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GeoidPS

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  1. Hi, Had to reformat my computer and I cant rememebr how to get garmin topo maps loaded into map source so I can transfer them to my 76csx. I want to reload them via hard drive since I have already downloaded the maps to my hard drive.

     

    thanks for the help

    If you have the original disks, then your registry should already have keys created for products 6,7,8,9 (east, west, Hawaii, Alaska) (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SOFTWARE, Garmin, Mapsource, Products, 6,7,8,9)

    If not, you can create those keys.

    When you create the products folder a default key is created with the value (TYPE) REG_SZ (data field is blank)

    add keys Folder, InstalDir, Language, SourceDir, all with values (TYPE) REG_SZ (data fields Mapsource, C:Garmin\ (or where mapsource is located),ENGLISH, D: (or the DVD drive for your computer from which the topo originated ) in the Products Folder with the entries you just created, add a new subfolder 6. A default key is created (leave that alone). To that folder

    add subkeys Bmap, (location of your East img files\ Topo100USE.img)Loc (location of your img files, Tdb (location of your East img file\ Topo100USE.tdb), repeat the process for keys subfolders 7,8,9, substituting Topo100USW, Topo100Hawaii, Topo100Alaska.

    If you don't do this correctly, you may destroy your Mapsource, or worse, your computer.

  2. So big deal, they took data from USGS Seamless Distribution and improved the contours. I could do that in my sleep. They did add shaded background not supported by GPSmapedit, I'll give them that. But what about roads and POIs?

    Show me the roads, and other features! Don't blow smoke in my face and say its a fog coming in!

  3. Hi all,

     

    I'm trying to become familiar with my first GPS receiver, and I have what I'm sure are basic questions, but yet I haven't been able to figure everything out from the manual. I have a new Vista HCx into which I have loaded a 2 GB micro SD card; I have City Navigator on DVD, and next month I'll be adding some topo maps as well.

     

    1. When I transfer the maps I want to the GPSr, I do not see an option to save them to the internal SD card. Is this something I need to worry about, or does it automatically use that capacity? If not, is there any way to get it to use the SD card without putting the GPSr in USB hard drive mode and writing to it that way from Mapsource? I do not have an external SD card reader.

     

    2. After I figure out how to ensure that the maps are going to the card, is there anywhere on the GPSr (or in Mapsource) to check how much space I've used on the card?

     

    3. When I add topo maps, can I just add them in the same way? Or will I need to create a new single mapset that uses maps from BOTH the CN and topo sets, and then upload that whole thing?

     

    Thanks very much. I think I'm just not fundamentally "getting" the whole Mapsource/GPSr/mapset model yet.

    Maps are generally loaded directly to the gpsr. The preloaded SD cards may have a trigger which allows the SD to be used for maps in place of the hard (flash) drive. I would be carefull in trying to do anything with a preloaded SD card. I would not mess around with the preloaded SD card unless I used an image backup program like Norton Ghost.

    My sense is that Garmin does not like the use of Mapsource in transferring maps, and they are probably happy if all that is replaced by preloaded SD cards. My feel that the main reason that Garmin is doing this is because many people are making their own maps, and with GPSmapper, and MapSetToolkit, it is now very easy to do so (assuming one has the time to make the maps).

    The c320 has been discontinued, and that is the only streetpilot that requires mapsource (or mapinstall) and custom maps are just as easily loaded to the gpsr as are the Garmin maps.

  4. I don't know anything about TOPO 2008. I would asume that all streets on City Navigator will be shown on TOPO 2008. I will ask this: Is TOPO 2008 routable? If not, I know the answer, NO. Liable to end up off a cliff or something otherwise.

    I will continue to make my custom maps will much greater topo detail and incorporate all the streets from City Navigator in the sections I'm interested in.

    Otherwise, no thanks to TOPO 2008.

  5. I am totally not impressed. It doesn't have the new sections of I-95 Wilson Bridge/Franconia Interchange, doesn't have the new I-395/I-495/I-95 configurations, and doesn't have a clue on the Corridor H project. I give this a beanie blooper for the bingy jumpies.

     

    How do you know? I cannot find a viewer for the new version. The viewer still has version 8

    In that case, I may stand corrected. I was looking at the existing version not realizing it was V8.

  6. Commercial quality maps can be made for Garmin units.

    Here are the problems:

    1) To collect data for an area the size of a 1:24k USGS map, it will take about 200-300 manhours.

    2) To make topo maps will require DEMtoTopo and IDL machine to produce the contours once the GEOtif file is downloaded from the USGS website.

    3) GPSmapedit is used to add the data collected.

    4) GPSmapper is used to make the finished map. GPSmapper routable version is very expensive. Even if purchased, it is necessary to maticulously make routable nodes in GPSmapedit, very time consuming.

    5) To get the map to this stage will require possibly 500 manhours between data collection and making the final product.

    6) This is one map, there are possibly 2000 1:24K maps for the entire USA. That's about 1 million manhours to make all the maps in the USA. That would take 1 person about 55 years to make all the maps working 8 hour days with no vacation.

    7) Few people have the capability to make maps of this level quality.

    8) Those people who have the capability do not have the time to collect the data for more than a few maps the area of 1:24K USGS topo maps.

    9) Individual map makers do not have the collective strength to make a large quantity of commercial quality type maps.

    10) Commercial map makers greatest obstical is data collection, keeping maps up to date, very resource intensive and expensive.

