Using Free Maps with Garmin Vista HCx

[MagNMe]

I am pretty new to the whole GPS thing and am really enjoying Geocaching with my daughter. I recently found a website with free maps for all over the world

 

http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com/

 

however I have no idea how to get these maps and load them on my GPS. I do humanitarian aid work in Belarus every spring and would love to take my GPS and be able to use it there, and this site has Belarus listed, but I can't figure out how to use it. There isn't any help that I can find on the site ... can anyone explain this to me?

 

Thanks for any help you can give,

 

MagNMe

[+coggins]

Free sendMap20 rev 4.0 for Windows

Software for uploading maps to your GPS. It now uses the official Garmin USB driver. Before using, you should install the USB driver for your GPS. If your GPS is RS based only, you don't have to install this USB driver. The RS interface will work fine. You can download the USB driver from Garmin's site.

To see how to use it - start it without '-h'

New features

 

* Store a file list on disk (TXT file) that can be used later with '-f' option

* Read file list (just drag and drop TXT file)

* Support up to 1GB

* Check for available memory in GPS - now sendmap will not start the upload process if there is not enough memory

* Ability to change the 'region name' for every file

* Support for uploading several TYP files (customization of built in types) - TYP files are used on maps with the same region name

* Fixed uploading of several unlock keys

* Fixed saving to text file TYP and MDR files (filelist)

 

Recent fixes

 

* Create an EXE with TYP files included

* Fixes issues with mapset names

[MtnHermit]

You can take any single map of form "name.img" and rename it gmapsupp.img and your Vista will read and display it. To view more than one, you'll need Mapsource to combine several maps into a gmapsupp.img package file. Bit more complicated.

[+coggins]

Free Map Loader

Mapwel has built-in uploading of maps into the GPS unit. However, there is also a stand-alone program called MapUpload available for download free of charge. It allows user to upload their IMG map files created in other software into the GPS. MapUpload has capability of adding your maps to maps that are already present in the GPS memory.

MAPupload

Freeware

 

Program for uploading of IMG map files into Garmin® GPS units.

 

Unpack the downloaded .ZIP file and run the extracted MapUpload.exe.

 

If you prefer to download unzipped version (.exe), click here.

[+cliptwings]

You might try gpsfiledepot.com as well. The folks that run this website are in this forum all the time. The site has worldwide street maps, some topo maps, and more importantly, instructions HOW to use them. I don't know how Garmin can sell that expensive software with great alternatives like this!

[+coggins]

You might try gpsfiledepot.com as well. The folks that run this website are in this forum all the time. The site has worldwide street maps, some topo maps, and more importantly, instructions HOW to use them. I don't know how Garmin can sell that expensive software with great alternatives like this!

I think that the OP is interested in Belarus, and gpsfiledepot.com doesn't really have anything for Belarus, let alone worldwide streetmaps.

[MagNMe]

Thanks for the info. I do have Mapsource as it came with my GPS. But the file that I downloaded from MapCenter is not an "img" file but the extension is "mp" (belarus.mp). I am not sure what to do with it or if I downloaded the wrong file I cannot seem to find an "img" file on the site. Am I missing something?

 

Still confused!

[+Red90]

IMO, the best method is to use Mapsettoolkit, http://cypherman1.googlepages.com/ to add the maps to Mapsource and then transfer to the unit with Mapsource.

[+coggins]

Thanks for the info. I do have Mapsource as it came with my GPS. But the file that I downloaded from MapCenter is not an "img" file but the extension is "mp" (belarus.mp). I am not sure what to do with it or if I downloaded the wrong file I cannot seem to find an "img" file on the site. Am I missing something?

 

Still confused!

