updates will add access to data features commonly available on even cheap handhelds.
How does the pedestrian mode work? I would expect the compass to at least change directions when I turn around in pedestrian mode, am I wrong or is there something else that needs to happen I’m not aware of?
Al – You can read here about pedestrian routes. The GPS can only determine direction via movement, it cannot determine what direction you are facing.
Oh yeah, of course it’s the movement to ‘triangulate’ the position…wasn’t thinking..thanks
lots of good information here.
Does the 200W store track logs in internal memory (how many points?) and can they be backed up to the PC?
Also, can an SD card be used to store track logs, if so, how do you set it up?
Thanks in advance.
On a new 200W I just used Webupdater to update the unit. It now says that my software version is 2.90. The program did not find any other updates, such as Bravo chipset. Some of the comments mention software v3.40. Is this correct?
Mike – The 200W is a different bird than the 200. The webupdater should have you on the latest update for your unit. 2.90 sounds right. The 2xx (small) units are now on SW v3.60… If you did not find any GPS SW updates on the top of voice/vehicle other update list in webupdater, then there are none, you are up to date.
I am looking to buy a GPS unit. Based on my needs and price range I have narrowed it down to the nuvi 200 or 350. I’m not sure which one to get. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Also, what is the difference between the nuvi and the street pilot?
You can compare the Nuvi 200 and 350 at that link and read about the differences between the Nuvi and StreetPilot at that link.
I really no nothing about GPS systems, my job will be much easier once I get one though. Any suggestions on a good model to start with. Thank you.
If I purchase a new Nuvi 200, do I need to buy the 2008 map update? Does the map update include anything that doesn’t come in the device?
The “2008″ map from Garmin is based on a release they received from their map supplier in the second half of 2006 and is likely already on the Nuvi 200.
My garmin language changed to greek, what do i do to put it back to english? I cant even read the screen…please help
Amy, check out our tutorial about Changing the Language on a Garmin Nuvi GPS.
I’ve noticed that sometimes the unit will not show a road the first time I drive the area but often the next time I’m in the same area it shows up. Is there an automatic updating of some sort that goes on?
The first time I drove into work it didn’t show the road leading back to the building, it was all blank. The main highway I turned off from was still showing but the road I was driving on wasn’t on the screen. A few days later it was showing the road and even all the small driveways leading to the other buildings in the area as well…
I haven’t connected it to the computer to do any updates…
I just got a nuvi 200 and am very happy so far since I’ve had it for a few hours. I only bought it as a device to check speedometers and odometers and it seems pretty good for this and the Nav functions are surprising for the price. I will be using it’s NAV capabilies in my 2nd car as my first has a factory unit. Is any usb cable good enough for charging? I am getting a picture on the screen that shows the unit attached to a computer but not the regular screen that shows the battery condition. Is this still normal. Any comments on the chronometer and odmeter functions would be appreciated. BTW i returned a Magellan 3225 today since standing still in my home it showed I was travelling at 1 MPH and was calculating distance at that rate. I prefer the Garmin by far with the little knowledge I have. Thx for any help.
I see that after unplugging any usb, the nuvi shows to be fully charged. Sorr, newbie mistake. Any chronometer and odometer funtion comments would be appreciated. Nice unit, nice site!
I have a Garmin 200W. I got it in early January, so I know I have the ‘latest’ maps. But when a new map-set comes out from Garmin, I know I will be required to buy it. That’s fine. But is there a process by which the embedded maps within the unit (what the unit originally came with) get updated when I insert the SD card? I sure hope I’m not required to keep the SD card in the slot in order to use the new maps. That would take away that slot for other things (like Garmin Saver card, which I like).
Chris, you don’t need to purchase the map update on SD card. You can purchase it on DVD and have the installer overwrite the internal maps.
Is there a way to preview a trip route with the satellite GPS off, and not have to suffer the time required while the program drives through the route at 35 mph. Can the route be viewed beforehand? or speeded up?
That’s a great question, Charlie. It’s one I would have asked. The whole ’simulation mode’ seems to be silly if all it does is do a route in real-time. Who wants to sit in a chair while it does that? I’d much rather it zip out the magenta-colored route in a second or two, so I can at least grasp the difference between, say, a ‘fastest time’ or ’shortest distance’ route while I’m sitting inside a building or my home (where the Nuvi can’t ’see’ the satellites). That’s what would appeal to me, and maybe my 200W does this but I haven’t figured out how.
No, you can’t change the simulation speed. 1x is it.
How can i get maps of Canada onto my 200?
The easiest way would be to purchase Garmin’s SD card of Canada, part number 010-10966-00. You can find it here among other places.
I’m a fireman and will be using a GPS for calls. My mom and sister both have the garmin C330 and they said it has an Emergency Vehicle Mode you can select. Does the Nuvi 200 have this option, what does that option do, and do you think it would be a good thing for me to have? PS Great site.
The Nuvi 200 does not have an emergency vehicle mode.
Hi ,i am clueless about these things as my query will suggest . i want to know if it is possible to buy a garmin navigation system , that has maps only for holland and the benelux region , and then later buy or borrow maps from other european countries and add them to this system. i want to know if this is possible because when i buy a system with only these 2 maps it is far cheaper than buying one with maps for the whole of europe.
You can see the maps you can add at the following two links.
http://www.garmin.com/cartography/
mapSource/citynavntEurope.jsp
http://www.garmin.com/cartography/
mapSource/citynavntEuropecards.jsp#europe
muks, you can go to the following page and click on the ‘Versions’ tab to see models with different pre-installed countries.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134&pID=9160
Hi,thank you for your response.I am aware that the nuvi 200 and 250 come preloaded with maps of holland and the benelux region.The link you provided me confirms that but it does not mention whether i can or cannot add maps later on and that is my query .If you know about it kindly let me know.
THANX
muks
Hi,thanx for your reply i now have my answer only it does not mention the storage capacity on a nuvi 200 or 250 , if i buy one of these with preloaded holland and benelux will i be able to add the rest of europe east and west later? or how much more can i fit in later. If you know this please let me know .thanx for your patience.
thanking you
muks
Muks, there is only about 105 MB of space left on it. So you would either need to backup the original maps and replace them with the new maps, then switch back as necessary— or purchase the additional maps on SD card and just load the card when you need the additional maps.
how can i add canada map to my nuvi 200
can i add canada map to my nuvi 200
I have an old ique 3600 ……….what will i miss or will be added with the the 200…………my ique has lost her voice and brightness….old age i persume!
How precise are the coordinates? Can I use it to find the corners of my property using coordinates?
I’m also interested in the addition of Canada maps.
The GPS system is accurate up to about 10 meters.
I have a 200W. The ‘Quick Start’ doc is just what it says. There is no ‘Owners Manual’ and I’ve reminded Garmin about that.
Question: If I load up the SD card with photos, how do I get the Picture Viewer to look there? It just sees the on-board files under ‘JPEG’.
I picked up the Nuvi 200 yesterday and took it on a trial trip. Worked pretty well and was glad it did since i forgot to grab the directions I printed out!!!
But… two different addresses i’ve tried to put in today have given me fits. One gave me problems trying to figure out how a SR12 in Utah might be indicated in the maps (kept saying no match found). Finally stumbled upon it, but it took awhile. However, both that address and another local address would not let me put the correct house number in. I’d type the number, enter the street, and then then nuvi would list it (and map it) as a different house number on the same street. I know the one address has been there for years! What’s happening? I’m planning on taking an extensive vacation into unknown areas with this thing as a guide, but if it can’t find my hotel (one of the addresses I tried) then it’s not going to be as much help as I thought. Why won’t it let me put in the correct street address without changing it on me?
Anyone have experience using the model 270 in Europe? We will be in western Europe for 3 weeks this Spring and would like a good GPS to help us get around.
Mike K, In order to view the jpeg files, you need to create a subfolder called “jpeg” in the “garmin” folder of your sd card. Just put the pictures in there and you can view them using the picture viewer.
Thanks, Ramanesh. I’d done that but still had some of the same pictures in the Garmin JPEG folder. Once I emptied the Garmin JPEG folder the SD pictures came up. Is that the way it works on some other Nuvis?
Jenn – Lots of times streets get renumbered, and maps can sometimes take years to catch-up with those changes.
Hi, does the nuvi 300 have text to speech the garmin website says no few other websites say yes.
cheers
muks
I bought Nuvi 200w a week ago. I’m having some issure with accquiring the satellite. It took me at least 10-30 mins to locate where I m. I tried to look at the “Bravo” Chip set update on the webupdater, but i couldn’t find it. someone please help me.
Colin, try the tips here.
I like the Garmin Garage, where you can download different ‘vehicle’ icons for your Nuvi. The latest two are an ambulance and a stock car. I’ll probably get them both. But my question is this: these little icon vehicles are marvelously detailed, and on the Garmin Garage you see them spinning around so you can view all the detail. But what good is that when you can hardly see the details when the vehicles are in use? In other words, I love the graphics on the sides of the stock car, but I can’t see that level of detail on the Garmin. All I can see in the 3D is a view of the roof, from above and behind. It pretty much renders all that detailing useless. Is it because I have a low-end Garmin (200W) and the higher-end units display these vehicles better or differently?
I have a nuvi 200. On a regular route that I travel, sometimes it tells me to take one exit, other times it tells me to take another exit. The destination is approximatly between exits but how/why the variation?
I just picked one up after I return the Navigon 5100. I have to say it fits my needs perfectly. Its loud enough at 70% volume to hear it in my rig with the windows open and radio on. Its simple to operate.
Our Nuvi 200 does not show "food" listed as a "point of interest" until we are 100-200 miles from home? Is this normal? Would be nice to have restaurant listings close to home
Thank you, Greg & Lisa.
Chris – What you see is pretty much how they are represented on most devices.
Guy – That is strange, I don’t have an explanation.
Greg & Lisa – That doesn’t sound right, it should show the category (and subcategories) regardless of how far away you are from a POI in that category.
Two questions:
1) if your route is going to take you across a time zone, is the estimated arrival time displayed in your current time zone or the time zone you will end in. I.E. does it just calculate straight driving time or does it do an adjustment for the time zone change to end up at the arrival time?
2)We’re planning an extended vacation, so I’d like to put about a month’s worth of different hotels, etc as favorites into my unit ahead of time. Can this be done on a SD card? If so, how? I can’t seem to find much information on how to use an SD card….
thanks!
1) It shows the arrival time in your current, not the destination, time zone. Other GPS devices do it the other way around.
2) Yes, although you won’t need an SD card for that. Unless there are thousands you can fit them all into the internal memory.
Tim – thanks! I wasn’t sure how much internal memory there was available, so was thinking the SD card might’ve been the way to go. Good to know I’m good to go!
Tim, Yup-seems strange? When we pull up POI, the Food category is left out. Only the following appear; spell name, fuel, transit, recreation, attractions. Food will appear once appoximately 100 miles out of msp-st.paul? Drove to Dallas and Food would appear everywhere we went. Once we got home, food disapeared? Were getting hungry……
Thank you, Greg & Lisa.
Just bought a NUVI 200. Can I download Canadian maps as it only has the lower 48, and others but not Canada???
Jimmie, you can get it from Garmin on SD card.
Re; comments 215, 216, 220 – missing categories listed under “points of interest” when close to home.
Brought our Nuvi 200 back to Best Buy and exchanged for another 200 and had same problem again? Went back today and learned from store employees that this has been an issue on the 200 model?
Worked out an upgrade with them for a 260 and everything is working well. It is nice now to find “food” and other POI references close to home.
Greg & Lisa.
I purchased a Nuvi 200 in Canada. I am going to Florida will I be able to use it. My daughter was just in Florida with hers and she couldn`t get it to work. We live in Ontario, Canada
The Nuvi 200 typically just comes with maps of your own country. In the USA it comes with just maps of the USA. I assume it is the same way for the Canadian edition of the Nuvi 200 that it just includes maps of Canada. So you would need to purchase the USA maps for it to provide mapping there.
Thanks for your quick reply. How would I go about buying USA maps . From Best Buy where I bought it and is it expensive. Thanks again.
My 200w only displays half of the alphabet. Is there a way to reset?
Lorraine – You can purchase the maps from Garmin. They do tend to be quite expensive.
Gary – There is a reset button on the bottom, to the left of the serial number.
is there a sequence? I’ve pressed it and the unit goes out. when i turn it back on i still have the same problem.
Can you describe what you mean by only showing half of the alphabet?
the letters a thru o and the space key are the only ones that show up on the keyboard.
What do you see where they should be? Might need to call Garmin or hit the forums on that one.
Is there a Motorcycle handlebar mount for the Nuve 200?.
Hi I was wondering if having a radar detector and the GPS hooked up at the same time will affect either device. Anyone know?
Shouldn’t be a problem Jeff.
We are confused. We are ready to buy a GPS unit and thought we had a narrowed it down to the Garmin 200. Should we or shouldn’t we? If so, why? If not, what do you recommend? We want to spend $300.00 or less. Thanks!
Jason – Yes a 200 will do a great job for you. I have a TomTom XL S that is great also…a little more money, but in your budget. I use them both.
Jason,
What are you confused about? The 200 is a good GPS and works well for me and my wife. If you give some specifics about why you are confused we may be able to help.
Steve,
We were confused what unit we should purchase and hoped that we could gain some insight. While comparing products and talking to different people it all becomes a bit overwhelming. We bought a Garmin 200 last night, so far so good.
Hi, awesome site Tim. My question is whether the gps systems discussed on here relate to both streets and marine use? I want entry level primarily for marine use (Gulf Islands, BC) and for land as a secondary use?
thx.
Hi Amy – No, the Nuvi line is designed for auto use and not marine use.
In comparing Garmin units the 200 shows to have regional maps. What does that mean exactly? Is the USA a region?
Dennis, the Nuvi 200 comes with different maps depending on where it is purchased. In the USA it comes with maps of the 48 contiguous USA states.
I just bought a nuvi 200 and read that it’s possible to use a razr phone charger (ac not auto accessory type) to charge the nuvi. It looks like it will fit but I’m not sure about the chargers output if it will hurt the nuvi. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Andy, I just discovered the Garmin talk site and noticed that you posted a question in March 2008, which is my identical question. I also have the Razr and noticed that charger would fit, even tested it a few times briefly. I posted this same question yesterday but no reply yet. Curious to learn what your experience is. Thanks, Rick
I have the update for 2008. As I figured you can’t install the lower 48 statesfile and the Canada, Alaska and border files at the same time into the 200. Is there a way to put the Canada, Alaska and border states on a SD card and have it ready when needed and load from the CD.
I own a Nuvi 200, I am really happy with it but one thing that really bugs me. The unit doesn’t show me distance to destination instead display time to destination which can vary a lot depending on traffic. Is there a way to set to distance..
I just got the nuvi 200 for my b-day the other day and I love it, I can’t seem to get it to hook up the computer. I have the usb cord from a digital camera, so do i just plug it into my computer, or do i have to install something before plugging it in or what?
Thanks for any help
Sam – No. But you can tap on the next turn info at the lower left, then show map to view the info.
Morgan – Just plug it in and turn it on.
Tim – I do that and nothing happens, I see the connection picture on my 200 but nothing on my computer end, should it pop up in the My Computer folder?
Should I charge the device regularly, or wait until the battery is low?
