Now what do I need for my Oregon 300

[+F1sh]

Hello all,

 

Yesterday I managed to score an Oregon 300 for only $150 on a local classifieds site. Now I would like to set it up for geocaching and some car navigation. I have only used a borrowed etrex in the past.

 

I have tried the search function but my head is spinning from a list of different computer programs and map packages by different companies.

 

Can anyone tell me what I should purchase for this unit? I would like to be able to use it to navigate city streets here in Canada (and some driving in the States). I know that I will need to get a micro sd card to hold all my data - what size is recommended?

 

Thank you very much for your help!!

 

Chad

[+Entropy512]

Hello all,

 

Yesterday I managed to score an Oregon 300 for only $150 on a local classifieds site. Now I would like to set it up for geocaching and some car navigation. I have only used a borrowed etrex in the past.

 

I have tried the search function but my head is spinning from a list of different computer programs and map packages by different companies.

 

Can anyone tell me what I should purchase for this unit? I would like to be able to use it to navigate city streets here in Canada (and some driving in the States). I know that I will need to get a micro sd card to hold all my data - what size is recommended?

 

Thank you very much for your help!!

 

Chad

8GB gives you some breathing room with the new betas allowing for multiple map files to be stored on the SD card. (prior to that 4GB of maps was the limit unless you did file-renaming tricks on a PC to switch maps)

 

You'll need City Navigator maps to do on-road routing.

You need genuine Garmin topo maps to get DEM relief shading

For just plain old topo contours, you can get free maps of many areas from gpsfiledepot.com, but I don't know what they have for Canada. There are lots of excellent maps for the U.S. derived from publically available government datasets.

[+oasyspc]

Hello all,

 

Yesterday I managed to score an Oregon 300 for only $150 on a local classifieds site. Now I would like to set it up for geocaching and some car navigation. I have only used a borrowed etrex in the past.

 

I have tried the search function but my head is spinning from a list of different computer programs and map packages by different companies.

 

Can anyone tell me what I should purchase for this unit? I would like to be able to use it to navigate city streets here in Canada (and some driving in the States). I know that I will need to get a micro sd card to hold all my data - what size is recommended?

 

Thank you very much for your help!!

 

Chad

Garmins topo Canada does navigation but not as good as city navigator. You can also get a free Canada topo from Ibycus just google it but his maps do not do navigation but are very detailed topo maps

[+F1sh]

Wow, thanks guys.

So City Navigator for Canada and U.S. and free topo maps for out in the bush. Do I need another program to manage this stuff? Like GSAK?

 

- Chad

[photomankc]

City Navigator would come with Mapsource which would allow you to manage the tracks/routes/waypoints and maps. Most of the free Topos install into Mapsource.

[+F1sh]

Great. I am really making some progress - I just ordered Garmin City Navigator North America & Mexico 2010 and I am looking at a micro sd card.

 

Can I put the City Navigator, free topo, and waypoints all on the same sd card?

 

Thanks,

 

Chad

[+FierceDeityLink1]

Yes, but you're limited to 4000 map tiles or 4GB max. You select the tiles you want in Mapsource.

[photomankc]

Waypoints are stored internally but it will import them from any GPX files you place in the Garmin/GPX/ folder of the unit. When you connect to the Oregon it writes all it's current waypoints to Garmin/GPX/Current/Current.gpx. That's a one-way deal though. It won't edit or delete a waypoint because you remove or edit them in that file it only writes what it has stored just prior to entering USB storage mode.

 

Mapsource will compile the Topos and CN maps into a single gmapsupp.img file and put them on the internal flash or the flash card of your Oregon. From the Oregon you can select the map sets you want it to display.

 

Waypoints can be a logistical pain in the butt to manage over time but I try to keep GPX files with my core waypoints and various hiking locations in separate files and keep those files updated as I add new ones. Then I can always wipe the internal waypoints and then drop the various GPX files back in for the waypoints I want to have loaded for a trip.

[+F1sh]

so no point in getting an 8gig card if 4gigs is the max ? Or have i misunderstood that?

 

Chad

[+FierceDeityLink1]

You can have multiple map IMG files, but each one is limited to 4GB, and the Oregon is limited to 4000 map tiles total. Personally, I only used 2GB (plus the 800MB internal) and almost ran out of tiles. But since the Oregon supports SDHC, you might as well just get an 8GB since they're only ~$18.

[+F1sh]

I hope i havent made a mistake... i bought my city navigator off of ebay and the descripion is called it "unlocked". The seller sent me instructions just to copy the entire folder to my sd card. Some of the threads I have been reading talk about a 26 digit code and connecting to the internet???

 

Do I have the wrong software?

 

- Chad

Edited July 8, 2009 by F1sh

[+Entropy512]

I hope i havent made a mistake... i bought my city navigator off of ebay and the descripion is called it "unlocked". The seller sent me instructions just to copy the entire folder to my sd card. Some of the threads I have been reading talk about a 26 digit code and connecting to the internet???

 

Do I have the wrong software?

 

- Chad

I can't speak for sure, but that eBay seller might need to be reported. It sounds like he sold you a pirate copy of CN...

 

BTW, to the original poster - YOu don't need GSAK with the Oregon 300. Just take the Pocket Query results, unzip them, and drop the GPX files into \garmin\gpx on either the SD or internal storage.

[+F1sh]

Aw man that's what I'm worried about. The auction looked legit and I contacted the seller first to make sure it was a new item. I already sent my money and everything...

 

Chad