Topo Questions

[+ILBandit]

OK, after getting info from many of you on this forum, I finally went out and got the US Topo for my Legend. WOW!! what a difference! It does everything that I was hoping it would do.

 

I have a couple questions about it though, When I downloaded the topo for my local area, it warned me about erasing everything from the Garmin programing. I loaded about 6MB for northern IL where I live, and loaded close to the final 2MB that it would hold for southern IL where I hunt every year. So I know that I am close to using the full memory.

 

What happens when I am going to travel out of state or something, and need to load up a ton of maps for where I am going? Do I need to remove the mapping I have in it first? then program the new spots I need? Or does it just automatically pull the oldest map off and replace it in the new spot I choose?

 

And.. when I move the maps to a different area, does it just leave the old areas completely blank? with nothing at all for a base map? (from the warning I got about it erasing everything)

 

Any info is appreciated, I'm just kinda wondering about how to use the software all over the place when I travel, without messing things up. (8MB storage isn't a whole lot)

Edited January 8, 2006 by ILBandit

[+allory]

the info which is deleted when yo install maps is not the base map, but just a marine oriented poi data set which you will probably not miss. if you do decide you want it back you can download it from http://www.garmin.com/support/agree.jsp?id=25, but reinstalling it will then erase your topo maps.

 

when you want to mave mapping for a different area you just load it, at the expense of whatever you had before. you don't need to delete anything, mapsource will take care of that for you.

 

when traveling you just have to rely on the base map (its always there) for most areas and pick what you will use your 8 mb for. thats why theres so much enthusiasm for the new models with expandable memory.

[+Timpat]

Happy to hear you like the US Topo. Anytime you load new mapping it erases all previously installed mapping. When you said, "I loaded about 6MB for northern IL where I live, and loaded close to the final 2MB that it would hold for southern IL...", did you load all these together? If not, by loading that 2MB later, you erased the previous 6MB.

 

With the Legend's 8MB you would need to plan for the mapping you will want while traveling, or have the ability to upload new mapping while on the road via a laptop of something. If I plan a road trip using my Legend, I will load the sections of topo I think I really want, like at my destination, vs all along the route, to save memory for areas I will hike or cache in.

 

In Mapsource you will select all the map "chunks" you want together. You may have a group in north IL, and a group in south IL, then a bunch in Indiana, and then a bunch in Wisconsin where you'll be heading to geocache, hike, and camp. Keep track of the total map file size along the left side of your MS screen to be sure it's under the 8MB available to load, and send away. Remember, each time you upload new mapping, it will wipe out all previous mapping.

[+ILBandit]

Thank you for the info, especialy the tip about adding the 2MB later on. I just added it tonight and had not turned it back on since. Sure enough, after reading your post, I turned it back on, and everything from northern IL was gone. Reloading it all now.

 

Glad to hear it doesn't erase anything major! I was nervous about it deleting pre-programmed stuff.

You say it only deletes stuff that is related to water/marine poi's? Nothing that I would use for the traveling/hiking?

[+allory]

Glad to hear it doesn't erase anything major! I was nervous about it deleting pre-programmed stuff.

You say it only deletes stuff that is related to water/marine poi's? Nothing that I would use for the traveling/hiking?

 

from: Legend update page

 

Download Preloaded Marine POI Database for eTrex Legend

If MapSource data is loaded to this unit, this unit's preloaded Marine POI database will be erased. Please download the file below to recover this Marine POI database. If you currently have MapSource data loaded into your GPS unit, it will be erased and replaced with this POI database.

[+Sputnik 57]

MapSource won't let you load a null set of maps. Garmin loads the Marine points of interest as a place holder. When you load maps, it replaces the marine data base. Every time you load maps, it starts by erasing what is there and loading the maps you have selected. You could add the marine points of interest as a map set in MapSource, and select them as one of the "maps" you load. But it sounds like you don't need this data anyway.

[peter]

You could add the marine points of interest as a map set in MapSource, and select them as one of the "maps" you load.

Is there an easy way to do this?

[Neo_Geo]

You could add the marine points of interest as a map set in MapSource, and select them as one of the "maps" you load.

Is there an easy way to do this?

Download THIS FILE and install it.

 

Edit: OOOooops! Those are just the Tide Stations. I guess the Marine POIs include the Tide Stations, but I also guess it includes a lot more... Perhaps Sputnik has also confused the two...?

Edited January 8, 2006 by Neo_Geo

[+ILBandit]

From what I can tell by playing around with it, it takes away all of the poi's from the entire area that you don't have a map loaded onto.

 

Not a real big deal, because I won't be in those areas anyway, and if I plan on going to a different area, just load the map to it, and will all be there again.

I think I have it all figured out now. (hopefully)

 

This Topo software is awesome, wish I would have gotten it the same day I purchased the GPS unit. Sure makes navigating the "back roads" alot simpler.

 

Now I'm getting bitten by the bug, already wanting to upgrade to a color unit with more storage! LOL

[+Sputnik 57]

Sorry. To clarify, I was referring to the tide points data base, not the marine points of interest. I had the two confused. I'm not sure if the marine points of interest can be loaded from MapSource.

 

The tides data base is three "maps," which are the Pacific, the Altantic seaboard down to about Pamlico Sound, and Florida-Gulf Coast. Actually, the Northeast map is east of 100 and north of 35 degrees. The Southeast map is east of 100 and covers 0 to 35 degrees, and the Pacific map covers west of 100 from 0 to 75 degrees

 

The total memory for these three maps is about 109KB, so it is virtually a null set.

Edited January 8, 2006 by Sputnik 57