Morgan – It should pop up. You might check for help in our forums or call Garmin support.
Mary – It doesn’t really matter that much either way.
Hi, Does the 200 have automatic rerouting feature? Say you got lost and turned on the wrong street and need to go back to your saved route, will it find other streets for you turn and go back to your original route? Or do you have to find your own way back to your route? Thanks!
Yes.
Love the site…my question is when I am navigating, either with or without a destination programed I do not see all the POI icons on the screen, but if I scroll around the screen I see all the little Icons. Is there a way to see them all of the time? I loaded some POIs which work fine,did that affect anything?
The pre-installed POIs only show up on the 2D map, and only at higher zoom levels as you noticed. There isn’t a way to change that in the normal 3D driving view.
Hi, I love my new Garmin. Not only can I find my way out of a wet paper bag, I can find the shortest route. Hopefully you can answer a question. Is there a way to reverse the route once you get to your destination? Hate having to enter a return address to get back home.
Mark – No. However you can store your location as a favorite or store your Home location under Home. Also, you can’t really just “reverse” a route… it would need to be recalculated due to the possibility of one way streets, ramps, amount of slower left hand turns, etc. But no, it can’t “go back to where I started” unless that “where I started” location had been saved as a favorite or as your HOME location.
Is the garmin Nuvi 200 useable for if you were to be hiking in the woods? or will it only use roadmaps?
I suppose that it dosnt entirely matter so long as you are still pointed in the right direction to your starting point.
Also, when you are at a specific location, are you able to save that loaction as something to drive to at a later time?
Thanks you Muchly!
I noticed that the Playstation 3 control cords used to charge the PS3 controllers also fits the Garmin 2xx series…
Would using this USB cable to update the Garmin work properly or will it fry the unit?
I just ordered the RAM motorcycle/scooter brake reservoir cover side ball mounting system for the Garmin Nuvi 200 GPS. I ride a Yamaha Majesty 07 Maxi Scooter. I am a fair weather rider. No long hauls. Thought the light wait Nuvi 200 would work well for me. I don’t want to spend mega bucks for a water proof motorcycle designed GPS. The RAM mounting system is on order but have not yet ordered the Nuvi 200. I do have some vibration which the mount should help dampen but not as much vibration as on a motorcycle. Will the 200 get the job done for me? Please advise.
Is there any way to bypass the street and house number requests? What do you do if you just want to get to the town or city not a specific address?
Yes, you can Bill. Instead picking an address to navigate to, pick “cities” (just like you’d select POIs instead of addresses).
I have a Nuvi 200W. Is it possible to view the coordinates of a waypoint that I have stored? I have stored some waypoints in the unit that I want to transfer to a survey map.
To Cody: I use the same usb cable for my navi 200, my camera, and my PSP. I have had no problems at all, but as with all thinga electronic, your milage may vary.
I use my 200 and twice it has told me to turn left when I was to turn right…is this normal? and can I do something to make sure it doesn’t do this?
Hal Burton, I have a Nuvi 200 on my 2007 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra on a Ram mount and it stands up to the vibration very well so far….has been on for 5000 miles and I haven’t gotten lost yet!
Steve: Thanks for the information on your motorcycle installation of the Nuvi 200. I will go ahead and order the 200 in the morning. The RAM mount for my bike is on order should arrive tomorrow. Thanks again.
I have a Nuvi 200 that I bought last year with the “Lower 48, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico” database. I am travelling to Canda soon and want to add a Canada database, but I don’t know what’s the best way to do that, considering that I will (within a year) want to update my “Lower 48” database also. One option would be to buy a Canada database only, but that leaves me with fragmented databases that would be difficult to update in the future. Then when I want to update my “Lower 48″ database, I would likely have to buy a whole new, orginal “North America” database, because I have never seen any updates for a “Lower 48″ database by itself. In fact, is there any way to update a “Lower 48″ database by itself? Any advice?
Jo – You can extract the GPX file from the internal drive and get the coordinates from in there.
Rhonda – Most every time I’ve heard reports of that happening it was just a misunderstanding of what the GPS was trying to do and the GPS did actually give the correct notifications. Perhaps that is what has happened there. Otherwise I don’t know.
Al – There isn’t any good way to go about that as you mentioned. I don’t know of any way to update just the lower 48.
Nuvi 270 in Europe: I bought the 270 for our current trip to Europe. So far it has worked great and gotten us out of a few jams in Paris. Everything works well, just like in the states. Round-abouts are really done well with the 270 guiding you to, for example, “enter roundabout and take the 3rd exit”. Only problem I’ve had was with new construction where the road or round-about is not in the data base. Nuvi gets very confused as you can imagine. We did not drive in Naples and it’s probably a good thing. There are too many road intersections with 6 or 7 options and it’s not obvious that you have chosen the correct road from the 270 display. Road signs are either too few or too many in parts of Italy which adds to the confusion.
I have no option to change vehicles on my Nuvi 200W despite downloading the webupdater and vehicles in the Garmin garage – i’ve looked in map>settings but theres no vehicle tab? Any idea what i’ve done wrong?
Mick – You said you downloaded the vehicles, but did you then install them? If so did you follow these steps and then restart your Nuvi?
I’ve had my NUVI 200 since December and I absolutely love it. I live in the Southeastern US and have had no problem with road trips in that region. I’ve had a few instances where it did not deliver me to an exact address, but after doing some research online I discovered the GIS info for that address wasn’t correct anyway. It’s only as good as the mapping data.
Also, I’ve taken it camping and it worked wonderfully. I set it for “off road” and it worked great during our hikes. I set the location of my car as a favorite, and then set off for a location near a river bend about 2 miles away through dense woods. While there were no trails on the GPS, knowing what general direction to take and seeing my position relative to the car and my destination was good enough. It got more interesting when I wanted to return to the car. It showed the direction I should take, but also showed my actual path, much like you would expect to see in a more expensive model. Wish it would do that in “Automobile” mode.
Great little device!
Hi Tim, a friend bought the Nuvi 250 which comes with a DVD containing maps of complete EUROPE. If i buy the Nuvi 200 which comes only with a regional map, can I use his DVD to upload the maps of the remaining European countries on my Nuvi? thanks in advance.
Ado, no.
hi tim, just got my nuvi 200. will the unit let me know if it’s fully charged?
i forgot to ask, i bought a generic home charger but when i use it, it goes usb mode is it suppose to be like that? since you said that when it’s in usb mode it’s also charging?
Thanks Tim – dont think I did all that!
Hi, I also have a nuvi 200, and wanted to know how it can display if you are driving over the speed limit. Can this be done or do you have to use POI’s. I am in dubai and have the middle east maps.
thanks
Sam – I don’t recall if there is any visual status, I don’t think so. It will go into USB mode when the power sent to it mimics something other than its own power cable. I don’t think the Garmin AC adapters do that.
Ivan – That feature isn’t available on the 200 in North America, so it might not be in your area as well.
i am so confused … want a gps to take me to various addresses when i go yardsale-ing saturday mornings(quit laughing) … don’t know where to find a site which will tell me options available (like i could select options i want and it would tell me which gps will give me that … basically want something simple (i.e. least expensive) that will “hear my voice” so i don’t have to stop and type in next address … i also need u.s. and canada maps … what say ye? …
Annie – The top left corner of our homepage offers that ability. But if you want the ability for voice recognition of street names then your only option for currently shipping devices is the TomTom 920 and 920T.
I have a Nuvi 200 and also would like to know if the Motorola Razr AC power adapter can be used to charge the Nuvi.
If the voltage and amps of the charger are the same, you can probably use it safely, however I’d err on the side of caution there and you might void the warranty.
i have the garmin 200 . would just like to know if there is software for the red light cameras
thanks jack
This thing sucks. I moved to LA and purchased it to help me navigate the big city. I input an address the night before for a place where I have a job interview the next morning. I get directions from the company, but got a little lost on the way. I turn to my Garmin 200, select the address of perspective employer and Garmin directs me to my home address. I had the same problem again using it a few days later. This is going back to the retailer, manufacturer or garbage can.
Re 263 & 269: Thanks Tim, I’ve got the GPX file.
I just got Garmin nuvi 200 and I thought that the voice would say street names, but actually it does not. I wish if it said street names. Also, I want to make sure that the maps are all updated with the newest, how can I make sure that the maps are the latest.
Felix M. – Thank you!!
Regarding USB cables, any voltage LOWER than the included charger should be fine, it will just take longer to recharge.
I plug my Nuvi into my Motorola Razr USB charger (which is 500 mAmp instead of 1 Amp, i.e., 1/2 the juice). To charge, just plug in the USB, then slide the power switch to the left until you get the message “Battery Charging.” It takes a few hours at the most to fully juice the Nuvi (according to its battery meter).
Same should work with a powered USB port on a computer. The voltage is lower, so the charge takes longer, but you won’t fry anything.
Finally, the USB connection icon will show on the Garmin, but so long as you slide the power switch to the left when you plug in the cable, the unit will charge instead of shutting down due to too little juice from the USB cable. If you don’t slide the power switch, the unit appears to completely turn off, and I don’t know if it is charging or not.
I got nuvi 200 for Christmas last year and they build new roads each day and nobody has talk about upgrading the maps on nuvi 200. So I wondering if they can since i didn’t get an adepter for the computer.I have went to the Garmin’s update website type in the manufacture for it and they said there is no new updates and I wonder if they will ever be.
Hi,
Is there any way to sync nuvi 200 address book with PC address book .
can we upgrade the maps on the nuvi 200?
I got nuvi 200 from usa now i moved to canada and i can’t use it becouse it doesn’t support canada i have north america maps and metro guide canada but still it is not working can somebody help???
You can get a supplemental map of Canada for the Nuvi 200, which comes in the form of a SD card that goes into the slot. You can order that directly through Garmin. It’s the microSD/SD data card, City Navigator Canada NT, and it costs $79.99.
i called garmin and they told me that there is nothing they can do
Re 287: Tim, why do some of the entries in the GPX file not include the data?
Re 296: The system seems to have edited my question a bit! I was asking why some entries in the GPX file omit the altitude data (in the ele tag)
I see that the 2009 North America City Navigator “Update” is now available from Garmin. If I wanted to add the complete North America database to my “Lower 48” Nuvi 200 Unit, can I just buy an North America “Update” or do I need to buy a complete, original North America database. If I cannot use just the “Update”, then when will the complete 2009 North America database be available for purchase? I am even wondering if Garmin will ever offer an update for any Nuvi 200 with only a “Lower 48” database, since I have never seen any “Lower 48″ updates available anywhere.
Al – You can purchase the update, and it will be for all of North America. From there you will just select the portion you want to update since I don’t think it will all fit.
just purchased a nuvi200, i love it, but some of the maps are not current. when can i get the latest downloads and what is the price of the downloads?
I just purchased and installed the Garmin 2009 North America NT Update DVD from Tigergps for my “lower 48″ nuvi 200. I was able to get it installed, but I had to remove all of the non-English voice and text files in my GPS just to get enough room to complete the loading process. It does not appear to add Canada, which is frustrating. There are some major roads that show up in Canada, but most of the detail is not there and you can’t put in a Canada address as a destination. It looks like the only way to get Canada is to buy an SD card with Canada or maybe a complete North America SD card, which as far as I know is not available yet with the 2009 data.
I am one of the many who bought the Nuvi 200 in the US and found it does not work in Canada. Its about time Garmin compensated all the people it has mislead.
Does the end of the powercord not attached to the GPS unit attach to the battery or plug into accessory at or near dashboard? Same for all GPS brands? (Obviously, this will be my first GPS purchase.) Thank you.
Reggie – my.garmin.com
Al – You might want to check with support on that.
owg – Where were you told the 200 came with Canada maps?
Barry – It attaches to the cigarette lighter.
Is there a way to update the Maps on the Garmin Nuvi 200?
Some of the directions lead me around in circles before i arrive at my destination.
RJ, I answered that question in the post directly above yours in response to question #300.
Tim – I was told nothing when I purchased the Nuvi 200. It would seem reasonable to be alerted that the device does not work in Canada when purchasing retail in Northen California. I own a StreetPilot i5 which covers North America, so I made a reasonable assumption that the coverage had not changed. I was wrong.
When Garmin built the Nuvi 200 series (the original models in that series at least) they decided to offer the devices at different price points depending on what maps came preinstalled. Since most people never use it outside of the USA, they figured they could save many people some cash.
So they released a Nuvi 200 with just the 48 contiguous states, an identical Nuvi 250 that has North America maps, and an identical Nuvi 270 that offers maps of North America and Europe.
Sorry…I just noticed that I should not post prices. Anyway, I have to go and toss my maps out!
Here is Garmin support’s response to my question about whether the 2009 N.A. “Update” is supposed to add the Canada mapping……..
“The 2009 update will update the current mapping that is on your GPS. For the Nuvi 200, this would be the U.S. mapping that is preloaded on the unit. The update will not add the Canadian mapping to the unit….. The Canadian mapping can be added with an SD data card at the link below;
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=8750&pvID=10370
I just received my nuvi 200w yesterday and when I registered it, it said that I was entitled to a free map upgrade. I downloaded the map upgrade software. I then started the upgrade, only about halfway thru the upgrade I got a message that says “not enough memory..by 37mb. Something seems wrong I wouldn’t think they would have an upgrade in excess of the device’s memory. Can you give me some guidance?
What is the difference between “web updater” and “download manager”? What is each one used for?
Bob-To me this is where Garmin is really lacking-they provide no instructions on how complete the update on the 200 (it apparently has less memory than other models). I ran into insufficient memory problems both on my computer (because the data must pass thru your computer first)and also in the nuvi. I had to clear off several old programs off my computer. Then to get room in the nuvi, I had to clear off all of the text and voice messages in the nuvi’s memory that were for languages other than English. The nuvi looks like just another drive when it’s connected to your computer so just look for the files in the various folders in the nuvi that refer to other languages. You can just copy them somewhere else if you want to save them. After I deleted those files off the nuvi I was able complete the update, but it does take a long time. I went to bed, while it was still updating. If you want to see if Garmin has “official” instructions on how to do this on the 200, you might send a note to Garmin Support. Good luck!
I downloaded the map update for the Nuvi 200, and it asks me for the “product key from my installation disk” which i lost. Is there any way i can still do the update?
If you downloaded the free map update then the product key is included in the maps section of your account at my.garmin.com.
Thanks Tim!
So i input the Product key, but my device needs 2210mb of free space in order for me to update the maps. Is having that much space even possible on a Nuvi 200?
You may need to remove some of the non-english voices to make room.
Thanks Al,
Your advice was right on. The update is now progressing, on another computer, and has been running for about an hour. I did send an email to Garmin about this and received an auto reply saying that they will respond in 3-4 business days. Again thanks so much, you are an asset to the forum.
Just bought the Nuvi 200. Planning a trip in 2009 to Paris,France, will my Nuvi 200 already have a map of Paris or do I need to down load a map of Paris onto a SD Card???
Chris,
You need to get the Nuvi 270 instead. The 200 does not have European maps. I don’t know if you can get individual maps of European cities — hopefully someone else know the answer. I have the 270 and it had everything.
Trying to update a 200w and get the memory error message, am using MAC OSX 10.5.4 paid and downloaded the 09 city navagator but will not update. I have removed all voice, help, and text files that are not in english. I then ‘moved to trash’ all image files that it came with.
