Dbonar

I love underdocumented features! Did you just say that sending a map to the GPS from Mapsource will overwrite ALL map selections already transfered? Even if you give it a different name? That's really awkward; I like to geocache while traveling so I was hoping to be able to load new maps prior to each trip and use my Dakota's map selection function to only enable the ones I need. If you are correct, and I see no reason to doubt you, it looks like I'll have to create a new map set each time including all of my normal maps plus the new one for the area I'm traveling to.

That's what I guessed the answer might be although in the other thread I was specifically told that MapSource was unneeded. Off to try that route.

First a big thank you to those people who responded to my question of a couple of weeks ago. However it seems something is still not going right. I have the IbycusUSA2 map from gpsfiledepot. The download was in the form of an installer so I installed it on my hard drive. That gives me a folder C:\Program Files\IbycusUSA2 which contains 4 things - an imgs subfolder, a IbycusU2.MDX file, a IbycusU2.TDY file, and a IbycusU2.img file. The Dakota has an 8gig SD card in it with a Garmin folder as the only thing on it. Following the instructions, as I understood them, to put the .img file in the Garmin directory I moved all of the C:\Program Files\IbycusUSA2 folder to the G:\Garmin folder. The map does not seem to be selectable through the Dakota's menus. I've also tried moving the South East United States map from gpsfiledepot to the SD card in the same fashion. No go. When it gets extracted on my hard drive it is just a foler full of .img files. Thus I copied all of them over the G:\Garmin folder on the SD card (after trashing everything on the SD card and starting over with a new blank Garmin folder). With this map the Dakota shut down as soon as I attempt to go to the map select screen. Since this was just a pile of many .img files I suspect that the Dakota gave up on producing a menu of hundreds of .imgs to select from. Is there any way to take all of these smaller .imgs and combine them into one big .img file?

You'll need to create a "Garmin" folder on your SD card to put it into. On the whole, anything you can place into internal memory on your Dakota will be just as happy on the SD card providing you duplicate the folder structure as it is in the internal memory. I haven't tried the Ibycus map yet, so cannot guarantee that it's directly usable as a Garmin *.img file (I have found *.img files that my Dakota didn't recognize), but it won't hurt anything to try, and odds are that your Dakota will see it just fine. Go to the Setup menu, to maps, and the last entry down there should be the one that allows you to determine which of the maps (*.img files) on your unit are enabled and disabled. Thanks. Do you know if the Ibycus folder (containing the .img and many other files and subfolders) should be placed in the Garmin folder or do I need to have the .img file inside the Garmin folder without any intermediate folders? I'd try it both ways but now I'm at work and unable to test things. However, if I am reading you correctly, it seems that I can just directly put the file on the microSD without using MapSource. Or do I need to use MapSource first to create the file to put on the microSD?

I have the IbycusUSA2 map installed on my computer but I'd like to put it on a microSD card for use in my Dakota 20. Can I just copy it directly?

Thanks.

I currently have a Lowrance iFinder Expedition. Its a good unit but the mapping software doesn't work with Vista, free maps are more difficult, and I absolutely hate taking out the SD card from behind the batteries to load more caches or different maps. plus it now seems to take longer to start up than it used to (from cold start to acquired signal in light trees). The Oregons and Dakotas seem very nice and would add paperless caching My question is will I still have to take the SD card out to load new maps and caches?

Reading this thread reminds me why I'll never be a "real" geocacher. There is a lot of great info here but after many posts I'm still left with no real feeling for the best low end option for "paperless" caching. BTW, I put paperless in quotes because, like the OP, I'm not really worried about starting to log a find on site but I would like to be able to avoid carrying printouts for description of the cache. I'd like to ask for factual info. I know all about buyers remorse, upgrade envy, the possible risks of taking a phone or PDA into the field, and such. With that in mind is it fair to say that the options are... Any gps (in my case a Lowrance iFinder that I find clunky, big, and very slow to start) plus a Palm PDA (or possibly other PDAs/phones) iPhone or other phone with gps (is there an Android phone with gps?) PN-20 (as the lowest cost gps with paperless) Gamin Dakota, Colorado, and Oregon models as well as higher numbered PN's if the money is available. with, in the case of the last two options, the possibility of sending files one at a time with description info whether or not you have a PM through the use of a macro on the site (or is it a plugin?). Yes, I know all about the wonders of a PM and PQs but right at this moment I don't want to cloud the issue; afterall PQs improve all of the options so they are not really important in deciding between options.

I can only answer for myself but I rarely by finds. Having a public record doesn't add anything to my enjoyment.If I have information to impart on the condition of the cache or if there is a story to my find I'll post it but I see little point in yet another "found it" post.

I am having a problem converting the user created Garmin map of middle Japan for use with a Lowrance GPS. 11 of the 12 map files convert correctly using lcmmapedit. However one segment, 810000003 covering Nagoya to the Mt. Fuji region, crashes the program every time I try to export it in lcm format. Has anyone else successfully converted this map to a format other then Garmin? Does anyone know of a specific limitation or situation that I should look for in the Polish files to make them compatible with Lowrance?

Unfortunately its not detailed.

Unfortunately its not detailed.

Is there any way to get a street level map of Japan on a Lowrance or does Mapcreate only cover the US?