Max card capacity of Garmin Legend HCx

[+Luke McGlue]

Please excuse me if this has been answered before. The Search function and Google turned up conflicting information ranging from 2 GB to 4 GB to unlimited. Garmin Support has not yet responded to the question.

 

I'm shopping for a GPS for my father-in-law who is a geocaching newbie, and would also use the unit for hiking and driving. I have experience with the Magellan Explorist series and the Garmin Nuvi series, but was impressed by the Garmin Venture HC. The only drawback was that the internal memory would not hold even one state's worth of City Navigator data! So the next logical choice is the Legend HCx. I would like the map-upload operation to be a one-time affair, as my father-in-law is also a computer newbie (a MacBook guy). I hope to upload street and topo information for the entire US before I give it to him.

 

I'd appreciate any first-hand information and advice Forum members can give to me. Thanks and happy trails!

[+IBcrashen]

2 gigs that the firmware in the unit will see. But there is a new firmware update that should be coming out for the unit that will let you go bigger which is in beta and seems people are having trouble with. topic

[Ken in Regina]

Some of the information that seems to be in conflict really isn't. You will have read about two limitations. Many people get confused because they are often treated as if they are the same limitation only different words being used to describe it. Believe me that they are two entirely different limitations.

 

One limitation is the physical size of the card. You have asked that question and you have one answer. I can't confirm whether it will support larger than 2GB with the current firmware because 2GB is my largest card. For reasons I'll explain below, I've never felt any need for a larger card.

 

The other limitation that might be of more concern to you in your plans is the limitation of the number of map segments that the unit can load from a single map file. If you plan to try to load both road maps and topo maps for the entire continental US you will need to pay careful attention to that limit.

 

I can't swear to the limitation of map segments on the Legend HCX even though I own one. I have seen 2048 segments as the limit for a number of years. I know that this definitely applies to older units. However, I've seen 4096 as the upper limit on newer units. I have not tested this to find out.

 

What I can recommend is that if you like the Venture HC, you will like the Legend HCX equally. I bought the Venture HC and immediately discovered that the internal memory was insufficient so I sent it back and got the Legend HCX. So if that's the way you want to go, do it. Buy the Legend and a couple of 2GB cards. Load the road maps (City Navigator) on one card and load the topos on the other card. All your father-in-law has to do is swap the cards when he wants to head offroad with the topos. Even a computer newbie will find it easy to understand that you need one card for one map and the other card for a different map and its really easy to change them.

 

When loading the topos, you should still pay close attention to the map segment limitations. When you use the MapSource program on the PC to select the map segments to load into the unit, there is a tab that lists all the map segments. At the bottom of that tab you will see the total number of map segmenst selected so far and also the amount of space they will occupy. Pay attention to that as you use the map selector tool to select what you want.

 

I'm in Canada so I can only tell you the statistics for Topo Canada. The entire map is 7316 segments and requires 3.8GB. That would fit on a 4GB card but it is nearly double even the newest largest segment count limitation that I've seen. You might have a similar problem with the US topos.

 

So, even if the Legend will use a 4GB card you still might have a problem with the map segment limit. You might need to put the US topos onto two cards, say, one for the eastern states and one for the west regardless of the amount of space they need.

 

I hope that made sense. If you are interested, I can try creating a map that exceeds 2048 segments and see if the Legend handles it. Just let me know.

 

...ken...

[+Jamie Z]

2 gigs that the firmware in the unit will see. But there is a new firmware update that should be coming out for the unit that will let you go bigger which is in beta and seems people are having trouble with. topic

The link you supplied talks about a firmware update for the 60csx. The OP is asking about the Legend HCx. Are the discussions relevant?

 

Jamie

[Ken in Regina]

2 gigs that the firmware in the unit will see. But there is a new firmware update that should be coming out for the unit that will let you go bigger which is in beta and seems people are having trouble with. topic

The link you supplied talks about a firmware update for the 60csx. The OP is asking about the Legend HCx. Are the discussions relevant?

 

Jamie

I wouldn't think so. The firmware for the 60Csx can't be applied to the HCx. But the 60Csx has been around longer so the HCx may not have the same limit to start with.

 

.......

 

Okay, I checked the Garmin knowledge base again and here's the latest I could find:

 

Question: What is the largest MicroSD card supported by a X series device?

Answer:

 

There are limitations with both the size of MicroSD data card and the number of individual map tiles that are compatible with the X series devices.

 

The MicroSD card is used for the purpose of storing track logs and Garmin MapSource maps such as City Navigator, Topo US 2008 and Inland Lakes, among others.

 

The data card limitations are as follows:

 

* 2GB - the devices will not accept high speed cards or capacities larger than 2GB

* 2025 Map Tiles

 

Data cards greater than 2GB and/or have the ultra and high capacity in the title are incompatible.

Last modified on: 01/20/2009

I don't care about card size. 2GB is fine for me for reasons I described in my previous post. But I'm now sufficiently interested in the real answer to the map segment limit issue that I've got a map with 2312 tiles currently compiling to see what the Legend does with it. I'll post the results here as soon as it's done.

 

...ken...

[Ken in Regina]

Okay, I compiled a map with 2312 tiles from Topo Canada. It took 800MB on the card. My eTrex Legend HCx stops loading it at 91% and switches to the map screen. It does not display the detail maps. So it clearly is not happy with that many tiles. Looks like that Garmin knowledge base article is correct for the Legend HCx.

 

I also tried the same mapset with my iQue 3600 and Mobile PC on my laptop. Neither one of them likes it either. Mobile PC is the only one that gives an intelligent warning. It says "Too many maps on card".

 

In all three cases everything still functions correctly. Nothing locks up or any other bizarre behaviour. The basemap displays just fine. They all just won't display any detail information from the topo map.

 

...ken...

[Ken in Regina]

One final test just to get closer to the 2025 segments that Garmin says is the limit. I created a map with 2028 tiles from Topo Canada and it's still no go. The Legend HCx won't display the map details.

 

So it looks like the size of the memory card is pretty much irrelevant as long as it's big enough to hold the compiled mapset. In the case of the two tests with the topos, either of the files would fit nicely on a 1GB card.

 

City Navigator North America (road maps) is larger than 1GB so it needs a 2GB card to hold the whole thing.

 

...ken...

[+Luke McGlue]

Hi guys,

 

I finally got an answer from Garmin:

-----

Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

 

The Legend HCx is only able to read from no more than a 2 GB MicroSD

card. We have tested the Ultra and High Capacity Card and have found

that the device is not able to read the cards.

 

With Best Regards,

Michael S

-----

I think I will use your suggestion about using one card for streets and one for topo, Ken. Once the Legend HCx arrives, I will write up a review from a Mac-user's perspective before wrapping it up (along with instructions!) as the birthday gift.

 

Luke McGlue