It still says not enough memory. Im wondering if there is a way to save my Favorite locations to a folder and then reseting the nuvi, if that would help.
I use it for work and job sites that have no address so I dont want to have to re input things by lat and longitude. Had I known garmin would make things this difficult in time and hassle i would have just bought a newer nuvi with maps preinstalled. Im considering putting a reverse charge on my credit card so im not out of 70.00 for wothless code that will expire.
I think in part of the install process it asks which maps you want to install. You should select the USA 48 as that is what came with your device and that is all you would have space for.
I’ve seen that error also appear when you don’t have enough space on your computer’s drive for the install as well. You need at least a couple GB of free space on your computer’s drive to install it on your device. (Doesn’t sound logical, but it is the case.) Otherwise, I’d give Garmin support a call.
I need a purchasing advice.I have a choice between the bulky garmin streetpilot c580 or garmin 250W.
Unless you know of something you want on the c580 that the 250w doesn’t have, I agree– go for the slimmer 250w.
Garmin NuVi 200 works perfectly in Southern California. Just wondering if I could change the voice prompt from female to male? Is there a way to upgrade my unit with a “text to speech” feature?
You can use WebUpdater to add a couple more voices from the Other Updates section, but you can’t add text-to-speech.
Thanks for the information Tim. Garmin indeed is a great help to me. I’m a new timer in California and it really makes driving easier and fun.
I just got a new nuvi 200 (free from a local bank for opening an account and signing up for direct deposit – offer has since expired) and I love it. My only complaint is that it takes forever to lock on to satellites, even standing in the middle of a parking lot. You mentioned above a Bravo GPS chip update through web-updater, but I can’t seem to find it. I’m thinking since this is a new unit, and I have the newest map set, I may already have this chip update. How can I tell ? Thanks, great informative site!!
Sorry – one last thing. I couldn’t find the Nuvi 200 in the list of products in the “Additional Software” section of the Garmin web site. Do you know why it isn’t there?
David, look in the additional updates section of the WebUpdater program, not directly on Garmin’s website.
Just returned to Ireland from holiday in Orlando, Fl. We were promised a Sat Nav in our hire car but unfortunately this was not to be. I went out and bought a Nuvi 200 at Florida Mall and to be honest I would still be driving around looking for our hotel in St Petes without it. This is a super little unit and when we came home I did a download from Garmin of the latest USA maps. I also bought an SD card with Ireland and UK maps for about £50. As the unit is small, lightweight and very portable it is excellent and simple to use. Honestly, how many times are you going to need all the other (useless?) additional items on more expensive units? With this it does exactly what it says on the tin! Get me to my destination!
I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 200 for my truck driving husband.Are there any trucking routes for this article or does he have to hope that there are no low overpasses on the route the Nuvi gives?
There are not any truck route options on the Nuvi 200.
I am new to the GPS world. I have a Garmin Nuvi 200W. I’ve learned by using it locally and have already noticed that there are roads I would expect to be on that are not but I’ve been able to work it out. I am now planning my first real trip with it. My question is: when on a long trip and deciding to stop for lunch, etc., and taking the Garmin with me in my purse is there a way to put it on pause or must I turn it off? Thank you.
Hi, does anybody know the differences between 255 and 200?
thanks.
I love this Gps. My wife had been trying to stop me buying this since she thought this was a waste of money and just another gadget I had to have. After buying it, we now think this is the best purchase we have made in a long time. We use it all the time. One thing I would like to have is the text to speech option which this doesn’t have. Otherwise, this is a very good unit at a great price!
I am getting the 200 fairly soon and am wondering if the SD cards I already own are compatible. Will I be able to download extra maps and add them to the SD card?
Regarding a wall charger: A powered USB port with USB cable to the nuvi works as a wall charger.
Joe
June – No need to pause it. You can turn it off, then turn it back on again and it will resume.
vrpimush – The 255 includes maps of North America, can be connected to an optional traffic service, and has a slightly redesigned interface.
Jack – The cards you own would likely be compatible. You would need to purchase the DVD version of the maps.
I recently purchased the Nuvi 200…so I’m still discovering my way around it. The instruction booklet and “Help” offered within the unit itself leaves much to be disired. Question..how do I show on the map driving directions from one location to another? Not my present City A but from say City B to City C ?
Thanks,
Cliff, you can use our offset routing technique to accomplish that.
Okay, so i finally got my 200 to work with a USB cord to update it and stuff, and according to the website i was eligable to download the 2009 maps and i did so, and now when i try installing them on my device it says I need 42 MB more memory to do this, and i have only added very little extra so far, not 42MB worth. What can i do to get this to work out?
Also, i thought i needed a SD card for it to have more memory so i bought a 1GB one and put it in but it doesnt change the size capacity when I look at it on my comp.. am i doing something wrong? how does the SD part of it work?
Despite what the message indicates, you probably don’t need to delete 42 MB of stuff in order for the new maps to fit. I’d delete any extra voices or pictures you might have added, make sure your computer has about 3GB of drive space left internally, and then try again.
As to the SD card, there would be little reason to use it for your device.
Okay, took your advice and i deleted all the non-english help, voices etc. So then it let me install the map updates and when it was at about 90% of installing them onto my GPS, for some reason the Nuvi got disconnected from the comp while still hooked up and it gave me the error “Map update failed, press retry to retry and quit to quit” and now when i try powering my GPS it only makes it to the Garmin logo then restarts itself
now im lost lol
Tim,
The two most important things to me when I am driving are: How many more miles to go, and how many minutes until I arrive. My old Magellan showed both on the map screen. Can I get this info on the 200W?
Morgan, I think there is a call to Garmin support in your future. Someone in our Garmin Nuvi Forums may be able to help you with a firmware replace or a map erase.
Steven, you can get those two things, but neither are on the map display.
I feel like a giant douche now, lol. My GPS had run out of battery, after charging it and restarting the installation all maps are up to date now
thanks!
Tim
A little bit of Liquid go onto my Garmin Nuvi 200 and the Display Screen has the watermarks on it. It still works fine and the voice still works. Is there a way of Opening up the device? Or will it dry out on its own?
Frank, it may dry on its own, but are you sure you are still looking at water? Or the effects of the water? If it still needs trying, try putting it in a bag of rice. The rice will help draw moisture out of the area.
Thanks the Advice Tim
It could be the Effects. I am trying the Rice Thing now. I guess you can’t open it up?
You can open it, and I think people have posted pictures on how to do it in our Garmin Nuvi Forums, but the rice thing is probably easier and won’t void the warranty. Opening it would be a last resort.
Received a Garmin 200 for Fathers Day. I really like it, however this week a programed it for a destination and saw 121.8 on the screen. I assumed the destination was 121.8 miles away. I had to drive 188 miles using Garmin. Was I wrong to assume 121.8 was driving distance? My owners manual does not mention this number.
If you search for an address, and are looking at the results, but have not yet created a route to that address, the distance will be the straight line distance (121). Once you create the route, and look at the distance remaining while you are still at the starting location, it will show the total road distance (188) that it didn’t know before since the route had not yet been generated.
Debated on getting a Nuvi or Tom Tom. Went with Nuvi because of size. It’s pretty simple to use which is what I was looking for. Wish it came with a protective case when not in use, but picked up one later. PROBLEM I am having is that it loses satellite alot. In bigger towns, I drive in Orlando, FL a lot, this is a MAJOR problem.
You shouldn’t really have any satellite reception issues with that model. Check out our Acquiring Satellites tips, and otherwise you might seek help from Garmin.
I have a nuvi 200, (UK and Ireland version). I am due to travel to the US in a few days. My car renter can’t give me a GPS. Is there capacity on my own system to accept a map of North America without deleting / overwriting my UK+Ireland+Europe maps that came pre-installed?
Also: I see on the website the option of “City Navigator NT, North America”. Is this JUST for city driving or is it what I need for general US driving?
I think you can get the North American maps on an SD memory card to insert in the SD card slot and use that while in the US but make sure before you purchase it. The City Navigator has all the roads in the US. I use it on my Garmin Etrex Cx and it works fine for rural as well as urban maps.
I just purchased the nuvi 200. Once I arrived at a location (a popular lake), I pushed something and the device showed my current altitude. I cannot figure out how to make the device show my altitude of other locations. Can the device show altitude when driving like it does with latitude and longitude? Do I need to be stopped for this function? Does the device have only stored altitudes in its memory? The location it showed the altitude is a popular lake in Wyoming. I would greatly appreciate any information on this. Thank You.
I believe it will show altitude if you click on the vehicle icon. There isn’t any way to display it on the primary map view.
You can get your current altitude from the Nuvi anytime by touching the vehicle on the map display. The window that comes up shows altitude on the right hand side plus other information. You can save this information if you want or go back to the map display. You can only display the altitude of your current location.
I’ve had my Garmin nuvi 200 since Dec 2007. Yesterday it displayed a message that the maps were over a year old and that I should visit the Garmin website to download updates.
First I had to download and install the WebUpdater – good. Then I had to do the same with the Communicator plug-in – horrible.
I’m on my HP laptop, running Vista Home Premium. I’ve tried the process using Firefox 3 and IE 7 – no go. The errors are corrupted WinZip header or file and plug-in not detected.
I am so frustrated because I am driving across country (west to east) this Friday and really need those updates.
Are there any other websites that offer downloadable maps that are compatible with my unit? What else can I do?
Nikki, Garmin is your only source for maps. You can try contacting Garmin support– that might be your best bet. They can likely talk you though the install and map purchase.
I have the Nuvi 200 and will be traveling from NYC to Ontario, Canada. What can I purchase to get Canada on my unit? Is there an SD card I can get?
Yes, it is Garmin part number 010-10966-00.
hey, Tim. i got a GARMIN 200W ! and i trying to map updates this.. but it need a serials Number! which one i use? there a lot of
Aaron, you shouldn’t need to copy your serial number yourself. The my.garmin.com website will automatically pull that info from your device.
I am looking at purchasing the nuvi 200 and am wondering if I will be able to purchase maps for other contries later on. I am mostly interested in adding maps of Argentina. I know they sell this same product in Argentina, so there must be a way of getting the maps, right?
I don’t recall seeing any maps of Argentina available.
I just got a nuvi 200 today and I have software version 4.0, gps sw version 2.60m and nt 2009. Is this all the latest software availible. Also from a prior post it appears I have the MTK chipset. Is this the lastest chipset as well and any pros and cons between chipsets?
Jason – Yes, you seem to have the latest available.
Tim- What about the chipset? Is the SIRF better? and why?
I wouldn’t worry about the chipset– you won’t notice any difference.
On a trip, I put several addresses into “recently found.” Now I want to delete them & don’t know how. I can delete from “favorites”, but not from “recently found.”
“Recently Found” is something that happens automatically…. not something you manually add to. But you should have a ‘Clear’ button at the bottom that will clear them all out.
MY NUVI 200W HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ON-SCREEN KEYPAD. THERE ARE 2 F’S, 2 R’S AND NO G,S OR Y. IS THERE A FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT IS DOWNLOADABLE OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE RETURNED FOR REPAIR? HAVE I MISSED SOMETHING HERE?
Barry, I don’t recall hearing of that type of issue before– I’d contact Garmin support.
Hello. Im interested in the GPS. do you know if I can put maps from other parts of the world like Argentina? THANKS
Yes, you can install additional map coverage, however the entire world is not mapped.
So who is this tim person? He is doing a good job in answering our questions. Thank you Tim
I’m the Editor of this site… what would you like to know?
Tim – My Nuvo 200 is great but recently in many different urban areas where I would expect to have no problem – it says “acquiring satellite” and sometimes takes a very long time ( 15-20 min) and a couple of times never received the signal.
Jim, see the suggestions in Acquiring Satellites.
I’ve had my Nuvi 200W for a little less than a year. On balance, I really like it. This past weekend, though, I entered (from the internal POI database) a hotel in the Camden/Rockland area of Maine. We set off, only to discover that our hotel was some three MILES further north on U.S. Route 1. My question is this: Is there a rule of thumb that says when a new purchase of maps is prudent? After one year? Two years? Of course, new maps don’t guarantee that my errors will get fixed, so that leads me to my next question: Who do you alert when you have discovered a problem like mine? Is it Garmin, or the company that makes the maps their units use? And is there a process by which users can call attention to their ‘found errors?’
I should have also mentioned above that the hotel web site actually gave coordinates. But silly me: I ignored those and instead selected ‘The Country Inn Camden’ from the database & set sail. I know on the 200W you can enter a destination using the coordinates, but I haven’t tried that yet. I will give it a try soon, though.
The general advice I give people is once every 1-2 years. But it depends on your area a bit. You can report mapping errors found on garmin devices to mapreporter.navteq.com. TomTom has a way for users to share corrections with other users, but Garmin hasn’t gone that route yet.
Well, I got my 200. I took it on a test run this afternoon and everything works just like I anticipated. The problem I am having is registering on http://www.garmin.com. When I click on the download to device button, it starts to download then goes back to finding the device. Any ideas?
I’ll add my experience for anyone reading this and debating between a Garmin and a TomTom. My first GPS unit was a TomTom Go 300. It was great for about 2 years, then it got real weird. It would completely freeze up at random, requiring a reset that involved holding a tiny button down with a toothpick for a few seconds, then waiting a couple minutes for it to reboot. At the beginning, it only happened once a month or so, but it got worse… to the point that I couldn’t rely on it at all because it would freeze up almost daily and at the worst times (like driving in a big city I’m not familiar with.) It also started having difficulty getting a satellite lock. Sometimes it would lose the signal with clear skies and no trees, and it just wouldn’t pick it up again, sometimes for hours. Other times I would turn it on and have to wait in my driveway for about 10 minutes and hope that it would get a signal. I made sure to keep the software up to date and even did a complete wipe and re-install of the system a couple of times, but nothing seemed to work. I came VERY close to throwing it out the window a few times. I was denied any sort of help/compensation from the company since the unit was 2 years old (good ol’ “disposable” electronics.) I swore I would never buy another TomTom again.
At the recommendation of a friend, I bought a Garmin Nuvi 200. I didn’t really do my research like I usually do, I just trusted my friend and trusted the (mostly) 4-5-star ratings on most internet reviews.
It’s never had a problem getting a satellite signal, and I’ve never had to reset it due to the software locking up. Unfortunately, I’ve had difficulty with the interface from the beginning. It just doesn’t seem as intuitive as the Tomtom, but I dismissed this as a result of my being unfamiliar with the unit. I kept using it, thinking it would grow on me, but the more I used it, the more it annoyed me. Within the first couple weeks, I was wishing I had my old Tomtom back. Navigation through the menus is SO much easier with the Tomtom. The Garmin just requires too many screen touches to get to the option you want, and menu items are often not where you would expect them to be.
Another thing that’s better about the Tomtom is that when you’re driving, all the info you need is right there on the screen: Distance to and direction of next turn, ETA at destination, distance to destination, current speed, compass, satellite strength, and of course, the map of where you are, which was a good size despite all the other information taking up real estate on the screen.
The Garmin Nuvi 200 doesn’t give you NEARLY that much information without having to take your hand off the steering wheel to touch the screen. You only get to have 2 numbers on the screen, that’s it. Not only that, but you have to touch a specific spot on the screen to get to the menu you want, or to see other data points, whereas with the Tomtom, you could touch anywhere on the screen and it would take you to the main menu, and you could quickly access what you need from there.
