garmin base maps

[+AnGuS Thermopyle]

lo all

i have had an emap for a few years now, and know that the base map that comes preprogrammed into the unit leaves a little to be desired

i am looking at buying a gpsmap60csx, are the base maps any better or am i gonna end up buying software to go with it ?

i dont supose that the roads and recreation map that works with the emap will work with the new??

(this is almost a nonstarter as its getting out of date anyway!)

 

thoughts ?

angus

Edited December 7, 2007 by AnGuS Thermopyle

[+allory]

The base map hasn't improved enough to get excited about. Roads and Rec still works fine. It doesn't auto-route and doesn't have the newer roads, but it does have better detail of small/dirt roads than the newer products.

[+AnGuS Thermopyle]

so will my older versions or roads and rec, and metro guide still upload ok to a newer gps ?

[+Miragee]

As far as I know, those older maps will work on a newer GPSr. You just select them from Mapsource, which you will want to update by downloading the newer version from the Garmin site, and send them to the GPSr.

 

If you are getting the 60CSx, you might seriously consider getting the new City Navigator maps to take advantage of its ability to auto-route you through unfamiliar places, or help you find the nearest "Starbucks" or "Target" store.

[Yearofthegoat]

The base map hasn't improved enough to get excited about. Roads and Rec still works fine. It doesn't auto-route and doesn't have the newer roads, but it does have better detail of small/dirt roads than the newer products.

 

I bought a 60CSx a few months ago and am very pleased with it. However, the basemap isn't at all complete (for the UK anyway), I live in Guildford and the A322 isn't on the basemap (it's a major road, partly dual carriageway).

 

I've since bought the UK topo maps as I use the GPS for walking trips. I wasn't expecting much from the road map/routing side of things but I've actually found the road maps are accurate and perfectly usable for finding addresses and related auto-routing for use in the car as a sat-nav. In fact, I'm not sure what's missing compared with the City Navigator software (- in terms of details; I'm aware Topo GB doesn't include Europe!).

 

Hope that helps.

[+apersson850]

Some never units actually have inferior basemaps, as they took away some data to make room for routing information within the same memory requirement.

Here are some examples, together with models that use them. They are a bit old, but I don't have full knowledge without checking about which map is used in which of the newer units. As they now take cards, making it possible to have detailed maps for large areas, it doesn't matter that much any longer.

 

For Europe, there are 8 GB basemaps without routing (eTrex Vista).

Or 8 GB basemap with routing (GPSmap 60 CS).

Or 13 GB basemap with routing (GPSmap 76 CS).

[+PSHAX]

 

I bought a 60CSx a few months ago and am very pleased with it. However, the basemap isn't at all complete (for the UK anyway), I live in Guildford and the A322 isn't on the basemap (it's a major road, partly dual carriageway).

 

I've since bought the UK topo maps as I use the GPS for walking trips. I wasn't expecting much from the road map/routing side of things but I've actually found the road maps are accurate and perfectly usable for finding addresses and related auto-routing for use in the car as a sat-nav. In fact, I'm not sure what's missing compared with the City Navigator software (- in terms of details; I'm aware Topo GB doesn't include Europe!).

 

Hope that helps.

 

I am also in the UK, and I bought my 60CSx last week, and am totally blown away with it.

The basemap is pretty useless out of the box, but once I added a 2 GB micro SD card and a good chunk of TOPO GB (v2), the thing came to life..

The auto-routing is far better than my dedicated car sat-nav (Road Angel Navigator 6000), the routes seem so much more logical, and re-routing is way better.

 

And as a side note, the GPS coverage when in buildings or under deep foliage is simply superb.

 

Paul.