Garmin GPS help needed

[Fords Folly]

Hello everyone,
I am not if this belongs here or how this will go.....but I will try.
I bought my boat back in June and it has a Garmin GPSMAP 176C Chartplotting Receiver but it is "discontinued" (it is a 1999 unit) as of Dec. 2012. The unit works okay but: 1 - it is programed for the Gulf Coast (I live in Missouri). 2 - because it is discontinued Garmin can not - will not send me the 'unlock' code, to install programs on the GPS, for the BlueChart Americas V6.5 CD; the PO did not have the code because he was the original owner and never took the boat anywhere but the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
My question is - if any of you have a Garmin GPSMAP 176C/176 Chartplotting Receiver and/or a Garmin 'BlueChart' Americas V6.5 CD-ROM maps AND the 25-digit 'unlock' code (I have everything except the code), and you would 'PM' the code to me............That would be great.
Thanks for your time.
Patrick

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

You might google for the code. It is amazing what it on the web these days.

I am surprized Garmin wouldn't help. I had a dealing or two and they were pretty good....

 

[Fords Folly]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

You might google for the code. It is amazing what it on the web these days.

I am surprized Garmin wouldn't help. I had a dealing or two and they were pretty good....

Thanks for the reply..........I tried google, but could find not help. Garmin sent me a very nice email.............telling me that this unit was discontinued, and here is what I should buy from them now!
Thanks again,
Patrick

 

[NYBo]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

I take it this isn't what you need: https://my.garmin.com/maps/unlockMaps.htm

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

Strange Garmin did not help.... I've had the best luck with them. If that happened to me I'd have told them since they could not help I'd look for another provider when I upgraded.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

The blue water CD contains multiple map "regions" The purchase of the CD entitles you to "unlock" one region for free. If you want unlock additional "regions", you must purchase an additional unlock code. The OP used the "free" code when he installed the gulf coast software. To install your "region" requires the purchase of a second unlock code. The unlock codes are unique to the hardware / software package combination so using someone else' code isn't going to work and I don't see Garmin giving you an unlock code for free.

I don't understand the relationship between your unit being discontinued and your ability to purchase new unlock codes. I assume that there is a misunderstanding between the maps that come preloaded on the system (part of system software) verse maps loaded from a separate CD.

Here are two links to the unlock page. The first is to capture existing code i.e. PO code. The second is to acquire codes for additional regions

https://my.garmin.com/maps/unlockMaps.htm

https://my.garmin.com/mygarmin/marketing/managemaps.htm

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

That makes the response from Garmin understandable!

The blue water CD contains multiple map "regions" The purchase of the CD entitles you to "unlock" one region for free. If you want unlock additional "regions", you must purchase an additional unlock code. The OP used the "free" code when he installed the gulf coast software. To install your "region" requires the purchase of a second unlock code. The unlock codes are unique to the hardware / software package combination so using someone else' code isn't going to work and I don't see Garmin giving you an unlock code for free.

I don't understand the relationship between your unit being discontinued and your ability to purchase new unlock codes. I assume that there is a misunderstanding between the maps that come preloaded on the system (part of system software) verse maps loaded from a separate CD.

Here are two links to the unlock page. The first is to capture existing code i.e. PO code. The second is to acquire codes for additional regions

https://my.garmin.com/maps/unlockMaps.htm

https://my.garmin.com/mygarmin/marketing/managemaps.htm

 

[Outsider]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

I don't understand the relationship between your unit being discontinued and your ability to purchase new unlock codes.

It's more a matter of Garmin no longer selling unlock codes for the original version of Bluechart as of late 2012. He's SOL without an unused code, or a previously registered code/region. Garmin didn't do any favors when they went with pre-installed charts ... :facepalm:

 

[Fords Folly]

Re: Garmin GPS help needed

Thanks to everyone that give me input............You guys are right about 1. Garmin has discontinued (completely) this unit, and everything that goes with it. 2. even with the 'unlock code' they are not going to send me anything!
Also, because the screen is very hard to see, and not in color, I bought a Lowrance Elite-5 DSI. I did not really need the fish finder (the boat has a very good one already) but for the price this Elite-5 has a very good (current) mapping/chart-plotter program that comes with about 3000 POIs (many lakes inside the US and Coast areas....that I can add to if I want.
Again, Thanks for the advice,
Patrick