Highway maps & 60CSx

[+TeamThom]

My wife and I have been using her StreetPilot c330 to navigate streets to the cache then handhelds after we leave the vehicle. However, my wife's job has her traveling some during the summers and she takes the StreetPilot with her. I'm a new 60CSx owner and hope to use it to navigate streets while the wife travels. The StreetPilot talks and the 60CSx gives early and final warning tones. That should be OK. But what street mapping software? I'm looking at "Metro Guide North America V8" and "City Navigator NT North America" on DVD. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

 

Is it true that Metro Guide North America V8 won't street route on the GPS?

 

What is with MapSource Unlock and City Navigator? Is it true that you pay on a state by state bases to use it?

 

Mostly I geocache in the city but sometimes in the woods. Based on info I've read on this board I bought and installed a 2GB microSD card. I also found www.miscjunk.org and installed the Utah Topo maps which I think will work well for me. I still have 1.77 GB of free flash.

[+Miragee]

I have the City Navigator maps on my Vista HCx and they work very well. If you get Metro Guide, you have to "hack" the maps in order to make them auto-route.

 

The Unlock code on City Navigator maps allows you to use the maps on only one GPS unit. You can install them on as many computers as you use.

 

I also have the older Mapsource Topo maps on my GPS unit and on my computer. Both the Topo and City Navigator cover the entire U.S.

[+Night Stalker]

You could also look at the City Navigator non NT. The difference is that the non NT version will be larger files. The NT version is more compressed. I have read that the NT version is a little slower to refresh. I have the non NT version of City Navigator 2008 and it works fine on my 60CX.

[+JSWilson64]

City Navigator: comes with unlock code for one (1) GPS unit (can purchase more).

Metro Guide: can be installed on as many GPSrs as you want, but doesn't autoroute out of the box. Same map data as City Navigator of the same generation.

MetroWizzz (free) / MetroGold ($6.00) - software (www.geodude.nl) that turns MetroGuide into an autorouting map product. MetroWizz is limited to 1 GB or a certain # of map tiles - Metro Gold is unlimited.

 

If you've got more than one GPS receiver, MetroGuide North America 8 plus MetroGold gets you routable maps on as many GPS receivers as you want, at much less $$$ out of pocket than City Nav.

[+deeperrin]

On my 60Cx I use the City Navigator. It is the pre2008 map set. Your device will take the NT but it will take a bit longer to refresh. I am told the disadvantage with non NT is it takes up more room. My non NT map sets work good and with a 2GB card I can place more than I need to on the card.

 

Thanks

Derrick Perrin

[+Cacheoholic]

What version of City Navigator maps are on the c330? If they are version 8 or older you should have a second unlock that could be used for the 60CSx.

[+gahboo]

 

If you've got more than one GPS receiver, MetroGuide North America 8 plus MetroGold gets you routable maps on as many GPS receivers as you want, at much less $$$ out of pocket than City Nav.

 

Is the road and POI detail in non-urban areas as good in Metro Guide as in City Nav? I just bought a 60CSx. I have a 2610 with ebay bought MapSource City Nav on it. So, I need to get maps for the 60CSx. I do not know what to get, really. I need autorouting on the 60CSx, but would like to have Topo too. Does Topo have autorouting roads to the extent that City Nav does? If so, I will buy Topo because I want some geocaching as well as autorouting streets. Advice welcomed by this nOOb.

 

Thanks.

KS

[+Cacheoholic]

The road and POI data is very similar if not identical. This is considering that you are comparing the same year versions. There was no MetroGuide NA ver.9 so the road and POI data of City Nav. NA 2008 (ver.9?) is more up to date and shortly to be released 2009? (ver.10?) version will be the most up to date.

 

The Topo US and MetroWizzed MetroGuide NA do not load together or at least I could never get it to work. I never tried MetroWizz Gold.

 

The Topo US maps do not autoroute and can not since they do not contain the necessary data.

[+TeamThom]

What version of City Navigator maps are on the c330? If they are version 8 or older you should have a second unlock that could be used for the 60CSx.

 

I do not know what version she is running on the c330. The unit reports software version 5.70 and audio version 2.50. For the map it reports "City Navigator North America NT 2008". The unit was purchased three years ago and a map update was installed last year from a DVD ROM. The only PC software that came with the c330 was a USB driver. It did not come with MapSource according to my wife. The "Map Update 2008 City Navigator North America NT" DVD she bought last year contains USB drivers and three img files with a total size of 2,376,473 KB. (gmappromU.img, gmappromA.img, & gmappromL.img). There is a product key on the back of the case.

[+Cacheoholic]

Sounds like you might have a City Select v7 or City Navigator NT v8 unlock available. Did you register the c330? If you did, go to your "my Garmin" and check it out. From there you can see what maps have been unlocked to your GPS or GPSes and can unlock additional units. Click on the c330 under “my Registered Products”. Click on “Mapsource Unlock”. Look for “Unlock Additional GARMIN Unit”. If you have it, then you can unlock a second GPS to that map. Now all you need is the map software to load on your PC. Call Garmin at 800-800-1020 and see if they will send it to you. They used to do it for free. If not, email me and I’ll check my archives.