Greetings!

[PennyRoyaler]

Hello from Kentucky in the US. Just recently came into ownership of a TomTom device and looking to put it to good use.

 

[canderson]

Which device do you have, I wonder? There's no model called a Canada 310, though you may find that on the case.
Can you would provide us with the first two characters of your device's serial number?
This will allow us to identify exactly what it is so that we can provide you with accurate information and advice.

 

[PennyRoyaler]

The first two characters are "GU".

 

[canderson]

Very good. The GU tells us that you have what was known as either a START 50 or START 55 here in the U.S. It's been a long while since they released those models -- the START 55 was released 14 years ago.

Unfortunately, it is also considered an 'end of life' product for which no firmware or map support is being offered. See here: https://www.tomtom.com/en_us/navigation/obsolete-products/ and select 'Car'.

Provided that roads don't change very quickly in the area(s) in which you travel, an older map may serve you well for a while, or may not.

 

[Willy875]

The only thing to do, for the moment, is to make a complete backup of the GPS on your computer.

 

[canderson]

Good idea, Willy.

@PennyRoyaler
You own one of the older devices that can still be backed up this way. Our advice on backups can be found here:

How to BACKUP the contents of your unit to the computer (and how to RESTORE it!)

First of all, we suggest strongly that you do NOT use Home's Backup/Restore function. Why not? Because Home has been known to: miss files in the backup; corrupt files when backing up; change the case of folder names during the backup/restore, thereby causing problems in the functionality, been...

www.tomtomforums.com

 

[PennyRoyaler]

Well that's a bummer, thank you for the help. Do you have any recommendations on a newer device I could buy used?

 

[canderson]

There are many possibilities, but we'd need to know more about what features are important to you before we could provide advice. Are you relatively familiar with these devices and what they can/cannot do?

 

[PennyRoyaler]

There are many possibilities, but we'd need to know more about what features are important to you before we could provide advice. Are you relatively familiar with these devices and what they can/cannot do?

Thank you for your help.

I am familiar with GPS in general, I've utilized handheld and in-vehicle units before. I own an older Garmin eTrex Vista HCx that I use for basic navigation.

As far as features, I'm really only in need of a device that provides navigational direction with current updated maps and audio directions.

 

[canderson]

Understanding that used is the only option in North America now, my OWN preference is for a device that still allows for custom POI groups, not just a list of dozens of favorites. But if you can work with just favorites, any of the newer models will get the job done nicely, and unlike that old Start 50 unit, come with free map updates that you can add/subtract from the device at your leisure.

All you really need to do is decide on your use model vs. the maps that come included with the various models and your preference in screen size. Some recent model names are

Car only = Navigator and Superior (6")
Car and trailer = Exclusive (6" and 7")
Camper Specific = Camper Max (7")
Truck = Expert Plus (7")

To know you have this generation, the serial number should start with B3, B4 or B7, depending upon model/screen.