What about pre-planning? Very easy with the Tomtom, but not even possible with the Garmin Nuvi. I understand that the Nuvi was designed for simplicity, but pre-planning a navigation route isn’t exactly a superfluous extra like bluetooth, mp3 player, photo viewer, etc. Pre-planning should be a pretty standard thing that just needs to be programmed into the software. Why they left it out just baffles me, and greatly reduces the functionality and usefulness of the unit.
So, now I’m at a loss. I miss the software/user interface of the Tomtom, and I don’t like my Garmin at all (other than the fact that it can pick up a signal), but I just don’t feel right spending more money on a Tomtom for fear of getting burned like I did in the past.
My bottom line advice for somebody reading this: only get a Garmin Nuvi 200 if you want the most basic of abilities: To be able to navigate from your current location, to one other destination. That’s it. Don’t expect to pre-plan a route, or get much useful information on your screen. If you get the Nuvi 200, you also need to be prepared to spend a lot more time with your eyes off the road and on your screen as you try to navigate the menus. Yes, I know you’re not supposed to do that anyway, but let’s be realistic here.
Just got a Nuvi 200 for Free. I was checking the POI and I found MY store. Only problem I sold it about 8 years ago and then it closed down about a year later. Seems the POI are just a little bit outdated. Yes I have done a upgrade of the software.
With a little help from tech support, the registering problem has been solved.
However, as Les expressed, the POI is a bit outdated. The routes suggested are also a bit off course sometimes. If one did not already know the territory, however, I suppose one would not know the difference. So when I go to towns unfamiliar to me is when I will reap the benefit.
I’ve had two Garmin devices in the last 4 years. The first was the bottom line Street Pilot. Small, compact and easy to use, until it took a 3 foot drop and didn’t survive. I liked that one so I bought a Nuvi 200. I like this one except for some quirks/glitches. I’ll be parked in the area of a major chain store(that has been there for 3+ years) and the Nuvi will search for 10 or more minutes and still not find it. My other problem is the “Lost Satellite Reception.” Just out of nowhere the message will appear, driving me nuts! It seems to be happening more frequently…Is there anything I can do to remedy this?
Unlike the road database, only about 5-25% of all known POIs are typically included in the database. See our Acquiring Satellites page for tips on that.
I get a ‘Lost Satellite’ message in one spot only, and it’s about a mile from my home in very southern New Hampshire. This never happens anywhere else, but it shows up without fail as I drive along a 1/4-mile stretch of road right near the New Hampshire/Massachusetts border. As near as I can figure, it’s because I hit a dip in the road with trees towering on either side. The unit can’t ’see’ any satellites during this brief stretch, until I crest a hill and the unit re-acquires them again. I don’t know if my thesis is correct, but it sounds plausible enough that I’ll stick with it.
That seem unlikely, Chris. But if it happens with that high of frequency then it is interesting. Can you hit the contact link and let me know exactly where you see this (or as close as you can). I’d like to check it out.
Can someone send me a link where I can go and read about how to add a Custom POI?
I have only had my 200 a couple of days and haven’t been able to find out how to add a custom POI. Plus it came with two custom POI I would like to delete. I downloaded the Manual and that didn’t help, plus I did a search here.
Thanks
You can download the ‘POI Loader’ program from Garmin to add custom POIs. It has a help system built in you can read.
Hi,
I seem to have a charging problem with my nuvi 200. Just drove a 180 mile and the battery did not charge. I have had this problem on and off. Sometimes when I drive for a long time while the gps is plugged in it will just run out of power and turn itself off. I had to plug it to the USB to get it charged. I called Garmine and they told me that if the unit gets too hot it will not charge. Next time I called they told me to update my software which I have done. Still the same problem remains. When it’s plugged to the lighter in the car the screen does indicate that it is charging. Any ideas?
Thank very much. Great site, Amir
Amir, If you can charge the battery when plugged into a USB port but not with the 12v chord for the car I would suspect a problem with the 12v chord used in the car.
Is the Nuvi 200 supposed to operate while the automobile charger is plugged in? If so, what do I do to allow mine to do this?
Also, mentioned above is a ‘POI loader’ but no mention of where to find it. It is not listed on the Garmin.com site that I can find.
Jack, yes it should operate while the auto charger is plugged in. Plug it in and turn it on. What are you seeing?
You can get POI loader from garmin.com/poiloader
As it turns out, I called Garmin and they said they were having problems with some of the Automobile chargers. They are sending me a replacement. What I was seeing was the opening screen graphic and the graphic that shows a connection between the Nuvi and a computer.
Thanks for the POI loader tip. Got it.
Jack
I was having the same problem and found that I wasn’t plugging the power cord all the way into the unit.
I have a nuvi 200W and it takes 10 to 15min to acquire satellite??
I had reset it and I tried everything. What can I do??
I has a stp c330 that had no trouble finding satellite..It got stolen
Carmen, see comment #355.
I am trying to figure out how to update my Nuvi 200 bought in 2007. I have been serching and cant find out how to do it, plus is it free the first time i do it? God Bless, THANKS for the time
You can check for application updates by using the WebUpdater program available at garmin.com/webupdater – You can check for map updates by registering your device at my.garmin.com
hi… i live in the USA and i have a Nuvi 200 from 2007. i registered it last night to allow for map updates. it says my first download is free. i spent 2 hours waiting for the download… then when using the software to load the Nuvi 200… an error message appeared saying that i needed 34 more megabytes of space. i have not stored any additional data to my Nuvi 200 except a small group of stored “favorite” addresses… so how can i need THAT much more space for a map update? …especially for a product that the registration process knew about?
am i not doing something right? do i need to delete everything from the Nuvi 200 first? if so, how do i do that?
any help would be appreciated.
thanks!
When I ran the webupdater I got prompted to update the GPS Chipset Type B. Now when I try to install the GPS Chipset Type B update. It says it installed successfully but my GPS SW version is still 2.50b and it is still in the list of available updates when I run GarminUpdater again.
I discovered something neat about the 200W; when you press the car icon for a couple of seconds, it displays not only latitude/longitude…it also displays the altitude. Very handy in our mountainous regions in central Pennsylvania.
Hi’
Interested in a unit to take with me to Ireeland in April of 09. Have been there before and rented one . But It looks like I can purchase one for cheaper then i rented it before. Any way looking at nuvi 270 any suggestions? I use my nav system in my 06 acura all yhe time think its great
Will use this for when i travel (europe important) also spare for my family north east US.
The price for this 270 seems to good to be true. Unit with US and EUROPE preloaded fo the same as others europe update! Whats your view?
If it is from a reputable dealer then go for it.
any others I should consider that come with europe installed?
There are a few others, but they are generally top of the line models (like the Nuvi 770, TomTom 920) that are a bit bigger and more expensive.
so if all i need is a basais nav unit to get me from point a to point b the 270 is my best bet?
Thanks for your help Tim
Jerry
Yes, I’d say the 270 is probably your best bet.
Is there any way of turning off the Map Update Notice screen that apprears while booting on the Nuvi 200, other than purchasing the update. I do not use it enough to justify buying the update at this time.
Not that I know of, Dan.
Just a note on the latest updates for the nuvi 200. I got mine recently, and after applying the lates map, chip updates, etc., here is what I’m seeing
( tools>settings>system>about )
————-
nuvi 200
Software Version 5.00
Unit ID: XXXXXXXXXX
Audio version: 1.00
GPS SW Version: 2.80m
————-
I should note that the map version is NT 2009
I would like to know what the differences are between the 200W and 260W besides the text to voice and map coverage? Thanks!
200W has a wider screen than the 200.
Katherine, the two differences you mentioned are the only differences.
I am not familiar with GPSs, but plan to purchase a handheld to plot my own routes on a lake. What would be some good GPSs for this purpose?
I just wanted to say that I couldn’t agree more about needing an arrow to show your next turn, especially when needing to pick a lane. Pressing the navigation bar on top is dangerous while driving but the only option. My partner has an Amcor, and while I do not recommend it due to it’s poor routing (constantly takes her down dead ends or directs her off non-existent exits), at least it has the arrow on the bottom left. Honestly it’s making me consider trying a TomTom because it is bugging me so much.
What is the difference between the 350 and 260.
The 260 or the 200 being discussed on this page?
I don’t know who to report this to but if your could forward it would be great!!
I loved the GPS system in America and so purchased one with the Mexican Map already on it. The map was for 2008.
I was traveling from Morelia to Ajijic. I used the cuota roads and knew them because of great condition. The GPS system could not indentify the most major roads in Mexico. It had me driving through lakes and fields but no roads and kept recaluating to put me on the most secondary roads. When I knew I needed to get off the major road to get to Ajijic in Jalisco I put in the address on the GPS. It immediately recognized the road. I was excited. It put me on a paved road (good) that shortly thereafter became a rock road that shortly thereafter became a very poor condition dirt road on a tiny steep winding mountain. It wanted me to turn left twice where NO ROAD existed but a sheer cliff to “death”. Thank God it wasn’t night I might have turned. This is extremely disappointing.
I think the GUI needs to be friendlier.
It doesn’t recognize frequencies of visited cities e.g.
most of the time, I Navigate to different addresses in the same city (or a tiny set of the same cities within a large metroplex) that I last navigated to, but the Nuvi 200 doesn’t know that… It doesn’t even assume (or give a choice in the GUI) the last state entered. As a result, I’m forced to always type in the state and city.
Any workarounds?
BTW, this could be easily fixed by Garmin in the GUI with additional prompts in Cities, States and Recent Selections.
Nuvi 200 had chinese language?
Questions:
1. Is there a way to delete a single “recently found” entry ?
2. How can I enter an address without number ? For example, an intersection of a street and
avenue.
3. How do I name a location(after Nuvi accepted the address ?
I am new to this site. If these have been covered, please let me know where the answers were. Thanks.
I stay in south africa and have a garmin nuvi 200, and will be in florida in America over christmas adn was wondering if you have download a map for florida or it will pick it up automatically
Albert – 1) No. 2) Menu->Where to->Intersections. 3) Instead of tapping “go” after finding a location, click “save”.
Lawrence – you will need to purchase the map from Garmin either on SD card or the DVD.
Hi..if i buy this unit online, eg; from USA and use this device in Malaysia, can this unit functional? i found its more cheaper rather than bought this unit over the shelf in malaysia. RM 1000 w/out dashbourd mount add RM250.
Online with above accesories only RM 800 ++.
Malaysian…this unit taxable?
Tim: Thanks for the answers. However, I don’t seem to be able to find “Intersections” after “Where to”. It gives me the 4 categories, Address, Point of Interests, Recently Found, and Favorites. Both 200 and 270 do the same. Did I miss someting ?
Albert: Tim told you the correct steps. From the menu screen choose “Where to?” You should get a screen that shows, “Address, Points of Interest, Recently Found & Favorites.” Press the “Arrow Down” button for more choices. Here is where you will find the “Intersections” button. Now just follow the prompts to pick “State, City.” Then add the first street intersection name or number and press done. Pick the correct one from the list. Now enter the second street intersection name or number and press done. Pick the correct one from the list. You can now show it on the map before saving it.
Changing the name of a favorite can be done by going the the menu screen and pressing “Whewre to?” Now press “Favorities.” Press the item you want to change, and when it appears, press the “Edit” button. Now you can change the information you want to change.
I just discovered this great resource. I’m considering purchasing a Nuvi 200. Based on my research I believe it will provide the functionality I need for driving in Northern California. From the posts, it was mentioned that the maps were of a 2006 vintage. Are newer maps now being used? Also, if I drive 60 miles into Baja California, will any maps be provided in the U.S. software or will I need to purchase an additional map?
Greg, in most cases it will be shipping with the most recent map. The most recent map is called “2009″ and is based on data from the second half of 2007.
I am considering my first GPS and was comparing the Garmin Nuvi 200 or the Tom Tom One 125 as well as the Megellan Roadmate 1200. any suggestions (all around the same price)?
Tim,
Thanks for the response about the vintage of the map software. I’m curious if you believe selling a product with a nearly 18 month old U.S. map is standard industry practice (all GPS vendors are doing it) or a competitive quirk of Garmin. Is this a way to get customers to buy new maps or do they offer a free upgrade if a new version comes out shortly after purchase?
Greg, that is pretty standard practice. Other companies like TomTom have moved to offering maps on a quarterly basis, and I suspect within a year Garmin will do the same.
I purchased a Nuvi 200 and like it so much I went back and got 2 more for family. We love it and were able to use it to go geocaching today for the first time. I downloaded 2 voices and a few holiday vehicles. The Elf is a riot and jokes around as you drive. It has a couple of quirks like telling us to make a left on a divided highway when there is nor thrufare there. Otherwise for the price it is great fun.
hi Tim,
I got a good deal on the garmin 200 (purchased on 29nov’08 in U.S.A) and did some research before getting it and spend some time reading the post here, they were VERY helpful.
The question, I have not yet opened it because not yet sure if it has the NEW version of maps, chipsets,etc installed. If YES i would keep the device and if NOT I would return it for the TOM TOM 3rd edition.
Can you tell me without opening the device and not paying the restocking fee of 15% to the retailer any way to find out the latest versions?
Thanks
Juzer
Juzer, I wouldn’t worry about it much. There isn’t a way to tell that I know of without starting the device. If it doesn’t have the latest maps (which it should) then you are entitled to download the latest version from Garmin anyway.
Thank you for the prompt reply Tim.
You mean even if it is does not have the latest versions installed then I am entitled to downlaod it from Garmin at NO CHARGE ?
juzer – yes, see Garmin nuMaps Guarantee.
Does anyone know if it is possible to get maps of Canada in the Nuvi 200?
I purchased a nuvi 200 2 days ago and have already discovered that the maps are over 3 and a half years old and Garmin is not offering any updates. I would not tell anyone that this is an acceptable GPS at any price.
Robin, Yes, you can purchase Canada maps from Garmin on an SD card and pop the card into the GPS.
I purchased a Nuvi 200 in the UK and now I’ve moved to Dubai. Does anyone know where I can download the middle east road maps? I don’t mind paying.
I have Nuvi 200 I bought on black friday frenzy formy girlfriend. Where is the route planner ? She downloads her csv from work daily and the Nuvi 200 cant find the dailytrip.csv on the SD micro card ?
Matt – That isn’t a feature the Nuvi has…
Does this unit (nuvi 200) arrive in the box with comprehensive roads and highways of Mexico? Or is their a secondary provider?
If you purchase the Nuvi 200 in the USA it does not come with maps of Mexico.
initial charge on battery was 4 hours, only lasted 5 minutes when unplugged from car. also a question mark appears on map over the car and says searching for sattellite. never seems to acquire. just bought unit today, what am i doing wrong
Jack, did you have an unobstructed sky view for at least 30 minutes?
tim i did not have an unobstructed sky view for 30 minutes as my battery only lasts 5 minutes after a 4 hour charge. is there a method to charging the battery
Your Nuvi 200 should have included a car charger in the box.
tim i used the car charger for four hours , the unit will only operate for 5 minutes when it is unpluged from the car
Provided your car was sending power to the charger during that time I would contact Garmin support. Or return it if the device is new.
thanks tim, you’ve been very helpful
I bought a Nuvi 200 on black friday from Walmart and my friend also bought one the same day from a different Walmart in the same town. We both have done the updates on the Garmin webpage but my Garmin is running on the 4.6 version and his is running on the 5.0 version. His icons are a lil different and his menu is set up a little different as well. The biggest difference is on the left side he has the SD slot. But on mine, I have a micro-sd slot. What is the difference in our Nuvi 200’s. Does one of us have a later model? Any info would be greatly appreciated!!
