Is There A Free (and Legal) Alternative To Mapsource?

[+vinarian]

Hello all, I just prchased the Etrx Legend C, and the basemap on it is even worse than the basemap for the regular Etrex Legend, does anyone know of a free, or at least cheaper than mapource way to update the basemap that will work with auto-routing? all i can find are the resources to create my own, Thanks

[+Night Stalker]

Short answer is no. Long answer is that there are people out there thaat have built maps thayt can be loaded into a GPS. If you have an auto-routing GPS you would be unable to use those maps for that purpose though.

[+vinarian]

figures, lol

thanks for your time

[+Klatch]

figures, lol

thanks for your time

 

Check out this thread.

[+GrnXnham]

I think Garmin and Magellan make most of their money selling the mapping software not the GPSr's. It's kind of like the makers of printers practically giving you the printer and then they charge a fortune for the ink.

 

This is why there isn't any free maps. I think Garmin and Magellan would go out of business if it was free!

[kerecsen]

I think Garmin and Magellan make most of their money selling the mapping software not the GPSr's. It's kind of like the makers of printers practically giving you the printer and then they charge a fortune for the ink.

 

This is why there isn't any free maps. I think Garmin and Magellan would go out of business if it was free!

 

In addition to that, look at the source data for an autorouting map, and at the techniques used to build that dataset. It takes a ridiculous amount of work and cash to create and maintain auto-routing maps, especially for a country the size of the USA. It's no wonder that NavTeq has a virtual monopoly in the US mapping market -- nobody can afford to compete. Even TeleAtlas is struggling to create a US map that comes close to the NavTeq one (the same way that NavTeq struggles in Europe).

 

So even if someone wrote a converter that can create routable maps for Garmin GPSes (and I'm not saying that nobody has done it), getting the map data to convert with that converter would be a significantly bigger challenge. Due to economies of size, the $75 or so you pay for a Mapsource update is a very reasonable sum compared to the alternatives. (The price of the European maps is another question altogether.)

Edited May 15, 2006 by kerecsen

[peter]

This is why there isn't any free maps. I think Garmin and Magellan would go out of business if it was free!

It seems highly unlikely that the availability of free maps would drive the makers of GPS receivers out of business. Afterall, free maps would greatly increase the demand for GPS receivers so people could make use of them. The pricing structure might change a bit, but surely the manufacturers would respond to that surge of demand. And it's not clear how much profit those companies clear from map sales since they have to pay license fees to NavTeq for the maps they sell.

 

The main reason why good maps aren't free is that they're expensive and time-consuming to produce. A routable map database needs to include lots of data on turn restrictions, one-ways, island barriers, average speeds, time-of-day restrictions, vehicle restrictions, etc. Many of these can change rapidly due to decisions by local city councils and city/county/state transportation departments so there needs to be constant maintenance to keep the database reasonably current as well as adding to it as new roads & streets are built. The companies (NavTeq and TeleAtlas are two prominent ones) that specialize in producing these maps have substantial expenses so it's understandable that they want to collect a decent return from the GPS companies that resell their data.

[ciprol]

Short of an insider who knows all the licensing costs Garmin or TomTom pays, we are all speculating. But for the extra cost of providing free high resolution routable maps (dictated by the licensors), I am sure the cost of GPS units would go up some more. That'll dampen the market again.

 

So I don't think it's such an easy equation.

 

In any case, there are actually a surprising number of free/community contributed Garmin Mapsource compatible maps out there. These goes from road to topo maps. So far I've found some high quality projects for New Zealand, Australia (Tracks4Australia, Contour Australia), Malaysia-Singapore, Japan. And then there are more detailed map files that can replace relevant files within Garmin's World Map (Hong Kong, Shanghai). That's all I've found so far on the net. I am sure there are more around but all hidden from common view.

Edited May 16, 2006 by ciprol

[+YuccaPatrol]

Like most things in life. . .

 

you gotta pay to play.

[+Lasagna]

This is why there isn't any free maps. I think Garmin and Magellan would go out of business if it was free!

It seems highly unlikely that the availability of free maps would drive the makers of GPS receivers out of business. Afterall, free maps would greatly increase the demand for GPS receivers so people could make use of them. The pricing structure might change a bit, but surely the manufacturers would respond to that surge of demand. And it's not clear how much profit those companies clear from map sales since they have to pay license fees to NavTeq for the maps they sell.

 

The main reason why good maps aren't free is that they're expensive and time-consuming to produce. A routable map database needs to include lots of data on turn restrictions, one-ways, island barriers, average speeds, time-of-day restrictions, vehicle restrictions, etc. Many of these can change rapidly due to decisions by local city councils and city/county/state transportation departments so there needs to be constant maintenance to keep the database reasonably current as well as adding to it as new roads & streets are built. The companies (NavTeq and TeleAtlas are two prominent ones) that specialize in producing these maps have substantial expenses so it's understandable that they want to collect a decent return from the GPS companies that resell their data.

 

It's called a recurring source of revenue ... you buy a GPSr once every few years "maybe". Maps, by their nature need to be updated more often. So, if they get you to buy the maps every year when they issue an update, they've kept their revenue stream alive unitl you finally get around to buying a new GPSr.

 

Someone used the inkjet model for printers and cartridges as an example ... same thing only insanely more profitable for the printer folks.

[+ejnewman]

Someone used the inkjet model for printers and cartridges as an example ... same thing only insanely more profitable for the printer folks.

 

But maps actually do need to be updated regularly, and it is an expensive process. Ink cartridges, however, are a legitimate case of the consumer getting ripped off.

 

Anyway, I just followed the instructions from a little ways up the thread and now have a better-than-24k topo made from a DEM and overlaid on the regular road map in my GPS.

Edited May 16, 2006 by ejnewman

[+vinarian]

figures, lol

thanks for your time

 

Check out this thread.

 

Thanks, might not be the best maps, but it sounds like something interesting at the least and maybe a little fun to try my hand at