Garmin Americas Basemap

[hyflyt]

The Legend, Venture, and Vista models come with Basemap. The Garmin description says, "...Major interstates and principal highways" and further states that for US coverage, "A database of exits for the Federal Interstate highway system."

 

Specifically, will I be able to travel down I-5 and know when to take an exit that heads over to the coast...or, is that what City Navigator is for? Basically, I just want to tool around the Pacific Northwest on my motorcycle and maybe find my way around Mount St. Helens or Mount Ranier.

[+Uncle T K]

Yes

 

Base map will take you any where in US with Federal or State Highways

 

It dose not have street detail for in town or city[s

Edited June 19, 2007 by Uncle T K

[jfabes]

The Legend, Venture, and Vista models come with Basemap. The Garmin description says, "...Major interstates and principal highways" and further states that for US coverage, "A database of exits for the Federal Interstate highway system."

 

Specifically, will I be able to travel down I-5 and know when to take an exit that heads over to the coast...or, is that what City Navigator is for? Basically, I just want to tool around the Pacific Northwest on my motorcycle and maybe find my way around Mount St. Helens or Mount Ranier.

 

I found the basemap practically useless. For my area it showed I-10 and about 5 or 6 major roads in tucson. If your intent is using it for cruising roads around st. helens and mt rainier you would want to get the CN maps. I used to live close to st. helens and none of those roads around the area would be on the basemap.

[hyflyt]

Thanks for the info. So much info to digest to come up with the best unit for an individuals needs. Too bad Garmin didn't work it like Dell...click the features you want and POOF, you have a GPS receiver.

[+Hynr]

It's not just that everything useful is missing, they also cut a lot of corners (literally) off every highway to minimize the number of turns. I find that it shows me nothing useful that I don't already know. Even if you think that it shows you whether a geocache is on a particular side of the highway, when that is close to the freeway, it is as likely to be wrong as right.

[nXtIak]

Basemap is ridiculous.

I have a Garmin StreetPilot C530 With City Naviagator built in and a GPSMap 60csx that has US Basemap. (Didn't know it only has Basemap for the price the 60csx costs).

 

I agree it is completely useless. Only Freeways/Interstates/Highways and large major roads. That's it. Routing is impossible. I just ordered City Nav v8 on MicroSD so I can use it for my 60csx.

[+Boardslider]

I find about the only use for the base map is when you are flying over a country, it will tell you which town you are over

[+apersson850]

It's also useful when you are panning the map a long distance. If I start out in Sweden, then pan the map to Italy, for example, I want to zoom out quite a lot. Without the proper basemap for Europe in the unit, it will rely on the detailed maps even when zoomed way out. That will make panning extremely slow in comparison to when it just switches over to the much less detailed basemap.

 

A routeable "full" European/African basemap requires 13 MB. The City Navigator detailed maps (non NT), covering parts of Europe only, requires 1800 MB. The difference speaks for itself.

[+imajeep]

As a practical matter, you need a topo or city map to go along with the GPSr. A lot of places sell packages of both at a discount.

[RenHoek]

The basemap IS routable however (not a good thing, since it's sooooo lacking), which can lead to some VERY INTERESTING driving instructions.

 

I work just south of a point where two major highways merge together in a northward-pointing V. Without CN NT active, it'll tell me to take the 1st highway north, turn right on the 2nd highway (at the northbound-only merge point!!!) and then go south 1 mile.

 

Then, on the way home from work, it says take the highway south, then just turn left on 124th st for 1/2 mile. THERE IS NO EXIT at 124th st...Seems like the oncoming traffic would be an issue.

 

Somehow I think I'd end up on the nightly news if I followed those directions...

 

-RenHoek

[Glenn W]

Basemap is ridiculous.

I have a Garmin StreetPilot C530 With City Naviagator built in and a GPSMap 60csx that has US Basemap. (Didn't know it only has Basemap for the price the 60csx costs).

 

I agree it is completely useless. Only Freeways/Interstates/Highways and large major roads. That's it. Routing is impossible. I just ordered City Nav v8 on MicroSD so I can use it for my 60csx.

 

I have the the C550 and was able to use the the CityNav NT v.8 (that came preinstalled with the unit) on my 60CSx. I just called Garmin and they sent (free) the City Nav DVD. Then I installed the software to my computer, and used the unlock feature in "My Garmin" to redeem the free second unlock code for my 60CSx. Not simple but free.

Edited June 19, 2007 by Glenn W

[+fratermus]

I think there is a meaningful difference between "not very useful" and "useless".

 

Would the folks that bought "useless" basemap-provisioned GPSr prefer that it came with no basemap at all? I would be surprised if that were the case.

 

I consider the basemap a freebie and judge it for what it is.

[Glenn W]

 

Would the folks that bought "useless" basemap-provisioned GPSr prefer that it came with no basemap at all? I would be surprised if that were the case.

 

 

Indeed I would prefer no basemap. The 60CSx uses internal memory to store waypoints, routes, and tracks. The limits on how many of these features can be stored is a direct result of the basemap hogging most of the internal memory. Also I am willing to bet the the firmware upgrades we'd all love to see can't be made because there simply isn't enough internal memory. That said, I don't expect Garmin to remove the basemap. However, it would be nice if they created an optional firmware that erases the basemap and increases the number of waypoints, routes, tracks, and map segments the unit can handle. Again, I seriously doubt this will happen.

 

GW

[sawdog]

I just got a garmin legend and like to know which map program to get that has the trails and back roads of Michigan.Sawdog