    11) Don't look for Garmin Topo 2008 to be any more than more of the same.

  7. wow.. is TomTom mostly a hated company? I thought that with the new MapShare things everyone would contribute freely and get free updates.

     

    TomTom Map Share™ is offered for free with both the TomTom GO 520 and TomTom GO 720.

     

    “TomTom Map Share™ is an important component of a new era in navigation. By enabling millions of TomTom users around the world to automatically share and mutually benefit from each other's local road knowledge every day for free, TomTom ensures that drivers have the most accurate and up to date maps available in the industry”, said Harold Goddijn, chief executive officer at TomTom.

     

    Is this article inaccurate, or am I missing something?

  8. It's just a big farce. These companies are just doing some bandaid improvements at best and they will sell wether they are comprehensively complete or just rolled out for market.

    As a National Map Corp volunteer, I offered my completed and comprehensive survey of my map assignment to Garmin, Delorne, National Geographic, and I had no takers.

    The bottom line is the CEO's are stuffing their pockets with your money, and they will continue to milk you.

  9. How do you find the verion in the unit?

    3 simple ways

     

    firstly connect to Mapsource to download or upload, and Mapsource will tell you the software version on the upload/download box e.g. Downloading to GPSmap 60CS software version 4.10

     

    No such thing. Can you explain?

     

    secondly attach to PC and run the Garmin web updater, this will confirm the current level and offer you the chance to upgrade to the latest if you wish.

     

    This does not confirm the current version if unit has the latest version.

     

    Third way on the unit, go to the setup page, pick system which should give you the normal system setup screen, now press menu and you should be offered a choice of Restore Defaults or Software version. Select Software version and a little box should open telling you the software version and Unit ID.

     

    This one actually answers the question, and the only one of the 3 explanations that work. I don't know how I missed it in the system page.

     

    Hope all that helps

     

    Mark

     

    Thanks

  10. Next question:

     

    How can I tell what version of the firmware I have loaded on the 60cs?

     

    This question was asked several times in this thread. My question is how do you find the verion in the unit? Isn't there a way to get to the diagnostic page?

     

    3 simple ways

     

    firstly connect to Mapsource to download or upload, and Mapsource will tell you the software version on the upload/download box e.g. Downloading to GPSmap 60CS software version 4.10

     

    secondly attach to PC and run the Garmin web updater, this will confirm the current level and offer you the chance to upgrade to the latest if you wish.

     

    Third way on the unit, go to the setup page, pick system which should give you the normal system setup screen, now press menu and you should be offered a choice of Restore Defaults or Software version. Select Software version and a little box should open telling you the software version and Unit ID.

     

    Hope all that helps

     

    Mark

  11. Next question:

     

    How can I tell what version of the firmware I have loaded on the 60cs?

     

    This question was asked several times in this thread. My question is how do you find the verion in the unit? Isn't there a way to get to the diagnostic page?

  12. This summer I am taking a trip down to the Outer Banks. It is a pretty long trip, and after I mapped it out in Mapsource I found that it would require 24 MB of maps, my GPS can only hold 8 MB.

     

    So, I pursued a solution to trim down the maps so that they only include the data from they areas I will be traveling, essentially, I wanted to find an easy way to cut them down a little. I found a program called Mapdekode that would take the Garmin maps and decompile them into a text file, that was easy to edit by hand. So, I wrote a little app that would parse the files, then delete any data outside of an area that I predefined. Then I could use the Mapdekode program to get them back to Garmin img format and load them into Mapsource. So far, it works. It's not a perfect solution, but it really does a good job in getting the maps much, much smaller. I have also not tried to put them back into Mapsource yet, but Mapdekode claims it can do this.

     

    I just wanted to let you all know that I have a possible solution to this problem that other Garmin owners might be interested in. Let me know if you would like to know more, I'm curious to see if others have found similar solutions that may be better.

    Well, you probably lost your ability to route. If not, I am impressed with Mapdekode. Let us know.

  13. This summer I am taking a trip down to the Outer Banks. It is a pretty long trip, and after I mapped it out in Mapsource I found that it would require 24 MB of maps, my GPS can only hold 8 MB.

     

    So, I pursued a solution to trim down the maps so that they only include the data from they areas I will be traveling, essentially, I wanted to find an easy way to cut them down a little. I found a program called Mapdekode that would take the Garmin maps and decompile them into a text file, that was easy to edit by hand. So, I wrote a little app that would parse the files, then delete any data outside of an area that I predefined. Then I could use the Mapdekode program to get them back to Garmin img format and load them into Mapsource. So far, it works. It's not a perfect solution, but it really does a good job in getting the maps much, much smaller. I have also not tried to put them back into Mapsource yet, but Mapdekode claims it can do this.

     

    I just wanted to let you all know that I have a possible solution to this problem that other Garmin owners might be interested in. Let me know if you would like to know more, I'm curious to see if others have found similar solutions that may be better.

    Well, you probably lost your ability to route. If not, I am impressed with Mapdekode. Let us know.

  14. Im taking a wait and see attitude. I think you guys are eager beavers and will soon be dissapointed with TOPO 2008. You won't get the 24K accuracy, but I imagine roads will be much improved more so than the current USGS 100K maps.

    I guess it doesn't matter for the couch potatoes who aren't much active in the great outdoors.

    Please no flames!

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