Mike, it sounds like your friend has a 205, although Garmin has been known to change specs mid-production before and that might have happened in this case as well.
Thanks for the quick response Tim. That must be it. We checked the bottom of the Nuvi and it says Nuvi 200 so the change in specs sounds like the answer. Should I return mine to get one like his? I just don’t want to have an older technology if his is better or more up to date.
Mike, you could– although I’m not sure how you would guarantee you would get one of the “newer” models.
It would seem the unit with the micro SD slot would be the newer one, not older.
Tim, We just purchased a Nuvi 200. How do I download a vehicle from the Garmin site onto the Nuvi 200? Can I do so using a SD card, or must I purchase a cable linking the Nuvi to our pc? Thank you.
You need the USB cable.
I purchased a Nuvi 200 from [deleted, see comment policy] on black friday. When I run webupdater it lists update ver 4.60 and a link to additional info. When I click the link it says Nuvi 2×5 (region file only) software version 4.60. Under device information it says:
Device Name: GARMIN (H:\)
Device: nuvi 200
What I would like to know is if this is the correct update for my nuvi?
I recently purchased the Garmin Nuvi 200 and am wondering if the female voice can be changed to a male voice.
Thanks
does the 200 tell you that you will be turning right 1 or 2 miles before the turn right/left 300 feet ahead?
I just used my Nuvi 200 for the first time yesterday. It did get me to a few places I needed to go. The reason I bought this item was because I had gotten directions online to a highschool in Northfield so I could go to my granddaughters band concert which the directions were wrong and I missed the concert due to being lost. So yesterday she had a dance recital at the same highschool so I programed my Nuvi to get me there. I was totally shocked when it wanted me to take the same wrong turn as the internet directions had given me. Thank god I knew where the school was now as I would have been lost again. I am sure I have the most updated map as I did just purchase it.
Sheri, there are only two major digital mapping companies for street in the USA which are used by the GPS companies and online mapping services. They all use one of two companies so it isn’t a surprise the online service you used and your GPS have the same map database with the same errors.
whatI was asking about the 200 was – does it tell you ahead of time that you know to get in the right or left lane
does the 200 tell you 1 or 2 miles ahead of time that you will be making a right 300 feet ahead?
Ok, its me again. I went to register my Nuvi 200 today and it asks for me to hook up to the computer. Do I have to buy the special cord to hook it up. If this cord is needed for registration than why it is not included in the package? Frustrated!
Yes Sheri, you do need the USB cable to complete the online registration.
Sheri, you can use almost any compatible USB cable. I have used both a SONY brand cable that came with a digital camera and also a cable that came with my BlackBerry. You can probably get one online or at a local electronics store for just a few dollars. You don’t need the “Garmin” brand.
kathleen, yes it tells you ahead of time whether you need to stay left or right. Or turn left or turn right.
Tim, I’ve owned a Nuvi 200 for two months now, and I really love the unit. However, I really do hate the Owner’s Manual (lack of). My question is could you explain the difference and use of “Off Road” mode and “Pedestrian” mode? Thanks and this is a really great source of information!
Pedestrian – Creates routes on streets that follows pedestrian rules. (No interstate highways, allows “wrong” way on one-way streets)
Offroad – Straight line between your current location and the destination.
Just for clarification… since I hunt on a huge parcel of land, can this unit be used by hand in the offroad mode to track back to my vehicle after entering forest land on foot without any particular direction or roads?
Jim,
I don’t think the 200 will do this. You’d be better off with an Etrex or other handheld GPS unit.
Jim,
The Nuvi 200 will do point to point in off-road mode. If you want to track back to your vehicle simply save the coordinates of your truck as a favorite before you leave it, change to off-road mode, and then tell it to navigate you back to those coordinates.
It takes awail for the “recalulating, recalulating, recalulating, recalulating,recalulating” Ya I get it, it was a wrong turn, sooooorrry, just figure it out then tell me thanks. lol
Can someone tell me how to change my home location? Thank you!
I have just received a Nuvi 200 as a present. It is a shame that Garmin does not supply a USB cable along with Nuvi 200 and you are expected to buy it separately. I tried the USB cable which came with my Canon Digital Rebel Xsi camera (sold as Canon 450D in Asia) and it is working fine. However, I kept getting error messages continuously, since there was no micro SD card inserted in the slot. I had to insert a micro SD card (even though I don’t need it), just to stop the error messages.
The Nuvi 200 has a picture viewer with slide show capability. It asks if you would like to have a picture displayed at power on. Just to try out this feature, I selected one of the pictures to be shown at power on. Now I can not stop this picture from being displayed at power on. I have deleted the picture from the JPEG folder where I had uploaded it but even that has not stopped the picture being displayed at power on. Obviously, the software has saved a copy of the picture somewhere. Can anyone tell me how to stop this picture from showing up at power on. Thanks in advance.
Sheri, to change your home location, just delete it and then creat a new home location. Click on “Tools”, scroll down, click on “My Data”, click on “Delete Favourite(s)” and then delete your home location. At least, that is how I did it. I don’t know if there is a less round about way of changing the home location. I hope this helps.
Pramod – Thanks for your information. I’ve been advised to remove my home addres for safety reasons, and this is exactly the information I was looking for.
Pramod, Try this, go to picture viewer and select the picture your using for the power on picture. Press the info button. Then deselect the ‘display at power on’ radio button. Hope this helps.
Hi Steve, as I said, I had already deleted the picture in the JPEG folder and so it was no longer being shown in the picture viewer. However, I have solved the problem by doing a hard reset. To do a hard reset, one has to switch off the Nuvi, lightly press the bottom right corner of the touch screen and then switch on th Nuvi while keeping the bottom right corner pressed.
do you think it is possible I could use my beanbag from my garmin 3600 for my nuvi 200
Does anyone know if it’s possible to access maps for South America? I live in Caracas, Venezuela and it’s nearly impossible to find addresses here. I don’t imagine there is anything complex, but if I could use it while traveling in the US and in addition to help navigate at home, that would be great. Thanks…
thinking about getting ths nuvi 200 for my wife but how would this work on a motorcycle also? i see they made a mount for this gps but no one has said how good it will work on a bike?
I JUST BOUGHT GARMIN 200 FOR HUSBAND 4 X-MAS. DOES IT HAVE ANY SPEECH AT ALL (UNDERSTAND NO TXT 2 SPEECH)DOES IT SAY WHERE U ARE GOING, ETC..?
Taz, I’d be extremely cautious about using the Nuvi 200 on a motorcycle. It wasn’t designed to be vibration resistant, is not waterproof, and has an exposed SD card slot where a little moisture or dirt inside could damage it.
Carol,
The 200 series will only announce upcoming turns (left, right, etc.) and will announce when you’ve reached your destination.
steve, Thanks for the info. (hopefully worth getting) thx carol
steve, Thanks for the info. (hopefully worth getting) thx carol r
I want to purchase a GPS for my 19 years old daughter but dont know if I should get the GARMIN Nuvi 200 or the TOMTOM One 3rd edition. I want the easiest one to use for the MD, PA, DC AND VA area. In tyring to read up on both I get different reviews both positive and nrgative.
Thanks forbyour help
There are some places in and around my city which are not included in the Garmin map in my Nuvi 200. So, obviously, the Nuvi can not guide me to these places unless I first go to these places and save their locations in “Favourites”. My question is, when I drive to one of these locations for the first time (starting from my home location), can I save the route traversed by me without having to save the locations of several way points? Thanks in advance.
what do you know about a Lowrance GPS XOG is that better than the garmim nuvi 200 this one said its weatherproof and they make a motorcycle mount fot this one
Pramod, no, the Nuvi 200 doesn’t have Multi Destination Routing.
Taz – I use my Nuvi 200 with the Ram Mount on my Goldwing and have not had a problem with it. If I see that it might get wet I have covered it with a ziplock bag to keep the water off of it. If it is really wet, I just remove it and put it in my pocket.
That last line should have read “havn’t” tried that as of yet. Opps
Concerning differences between different low end GPS units (Garmin 200, TomTom, Magellan), I’ve played with all three and prefer the Garmin. All three are similar in operation but I found the Garmin’s interface a bit more user friendly (which may be good for a 19 year old). One other freature I really like about the Garmin that I didn’t see in the other two was the auto on / auto off feature when plugged into a switched 12volt car outlet. The other two have auto off but no auto on.
I bought a NUVI200 on black friday it could not find my house or any addresses on County roads which makes it useless. WMT has it back. No more Garmin products for me!
I just bought the Garmnin 200 and the Garmin 205. Is there much difference in the two, and which is the better buy?
Marla, the 205 is slightly newer and has a few nice interface improvements.
I just got the Garmin Nuvi200 as a present. A couple of questions: 1. How do you set it to be in pedestrian mode or is that not possible? 2. Can you download international maps to the device?
Thank you!
Nina, you can choose from any of the following three modes: “Automobile”, “Bicycle” and “Pedestrian”. Here’s how to do it.
Click on “Tools”, “Settings”, “System”, “Usage Mode”, then select from the three options and click on “OK”. Actually, you don’t click, but tap.
Nina,
For international maps I suspect you would need to buy the SD (or micro SD) card that has these maps on them since I doubt if the original 200 has enough memory for both North America and International maps. I have the 270 which has European maps but it has a lot more memory than the 200.
My wife gave me Nuvi 200 and it seems to work fine. But..with in programmed for home, when approach goin south it carries me a mile south of my road tells me to take a right, carries me to the back of a subdivision, turns me around carries me back to the main road tells me to take a left and then carries me home. I know how to get home but it leads me thinking if it missed this what else will it miss. Other than that it seems to work fine other than not showing rivers and such. Yes I do have it on 3D and Most. Thanks,
I just got my Garmin 200 touchscreen, hooked it up and worked great, but now it says that “No detailed maps found that support routing. The nuvi cannot be used without them.” What does this mean and how can i fix it? I got it as a birthday present and I do not want to disappoint the person that got it for me. Any help is great. thanks
Donny, please go to Tools, Settings, Navigation, Avoidances and uncheck all the options. See if that helps. Sometimes, the Nuvi takes a circuitous route in order to avoid traffic, U-turns etc. if your settings want it to avoid these.
The novi 200 couldn’t locate ANY address on Any County road. Returned it. Got a new TT One 125 for less online, it does what they should,FINDS ADDRESSES!
Kris, do you have the maps enabled in tools-> settings-> map-> map info?
Hi I just got my 200. Coming home my the 200 tells me to turn right but my home is to to the left. There is no road to left only a parking lot.
Thanks tried cutting off the options you suggested…it worked. Thanks
i brought a gramin gps in usa now i am in australia how can i make it use in australia
Promod, you will need to buy a map of Australia from Garmin (or their dealers) and load it into your GPS.
i buy the garmin 200 in us and use in canada(toronto). I find i cannot use the machine because when i input the state/provine name, the machine tells me that it cannot be matched. it seems i buy a trouble.
it would great if it worked. I used it once and then all I can get out of it is”No detailed maps found that support routing. The nuvi cannot be used without them.” It’s impossible to get past that page. I looked all over the web and found no real help except that a lot of other people have this people who can’t solve it either. It’s totally useless. I’ll call customer support when they open but I don’t have much confidence in a product that breaks during the first use.
OK, still the same problem. I just saw what you said about the same problem with Kris. Duh, I should have read that first but there is a like a million questions in here. The map info button on the map page is not enabled, not highlighted and I can’t click on it. Now what?
Carl…did you get it fixed..the same thing happend to me..what did you do?
I just received a Nuvi 200 as a gift. It says Nuvi 200 on it and the manual is for a 200 but the screen has many of the features of the 205.
It has the turn arrow in the upper left and the typing keys look like the 205. It does not have all the features of the 205. The speed limit is not shown for instance. I believe it was purchased at [deleted]. Have you seen this?
Well,
I just spoke to Garmin, and the latest Nuvi 200 does have a screen like a 205 and works like a 205. It will accept more than one via point.
It does not have some of the functions of the 205. I want to buy one for a gift, but I don’t want the older version, so I think I will buy the 205 to be sure.
BUYER BEWARE! Just a word of caution to Garmin owners… we received a new Garmin Nuvi 200 GPS System and it appears to have caught fire or burned from the INSIDE of the box! Part of the charge cord was melted as well as some of the individual plastic wrapping… the inside of the box has burn marks. From the outside, the box looks completely normal so it appears the item burned or caught fire while inside the box and obviously while not in use. I’m taking this one back to the store but PLEASE if you have a Garmin GPS system at least keep it unplugged when not in use!
Got a Nuvi 200 for Christmas. I need to get the cables to plug in to the USB on my computer, along with the AC power cord for charging atr home from a wall outlet. Without plugging in to the computer, I can not get the unit registered online with GARMIN.
Recommendations?
Do you have a digital camera? Any other usb device? I used my camera usb cable to register it.
Hello, I bought a GARMIN nuvi 200 for my husband and we can’t find a way to use it without having it plugged to the lighter in our car. It works perfectly but don’t know how to use it with the battery only. Any advice on how to do it?
Thanks.
My dad just got one of these for Christmas from his stepdaughter, I think he wanted one like my map76, to use outdoors. Is this capable of that kind of navigating or should he try to swap it at the store? Thank you
liao – Nuvi 200 models sold in the USA do not have maps of Canada.
Dave – The cable is a USB to mini USB cable.
Dennise – How much of a charge is the battery showing? When charged it should work fine without the accessory power.
Dale – Swap it. The Nuvi will not do that type of navigation.
Bought 2 for Christmas, one for my quad and placed in a aqua ram-mount, the other was put in my work truck. I deleted all the non-english files (voices & text files) and downloaded a topo map of colorado and 4 other states topos. For a cheap gps it rocks!
I just bought a garmin 200 and was wondering if it shows how many miles you went or how many miles to your destination?
Yes, tap the button on the lower left of the map view to see a trip odometer (you can reset it). Click the top green bar (next turn) and then the ‘Show Map’ button to view the miles to the destination.
I purchased a refurbished Garmin Nuvi 200 and I was trying to register it and kept getting an error that there was not enough memory. I purchased a 2GB Memory Card and inserted it into the Garmin, but I still get the same error and I can’t see once the unit is plugged intoa computer that the card is being recognized. What am I doing wrong?
Getting a memory error while just trying to register is very odd. The memory card won’t make any difference. Were you trying to update the maps while getting the error message? You might need to ask Garmin support on that question.
Chris,
You don’t need an extra memory card for registering your Nuvi 200. Your problem is that your Nuvi is not being recognised by your computer. There could be a problem with the USB cable or with the USB port of your computer. Try connecting your Nuvi to some other computer and see if it is recognised. Are you using the USB cable supplied by Garmin or some other USB cable?
Thanks for your reply.
I completely understand that I should not need memory to register, but the problem that I encounter is that the Garmin website insist on updating the software on the unit before completing the registration.