For an .img you want to use the like that looks like this:

 

Download source: 910 kB (358)

 

The one like this will give you the .mp (you don't want that):

 

Download binary: 637 kB (169)

Edited October 30, 2008 by coggins

[MagNMe]

On the site there are two maps listed, the one I want only has the source file available but it does say "Binary downloads: 32" does this mean it is available somewhere? The second map shows a binary available so I guess i will look at it but it does not appear to be routable, and with the file size being so much smaller I wonder if it only has main roads. Here is a paste of the text from the page:

 

Available maps

 

Belarus Routable (Road map by Matthias Niklas)

Belarus, Countrywide (ID: 37501111)

Belarus country wide from OpenStreetMap

Data source: OpenStreetMap download

Last updated: 2008-07-23 19:40 UTC

Download source: 8833 kB (89)

Binary downloads: 32

More by this author

 

Belarus (Road map by Altijd Verdwaald)

Belarus, Countrywide (ID: 37500001)

385899 km2 featuring: pois

Mapsets: Europe (0)

Basemap

Data source: GData

Last updated: 2008-03-26 21:12 UTC

Download source: 910 kB (358)

Download binary: 637 kB (169)

Installer downloads: 0

More by this author | More for this area

[+coggins]

On the site there are two maps listed, the one I want only has the source file available but it does say "Binary downloads: 32" does this mean it is available somewhere? The second map shows a binary available so I guess i will look at it but it does not appear to be routable, and with the file size being so much smaller I wonder if it only has main roads. Here is a paste of the text from the page:

 

Available maps

 

Belarus Routable (Road map by Matthias Niklas)

Belarus, Countrywide (ID: 37501111)

Belarus country wide from OpenStreetMap

Data source: OpenStreetMap download

Last updated: 2008-07-23 19:40 UTC

Download source: 8833 kB (89)

Binary downloads: 32

More by this author

 

Belarus (Road map by Altijd Verdwaald)

Belarus, Countrywide (ID: 37500001)

385899 km2 featuring: pois

Mapsets: Europe (0)

Basemap

Data source: GData

Last updated: 2008-03-26 21:12 UTC

Download source: 910 kB (358)

Download binary: 637 kB (169)

Installer downloads: 0

More by this author | More for this area

 

Yes, the Matthias Niklas map is available from the map page (does your GPS display Cyrillic?):

http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com/mapview.php?id=2019

 

The Altijd Verdwaald map is a basemap.

 

I would also give this map a look (Transliteration version of Minsk):

http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com/mapview.php?id=2185

Edited October 30, 2008 by coggins

[extremecarver]

Better take ready built map from openstreetmap. Data for Germany and Austria is already pretty good, better than any commercial maps in big cities. On the countryside however only main roads are already in the dataset (except for a few exceptions where also the countryside is mapped to highest standards).

[+coggins]

Better take ready built map from openstreetmap. Data for Germany and Austria is already pretty good, better than any commercial maps in big cities. On the countryside however only main roads are already in the dataset (except for a few exceptions where also the countryside is mapped to highest standards).

How does the Belarus openstreetmap look on your GPS unit? Looks pretty weird on a US Garmin one as it doesn't have the Cyrillic fonts.

[japa-fi]

There are several sources for openstreetmap based maps for garmin (and other units) available at http://downloads.cloudmade.com

That's where I get my maps.

[ldrmss]

hello everybody, sorry for bringing up a old thread, but i just got the garmin vista hcx, i have been trying to put some maps on the garmin but i cant get maps and put them on the gamin, i have downloaded some maps but i just cant get them to work, and even get them on the garmin. I have mapsource and basecamp installed, also i have a sdcard.

 

the type of maps i would like to have would be like topographic maps so when i go to the woods mountain biking or treking i could see whats up "ahead"

[ldrmss]

thank you for the reply

 

kmz,img,osm, i did put them on the gamin folder, the img file i can open the file on basecamp.

 

i just cant get it. the maps i want would be from ireland, with road maps so that brings me close to the caches and mountains for biking and trekking.

 

are you familiar with the garmin vista hcx? how can i open the routes .gpx files and then follow them on the garmin? i can see the file on the garmin but the only option is delete

[ldrmss]

If you can open the .img file in Basecamp then your Etrex should see it. I'm still not sure which maps you're using but I recommend the ones from www.talkytoaster.info ... I use the UK ones there for biking and trekking but there are also maps that cover Ireland. I've used those maps on my old Etrex and also on my Etrex 20 without any problems

 

thank you so much for that. it worked brilliantly now i have proper maps.