Just been reading Hetti Too's handbook on the Columbus to find out about map updates. :think:  I'm used to a TomTom and going on-line every few months to get new maps for about £60 a year or less.  So I wasn't surprised to read that to get a Columbus update you get a DVD from a dealer and hey presto.   

 

ASTOUNDED and AGHAST to learn from dealer that they are infrequent (possibly once a year) and £190 !!!!! 

 

Comments and suggestions please.

 

TJK

Don't bin the TomTom...

One of the best reasons for not having an in-built sat nav!!

Garmin or Tom Tom every time!!

+1 for keeping the Tom Tom! And then you've got the option to upgrade when and if you feel it's worthwhile. Integrated sat-navs have never appealed to me (I had your experience with a Peugeot I owned a while back - the upgrade disc was so expensive I bought my first Tom tom for half the price). 

 

I feel a little the same way with the 6 CD changer in my Elegance - with a reader for an SD card that can hold probably 20 or more albums, the CD changer is for many people I'm sure pretty much redundant and I would have preferred to be able to spec a single CD player and presumably save some ££££ to send on an option I did want.

Hi,

 

Not sure what the current or updated versions are, but there are a few Nav discs for sale on the indispensable ebay priced between £9.99 and £31.50 + postage.

 

I need to do this as well, so if anyone knows what the newest updated version is, please let me know.

So what's the difference between what the dealer will sell you for £190, and what you could download for free from here ?

The various discs on Eblag or on various download sites are often illegal copies, and there have been reports in the past of them causing major problems with fixed sat nav units.

So what's the difference between what the dealer will sell you for £190, and what you could download for free from here ?

Are you sure that is a genuine Navteq site? - It doesn't seem to match the 'real' Navteq site address - where they sell the maps.

Edited 12 July, 201312 yr by bgw

No idea - saw it mentioned on her before so saved it in my favourites for future use (possibly). Hadn't yet considered how legitimate it is but would obviously take a closer look before actually downloading anything.

The Navteq site does link to that one.

The download link posted by splooter is legitimate and correct, it has been mentioned in the past.

However, these downloads may only work with the new Columbus and Amundsen+ fitted to the new Octavia MK3.

I collected my new Superb in  January 2013 and the version numbers on the Columbus were:

Version numbers    press SETUP more than 15 secs            
At 20/01/2013    Delivery Part Number    3T0035680K

            HW Version                    H08
            SW Version                    5218

            Active Map Coverage    W Europe
            Active Map Supplier       Navteq        
            Map Version HDD          7918
Last month Skoda phoned and gave me Part number 3T0051859M Western Europe  ('v9 hot off the press' he excitedly exclaimed) and I duly had the Columbus updated (took less than 15 minutes and Free of Charge).  On checking the versions nothing had changed so I called Skoda again and they agreed that it probably hadn't been updated properly.  Back again to the dealer and another 15 minutes and still the version numbers have not changed.  I have now gone back to my Garmon Nuvi 1690 which is updated several times a year (for a reasonable price).   Can any one suggest a good reason for going back to the Columbus??

Current version, V9, goes for £79.99 at autoteileltd.com

Map updates take at least 45 minutes to copy from the DVD to the internal HDD.

Map updates take at least 45 minutes to copy from the DVD to the internal HDD.

I had the forerunner of Columbus in my previous Golf GTi, I was so frustrated by its failure to accept full postcodes, when I moved onto my last car, a Golf GT 170, I replaced the factory fit radio/cassette with a Kenwood Radio/CD/DVD/Sat Nav/MDI Touchscreen for a lot less than the factory VW Sat Nav. Updates were free and easy; download to memory stick and load onto head unit. I sold it when I sold the car for not a lot less than I paid for it.

I looked at the Columbus when speccing my Yeti, saw no great improvement over the earlier VW model other than the hard drive storage, and opted for a Garmin Nuvi 3760, which sits (when needed) in a Brodit clip on the A pillar. It's updated regularly by free Garmin updates and also carries live traffic info. I refresh speed camera details weekly via the Pocket GPS site. It can easily be transferred to our other vehicles and is small enough (iPhone size) to be carried in a pocket. It took us around New England last year without a problem.

I have other Garmin GPS devices and all of them can be updated regularly and at no cost.

Works for me

Map updates take at least 45 minutes to copy from the DVD to the internal HDD.

 

Terrible echo in here

 

And I think Mannyo has pointed out one of the problems, in that dealers do not fully understand what they should be doing with these up-dates.

One of the questions that I specifically asked my dealer last week was how the map updates were done & what the cost was -  he replied that the Amundsen was updated via the SD card & the Columbus by CD & there would was no charge for updating either!

At 20/01/2013    Delivery Part Number    3T0035680K

          

            Map Version HDD          7918

My '12 Yeti had v8 maps installed which gave Map Version HDD of 7690.

So could you already have v9 installed ?

Not encouraging buying the discs on eebay but I bought one for my X5 when its maps became dated, dealer wanted something ridiculous £200+ seems to ring a bell... the one I bought cost £30, up to date maps including western Europe, speed cameras, 3d maps and postcode search, all of which the system didn't have as standard, I also got to pick the start up screen.

All worked perfectly.

I think v 7918 is called version 9.

I think v 7918 is called version 9.

The ICE forums confirm 7918 is v9 and was released Oct 2012 - so Highwray you already have v9 installed which is probably why it took only 15mins to do nothing when trying to update.!

 

Has anyone tried the download from http://www.navigation.com ?

 

http://tinyurl.com/ntupr64

Ok so that explains it.   It was obviously not 'hot off the press' !  I was assured by Skoda that it was an update to the version I had.  So much for Skoda's customer relations.

Thanks anyway for the info.  I shall still use my trusty Garmin as when  an uodate is announced it's genuine.

I am also changing the telephone module for the Fiscon/Kufatec Bluetooth (from my old Octavia) as it seems to be better with A2DP.

2 points.

Looked athe Navtec site.No SD was supplied with my Amundsen. Dealer said they are no longer supplied. So I can't use the original SD as I don't have one. 

Looked at satnavi and I'm puzzled as to why the VW equivelent of Amundsen is £34.99 and Skoda is £39.99

One of the best reasons for not having an in-built sat nav!!

Garmin or Tom Tom every time!!

Or to reduce clutter, download NavFree onto your smartphone. Get a windscreen mount. Hey presto. Might not suit those who like chatting and map reading at the same time though in which case the standalone sat nav might be better