I have connected the Nuvi to two computers and tried two different memory cards only to find out that the increased memory is not being recongized. From my Windows XP “My Computer” screen I right click on the Garmin Nuvi removeable drive and look at properties and I can see that with 3 vehicles, no pictures and only the lower 48 preloaded map that the memory is maxed out. I purchased a Garmin USB cable and know that it at least partially works as I can download different vehicles to the Nuvi. I don’t know enough to randomly delete files and free up space and by process of elimination would you say there is something wrong with the memory card slot or am I doing something incorrectly?
Thanks again,
Chris
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the memory slot– that just isn’t what it is used for. The software Garmin is trying to update can only go into the device’s internal memory, not on a memory card. So even if it sees the memory card it will still complain that there isn’t enough (internal) memory. My guess is that the additional vehicle icons are the culprit. I’d delete those vehicle icons and try again. Otherwise Garmin support can likely give you a hand.
Tim (or anyone else who has info on this):
Happy 2009! Question: Will the new 24K topo maps SD cards (eg, California/Nevada) that are now available for purchase on the Garmin website work in a nuvi 200? I received a brand new nuvi 200 for Christmas a few days ago, and I am interested in using the 24K topo maps. I read a previous post from someone saying that they use the US topo (100,000 scale) SD card in their nuvi 200 and it works great. Yes, I know all about the pricier, waterproof Oregon series of GPS units and how great they are with the 24k maps, but if the 24k topo SD cards work in the nuvi 200, then I won’t look at buying an Oregon…..all I would buy is the 24k topo card for my nuvi (if it would work, that is). If the US topo SD card works, I would imagine that the 24k SD card would also work. And what about the terrain shading? Would that show up on the nuvi 200 like it does on the nuvi 500 or the Oregon series? Thanks in advance for any responses to my inquiry.
They will work, but no shading as far as I know. Plus, if you are going to spend the cash on the maps I’d get an inexpensive handheld to put them on. With an open SD card slot just a few bits of moisture or dust inside and your Nuvi could be toast.
Thanks Tim.
How about the nuvi 205? I read somewhere that it has terrain shading. So would the 24k topo with terrain shading work on a 205?
Thanks Tim. (my reply in the box above didn’t show a clickable “reply”, so I thought I should repost in this box with my followup question):
Regarding terrain shading, how about the nuvi 205? I read somewhere that it comes with terrain shading. So would the 24k topo with terrain shading work on a 205? Thanks.
Just bought a nuvi 200 after reading up on my second choice the tomtom 125. on their website they have the tutorial for Mapsource and i liked it, at the same time i seem not to be able to find Mapsource, unless i buy a $99 Map, which i don’t need. Garmin Support wrote me back and advised me for a $15.00 CD plus SH, but i still cannot find it. Don’t even know if Mapsource works with Nuvi200. Secondly, my unit has the MicroSD slot and i have a card in it, but the owner manual does not go into on how to save routes on it. any ideas?
The Nuvi 200 series doesn’t suppor saved routes, so MapSource really doesn’t work with this Nuvi and you can’t save routes to the MicroSD memory.
so what is the SD card useful for? only to buy and install maps?
Pretty much.
concerning the usb cable, i found out that my Motorola Wall charger (usb) works just fine. Also bought an Adesso Pad and this usb cable works as well.
I am a directional idiot I want type in a name of a place in Indiana and have it get me there will the Garmin 200 NUVI do that?
Depending on exactly what you mean by “type in a name of a place”, yes, it will do that. You can enter addresses or search for businesses and it will guide you there.
can you search for intersections? and how is that done?
Ernie – Yes. Where to –> Intersections.
I tried to register my Nuvi 200 online at garmin.com and I don’t see the option for Nuvis. It just says GMX, GNC, GNS etc….
Help?
My Nuvi 200 only shows water, rivers, lakes, etc. only along major interstates and cities. Is this normal for the 200?
Yes, that is normal.
I have a Garmin nuvi 200w and I do like it. However I went on line and saw that I had a free down load for North America. I did down load the the file which took 15 + hours to do. It was 2.4 GB and the 200 only has room for 1GB +. When I tryed to load it I was told I did not have enough space. I bought an 8GB SD card thinking it would enable me to down load. Not working. Will it work?? Any way Thanks for the information.
Richard
You can fit it all in the internal memory. It won’t take the entire 2.4 GB of space on the Nuvi. Did you add any extra voices, pictures, or vehicle icons? Garmin support can also assist you loading the map.
Thanks for the info I will try again.
Happy New Year
Richard
Tim Thank you very much, this was the information I was looking for. Every thing is in place now and working.
So once again thank you
Richard
Hi, I love offroading with friends and iv’e been invited to join a group of offroaders in baja mexico. I want my nuvi 200 to remeber the routes it travels, is it my imagination or do some GPS do that, if there are, any recomendations?
Thanx.
The Nuvi 200 will not remember routes (aka tracks) taken and I’m pretty sure the other Nuvi series won’t as well. You will need one of the handheld eTrex series from Garmin or others to do that. Most come with mounts for bikes, etc.
I just purchased a Nuvi 765T. It does tracks!
And to show pictures if you put them on an SD card.
Are you able to download upgrades to the Nuvi 200w?
Yes, through the Garmin WebUpdater software.
i used my nuvi 200 today. on the garmin site it says it featured trun bu turn voice directions. but i didnt get any when using it? why? if it says it has this feature on the site how do i make it work?
Is the volume on? Is there a voice selected?
Make sure your sound isn’t on “mute” and that the volume is high enough to hear. Also, remember that the Nuvi 200 only says things like “turn right” or “turn left” when you have a route programmed in. It does not say, for example, “turn left on Main Street”.
I ordered a USB cable for my NUVI 200, but cannot find a place to connect it. I can only find a card slot. How do I connect to my PC?
The mini USB port is on the back (flat part) of the device.
I just recently purchased this, and Im loving it, [deleted]
Hi, I have a Nuvi 200 bought in S Africa and have recently moved to Zambia for a 6 mth stint. Sadly my unit does not have Zambia maps – it stops at Zimbabwe! I cannot find anywhere to purchase the maps I need and then download them – there is no point in trying to purchase a CD/DVD to be delivered by mail as I will probably be gone before it arrives!
Your suggestions would be welcome.
On my nuvi 200 I keyed in 2733 papermill road
Wyomissing Pa and
2099 Paper Mill Road came up
Why?
There are two reasons why that might happen. (1) The road database thinks that the street only goes up as high as 2099 for that road, and therefore is offering up the closest match. (2) The 2733 section might exist in a different town. (For example other devices think that street number is actually within Reading.) I suspect if you use Reading instead of Wyomissing it will accept the address.
Thank Tim
I keyed in Reading PA and it came up.
Why don’t you write a manual for the nuvi 200
You are so knowledgeable.
Kathleen
Hi all. Let me bring some light over the “Intersection” capability on the NUVI 200. That option as well as the “Cities” search are not included by default (at least in mine was not). But, you can have it by downloading the last firmware from garmin webpage. I did it on my gps and now the option is there, even the page doesn’t say that option will be added.
Hope that clarify and help.
See you, Sebastian from Argentina.
When I went to register my nuvi 200 it said that I have to download the garmin communicator plugin to complete my registration- should I do this?
I get a little nervous with this technical stuff.
Kathleen
Yes, you should. That is the way to check for updates, new maps, etc.
Apparently the Nuvi 200 is designed for cyclists. Or maybe elderly pedestrians. It’s certainly way too slow recalculating to be useful in a car traveling in any inner city. Why does this device need 30 seconds to recalculate something it already calculated a minute ago? When driving in urban areas you can pass a couple of blocks in that time, which means that the device ends up recalculating again and again and again because it is too slow to keep up with the driver’s actions. The result is a stream of gibberish directions that’ll get somebody lost or hurt.
I’ll save my Nuvi for use in the Sahara desert. Maybe the road network there won’t overwhelm it.
what if this unit is stolen . any way to track it from the seril number / garnin nuv1 200 / or address put in to it , or any kind of info .
I got a Nuvi 200 for Christmas..it worked great until the other night when the voice would not stop saying recalculating..I never even put in a destination. It then came up with a bunch of dots that told me to press them to recalibrate…finally the screen said. \No maps. Garmin Nuvi cannot function with out Maps\ My question where did they go and will reseting the nuvi bring it all back
The letter i is now a. How do i fix this.
I have 2 Nuvi 200 one widscreen (love it). I wanted to down load snowmobile trails to it I have not figured out how to do this on the unit or on the SD card. I actually see it on the sd card just can figure out how to see them on the gps screen?
Since Garmin doesn’t directly support third party maps, your best bet is to ask the place where you got the maps from. But I suspect you might be able to activate them in Tools -> Settings -> Map -> Map Info, if the maps are correctly installed.
Thanks I will see if not it’s back to paper. I wasn’t sure if it would load non road items anyway. So I understand correctly the SD card then is for what use?
Thanks, I was not sure it would take soemthing that was not roads anyway. I am still not sure what you do with the SD card or even how you access it once in the garmin?
After I register my nuvi 200 are there any downloads that I should do. If so what site do I go to in order to download and will those downloads be listed?
Kathleen
I see that you can buy the City Navigator Europe maps in either DVD or microSD form. Are there any pros or cons as to which item to go with? And what is the latest release?
The SD card is perhaps more convenient as you can just pop it in while the DVD requites the maps be installed. However you can purchase an “update” for the DVD while you can’t for the SD card version. Also you can install the maps on your computer with the DVD version, but not on the SD card version. That advantage isn’t as great with the Nuvi 200 series however as they don’t support saved routes.
HELP! I have programmed in my work address yadda yadda and it is clear to click on my home address. How to you pull up your saved adressess. I also have a Magelan and it has “saved addresses” Anyone Know???
Find the address, and then instead of clicking the big ‘GO’ button, there is a ’save’ button you can tap to save the location. Then you can quickly recall it from the ‘Favorites’ section.
I just purchased the Garmin nuvi 200 while in the USA for a road trip. It worked like a charm and saved our holiday by taking away any concerns of getting lost. When we returned to Canada I found that the N. American maps contained no detail for navigating. Can I download the updates from the net? I have a Blackberry cable. Thanks for the help.
Lance February 7, 2009
You can purchase the maps on SD card and add the card to your GPS. The part number is 010-10966-00 and the MSRP price is $60.
can you input longitude and latitiude for geocaching on the 200W?
I feel the Nuvi series, especially the 200, is not useful for geochaching because you cannot enter longitude and latitude, at least I’ve never been able to figure out a way to do this. For geocaching it is best to have a handheld unit such as the eTrex models or better.
It’s easy to enter coordinates into the Nuvi 200. Simply go to \Where to?\, then \Coordinates. (Page 11 in the owner’s manual)
I purchased a nuvi 200W a few months back. I love it and it is everything I expected for the price I paid. The only problems is when I plug into either AC or DC for charging, the screen will not operate until it is unplugged. I do not see this problem experienced in any of the reviews. Any advice would be helpful.
Carroll, see : Help! My GPS is in USB Mode! That might apply to your situation.
Thanks for the info, Tim. That helped on part of the problem. I am now only having problems when it is attached ot the AC charger. Can find no fuse in the line. But DC attachment is good. Thanks, again.
I bought a garmin 200 for my husband for xmas ‘07. It doesn’t stay charged, keeps turning off. I have left it in the car unplugged & have now left it plugged in for 2 weeks & still doesn’t stay on. What can I do about this???
If you know the power port is working fine, you should probably contact Garmin support.
Has anyone had problems registering their nuvi 200? When I put in my serial number and click “Find device”, nothing comes up! What should I do? (received as a birthday gift, purchased from [deleted]). Thanks.
Do you have the Garmin Communicator plugin installed? http://www8.garmin.com/products/communicator/test/
I purchased a Nuvi 200 from a girl in Ohio, I live in DC. I tried to get it to locate my current address, but it is still stuck on the last address in Ohio. Is anyone aware of how to make it switch? It says it’s acquiring satellites. After it does that for a while, it asks if I want it to continue searching!
Does anyone know what I should do? Thanks!
Zaina
Until you wait for it to get a signal, it will appear to be “stuck”. Is the device outside with an unobstructed sky view for at least 30-45 minutes?
Yes, and it still does not allow me past “find device”.
I am going to be in the US only for about a year. I want to buy a GPS and take it with me to India once I return. What should I look for to find out if the GPS i’m interested in will be compatible with maps in india??
Can I also not over-write the existing US maps and just add additional maps to it?
Almost got one today due to a new job concerning alot of drive time (frustrating) but considered it best to avoid impulses and check things out first. At one store, they were selling the 200 for an extremely reasonable price, at another well known store – which I figured would have a better deal – they didn’t carry the 200 saying it was “obsolete” having the 205’s for considerably more giving every excuse possible to purchase it instead of the 200.
Only negative thing that echos here is that the 205 picks up satellite faster. Is this true or not and does it really matter? Am getting one either way but would like to know what makes the 205 so special that one could almost buy 2 200’s with the same amount of money.
^Sorry, but I’d also like to know why they called the 200 “Obsolete” other than a sales pitch when it’s obviously not having scanned this site and a few others.
Technically the 200 is Discontinued, but to call it obsolete is perhaps a bit misleading. I wouldn’t say the 205 is considerably faster getting a satellite signal. I’d save the cash and go with the 200, with the most attractive features of the 2×5 (for me anyway) being the “next turn arrow” and the compatibility with traffic receivers.
Thanks for the prompt reply and info. The 205 is on sale at the expensive store for 30 dollars more than the 200 at the other one from now till next Sunday. Not much decision anymore though something I think they were lying about was that the 200 didn’t come with a current map and that it wouuld cost $70 or so to bring it up to speed.
Having read most of the posts on this site those updates should be free for one year right?
If they try to tell you it won’t come with a current map, or if they try to tell you that a required SD card is not included — run the other way, it is a well known scam. If the price seems too good to be true, it is. If you don’t agree to their scam and just try to buy the device it will suddenly (and forever) go on backorder.
My Garmin Nuvi 200 displays a black screen with the Garmin logo and an icon of a computer with a USB cable plugged into a garmin device. This happens when I plug my Garmin into my USB cable in my car. It works fine on the battery power. What’s wrong? Thanks for your help.
Adi – See Help! My GPS is in USB Mode!.
I have purchased a total of 4 Nuvi 200’s, one for my car (96 Mustang Cobra), one for my wife’s SUV (2000 Expedition), one for my sisters 05 Mustang and one for my inlaws 07 Escape, when I turn off either my Cobra or the Expedition the Nuvi turns off automatically after 30 seconds, but this does not happen in my sister’s or inlaw’s cars, I’ve gone through all the functions that I can think of to see if this is a setting issue or something else. Does anyone know whay this “auto-off” works on 2 of our cars, but doesn’t work on the other 2?
Some vehicles send power to the accessory port when the car is off, some don’t. Perhaps that is the difference?
Tim, I wish the fix was that easy, I should have mentioned that I have installed all 4 Nuvi’s with hardwire kits that are wired to circuits that have 12v power only when the ignition is on and no power when the ignition is off.
I am thinking about purchasing a Garmin Nuvi 200, but before I do I had a few questions/concerns.
