Hi everybody. I just wanted to post a warning to people out there about the "Go Home" feature on most GPS units. My GPS was stolen a few weeks ago along with my house keys. Even though I had enabled the Garmin Lock I still was wary that someone would crack it so I have changed the locks on my apartment. Now that I have replaced the unit instead of putting my address in as "Home" I have put a nearby landmark. That's just something to think about when you're setting up your unit.
Cheers.
I also think it is a good idea to think carefully about what location you put in for the Garmin lock.
I use a location not far from my house. If there is ever a situation where your GPS is stolen from you and the thief knows your address it will be easy for them to just go to your house and unlock the unit if it is your home location you have set.
Can somebody get your unlock code? Is there a way into it ?
Not sure but you can at boot up erase all user saved data. At startup (when turning the unit on) you hold lower right corner of the screen. You get a prompt soon asking if you want to reset all user data (or something like that). Don't know if that will reset the lock code or not nor on which units it will work on.
My device was stolen last April, I had put my address as the home location. It was after my unit was stolen that I heard about people's homes being broken into because stolen unit home information was being used to locate their house. I've since bought a new gps unit and have my home location set to a nearby intersection. Also, for the garminlock feature, I did not use my home as the safe location, I used the employee lot where I work which is quite a few miles from my home. What I am wondering is can the garminlock feature be cracked? Can someone get into the garmin by bypassing the required pin code? I'm hoping the answer is no because I would feel so much knowing that the idiots who stole my unit will not be able to us it!
After read your case,
I just relocated my home address in my device even I have set private code on it.
I just did the same. Never even thought about my Garmin being stolen and used in this way. I too used the local Police Station. Don't need it for getting home but its nice to use this feature when travelling for holidays and I want to know how long it will take to get back.
In July 09, I misplaced my garmin c340 gps unit while moving. I've read about how the thieves can get your address and go to your house blah blah so I didn't set my home address in that unit. Turn out the people who found it could never return the unit back to me. It's gone forever.
Recently, I found a garmin nuvi 760 on sale on ebay with a PIN lock. The seller claim that he/she found it in the parking lot but can't unlock the PIN to find the "real" owner address to return the unit. Therefore he/she have to sell the unit on ebay!?
Well, I believe in the "goodness" of the people... Soooo in my new garmin 765T gps, I put my whole family pictures on the flash screen with a few words saying "IF found please call our phone (###)###-#### to return the gps for a big reward"... and of course to "persuade" the founder to do the right thing I also lock the GPS with a secret PIN
From now on, my gps pop up our pics every time I turn on or charge the unit. Imagine everyday the thief have to face the people he/she stole the gps from and can't make that go away, that's Karma
I suggest y'all do the same for your gps, If I found one like that I'll surely call up the owner and return it.
Take care!
i am going to change my home address to a nearby community centre around my area. i mean, i only need to know the rough directions to get home, but i'm pretty sure i can navigate myself in my own neighbourhood, let alone the side streets around my house!
but that's something to definitely think about. good tip
It is my understanding that if you notify Garmin they can prevent any further map updates, as the serial number of the unit must be used to get any updates. Effectively they close it down.
But still a good point changing your exact home location and I will also do this. Thanks for the info.