Free Routable World Basemap for Colorado

[+myotis]

Hey I figured out a neat trick: how to get a free routeable worldwide basemap for the Colorado (at least it works on the 400T)!

 

I've got the 400T and when using City Navigator, I like to disable the topo maps as it makes it much easier to see the screen. One issue with this is when you zoom out far you don't see anything so it is hard to figure out where to zoom too. So I was trying to find some basemap that I could load to have a background when zoomed out with the topo maps off.

 

I found this one:

 

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=461

 

I download it and extract the img file and gave it a 8 number name. Then I used gpsmapper to get it into MapSource. After running a couple of hours, it got part of the map into MapSource. Then I tried to download it to the 400T. It would not download. So that did not work.

 

So I tried something simpler, I just copied GMAPBMAP.IMG onto the 400T and it worked! With it, I can now zoom out and figure out where places are. And it has the entire world and it is routable. I have all of CN loaded on a card, so I tried to route to the middle of Mexico and it worked perfectly. I also tried taking out my card with CN and it worked. Everything seems to work with no problem.

 

So go to

 

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=461

 

download the file which will be named:

 

iQue3600World-WideBasemap_301.exe

 

You don't want to run the file. It is a self extracting archive. You want to extract

GMAPBMAP.IMG from it. You can get it by opening it in WinZip or WinRAR. Actually the easiest way to get the file is change the extensiton from exe to zip then double click on it. Just don't run the file as it will try to load the file onto a PDA. Then just copy the file to the GPS in the Garmin directory. That is all there is.

 

Prety neat huh?

 

Anyone know a better basemap to use?

[Tomas4x4]

Great idea myotis!

 

I have Colorado 300 and there is already file called GMAPBMAP.IMG in there and it is 3x as large as the one you can get from described download. I have renamed the original file and copied downloaded one on the unit and, as I expected, there was no digital elevation map so all the terrain features were gone, just flat white background instead of green, yellow and brown colors of the depicted elevations.

 

Next thing I tried was routing, I assumed it would work but it did not . At first I thought that maybe having another map loaded (Topo National Parks) could cause unit to use it even though it was unselected. I have 'removed' the Topo National Parks by renaming the gmapsupp.img file with it but it had no effect. Base map is showing as 'routable highway map' but routing is not working for me.

 

I find it rather weird because I believe that Colorado models only differ by preloaded maps and by the label on the unit. I won't be trying to dig into this more because loss of DEM is not acceptable for me, but it would sure be nice to have routable basemap.

[+jotne]

3.01 is a very old basemap.

4.00 is from 2005 and latest 4.01 is from 2007

 

I did download world basemap 4.01 from Garmin, but did not remeber where.

[freeday]

this one is newer: 4.0

http://www8.garmin.com/software/GarminMobi..._41001wBeta.exe

 

@jotne please could you search one more time - Thank's

[+jotne]

Get it here:

 

http://jo-jo-jo.no-ip.com/garmin/Garmin_Worldmap_4.01.rar

[+fratermus]

Hey I figured out a neat trick: how to get a free routeable worldwide basemap for the Colorado (at least it works on the 400T)!

 

I did it last year on a 60cx; works fine.

[freeday]

thank you

[+myotis]

That newer map works great. Too bad this does not work on the 300. I am now even more sure I made the right decision to go with the 400T,

[+jotne]

A map that do work on Colorado 300 will also work on 400t.

It's the same unit.

 

You can take the big Topo map from 400t and rename it to gmapsupp.img and copy it to an SD card, and it will work fine on a Colorado 300.

 

You can also put the basemap to the SD Card, and you will have two differnet basemap.

To make it work on the SD Card, you need to rename the gmapbmap.img file

to gmapsupp.img

[CenTexDodger]

Hey I figured out a neat trick: how to get a free routeable worldwide basemap for the Colorado (at least it works on the 400T)!

 

I did it last year on a 60cx; works fine.

 

Were you able to use that with any other maps, or was it the basemap only?

[+fratermus]

Were you able to use that with any other maps, or was it the basemap only?

 

IIRC, I put it on a spare microSD to simplify testing. I think there were other maps on the card but I did the test-routing around Paris, France where I knew I had no maps. I'll repeat the test next time I redo the maps on the 60cx.

[BoostJunkie]

Is this routable base map very detailed, or is it the same kind of lame base map that came on the 60CSx which will only get you from city to city only on major highways, or will it route you through smaller arterial roads? Either way, I guess it's better than nothing at all.

[+fratermus]

Is this routable base map very detailed, or is it the same kind of lame base map that came on the 60CSx which will only get you from city to city only on major highways, or will it route you through smaller arterial roads?

 

Well, as a basemap it's got about the same about of detail as a basemap. The entire planet in 30MB or whatever, so don't expect much.