1. Does Garmin charge a fee to update the maps every year?
2. I am a little confused about the advanced planning feature. Does the nuvi 200 have it and is it use friendly?
3. How well does it function as a handheld GPS when on foot?
4. I read that the nuvi 200 does NOT save routes, but can it save addresses/destinations?
Thanks for the help.
1. Garmin does charge a fee to update the maps.
2. I’m not sure what advanced planning is and have not used it
3. It’s okay as a handheld in a city or town but not great off-road.
4. You can save addresses and such and can then route to these saved destinations or route to points of interest (stores, museums, etc.).
Following up on my previous questions:
1. By advanced planning, I mean the ability to plot a route from destination A to destination B even though the GPS is located at destination C. In other words, does it have the capability to plan a route without actually being on the route yet?
2. How much does it cost to update the maps from year to year? Is it even necessary?
3. How well does the speedometer feature work? (My car speedometer is a little nutty so this is kind of important)
Thanks again.
1. I don’t know if the nuvi200 can do advanced planning plus I’m not sure why you would want it. Where you are is where you are. What benefit does routing between destinations you are not at? However, I know that Mapquest app on a PC can do this.
2. I haven’t done it but I think it’s near $100 to update. Check on the Garmin web site to get actual costs.
3. The speedometer feature is pretty accurate. I’ve noticed that it is slightly below (by about 2-3 MPH) what my car speedometer states and wonder who’s at fault.
1) This was in my other answer, it doesn’t really have that feature but it can be done using the method I described in the Offset Routing link.
2) Answered above.
3) It is reasonably accurate, but given the limitations of GPS accuracy in general it isn’t uncommon to see things like a ‘Max Speed’ of 500 mph. Most of the time it is fairly accurate.
1) You can purchase an individual map update for about $70, or their “lifetime maps” subscription for about $120.
2) If you are talking about Multi Destination Routing, no. If you are talking about Offset Starting Locations, it doesn’t have that either but can be tricked into doing so.
3) It can be set into a mode to route on streets based on pedestrian rules (like allowing both directions on a two way street) but it won’t do you much good in a hiking/trails situation.
4) Yes.
Hi
I have just received a nuvi 205 to guide me around the UAE.
It has changed the the amount of time i spend going from one state to the next.would you advise an update now or later because there are a few roads that it does not recognize.
where can i get an update
I used a Noki GPS system on my trip last week and it was AMAZING! My friend told me he got it on sale for $100. And that would be all I needed.
I am looking at purchasing any GPS system (although I have found this one with good ratings).
Features I am looking for:
-Favorites
-Estimated time to arrival/destination
-It will show turn direction before I get there so I know
(If I have 2 miles before my next turn, I will know my turn will be a right before I get within 500 feet)
-A GPS where I won’t have to constantly download maps (rarely ever)
-A GPS I can just put in my car to use, no need to plug it in to my computer for other things)
-It will display (or speak) the road that I will turn right on “in 500 feet” for an example.
Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
~Adam
Also the POI. Can the 200 search the nearest POIs sorted by categories (or all) and then by distance closest to my position.
Thanks
~Adam
Adam,
The nuvi 200 series does all that you requested. It even has POIs listed by nearest to farthest within a certain range. The POI list is a bit outdated so you might want to look at the newer 205 or the even newer 1200 which should have more up-to-date maps as well.
Thank you Steve. I went to [deleted] and took a look at some. I decided I need to have a 4.3″ screen minimum as well. I am looking at the nuvi 760. It has the display, but some reviews say the voice is out of sink with the display, and the FM transmitter isn’t very functionable.
So same criteria as last time… I don’t care about BlueTooth or the LiveTraffic or the FM radio… would you get the nuvi 760 for about [deleted] or a TomTom or?
Thanks
~Adam
Adam,
I don’t know much about the 760 series or the TomTom products. You might see if there is a gpsreview.net/garmin-nuvi-760 site where these items are reviewed.
Also, please remember not to post prices on this site.
just purchased a nuvi 205w on saturday. while playing with it sunday, i was able to pull up a screen that showed me speed limit and if i wanted to set some type of alert if i went too fast over that limit. where can i find that?
Hi all
talking about motorcycles…I know that the 200 ISN’T for motorcycle use – but by putting the unit in the map pouch of the tank bag the unit will be a) visible b) waterproof and c) isolated from vibrations! winner!
One problem…I need WAY WAY WAY more than the 4 hour battery life…and the ca charger is useless. I need a hook up to the battery terminals – any hints?
Thanks – Stuart, UK
I have a razor cell phone and the wall charger that came with it fits the gps unit. It charges pretty quickly.
Nice. I don’t have a wall on my motorcycle – or be in the region of any wall plugs in the tent by the side of the road
I just purchased the nuvi 200 and wondered if they have lake maps available for it.
Garmin does offer some lake maps, however I personally wouldn’t add them to that device as it isn’t water-resistant and not really designed for that type of use. For the price of the maps and a protective case you might as well get a handheld GPS with the maps you need, IMHO.
My Garmin Nuvi also keeps turning off- as though it won’t hold a charge.
It is new and there’s no reason this should be happening. Can anyone help?
The wait time for customer service is 30 mins. Ugh.
How long was it charged for and how long is the charge holding?
I am a GPS dummy looking to purchase a GPS for my 3 children as a gift. I do not even know where to begin.I have already spent hours reading descriptions and reviews and am more confused now than ever.I am looking for a GPS with current maps for the US as well as Canada.I am willing to spend about $200.00 or less Can someone at least guide me???
Jean, well the 200 doesn’t come with maps of Canada. Move up to the Garmin Nuvi 250 instead to get both the USA and Canada. That would be a good pick.
Hi guys
Im struggling to find out where to update the maps for my garmin nuvi 200. I have installed the plug in and the webupdater but i do not get the option to update my maps.
If someone can please post the link to the down-loadable maps, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Luke, you can find out if you have updates available and get those updates from my.garmin.com
Can you pre-plan a route on a PC and then download to a Nuvi 200? I ride a MC and we always take the back scenic roads.
No, the Nuvi 200 doesn’t support Multi Destination Routings.
I am not trying to set way points but to pick the roads I want to drive to a single destination instead of the GPS picking the route for me.
But to pick the route you want you would need to set a Waypoint (aka via point, see definition) into the route. The Nuvi 200 doesn’t support Multi Destination Routing as you can only add a single waypoint to the route. To “pick the roads you want to drive” you need to specify where you want the route to go. If you need more than one via point (aka waypoint) to do that, then your device doesn’t support that function. You would need the 500 series or greater to get that option.
I love my X-Mas gift Garmin. I find myself using it even if I don’t need to. I just like to play with it. You know that novalty thing. But I do have one gripe. It is trying to enter interstate, state or U.S Highways. Most of which have local names, as in Detroit I-75 is Chrysler I-94 is Edsel Ford and U.S. 10 is John C. Lodge. This is fine for local driving, but no matter how I enter the numbers (I-75) or spelling it out the search cannot locate them. Anyone know the trick?
I have the Nuvi 200 that I received as a gift at Christmas. I have used it on day trips to various locations but used it for my first long road trip last week and ran into something that was REALLY a problem for me. I plugged in my destination and it gave me an arrival time on the bottom right hand corner of the screen – so far so good. However as I progressed and planned my gas stops – I was in a rental car and going through desolate places in Utah, Nevada, traveling at night, so needed to know mileage to locations. Discovered that the mileage shown must be “as the bird flies” NOT actual road mileage. I double checked by tracking my odometer and comparing to road signs then to “miles to destination” on GARMIN. Road signs and my odometer matched perfectly, but my Garmin always said I had traveled less miles. Sounds confusing, but here’s an example. I traveled 685 miles from my home, confirmed by my odometer. Garmin said it was only 429 miles to my home even though I had followed the EXACT route set by the Garmin. Difference makes sense only if Garmin is not tracking miles by road but by shortest possible distance by air. I had to travel through and around mountain passes which of course is not the same as a direct air distance. I went through everything on menu and could find no way to change. I almost ran out of gas because I was looking at the miles to destination on my Garmin, which was WAY off from actual driving miles. Is there something wrong with my Garmin or is that the way its designed?
The ‘distance remaining’ field is accurate for the route set, not “as the bird flies”. You must be looking at a different field, perhaps through a ‘recently found’ or poi list where they list it in straight line distances. But the distance remaining field is accurate for the route.
I have this particular model, and I will have to say, I think my older street pilot I2 was more accurate.
The oddest thing about this model is that it will wait until I am practically on the turn before it will “wake up” and say turn left.
If the streets are faily close, say half a block, it is useless, generally telling me to turn about 1 second after I pass the street. It’s been frustrating. I’ve tried resetting it, downloading the latest updates, etc., and now it’s time to pitch it on e-bay, as it is just too slow and insensitive to use.
I have heard good things about the tom tom, and I think I am going to find a basic unit. I don’t need a lot of features, have not need for mp3 players and the like (that’s what the ipod is for), so, unless I am completely off base here, I think the One is enough for me. Also, my wife would like to have Patrick Stewart’s voice telling me when to turn…
Anyway, I say nay nay if you are looking at the Garmin Nuvi 200. Waste of money.
You must have a lemon, My nuvi is dead on balls accurate and provides the turn in plenty of time.
I have used my garmin nuvi 200 close to home in nortwest indiana and it works most of the time. it seems to have trouble finding the satalite alot. I used it in santa ana california with some success. i ll say when its working its great but in tustin california and santa ana, it can’t find the satalite 80% of the time so i reverted to map quest. it restricted my travel quite a bit. so i dont really know if the receiver is bad or there really is no satalite. i tried it at home and all 5 bars lit up, most of the time i can only get one or two bars to light up and thats outside the car. it shure would be nice if they had better receivers or a way to put an antenna on it. i think i,m going back to maps because when your out in the boonies somewhere and you lose the satalite your lost.
Anythony, see our Acquiring Satellites Tips page. You shouldn’t have any trouble based on location– the GPS network of satellites covers the entire world equally, although things like tall buildings can block the signal.
i sent a message on march 24 but no response and i see that others have had responses. does anyone know how i can get to that screen?
just purchased a nuvi 205w on saturday. while playing with it sunday, i was able to pull up a screen that showed me speed limit and if i wanted to set some type of alert if i went too fast over that limit. where can i find that?
I used my sisters Garmin nuvi 265WT this weekend and thought it was great. Could I get by with one of the cheaper 200 series units? If the cheaper ones have the same graphics and will direct me from point A to B in the same manner, I don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles. What one would you recommend?
I just downloaded the NT 2010.10 maps. There is not enough room to add the Lower 49 States + Puerto Rico even after removing voice files, etc. I’ve confirmed this with Garmin support.
He said this is a problem with the older devices, including non-discontinued models such as the 205. They don’t have enough room and the new maps are just too big to fit.
He said it gave me a choice to load just part of the US, such as the West half. When I planned to travel on the East coast, I could then reload my Nuvi with just the Eastern maps. My other choice, he said, was to buy a lifetime map for $119 and add the entire map to my SD card and use that.
This kinda sucks as I got the Nuvi 200W for travel between the West Coast and the East Coast.
Hi, I have a problem with my nuvi. When it is charging, i can’t seem to ever turn it on. If I unplug it, it will turn on but it will still need to be charged. Anyone have any ideas?
Mine is doing something similar, the place where the charge cable plugs into is loose and now it can’t charge because it keeps disconnecting as it wiggles. Sending it to Garmin for repair, I only bought mine last August but mine gets lots of wear and tear cuz I drive a taxi.
I dont think anything is loose on mine. I have only had it since christmas, and have only used it maybe 5 times so far. I’m not really sure what to do…
I had to send mine in to Garmin for repair (they actually replaced it with a refurbished unit). The USB port had come loose from the circuit board inside. Since they are surface mounted, I wasn’t going to mess around with trying to solder it on myself. I think that the USB/power port mounted on the back of the unit is a poor design. It was definitely better as part of the mount, I’m not sure why Garmin thought it would be an improvement to move it directly to the unit with no strain relief for the cord. Well, now I know and I’ll treat it gently!
Make sure you are using the Garmin car adapter and not one for a cell phone or something like that. Some adapters for other devices fool the GPS into thinking it’s plugged into a computer and it goes into a non-functional mode waiting for computer communications.
Charging question; has anyone used the AC cell phone charger to charge the Garmin? My Verizon Razor phone AC charger has the same \plug in\ configuration for the car charger and also the USB cable. Will it work?
Rick, some phone chargers might work, however many will just throw the GPS into USB Mode.
Thanks Tim. I did experiment with small doses of AC phone charger on the
Garmin, and although it did display the USB mode logo it did seem to charge the unit. I hesitated to to a multi hour charge attempt for fear that it could damage the circuitry. But what the hay; I’ll give it a try. The worst that can happen is fried Garmin. Then I’d upgrade to newer model but I do like my 200.
Is there any way to make your own customized vehicle for use on the NUVI 200? Say, for example, you’d like the ‘vehicle’ to be the logo of your favorite sports team. Can you do this?
Chris, see this thread: Alternate Blue Arrow vehicle icons
I own 2 Garmin Nuvi 200’s can I update both with one map update CD?
Technically you can– but you need purchase a seperate license code for each device (they get locked to the device) so you might as well buy a second one and get the second CD.
My nuvi200 shuts down every time is working with the USB cable. The only way to make it work is charging the battery, but once the battery runs out I get lost. Anybody with a similar situation? Help.. !!!!
I have the same problem with my nuvi 360. If it is plugged into the cig lighter (or with a 110 converter to USB power supply, the nuvi loads the maps, gives the warning, then after I “agree,” it goes into charge mode — even if the battery is fully charged. I plan to update the nuvi software and see if that makes a difference. Please post a follow up if you found a solution.
Is it possible to get US speed camera downloads for my Nuvi200? Bought in April I’m frustrated that it has been discontinued! And Garmin does not have a download to give me this function.
Re: Nuvi 200W about 2 years old. Going to England and Scotland soon and attempting to purchase maps on one of those micro cards and presumed I would have no problem but, will I? If I get one that covers all of Europe do I end up with some sort of space problem? And they talk of computer downloads but I have no download ability I do not think…should I order item that will allow me to download and thus increase usefullness of my Garmin?
I am looking to buy a GPS, my first one. I am 16, would the Nuvi 200 be a good start for me? I will mainly be using it to go to college within the next couple years. Also, do you recommend purchasing this unit, it is a factory refurbished by Garmin of off ebay for say, 10% of original price? The seller has 99% positive feedback and it comes preloaded with 2009 maps. Is this a wise investment?
The Nuvi 200 is probably fine for you– however Garmin may not warranty purchases from eBay. See their statement on it here.
TWO BIRDS< ONE STONE??? I boat on Lake Erie and have a Loran C for navigation. Uncle “Bama wants to turn off Loran—all eggs to go in the GPS basket. SOOOOO, can I use one of these Nuvi’s on my boat as well as in the ground-based vehicle??? Lakes and waterways maps??? Or can I at least get LatLon coordinates didplayed and entered the same way?? (The walleye otherwise have unlisted addresses, you see)J
I wouldn’t take a Nuvi 200 near a boat. (Or most other Nuvi models for that matter.) The marine maps are expensive, and the device is not water resistant. With an open SD card slot, just a bit of moisture inside could trash it. If you really want a single device as opposed to two devices (one designed for each task) then consider the Garmin Nuvi 500 series which are waterproof.
