Viewing Rivers/Lakes Etrex Legend HCX

[justinrocks]

I have City Navigator North America 2008 / Mapsource 6.14.1

I have downloaded maps for my state, but I am unable to see rivers on the Etrex HcX, i thought even the basemap that came with it displayed rivers. The detail is set to High in unit. I do not see rivers in the mapsource software either. I realize topo 2008 might do this, but I thought basic river info was displayed from the basemap of the hcx. I do not want to purchase Topo, just to see the blue river lines.

Edited November 30, 2008 by justinrocks

[+Hrethgir]

I think the base map just shows major rivers and lakes, not every little river and creek. Like in my area, it shows the Willamette and Columbia rivers, but not Fanno Creek. I don't have City Navigator, but I think that is just street-level detail, probably do need Topo to show rivers on there.

[+efflandt]

It sounds like you either did not install City Navigator NT properly or have not unlocked it yet. I did not realize how empty the basemap is until I ejected my microSD card. You are right about not much in the way of rivers or lakes on the basemap unless big and wide. But once you install City Navigator maps you should see (and name of) even smaller creeks (you may have to zoom in). On medium detail in Mapsource I have to be at 5 mi scale to see a local river, 1 mi to see a creek, or 0.2 mi to see my street. With higher detail settings you can see things from farther out.

 

There should be a yellow sheet of paper with the 25 digit unlock code. If your unit is new, you can also order a free 2009 map update DVD from Garmin once you register your unit. The registration code on that yellow sheet is needed when you go online to get an unlock code for map updates.

 

If you properly installed one or more states from City Navigator to a microSD, it should show up on that card as gmapsupp.img in a Garmin folder. If you install maps with the microSD in the Garmin instead of a card reader, the eTrex has to be on and in USB mode (Setup, Interface, and select "USB Mass Storage")

 

I just bought a Legend HCx bundled with City Navigator NT 2008 maps, 12V power cable and suction cup vehicle mount, and already got my 2009 update DVD.

[+PDOP's]

If you want to see all the water courses this is one source of free US Topo for Garmins http://www.miscjunk.org/mj/mp_main.html Also see http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/

[justinrocks]

It sounds like you either did not install City Navigator NT properly or have not unlocked it yet. I did not realize how empty the basemap is until I ejected my microSD card. You are right about not much in the way of rivers or lakes on the basemap unless big and wide. But once you install City Navigator maps you should see (and name of) even smaller creeks (you may have to zoom in). On medium detail in Mapsource I have to be at 5 mi scale to see a local river, 1 mi to see a creek, or 0.2 mi to see my street. With higher detail settings you can see things from farther out.

 

It allowed me to order the City Navigator 2009, so I believe I done all the unlocking correctly, although I can not see rivers in mapsource, I switched to Mass storage mode and I do see the .img file which is about 88megs (3 or 4 states) I d/l from mapsource/city navigator, I can do auto routing, etc. But I don't see any blue lines on the map on the Handheld or the mapsource software.

 

I'm currently D/Ling. IbycusUSA I believe that will have rivers & streams, but I'm not sure if it will overlay on my existing maps, I'll have to choose one or the other in the map setup I guess.

 

Not sure why City navigator Mapsource doesn't show Rivers though if you have one that is working it must be something with detail on mine....

[+hogrod]

I have City Navigator North America 2008 / Mapsource 6.14.1

I have downloaded maps for my state, but I am unable to see rivers on the Etrex HcX, i thought even the basemap that came with it displayed rivers. The detail is set to High in unit. I do not see rivers in the mapsource software either. I realize topo 2008 might do this, but I thought basic river info was displayed from the basemap of the hcx. I do not want to purchase Topo, just to see the blue river lines.

 

City Navigator 2008 didn't contain very much river, stream, lake info. The newer City navigator 2009 does have much more of this data, but not as complete as the topo software.

 

If your not seeing the rivers in mapsource on your PC, then I wouldn't expect it to display on your gps either. If you can autoroute more than just major highways then it sounds like you have the maps installed properly.

[+efflandt]

I guess I replied too soon. I started looking away from metropolitan areas and there is little shown for other than major bodies of water in City Navigator NT 2008 or 2009. Meandering smaller rivers and creeks do not fall into simple vectors and require more memory space (filesize).

 

I did not realize that because I already had Topo 2008 maps, which show much more detail for water, trails, etc. But many of its streets are slightly off (a fix at my home shows me in the yard across the street). So it can still be difficult to tell which side of a creek a cache is on. I had to backtrack to the other side of a creek for one, and found a convenient log bridge to another after I thought I would have to return another day.

 

I found my first few caches with no maps at all, using my old GPS 45. I used it in the woods long ago for hunting (with paper quadrangle maps) back when SA was enabled (to foil our enemies), which made accuracy the size of a football field (+/-50 meters). That old unit is rated for 15 meter accuracy, and indicates 49 ft accuracy at best. So leave your tracking on so you can at least backtrack or set a point later if you forgot to set a point where you parked.

 

I have not found free topo maps for my areas of interest, but if you web search, you can order Garmin topos for less than list price.

[Ken in Regina]

I have been using City Select and City Navigator since v5 and I can tell you from much frustrated experience that the geographic features in all versions of City Navigator North America, including v2009, are minimal. Not much more than a basemap. And the ones that are there are very inaccurate. You'll need some other product to get geographic features.

 

Don't waste any more time trying to figure out what you did wrong with City Navigator. You're doing everything right.

 

You don't see them because they aren't in the map data.

 

...ken...

[justinrocks]

Thanks for all the help

, I have installed the FREE IbycusUSA software and I now have detailed rivers, although I can only see the Rivers if I turn off my City Navigator maps. Not a big issue, I would rather have both without fiddling with any settings. I guess I'm now wondering if IbycusUSA is accurate when tracking, I assume it is, but it doesn't do auto routing and I havn't tested the accuracy of those free maps.

 

I'm leaning towards Topo 2008 now, so I can have roads and rivers. The IbycusUSA is very detailed though for the price.

Edited December 1, 2008 by justinrocks

[+trainlove]

Point of order here.

MapSource Topo has detailed rivers and lake information since that's a geographic piece of information. Very few rivers and lakes are routable streets, LOL, but I think that City Select and City Navigator has some waterway information.

 

Being a Magellan user, I use my MapSend Topo but also use the Direct Routes which is Magellans equivalent to Navigator. It has very detailed river information. And even my basemap has quite a bit of water information even for places outside the USA.

[justinrocks]

Just to clarify, I wanted the Roads and rivers so I could navigate in boat or car without adjusting any map settings on the unit.

[-Oz-]

The roads in Ibycus' map are pretty accurate. You'll have to confirm your data but they are from the most recent government data available.