JSWilson64

One caveat to the latter strategy - if City Navigator is the only map set on your SD card, then go for it. If you also have Topo or some other maps on there, you'll lose them. Garmin overwrites all your maps when you update/add to any of them. You have to select every map segment you want on your handheld every time you upload to GPS if you want them to be there after you upload.

When dealing with rebates, you have to ask yourself whether the price you're paying now is a fair price for what you're buying. With all the hassles, scams, and glitches with rebates, you have to be prepared to not get that check. As far as the GPS units go, I have a 60CSx and really like it, but I'm only using it in the US, not Ireland.

IIRC, 2GB is the top MicroSD card a 60CSx can use. You can have other stuff on there, but the GPS can only see 2GB of it. Unless someone corrects me...

There's a ton of discussion here about this issue. IF all you are ever going to want to do with the City Nav maps is use them on your GPS, then you can stick with the SD card. However, if you foresee the chance that you might want to use the maps on your computer, you'll need the DVD. For example, you cannot use the SD card to plan a route then upload to GPS. You also cannot back up the data on that SD card. If it somehow gets trashed, corrupted, accidentally deleted, whatever, you're out of luck. You can't add any information to that card, either. Which means you can't stick your topo maps on there and share the card. You also can't have your tracks saved to the SD card when you're using the maps on SD card (at least that's how I understand it to work). In short, IMO, the SD card maps are a more limited solution for use in a handheld GPS. If I had a Nuvi, I might consider getting the preloaded maps, but maybe not. Also, check the FAQ (link at the top of the forum) about that topo map set. There's a limit of 2025 segments of data that can be uploaded to the GPS. There is a workaround that will allow you to stuff most (if not all) of North America onto a 2 gig card.

Are you sure your datum is set to WGS84? What about "lock on road" ? If you're on a trail, that should be "off".

You can use tools at www.gpsvisualizer.com to draw a circle around a cache as well...

Do they still make City Nav North America non-NT? I've only seen the NT version on Garmin's site.

Just to clarify - the data isn't locked to the card, obviously - you can copy the file anywhere you want. You can even delete it (I wouldn't advise it, though...) But the map set _is_ locked to the serial number of the SD card it came on. So even if you make a backup copy of the data, and your dog eats your card, you can't use the backup. So much for fair use... Next time you buy Garmin maps, buy the DVD. You have more options for how to use it.

Wow. Garmin's price for the Etrex Legend H is less than the Etrex Legend - that'll really move the old merchandise...

OK, this is way OT from what you asked. I just think this is cool. So, if you don't need GPS in your watch, but think your watch should scream "NERD!" like a GPS watch does, there's this: http://calcwatch.com/index.html And the added benefit of having to make it yourself from a kit, and can't get it wet, makes it thoroughly unusable for geocaching adventures. But it's so darn geeky-cool, who cares...

As the post above yours says, use a powered USB hub. You'll have lots less problems.

This isn't directly answering your question, but do you have to install the maps to the hard drive at all? It has been so long since I have installed a Garmin map set that I can't remember. Anyway, maybe you don't need an external HDD, but an external DVD drive... I have seen mods where people have (voided their warranty and) installed 1.8" hard drives inside the EEE. Folks have also added storage by hard-wiring a USB hub with flash drives, inside the case. That's not a C drive, though... Here's one mod: http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=4768

Yes, and that money will not go for highways, there are plenty of people who don't have insured, registered cars, or no cars at all, that will get that money. No cars at all? California politicians have a much lower standard of living than our Texas crooks...

It'll never work, as noted above, because it'd have to be retro-fit to every car on the road. A much easier solution for "driving" tax, and car insurance, would be to add a fee onto every gallon of fuel purchased. There's your incentive to drive less, and drive a more efficient car.

There already is: Washington Topo Map Then how 'bout Texas?

That's where CR excels - those Quality Ratings are based on the results of surveys of Consumer Union members. That's all I look at in the "New Car" issue - the repair histories of car models I own and might decide to own.

Pretty much par for the CR course. I'm really not fond of their reviewing process for anything outside everyday appliances. When they review cars, if it's a "sporty" car, they'll gripe about the rough ride; if it's a "luxury" car, they'll complain about how mushy it feels. They're very good at some things, like testing washing machines and dryers, stoves, and the like. Stuff that everyone uses and have very little to tweak when using. But when testing computers, HDTVs, PDAs, cell phones, etc, they don't seem to bother to gather any more information than the average grandma has. Think how much better that review would have been if they had spent even 2 hours reading this forum. Or even the FAQ on the GPS makers' sites.

Note that this option DOES NOT allow you to use the maps on your PC. Nor does it allow you to save data to the Micro SD. Better choice is to spend the bucks on City Nav on DVD - that way you can load what you want to the memory card, or load street AND topo on the same card. Or use Ibycus's free maps on your own SD card.

Then doesn't your doppler shift include your movement in the Z axis? Or does it somehow decompose your doppler-derived velocity into its component vectors?

[smartass mode] You mean clutter like wasting a post to tell someone not to clutter up the forum? How's the view from up there on your high horse? p.s. - with formatting tags, it's [tag] for "on", and [/tag] for "off". [/tag off] is redundant. [/smartass mode]

There's a utility to grab screen captures from your Garmin GPS - I can't remember the name of it, sorry. The colors are much more vivid - yellow terrain instead of tan, bright green instead of dull green, etc. This is the reason the GPS never looks as good as the box or example screens in the manual. It does make for nice marketing materials, though.

Don't you love it when they don't include something in the manual? It's called the Heading Bug - it indicates your direction of travel. At least that's what they call it on the 60 CSx.

For that matter, if you're not wanting routing info, you could use the Ibycus free USA street maps (search this forum).

To use the Etrex you'll need a serial cable and maybe a USB-serial connector (depending on what connections your laptop has). As PDOP's said, you can use Garmin's NRoute to use Garmin map products. Microsoft's Streets and Trips will also work with GPS attached. I dunno whether you can use the Nuvi - I'm not familiar with them.

I'd stay with the 60 series over the Etrex series if you use it in your car. I found the click-stick on my Legend hard to operate while the car was moving. (It's even worse to try to use when it's mounted on my bike handlebars) You might be able to get Garmin to fix it - it never hurts to ask. And as far as the unlock for City Nav, again, you could ask for a free unlock code since your GPS broke.