Tim—thanks–you can tell I haven’t bothered to do much research on GPS—true “marine” models go for four figures and so I hadn’t bothered to look around much.
Tim, I have had my Nuvi 200 since 2007. I take it with me on all my travels within the USA. I recently purchased the Lifetime Maps updates and am unable to load all the NA maps. I know the -200 has only 1MB of internal and will only update the lower 48, but the only option I get for map updates are: East, West; 48+PR SE/NE/SW or NW. I live in Florida and travel for work to California many times each year. I loaded the 48+PR SE and am now without any western states. My Nuvi had the California maps originally. I have LOST functionality with this update and feel ripped off for $120 to be able to update maps only within a specified region. I have read the threads regarding loading maps to an SD card but do not know how to do this with the downloaded maps. The process of updating the maps is easily 2-3 hours, I don’t want to have to reload a region map every time I visit the West Coast. Any help or advice is appreciated.
Hi Carl,
I had this same question–see post 591. Even after deleting all non-english languages, etc, I still didn’t have enough space because the new maps are too big.
Support gave me only half the answer. I found my own workaround by accident.
The map update is a folder that contains 3 or 4 applications and some subfolders. In the update I found that there are TWO programs they give you for installing the maps. One is called something like “Install CN North America NT 2010 Map Update.” This is the one that lets you choose from several preset regions, none of which give you both coasts. This is the one you are referring to.
But there is another file that no one, including the support person I called or the Garmin support site mentioned. It’s called “Garmin Mapinstall.” They never tell you about the difference between the two and why you might use one over the other.
I launched “Garmin Mapinstall” and found that this second application displays a map of the US and lets you click which states you want to add to your Garmin and which you don’t. It keeps a running total of how much room it will take to install those states and have much free room you have left.
So I selected the western half of the US and then most of the eastern half except a few states I knew I wouldn’t ever be going to, and that worked.
I think I got all states except half a dozen on the lower eastern seaboard, something like that.
It’s just really poor documenting on Garmin’s part. There should have been a ReadMe file in the Installation folder and an FAQ on the Garmin website.
Bill, you are a super-hero. The MapInstall did the trick. I was able to upload the entire USA mapset, including Alaska, Canada, and the Puerto Rico maps, to my 4GB SD card. The maps are now working perfectly. Thank you for taking the time to help a stranger!
I have the same problem. I’d rather have the whole contry with a little less detail than completely miss parts of the country.
I have played with map install, but I’m not sure it installs all the data. I think it might leave out points of interest, like places to eat, etc.
Does anyone know for sure which data it loads?
Carl, your best bet is to contact Garmin. They can walk you through the process of getting the maps correctly installed on your GPS.
Hi Tim,
Just a note: I called Garmin support with the same issue Carl has (see post 591). They never mentioned the second type of map installer that comes in the installation folder, nor the workaround I describe above, even though I asked if there was a way to install smaller regions such as individual states or any way to get west and east coasts and skip some in the middle.
On 6/2/09 I posted note #598, got no responses and have since purchased on ebay City Navigator NT MicroCard.that is supposed to have England and Scotland (I am going there in the next few days). Inserted this and can confirm that it is recognized by the system as I checkmarked it and un-checkmarked NorthAmerica. Well, nothing comes up and everyone tells me I can only bring things up when I get to England which doesn’t seem quite right to me, but maybe so. So, if that is the case I will not know if it works until I get there and will not know if England is included until I pull it up. If anyone has clarity on how this work I sure would appreciate a post…Thanks.
Mickey, it should work regardless of location. Keep in mind that Garmin doesn’t extend warranties on eBay purchases which could further complicate things. ( http://www8.garmin.com/support/faqs/faq.jsp?faq=607 ) But you should be able to browse the map without being there.
I’m new to this review forum, and very helpful it is.
Now here’s the thing – if a Satnav works by receiving satellite signals, how could it show you where you are on a map for the other side of the world? It wouldn’t receive signals for the satellites covering that particular landmass.
My guess is that that’s why the UK/Europe data doesn’t show up in N America.
Tony in glorious Devon, UK
Tony, the maps get stored locally on the device, they do not come from the satellites. The satellites orbit the earth and are not stationary. If your GPS has maps of the UK, they will display when you are in the UK. Likewise, you can still browse those maps when you are not in the UK. The satellites don’t have anything to do with the maps stored on your device nor the ability to browse those maps.
POSTING AGAIN FOR THE 3rd TIME…
i sent a message on march 24 but no response and i see that others have had responses. does anyone know how i can get to that screen?
just purchased a nuvi 205w on saturday. while playing with it sunday, i was able to pull up a screen that showed me speed limit and if i wanted to set some type of alert if i went too fast over that limit. where can i find that?
I just bought a Nuvi 205 and my brother-in-law has a Nuvi 200. Is there any real difference between the two?
I would like to inwuire what is the Chipset B used for and is it an update, or what? Thank you
Maurice, the “chipset” is the actual chip inside the device that receives and processes the GPS signal to determine your location. Garmin uses different chips in different devices, and even will use different chips in the same model from time to time. The WebUpdater program will show any available updates and install them.
Is it true that, GPS signal is received better when Nuvi 200 is plugged into the cigarette lighter than runs from battery, even though the battery is fully charged?
Thanks
Vu, I’ve heard that before, however I’ve never observe it directly happening. The difference shouldn’t be very much, if anything.
Does the nuvi 200 show the speed limit of the highway that you are on? If not what models do? For me this is a function that I need to have on my gps.
no speed limits on this unit.
I have the nuvi 200 and was wondering can it record the track you take so you can take that track back again. If not is there another model or brand that does.
Keith, you cannot do that on the Nuvi 200. see this thread: Need unit that uses MY route.
thanks for the fast reply, does garmn have any with that option? I couldn’t find any that says my route.
thanks
How do I enter an address such as Southeast (SE) or SW. I cannot seem to figure this out.
Thanks!
Wendy, try not entering the abbreviation and just entering the name and tapping done.
I have tried all ways: southeast, south east, S E, SE and i just cannot get anything to come up. I have had this same issue in the past and I just want to figure this out. We are leaving for vacation next week and our hotel address is SE Bellagio Dr, I can find Bellagio Dr but not SE. Thanks for the help. This is driving me crazy.
I have a baic question about setting destination. My Nuvi 200s seems to only allow me to input destinations that are within the state where the GPS is currently sitting. If I want to drive from Washington State down to a town in Oregon, it seems I must wait until I am physically in the state of Oregon before I can enter a location in that state. This seems rediculous. Certainly I am missing something.
Can anyone please help? Thanks!
Cathy
I have purchased the nuvi 200. I have a charging question I wonder if anyone can address…When using the unit and the low battery warning appears, I plug it up, only to get the screen that appears implying a computer connection. (black screen, says garmin, picture of computer tower with garmin hooked. the picture is centered at the bottom) I thought this was because the charger I was using was a USB cable plugged into an adapted that plugged into the cigerette lighter. Then, however, I tried a Motorola car charger (that works perfectly fine with my husbands older model Garmin) and it does the same thing??? If I purchase a charger from Garmin its a whoppin $28! Is that going to make it so that I can charge it and use it at the same time?Or is my nuvi faulty? Please advise
Lindsay, see comments #89, 91, 277, 280, 564 (and the link in that thread), 571, & 593.
Tim, ok, I’ve connect the nuvi to many different chargers, in my car and on a power inverter and no such luck..Any other ideas? This stinks!
I have a Garmin Nuvi 200. How do I enter a county road number? Have checked the manual, but that doesn’t work either!
Last Christmas,(08), I recieved a New Garmin GPS Unit nuvi255, as a gift. The unit failed in May 09, I shipped the unit to you May 18 for warrenty work. For a month, I had not heared a word from you. So,I called Garmin, to check on the status, and it seemed that the unit was lost in the Warehouse somewhere??? When I finally spoke to someone about my inquire. You sent me a different unit which stated refurbished. Finally, in July 09, I was able to use it on a trip, and upon retuning home the refurbished unit failed again. I Called Garmin again, after 1Hour and Fifteen mi. An operator came on and we discussed a solution.After which we could not solve the problem.
So,I am writing you this email to Customer services and resolve the problem. I hope to recieve a call or an email.
Phone No. 906-246-3632 or email: bearbait@alphacomm.net
Ron Van Doorne
buy something better.
this thing sucks… i 2 major citys in different states it has advised me to go down 1 way streets the wrong way…it takes for ever to locate a signal and has a major problem telling the difference between short distance and fast time… Im a volunteer fire fighter in a small city and need it to get around. It finds a different route to every call even if there is a better route. dont buy it
I have a NUVI 200. It’s worked well for the last year. I just bought the CD and did a lower 48 + PR update. Now it doesn’t even recognize most of the states in the northeast. It will work, but in a very degraded mode. If I try to type in an address, it asks for the “State/Province”. When I type in Massachusetts, it replies “No matches”
In RE to post #611 and the other posts listed in the reply on that post…
I purchased the car charger from buy.garmin.com/shop that was recommended for the nuvi 200 and it works perfect! No more computer connection screen when plugged in! So, I thought this would help the rest of you!!! Good Luck!
I just got my 200W and I wonder if it is better to leave it plugged into the ciagarette lighter all the time or remove it. The lighter stays on when the ignition is off.
Thanks, Ed
Purchased the nuMaps lifetime download for my nuvi200, and having a TON of troubles. Keep getting an error message that says “Checking compatibility…unknown error”. I don’t get it. I updated the firmware today, and that worked just fine, but this just keeps messing up. Of course, Support is closed on Sunday, so that’s no help. Have any of you dealt with this?
I am a MAC user, if that makes a difference.
The only problem I’ve found is that some of the “points of interest” are really out of date! I just bought this last December, but there are some stores and other places that haven’t been around for years! In my city alone- it shows a Walmart that closed down in 1995- but is still in there. Also show several other business’ that have been closed for 15+ years! It makes it hard when I am in a different city looking for a certain store- when I arrive at the desitation- I find a totally different store- or an empty field! Any ideas on how to fix this? One would think that if I just bought this just a few months ago- and have done several updates thru Garmin, that is would only show current- open stores, not ones that have been closed for years.
The POIs are updated with map updates. Do you know which map version you have? (Tools -> Settings -> Map -> Map Info)
I have “City Natigator North America NT 2009″- I know there is a newer version- but even with the 2009 version there shouldn’t be places in there that have closed over 15 years ago!
I have had the Nuvi 200 for about 18 months. I have not updated the maps (I feel the update fee is not worth it – but that is another issue). My issue is that for some odd reason, the GPS is taking us directions that are longer and very different than one provided by googlemaps. I use it everywhere, even to places I have been before. The other day it had me exit an interstate and take a State Road, but to get back on the same interstate 8 miles later. Odd. We hae not changed any settings. Any suggestions how to correct these anomalies? Thanks!
I have that problem too. Normally when I go on longer trips or to another city- I look ahead to see the route- if it has me doing weird things like that (i.e: going on and off the highway for no reason)- I just stay on the highway and it recalculates itself as I drive. It’s a pain- but it works for me.
Onetime I was driving in Georgia on the highway- it had me get off the highway and drive on a scary backwater country road for 30 miles in the dark and then get back on the same highway I got off of! I could have just stayed on the highway and saved time, and the scary ride. Ever since then- I check ahead…. unless you like the long scenic route.
I have had this problem too. It will definitely do really wacky routes if it overheats, as when I left it on the dashboard on a hot day. I was a block away from a destination and it plotted a several mile course to get there.
And I’ve had it take me off the freeway that directly connects to a major airport for the past 30 years to go on surface streets way out of the way and back into the airport. I suggested the same destination again just now and it has the same strange route, even though the freeway is marked on its map. This is on the 270 I bought to replace my stolen 200W.
I’ve had my nuvi 200 for about a year, and some of the maps are way outdated. Garmin charges a lot of money for a lifetime update, close to the cost of a new device. Is this worth it? Is there some other way to get FREE map updates, or do I have to succumb and buy the updates from Garmin?
I thought the maps-for-life option was very reasonable, compared to the price of purchasing maps one at a time. If you use it for business that takes you on the road a lot, it is definitely worth the one-time expense to get a map update once a quarter.
I was almost going to buy the lifetime subscription, but my Nuvi actually had to be sent back for service after 14 months (just out of warranty – figured!). While I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having to send my unit back for an issue that I feel was a design flaw, Garmin was very nice to me, and the Customer service people were very friendly (after waiting on hold for a long time). They sent me a reconditioned unit back as a replacement, and much to my surprise, it was loaded with the newest maps! Nice! The service charge was less than I’d have paid for a map update.
There are places like gpsfiledepot that offer free maps– but they are not even close to the quality of the official maps you can get. With a device like the 200 you are likely better off to purchase a newer device that will come with newer maps.
At the store i Was looking at tyhe bopttom of the screen and it had traffic information anlioke detours traffic delays and construction. how do you get that ? I thought it came automaticly and I neeed to know how to make the system get me to the higways and the quickest ways home ect. the system does not use like interstates it just uses backways to get to places. thank you for your help
I posted this with an earlier reply of yours just now, but I noticed you posed the same question about interstates here too. Sorry for the duplicate answer but here goes…
Maybe you have it set to avoid using highways. To check,
Go to the first screen,
Click the WRENCH icon in the lower right.
Click SETTINGS.
Click NAVIGATION.
Choose AVOIDANCES.
Make sure HIGHWAYS is not selected and click OK.
Good afternoon,
I bought a Nuvi 200w, I have had this unit for 2 years and it has worked fine .. until. I purchased a new car (2009 Jetta) and it will no longer charge from the car dc outlet, I purchased a replacement cable (not Garmin) but the problem persists, FYI the red led on either cable illuminates when plugged in and the Garmin screen brightness increases when external power is on, it also gives me the 30 second countdown when external power is removed. Garmin sent me another cable, still no change. It will charge from my MacBook via a usb cable (so that’s how I currently use it) To complicate further, my car power outlet show 12.78 volts on a volt meter. Any ideas?
HI,
I have a Nuvi 200. I thought I could enter some othe city and get a list of motels or other POI. Was I being naive?
Must I obtain the info from other source and then enter it in my 200?
Also, I recently upgraded my 200, at least I think I did. How do I know if I received the latest upgraded?
Thanks
You can get a POI listing in another city– I don’t have one with me but there is a “near” button you can use to select a different location from the POI search. To check for updates go go garmin.com/webupdater
I have a Nuvi 260 and am trying to charge it with the usb cable. If I connect it to the garmin, will it charge it? I dont have a read out on the screen- just a GARMIN logo and a picture of the device plugged into a tower.
Just purchased a nuvi 255w in the States before coming to Australia, then bought Australia maps once I arrived. The maps came as one standard SD and one micro-SD. I pushed the standard SD into the slot, figuring that if it was oriented wrong, it wouldnt go. It went all the way in, but now I cant get it out. Ive tried pushing it in further and letting go, but that doesnt release it. Now Im afraid to do anything with the micro-SD. Which way does it go? At present, when I turn on the unit, it shows maps from the US and says it cant find satellite coordinates. Help please!
Hi,Could you tell how come the nuvi200 will not let me go on the highways? Thank You Bill
Chris, that is correct– most didn’t come with a cable on purpose. The cable is a standard USB to mini USB cable you can pick up at most electronics stores.