 

I think this is a screenshot from my testing last year:

http://www.mousetrap.net/~mouse/images/gps/paris01k.png

[Night Parrot]

Were you able to use that with any other maps, or was it the basemap only?

 

IIRC, I put it on a spare microSD to simplify testing. I think there were other maps on the card but I did the test-routing around Paris, France where I knew I had no maps. I'll repeat the test next time I redo the maps on the 60cx.

 

Unlike the Colorado, the GPSmap 60cx / csx has no accessible internal memory - that correct ? So one can't actually "replace" the basemap that comes installed on the 60cx / csx - that right ? The only way is to put an alternative basemap on a card for use on the unit but the original basemap is still there ?

 

As I'm in Australia, it would be useful to be able to actually change the American basemap on the actual untit itself (60csx).

[+Red90]

Unlike the Colorado, the GPSmap 60cx / csx has no accessible internal memory - that correct ? So one can't actually "replace" the basemap that comes installed on the 60cx / csx - that right ? The only way is to put an alternative basemap on a card for use on the unit but the original basemap is still there ?

 

As I'm in Australia, it would be useful to be able to actually change the American basemap on the actual untit itself (60csx).

 

Correct... What you can do is put this basemap on the unit with whatever else you need as a detailed map using Sendmap or similar.

[+jotne]

Correct... What you can do is put this basemap on the unit with whatever else you need as a detailed map using Sendmap or similar.

 

Or just rename gmapbmap.img to gmapsupp.img and copy it to the SD-Card on a 60CSx

[+Red90]

Or just rename gmapbmap.img to gmapsupp.img and copy it to the SD-Card on a 60CSx

 

Except you lose your other detailed maps that way.

[+Artsifrtsy]

I put this on an SD card. Do you have to select it? It doesn't show up.

[+Red90]

If you are not replacing the existing basemap on the unit's internal memory, you would need to name it "gmapsupp.img" so that it becomes the detailed map.

[+IvorBigun]

Hey I figured out a neat trick: how to get a free routeable worldwide basemap for the Colorado (at least it works on the 400T)!

 

I did it last year on a 60cx; works fine.

can you point me to where the info is for changing the basemap on the 60csx or 76 csx

I would like to update the base map on my old unit

I was going to sell it or part ex it but becuse so many isues on my 300 I am still having to use it

 

Garmin must have seen this lol

I just ran updater MY 76csx has gone from V3.50 to V3.60 and YES its got world 3 base maps 2007 and the new motorway Junction M62 A1 near where I live is now on

 

It does not say what version map it just list the pacific the Atlantic and Americas as being 2007 IT has all three now when new it just had the Atlantic base map I think

 

ERRR NO sorry my mistake I had the Micro SD card in that I downloaded V4.01 basemap when I removed the card it is as was when new the Original basemap

Could garmin not have put the bew basemap in the Software update ???? or is that to difficult????

 

So Yep I still need to find away to put the 4.01 basemap into the 76csx on the unit not the card as Topo GB will over right it wont it ??

Edited March 21, 2008 by IvorBigun

[CenTexDodger]

Hey I figured out a neat trick: how to get a free routeable worldwide basemap for the Colorado (at least it works on the 400T)!

 

I did it last year on a 60cx; works fine.

can you point me to where the info is for changing the basemap on the 60csx or 76 csx

I would like to update the base map on my old unit

I was going to sell it or part ex it but becuse so many isues on my 300 I am still having to use it

 

Garmin must have seen this lol

I just ran updater MY 76csx has gone from V3.50 to V3.60 and YES its got world 3 base maps 2007 and the new motorway Junction M62 A1 near where I live is now on

 

It does not say what version map it just list the pacific the Atlantic and Americas as being 2007 IT has all three now when new it just had the Atlantic base map I think

 

ERRR NO sorry my mistake I had the Micro SD card in that I downloaded V4.01 basemap when I removed the card it is as was when new the Original basemap

Could garmin not have put the bew basemap in the Software update ???? or is that to difficult????

 

So Yep I still need to find away to put the 4.01 basemap into the 76csx on the unit not the card as Topo GB will over right it wont it ??

 

It would be great if someone who is more familiar than I am with GPS Map Edit, cGPSmapper and Mapset Toolkit could explain the process of converting this basemap into a map that MapSource recocnizes so that it could be loaded just like a detailed map.

 

I tried, but I was not successfull.

[KD6QZX]

In the discussions of the differences between the 300 and 400 series, I recall that the 300 has a better world base map than the 400 series does. If I use this replacement base map of version 4.1 from 2007 as described above will this give me a better world base map than the 300 has? As well I see that it will be routable which is not possibe in either the current 300 or 400 series correct....?

