Newbie with Vista HCX and a few questions...

[drewallen42]

Hello,

 

I have spent many hours lurking around these pages and reading a lot of great information. Based on what I was looking for I purchased the HCX and just received it yesterday.

 

I got this unit because my family and I drive our Rhino around the desert and up North when we go camping during the summer (live in AZ) and I don't want to get lost. We also just got started geocaching and I also wanted a gps for the car that can provide directions.

 

From what I've read there is TOPO 2008 and several different Navigator programs for street driving and directions.

 

Here are my questions;

 

1) Do the street map programs provide info on forest service roads as well or just actual streets?

 

2) I need the most current up to date program and I understand there are some that are upgrades to existing software and some are full versions. Which one would I need for a full version?

 

3)I've looked on E-bay and there are several different mapping for street driving programs that say 2008 but the packaging looks different. One is Black font and the other is Blue. Does anyone know what is the most recent one?

 

4)Do you have the latest version of TOPO 2008 and for driving around forest service roads is it worth it?

 

Thank you for any information you can provide.

[LegendHCx]

Hello,

 

I have spent many hours lurking around these pages and reading a lot of great information. Based on what I was looking for I purchased the HCX and just received it yesterday.

 

I got this unit because my family and I drive our Rhino around the desert and up North when we go camping during the summer (live in AZ) and I don't want to get lost. We also just got started geocaching and I also wanted a gps for the car that can provide directions.

 

From what I've read there is TOPO 2008 and several different Navigator programs for street driving and directions.

 

Here are my questions;

 

1) Do the street map programs provide info on forest service roads as well or just actual streets?

 

2) I need the most current up to date program and I understand there are some that are upgrades to existing software and some are full versions. Which one would I need for a full version?

 

3)I've looked on E-bay and there are several different mapping for street driving programs that say 2008 but the packaging looks different. One is Black font and the other is Blue. Does anyone know what is the most recent one?

 

4)Do you have the latest version of TOPO 2008 and for driving around forest service roads is it worth it?

 

Thank you for any information you can provide.

1) Provide area you are most interested with and I will send you screen print of map you are interested in.

2) I believe most maps you can buy as upgrade or as ‘full’ version. The best is to talk to Garmin or visit specialized gps store.

3) I do not buy stuff on e-bay since you could be scammed; you might receive ‘shrink wrapped’ software and find that it was already registered or used to get second unlock code (to load to gps). Light blue is the latest software. Again, talk to Garmin.

4) Same as #1. Provide an e-mail and I will send you screen print of area of interest.

[Broncoguy]

Hello,

 

I have spent many hours lurking around these pages and reading a lot of great information. Based on what I was looking for I purchased the HCX and just received it yesterday.

 

I got this unit because my family and I drive our Rhino around the desert and up North when we go camping during the summer (live in AZ) and I don't want to get lost. We also just got started geocaching and I also wanted a gps for the car that can provide directions.

 

From what I've read there is TOPO 2008 and several different Navigator programs for street driving and directions.

 

Here are my questions;

 

1) Do the street map programs provide info on forest service roads as well or just actual streets?

 

2) I need the most current up to date program and I understand there are some that are upgrades to existing software and some are full versions. Which one would I need for a full version?

 

3)I've looked on E-bay and there are several different mapping for street driving programs that say 2008 but the packaging looks different. One is Black font and the other is Blue. Does anyone know what is the most recent one?

 

4)Do you have the latest version of TOPO 2008 and for driving around forest service roads is it worth it?

 

Thank you for any information you can provide.

 

I have the same GPsr. I bought City Navigator NT vs. 2008 which gives auto-routing and real good street maps. The best price is $102.92 at www.thenerds.net

 

I pretty sure that if you buy this software on a micro sd card it will not transfer to your computer, but the DVD will transfer to your handheld. Double ck me on this, but thats why I didn't buy the micro sd on ebay and went with the DVD.

 

Info is: MapSource City Navigator North America NT on DVD contains full coverage for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Navigate with confidence having interstates, highways, and residential streets at the tip of your finger. City Navigator North America NT provides automatic route calculations with turn by turn directions on the PC and on NT compatible Garmin units.

 

If yours is like mine, you won't have auto-routing until you buy the City Navigator. My routes were just straight lines until I installed City Navigator. Just the amount of data is worth it. hotels/gas stations/food/atm/banks, lots of stuff that comes in handy.

 

As far as your question about the wilderness, I can't answer. You will have country roads with City Navigator, but I doubt if it will show the other ones you will like.

 

You can turn ON TRACKING and the gps will follow you anywhere you go and you can backtrack and get back as long as you have a signals. I've found this very helpful since I ride a bicycle alot on the country roads.

[drewallen42]

Hello,

 

I have spent many hours lurking around these pages and reading a lot of great information. Based on what I was looking for I purchased the HCX and just received it yesterday.

 

I got this unit because my family and I drive our Rhino around the desert and up North when we go camping during the summer (live in AZ) and I don't want to get lost. We also just got started geocaching and I also wanted a gps for the car that can provide directions.

