Gps Software

[+jotajota]

I was just wondering if there is any sort of free map software for my Garmin eTrex Legend. I noticed on the Best Buy website that it was suppose to come with "mapping software" but I didn't get any (beyone the base maps on my gps unit) in the box. Am I missing something? I would really like to get some maps with local roads and stuff but I don't want to spend too much money. Any suggestions would be helpful...

[+Miragee]

I bought an old version of Roads and Recreation on eBay a while back and they have worked okay for me.

 

However, I just purchased City Select, along with the auto mount and cigarette lighter adapter, for about $145 from a merchant linked to from Amazon.com.

 

The mapping software is going to cost around $100.00 . . . I think.

[+The Davis Crew]

Memory Map is the best mapping software for GPS. Although its cost is quite high it is well worth the money.

[+Uncle T K]

The legend has 8 megs of memory to download maps from Garman.

(In Oklahoma 8 megs is more that enough memory if you lived in New York City you would need aprox 100 megs of memory)

 

I purchased the metroguide for aprox $90 (City Select has auto route that the Legend does not support)

 

Also you can get Topo and Water maps from Garman

[+Night Stalker]

As you can tell from pervious posters, there is no such thing as free software from either Garmin or Magellan. You will need to buy their proprietary software in order for it to work on your GPS. That is the bad news. The good news is that until you really want it you don't need any maps to geocache. You can print out maps from the cache page to get you started.

 

[+RonGerth]

I got my Garmin GPS (a Legend) for father's day last month. My wife and kids picked it up at a Gander Mountain store and it came with MapSource software and a VHS video to show me the ins and outs of the whole thing. I went back to GM and got a DVD put out by a company called GPS Outfitters for about $15 that is packed with information. I don't know for sure but I think youi can buy the software from them too.

 

Ron

[+jotajota]

I just got a GPS V Deluxe that came with the City Select v6 software. Total for the GPS device came to 150ish including the software. Good deal, I think!

 

Edit: Whats the difference between City Select and City Navigator? Which is better?

Edited July 16, 2005 by jotajota

[+antonym]

USA Photomaps is a nice "try before you buy" alternative. It does aerial photos, usgs topo, tigerstreets census street info, and elevation data.

[+briansnat]

Depending on where you live Metgroguide might be fine. If you are in a densely populated area however, you won't find much on your Legend. In that case you're better off getting Mapsource Topo or, as much as I hate saying this, Mapsource Roads and Recreation. I hate saying that because R&R is a pretty lousy mapping package, but its still far better than what came with the unit.

[+AtoZ]

As you can tell from pervious posters, there is no such thing as free software from either Garmin or Magellan. You will need to buy their proprietary software in order for it to work on your GPS. That is the bad news. The good news is that until you really want it you don't need any maps to geocache. You can print out maps from the cache page to get you started.

 

As the poster states GARMIN use a proprietary software Maps to download to a GPSr. NO other software but GARMIN will work on you Etrex. Mapsource is just the software to load maps and transfer them to your GPSr it is FREE but the MAPS are NOT free. I would look for a used version of MapSource, which comes with the maps, for not to much.

cheers

[+TeamAO]

Topo is $100. City Select is $140. I would suggest buying retail because you might have already registered software, which makes you unable to update you software. Garmin's updating policy is if a update came before you have a dated reciept for when you bought it, the update is free. So I'd definately go retail on anything, except for maybe the TOPO.

[+Markwell]

Moving this to GPS Units and Software section...

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

There are a number of free software packages for transferring waypoints, tracks and routes. In terms of maps on your GPS, you CAN create your own for free. There are two chapters in my book about it. Shameless self-promotion, I know.

 

Rich Owings

www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com

 

"We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey

[peter]

Edit: Whats the difference between City Select and City Navigator? Which is better?

Very little difference. The maps and POIs are the same and both support auto-routing. CN comes with the Street Pilot series and in some cases will give slightly more detailed turn descriptions and may sometimes have a bit more information to optimize routing.

 

BTW, version 7 of CN-NA has already been announced and I'd expect CS-NA v7 to be announced quite soon. Check the release date when it is since Garmin will let you upgrade for free if you first unlocked v6 on or after the official release date.