NT vs NON-NT vs SD

[+Taubin_ZL2TOY]

I'm extremely new at this (just got my GPS yesterday) and I love it. In fact, I didn't sleep at all so I would be there when UPS dropped it off and I could do my first cache (I work overnight, which is why I would be asleep when UPS got there )

 

Anyways, I have read about the NT non NT and SD maps till my eyes nearly bled (I blame the lack of sleep). And, I still don't know what would be best for my GPS. I read that the NT are slower, and the SD can be taken to a different GPS. I also read that with the SD you would have to buy a whole new card instead of a DVD update

 

So, basically, what I am looking for, is someone to break it down to really simple terms for a "slow" person that hasn't slept in *looks at watch* 30 hours. I guess it would help if I said what GPS I have it's a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx

 

So, please, I am begging the nice, wonderful people on this forum to help a poor guy out before his grey matter ends up on the monitor due to a head explosion. Thanks in advance

[+Chuy!]

Essentially, the Garmin handhelds with external media cards take NT (anything with an "x" suffix), and the non-media card units (60CS; Etrex C models, etc...) take non-NT versions.

 

The main difference has to do with the size (data-wise) of the map regions called "tiles" that download into the GPS.

 

Non-NT maps average roughly 2mb. The tiles of NT maps average 15mb. If you have an Etrex Venture which holds, I believe, 5mb, you couldn't fit any maps from NT. The data is the same, but it's the compression that is different. The reason for the larger tiles is that there is a max limit of 2025 tiles that you can download. A Vista HCx with a 2gb card can easily fit the entire US on the card with NT maps. But not with non-NT maps because the 2025 limit would be reached first.

 

Topo maps only come in the smaller tile size. The 2025 limit is cummulative among the maps you download.

 

I don't know about SD and updates. I do know that with the SD maps, you don't get a disc to install the maps on your computer. If you buy the maps on a disc, you can install them on any computer, then download the maps to the GPS. I prefer this because I like to plan my cache runs off the maps. I find it easy and efficient to plan my routes this way.

[+Taubin_ZL2TOY]

Thank you Chuy! I *think* I get it.

 

So, what I want, is the 2008 topo map (as I could care less about the turn by turn directions in th street), and it only comes in the non-NT version. Correct?

 

Which would be this... At least I hope that's correct, I just orderd it