Gps Or Not

[FishPOET]

Anybody have this one? I like the fact that it will take TOPO and has expandable memory. Not into the touch-screen ones. Also, when I call Garmin, they are in the USA.

We have the Map60CS. It is a great unit.

Be aware though that Garmin units only use Garmin software. Garmin Topo does not have as many features when compared to National Geographic Topo or DeLorme Topo. Garmin City Navigator also has locks built in. You can only load the software to 2 GPS units and only upgrade once.

[Britain]

We have the Map60CS. It is a great unit.

Be aware though that Garmin units only use Garmin software. Garmin Topo does not have as many features when compared to National Geographic Topo or DeLorme Topo. Garmin City Navigator also has locks built in. You can only load the software to 2 GPS units and only upgrade once.

The Topo sort of sucks but I use it together with Google Earth + I can lay in the tracks.

Question, with National Geographic can you lay in tracks and transfer the tracks to the Garmin GPS?

[FishPOET]

Question, with National Geographic can you lay in tracks and transfer the tracks to the Garmin GPS?

Short answer is no.

The rumor mill has long been speculating that someone would crack the Garmin code and write a program to be able to use 3rd party software on the Garmin GPSrs.

I was given a beta program by one of the original map writers for Garmin that has all the Big Bear trails. I keep it loaded in my GPS V. The drawback is that it is the only set of maps that I can have loaded and it does not allow for auto routing.

[USMC 0369]

Our GPS is:



Marines bought it for me. Still figuring out all the doodads.

[Britain]

Short answer is no.

The rumor mill has long been speculating that someone would crack the Garmin code and write a program to be able to use 3rd party software on the Garmin GPSrs.

I was given a beta program by one of the original map writers for Garmin that has all the Big Bear trails. I keep it loaded in my GPS V. The drawback is that it is the only set of maps that I can have loaded and it does not allow for auto routing.

Someone is making maps , I have some for Baja which are not sold by Garmin and work with garmin.

I do have some programs which allow me to make maps to use on mine but its a PITA

[Old Fart]

Our GPS is:



Marines bought it for me. Still figuring out all the doodads.

I have that same GPS, just the non map version

[sarah]

it must be kinda boring without the maps

[Old Fart]

Some of us know our way around without them :omg:

[Materdaddy]

My GPS is the best:

[steelman]

My GPS is the best:

So if you go past where you're supposed to turn, do you just flip the post-it over?

[Russ Chung]

The Topo sort of sucks but I use it together with Google Earth + I can lay in the tracks.

Question, with National Geographic can you lay in tracks and transfer the tracks to the Garmin GPS?

You CAN transfer the waypoints, tracks and routes to a Garmin GPS. You CANNOT transfer the maps. It's not because of any secret code; it is because of the way the map data is written and stored. Here's an explanation from the LBMaps website:

Forms of Digital mapping

1. Raster maps:

This mapping is usually scanned from paper versions, and is called raster mapping. (Raster, because it is made up of collections of pixels, or is a bitmap).
Raster mapping has the advantage of reproducing exactly what we see on paper, including shading, coloring, features and contour lines. Raster maps are one scale only, you cannot decrease the scale without losing resolution, because the image becomes "pixilated".
This type of mapping is used by programs such as Trax, Fugawi, Oziexplorer, National Geographic, Maptech and most others, for use on a computer or PDA. Raster mapping cannot be loaded into any Garmin GPS, even the so-called map models. Many of these maps are described as "GPS compatible" because you can connect a GPS to your PC and transfer waypoints, tracks and routes between the PC and GPS. But you cannot load the map on the GPS.
You can however, load points and routes from the maps, into your GPS. You can do this manually, or by computer link, using Fugawi, Oziexplorer and most map programs.

2. Vector maps:

The other type of digital mapping is called vector mapping. This is because it is made up of simple instructions like a program. For example:
[COLOR="White"]...........[/COLOR]10. Join points 2 and 3 with a red line 2mm thick.
[COLOR="White"]...........[/COLOR]20. Join points 2 and 4 with a black line 0.5mm thick.
and so on.

Vector mapping has the advantage of being able to be searched for names, words and phrases. In effect, it is its own database, so is much more useful in a "find where" situation. It is also scalable, that is it remains in focus regardless of scale.
GPS, whether hand-held, marine, or in-car, is used mainly to guide you to a destination. Vector mapping is more effective in GPS, because it is searchable for names and places.
All the cartography, marine and land, supplied by Garmin, is in vector form for more effective "find" and guide functions. Vector mapping is released by Garmin worldwide under the MapSource brand for use on a computer, and for Garmin map type GPS.

[FishPOET]

You CANNOT transfer the maps. It's not because of any secret code; it is because of the way the map data is written and stored.

There are other mapping programs in vector format (including DeLorme) and they will not transfer on to Garmin GPSrs. Garmin has never shared their map writing source code. If LBMaps has maps that will install on to Garmin receivers then they have figured out Garmins code and written their mapping programs in the same code as Gamin's MapSource. From glancing at the LBMaps site their maps are $150.00 and they do not include auto routing and you must still own Gamin MapSource. $150 is more expensive than most Garmin mapping software.

[Britain]

Ya maps are good. But I have gone into BC only on tracks. This was to pick up some stuff that was left behind from a friend.

MAps are not acccurate in BC and LB Maps states that. Larry at LB has been at least for me very help full.

I'm tracking out my favorite places to eat. Those tasty taco stops to the higher end mouth stuffers.

Me get me a track I'll find it map or no map. Thats called adventure.

Tomorrow I will track from Mexicali to San Luis. I'll place a way point for the Bose assembly plant. Dang got rejected again.........San Luis...ya has some tasty eateries there also...Adventure!

[Russ Chung]

Question, with National Geographic can you lay in tracks and transfer the tracks to the Garmin GPS?

Vern,

As a test, Doug (FishPOET) sent me a file containing tracklogs from National Geographic (*.TPO). I used a freeware conversion program from GPSBabel http://www.gpsbabel.org to convert the file to a Garmin (*.GDB) file. I was able to open the file using Garmin MapSource and download the tracklogs to my GPS-V.

[Britain]

Russ,
Could you pm me a link to get the file fishpoet gave you to decoded. I would like to try this program and see how it works on my gps.

Thanks