Once the T4A GPS Maps are on your GPS unit – check these important settings!

Message when your GPS starts up #

You may see the message as per below appear – choose “NO”.

This means that the Garmin unit has picked up that there is an extra data file on the SD Card. In this case it has picked up on the Africa Guide, that is supplied by T4A, and included on our SD Cards. It is not necessary to install this onto your GPS unit, as you can access it directly from the SD Card.

You have to enable the T4A GPS Maps on your Garmin Device: #

VERY IMPORTANT! If you have Street Navigation Maps on your unit on the internal memory, you cannot run T4A GPS Maps and your street maps at the same time. Please be sure to only select T4A GPS Maps if you want your unit to navigate you from our maps, or vice versa. (ie. Never use any two map products for the same area at the same time as it may result in conflicts. Simply select which one you need and switch the other off).

Depending on what GPS unit you have, the setting will differ from GPS range to GPS range. It is usually under the “Settings” and then “Mapinfo” on your GPS unit.

Example: only having the T4A maps ticked on your GPS unit is what you want!

For NUVI and ZUMO units #

This can be found by clicking on the ‘spanner’ (Tools). Then select Settings>Map>MapInfo to get to the screen where map selection is made.

Steps on the newer Garmin Nuvi range: (Please note that the older Garmin Nuvi range will work differently to the newer units)

Switch on your GPS and select Settings on the home page.

Then select Map & Vehicle on the next page.

Scroll down and select myMaps. All your installed GPS Maps will be listed here.

Enable the map you wish to use on your GPS by selecting the tick box. Remember that you may only have one map product enabled (ticked) otherwise the GPS won’t know which map to use and will give navigation errors.

Steps on the Garmin Montana range: #

On the homepage of the GPS, click on the arrow on the left-hand side of the screen.

Select Setup on the next page

Then select Map.

Click on Map Information and then Select Map.

Click on the map you wish to enable on your GPS device.

Select Enable in order to have the GPS map of your choice enabled. Remember that you may only have one map product enabled otherwise the GPS will give navigation errors.

Check these extra settings on your GPS #

Switch on your GPS then check: (please note the options available on the GPS units may differ between various models).

Route Calculation can be set to: #

• Fastest Time / Fastest Route / Minimise Time
  • The GPS will take you on the fastest routes such as main gravel or tar, rather than on 4×4 tracks, two-spoor etc.
  • Note that the fastest time may not necessarily be the shortest distance
• Shortest Time / Shortest Route / Minimise distance
  • The GPS will then always pick the shortest route, which will often include 4×4 tracks, two-spoor etc.
  • Note that the shortest distance, over 4×4 tracks, may take longer to complete than a “fastest time” route, which may be longer but faster to drive.
• Off Road
  • Take care here! Off road assumes that there are NO roads here, and draws a straight line from your position, to your destination. So it won’t navigate along existing tracks. If you choose this option, and you see tracks, you can then just keep following them as you physically see in front of you, and make up your own mind which ones you want to use. It will require a lot more user decision making on your part. But it won’t warn you that there may be a dead end, or if there is no connecting road to your destination.

Avoidances: #

• Toll Roads: one can tick this one, and the GPS will keep you off highways with toll roads!
• Unpaved Roads: If you want to go on gravel roads, this must be UNticked – remember the ones you tick, are the ones the GPS will avoid. So you tick toll roads, so the GPS will avoid toll roads. But UNtick unpaved roads, as you WANT to travel on gravel. Keep in mind your GPS will start looking for the shortest route as soon as you leave your destination, so you may want to toggle your Fastest Time and Avoidances settings as you travel, depending on what you want to do.
• But it is not always an exact science – if you “select to avoid tolls or highways”, the GPS will select the best route and try to avoid tolls and highways as far as possible, but you may still travel through a toll or a highway if it is a more sensible route than avoiding it…

Map Detail #

Should be set to MORE or MOST!

Settings when planning routes #

BASECAMP/MapSource vs GPS settings #

Make sure your settings on BASECAMP/MapSource is the same as the settings on your GPS else you will get different results if transferring routes/waypoints from BASECAMP/MapSource to your GPS unit.

Use Waypoints for Routes #

We do recommend that you plan your route on a computer where it is easier to see the gravel roads on BASECAMP/MapSource, and then send those POI’s/Waypoints to the GPS and follow the POI’s/Waypoints.

It is essential that you create waypoints, and use the waypoints to create the route, and NOT use the routing tool in MapSource/BASECAMP to create the route, as we have encountered problems transferring the route created with the routing tool to the GPS, often it will not recalculate on the GPS.

*POI/Waypoint (Is a Point of Interest like a campsite, fuel stop, restaurant etc)

Videos on various GPS units settings #

Setting up your Garmin Overlander® GPS – with Tracks4Africa GPS maps #

Setting up your Garmin Montana 700i GPS – with Tracks4Africa GPS maps #

Setting up your Garmin DriveSmart 86 GPS – with Tracks4Africa GPS maps #

Setting up your eTrex 20 series GPS – with Tracks4Africa GPS maps #