 

From what I've read there is TOPO 2008 and several different Navigator programs for street driving and directions.

 

Here are my questions;

 

1) Do the street map programs provide info on forest service roads as well or just actual streets?

 

2) I need the most current up to date program and I understand there are some that are upgrades to existing software and some are full versions. Which one would I need for a full version?

 

3)I've looked on E-bay and there are several different mapping for street driving programs that say 2008 but the packaging looks different. One is Black font and the other is Blue. Does anyone know what is the most recent one?

 

4)Do you have the latest version of TOPO 2008 and for driving around forest service roads is it worth it?

 

Thank you for any information you can provide.

1) Provide area you are most interested with and I will send you screen print of map you are interested in.

2) I believe most maps you can buy as upgrade or as ‘full’ version. The best is to talk to Garmin or visit specialized gps store.

3) I do not buy stuff on e-bay since you could be scammed; you might receive ‘shrink wrapped’ software and find that it was already registered or used to get second unlock code (to load to gps). Light blue is the latest software. Again, talk to Garmin.

4) Same as #1. Provide an e-mail and I will send you screen print of area of interest.

 

Not sure if you can click this link but it shows an area we go a lot. Look for Payson and Heber, thats the area. Thanks.

 

http://www.mapofarizona.net/arizona-map-pd...apofarizona.pdf

Edited January 26, 2008 by drewallen42

[+the hermit crabs]

Not sure if you can click this link but it shows an area we go a lot. Look for Payson and Heber, thats the area.

Here are a few Mapsource screen shots of that area. The first two are on route 260, about halfway between Payson and Heber; one is City Navigator NT North America 2008 and the other is Topo 2008. The second pair are a few miles north of that point, in Sitgreaves National Forest.

 

All four are at the same level of map detail ("Highest"), and the same zoom level (one mile per unit as shown in the lower right corner).

 

1. City Navigator NT North America 2008; Route 260:

 

2. Topo 2008; Route 260:

 

3. City Navigator NT North America 2008; Sitgreaves National Forest:

 

4. Topo 2008; Sitgreaves National Forest:

[drewallen42]

Not sure if you can click this link but it shows an area we go a lot. Look for Payson and Heber, thats the area.

Here are a few Mapsource screen shots of that area. The first two are on route 260, about halfway between Payson and Heber; one is City Navigator NT North America 2008 and the other is Topo 2008. The second pair are a few miles north of that point, in Sitgreaves National Forest.

 

All four are at the same level of map detail ("Highest"), and the same zoom level (one mile per unit as shown in the lower right corner).

 

1. City Navigator NT North America 2008; Route 260:

 

2. Topo 2008; Route 260:

 

3. City Navigator NT North America 2008; Sitgreaves National Forest:

 

4. Topo 2008; Sitgreaves National Forest:

 

WOW that is perfect. Thank you so much for doing that. Very cool to compare.

 

Can you look up Woods Canyon Lake and show the area surrounding it? This is right around the same spot. It's Forest Service Road 300. If you could do the comparison between the two I would really appreciate it as it will help me determine which one I want.

 

Thanks again!!!

[+the hermit crabs]

WOW that is perfect. Thank you so much for doing that. Very cool to compare.

 

Can you look up Woods Canyon Lake and show the area surrounding it? This is right around the same spot. It's Forest Service Road 300. If you could do the comparison between the two I would really appreciate it as it will help me determine which one I want.

 

Thanks again!!!

The first two are centered on Woods Canyon Lake at the same zoom level as the previous ones. The second pair is zoomed in twice as close.

 

I'm thinking you're going to want the topo maps .

 

1. City Navigator NT North America 2008, Woods Canyon Lake:

 

2. Topo 2008, Woods Canyon Lake:

 

3. City Navigator NT North America 2008, zoomed in closer:

 

4. Topo 2008, zoomed in closer:

[drewallen42]

WOW that is perfect. Thank you so much for doing that. Very cool to compare.

 

Can you look up Woods Canyon Lake and show the area surrounding it? This is right around the same spot. It's Forest Service Road 300. If you could do the comparison between the two I would really appreciate it as it will help me determine which one I want.

 

Thanks again!!!

The first two are centered on Woods Canyon Lake at the same zoom level as the previous ones. The second pair is zoomed in twice as close.

 

I'm thinking you're going to want the topo maps .

 

1. City Navigator NT North America 2008, Woods Canyon Lake:

 

2. Topo 2008, Woods Canyon Lake:

 

3. City Navigator NT North America 2008, zoomed in closer:

 

4. Topo 2008, zoomed in closer:

 

You couldn't be more correct. Topo 2008 here I come!!!

 

I want to tell you that I've read several hundred posts regarding similar topics and this is the first one I've seen where someone compared an exact area between both programs. Thanks a lot for doing that. I really appreciate it.

 

I spent about an hour last night reading Amazon's reviews and several people said Topo and Navigator were the same on or off road. That statement couldn't be farther from the truth.

 

Thanks again. I really appreciate it!!!

[+Barrettg]

The Hermit Crab Rules!

 

Always provides good info and good data.