[+jotne]

300 basemap has DEM (3D Topo). 92MB

4.01 do not have this info. 31MB

[+g-o-cashers]

In the discussions of the differences between the 300 and 400 series, I recall that the 300 has a better world base map than the 400 series does. If I use this replacement base map of version 4.1 from 2007 as described above will this give me a better world base map than the 300 has? As well I see that it will be routable which is not possibe in either the current 300 or 400 series correct....?

 

The basemaps in the 300 and 400t are not routeable (well at least they aren't on the CO). rwsmith123 has told me that the 300 basemap actually has routing data in it however the 300 cannot route using these maps but a Nuvi can, go figure!

 

The basemap on the 300 is a little better than the 400t basemap in that it has higher quality DEM for most of the world outside the US. The 300 basemap DEM still isn't as good as the DEM for the US which the 400t gets as part of the Topo2008 maps.

 

If you don't use the default 300 basemap I'm guessing the biggest thing you lose is the DEM data (3D view and relief shading). You'll need to decide whether the autorouting in the basemap (which is poor at best) is worth losing the DEM (which isn't great either).

 

Basemap comparisons are here in FAQ M2.

 

GO$Rs

[+Red90]

It would be great if someone who is more familiar than I am with GPS Map Edit, cGPSmapper and Mapset Toolkit could explain the process of converting this basemap into a map that MapSource recocnizes so that it could be loaded just like a detailed map.

 

I tried, but I was not successfull.

 

Mapset toolkit will get it into Mapsource, however, you can not use Mapsource to load it onto the unit AFAICT. You need to use sendmap.

[CenTexDodger]

It would be great if someone who is more familiar than I am with GPS Map Edit, cGPSmapper and Mapset Toolkit could explain the process of converting this basemap into a map that MapSource recocnizes so that it could be loaded just like a detailed map.

 

I tried, but I was not successfull.

 

Mapset toolkit will get it into Mapsource, however, you can not use Mapsource to load it onto the unit AFAICT. You need to use sendmap.

 

But if you use sendmap, you can only get the one map. You can do that just by putting a 60CSx into mass storage mode, copy and paste it in there, and rename it gmapsupp.img. I was hoping you could load it with a group of other maps--CN NA NT, Topo, etc.

[+Red90]

But if you use sendmap, you can only get the one map. You can do that just by putting a 60CSx into mass storage mode, copy and paste it in there, and rename it gmapsupp.img. I was hoping you could load it with a group of other maps--CN NA NT, Topo, etc.

 

Sendmap can send as many maps as you want at once.

 

The easiest method for the computer impaired is to use IMG2GPS which is a windows frontend for Sendmap.

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mdipol/img2gps/

[+myotis]

In the discussions of the differences between the 300 and 400 series, I recall that the 300 has a better world base map than the 400 series does. If I use this replacement base map of version 4.1 from 2007 as described above will this give me a better world base map than the 300 has? As well I see that it will be routable which is not possibe in either the current 300 or 400 series correct....?

 

The basemaps in the 300 and 400t are not routeable (well at least they aren't on the CO). rwsmith123 has told me that the 300 basemap actually has routing data in it however the 300 cannot route using these maps but a Nuvi can, go figure!

 

The basemap on the 300 is a little better than the 400t basemap in that it has higher quality DEM for most of the world outside the US. The 300 basemap DEM still isn't as good as the DEM for the US which the 400t gets as part of the Topo2008 maps.

 

If you don't use the default 300 basemap I'm guessing the biggest thing you lose is the DEM data (3D view and relief shading). You'll need to decide whether the autorouting in the basemap (which is poor at best) is worth losing the DEM (which isn't great either).

 

Basemap comparisons are here in FAQ M2.

 

GO$Rs

 

I don't need autorouting on the basemap. The reaosn why I figured this out is because I generally keep the built in topo maps off. They make it harder to see the map when using City Navigator and I don't need releif shading in CN. The problem is when you turn off the topomaps, it also turns off the basemap. So when you zoom out you cannot tell where places are. So I want the basemap to be able to see state boundarys and Interstates when I zoom out in CN. It works great for that.

 

What I would really like is to find some map that has exit services. Has anyone been able to figure out how to get exit serives with the CO? I really like being able to see what is in the upcoming exits.

[CenTexDodger]

But if you use sendmap, you can only get the one map. You can do that just by putting a 60CSx into mass storage mode, copy and paste it in there, and rename it gmapsupp.img. I was hoping you could load it with a group of other maps--CN NA NT, Topo, etc.

 

Sendmap can send as many maps as you want at once.

 

The easiest method for the computer impaired is to use IMG2GPS which is a windows frontend for Sendmap.

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mdipol/img2gps/

 

Thanks! I did not realize that!

 

ETA: only bad thing is that you have to select close to 2000 map tiles if you have topo, Oh well!

Edited March 26, 2008 by CenTexDodger