Best map setup for Garmin Oregon (or similar)

[+globetrotter205]

I am looking for advice from some of you experts out there. I recently purchased a Garmin Oregon 400t, and it includes the top map from Garmin. My issues are as follows:

 

1. The previous owner included a micro sd with city navigator north america. He indicated that he could provide the product key so that I could activate the map, but he is currently still using the map on 2 other electronic devices, and Garmin customer support indicated to him that the map can only be loaded onto to devices per license. Does this sound correct? The concern here is that if I activate it on my GPS, then it will deactivate 1 of his devices on his end.

 

2. If #1 above is correct that I can't unlock the city navigator map, what is the next best way to get routable capability on my Oregon? So far, the base map and top map that comes with it have been working great, and the only function that I (feel that) I am missing is routability via roadways. It is my impresion that Ibycus has the roadways marked, but that it is not routable. Any advice?

 

3. What is the best way to install satellite image overlays. Obviously, I would prefer to find a free source. Last I checked, one site wanted ~100$ for a statewide satellite image for my home state. Any advice on this would be great.

 

Any help on these topics would be appreciated.

Globetrotter205

[+Curioddity]

I have a 400t and I don't even use the pre-installed map. I have the DVD versions of City Navigator NT and TOPO U.S. 24K (West) and I upload segments of those onto a 4GB miniSD I keep in the Oregon.

 

The big advantage of that over the miniSD versions of the maps is I can also use the City Navigator and TOPO U.S. maps on my desktop and netbook computers. I can use MapSource to plan routes, manage waypoints, print hard copy maps, and all kinds of things I'd never be able to do with the miniSD versions.

 

Once I have the maps loaded into the Oregon I can combine street and TOPO maps or use either one without the other and the Oregon is quite good at calculating routes and providing turn-by-turn navigation.

 

That's what I do and I'm completely satisfied with the results. My only regret is I didn't buy the 300 and save the extra C-note.

[+Curioddity]

I almost forgot to address your license question: It sounds like the previous owner copied the City Navigator maps from a DVD version to a microSD card and if that's the case, the maps are only supposed to work on ONE device. You can load and use the maps on several computers (like your desktop and laptop), but the activation code which allows you to upload maps to a GPSr is device-specific.

 

Everything I know tells me you and the previous owner will never be able to use the same copy of City Navigator on 2 different devices without jailbreaking at least one of the devices and/or hacking the maps. I don't even know whether that's possible, but I can say with certainty that you'd be violating the license and probably be subject to prosecution.

 

rePete

[Haitoman]

There are a number of solutions if you google around...

 

I almost forgot to address your license question: It sounds like the previous owner copied the City Navigator maps from a DVD version to a microSD card and if that's the case, the maps are only supposed to work on ONE device. You can load and use the maps on several computers (like your desktop and laptop), but the activation code which allows you to upload maps to a GPSr is device-specific.

 

Everything I know tells me you and the previous owner will never be able to use the same copy of City Navigator on 2 different devices without jailbreaking at least one of the devices and/or hacking the maps. I don't even know whether that's possible, but I can say with certainty that you'd be violating the license and probably be subject to prosecution.

 

rePete

[+globetrotter205]

I have a 400t and I don't even use the pre-installed map. I have the DVD versions of City Navigator NT and TOPO U.S. 24K (West) and I upload segments of those onto a 4GB miniSD I keep in the Oregon.

 

The big advantage of that over the miniSD versions of the maps is I can also use the City Navigator and TOPO U.S. maps on my desktop and netbook computers. I can use MapSource to plan routes, manage waypoints, print hard copy maps, and all kinds of things I'd never be able to do with the miniSD versions.

 

Once I have the maps loaded into the Oregon I can combine street and TOPO maps or use either one without the other and the Oregon is quite good at calculating routes and providing turn-by-turn navigation.

 

That's what I do and I'm completely satisfied with the results. My only regret is I didn't buy the 300 and save the extra C-note.

 

Couple of follow up questions; is the topo 100k the same as the topo 24k, except that I have coverage of the entire US? Is the only way to get my 400t routable, without buying Garmin's city navigator map, is to plan my routes ahead of time in Mapsource by creating my own waypoints in Ibycus? Any advice on my satellite image question above?

 

Thanks for your help!

Edited September 2, 2009 by globetrotter205

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

You can't add satellite imagery without a cumbersome process involving third-party software (Moagu or Mapwel) and less than stellar results.

 

24K maps have more detail than 100K maps. Where are you located? Garmin has a new 24K series that includes detailed topos and highway routing, but it is not yet available for the east coast states.

[Maximus XX!V]

I have a 400t and I don't even use the pre-installed map. I have the DVD versions of City Navigator NT and TOPO U.S. 24K (West) and I upload segments of those onto a 4GB miniSD I keep in the Oregon.

 

The big advantage of that over the miniSD versions of the maps is I can also use the City Navigator and TOPO U.S. maps on my desktop and netbook computers. I can use MapSource to plan routes, manage waypoints, print hard copy maps, and all kinds of things I'd never be able to do with the miniSD versions.

 

Once I have the maps loaded into the Oregon I can combine street and TOPO maps or use either one without the other and the Oregon is quite good at calculating routes and providing turn-by-turn navigation.

 

That's what I do and I'm completely satisfied with the results. My only regret is I didn't buy the 300 and save the extra C-note.

0.

 

How did you get a miniSD version? My Oregon only works with microSD.

[+Curioddity]

How did you get a miniSD version? My Oregon only works with microSD.

My bad. I meant microSD.

 

Pete

[+Maingray]

#2 Buy City Navigator NA on DVD.

 

Check for 24k topo maps on free garmin mapping sites eg. gpsfiledepot

 

My setup: as much as I can of City Navigator on the GPS unit. On the Sd card i put relevant topo maps, garmin's official and free 24K ones.

 

#3 Don't bother with satellite imagery for the Oregon.

[+globetrotter205]

24K maps have more detail than 100K maps. Where are you located? Garmin has a new 24K series that includes detailed topos and highway routing, but it is not yet available for the east coast states.

 

I live in Iowa. I went to file depot and sorted by my state, Iowa. I didn't see the 24k map that would include routing. Is the 24k topo map w/ routing capability on file depot, or did I mis-understand some of the previous posts?

 

I did notice the Iowa Topo map, and that it has finer topo detail, which I may pursue after I figure out a way to route with what I have. I didn't see "routing" in the features list, so I am assuming that my Oregon will not auto-route with this map either(?).

For me, the detail on the 100k topo is sufficient for now; I suppose this will change when I get into a situation where the finer detail would have saved me a bunch of time and effort.

 

Thanks everyone for your input on these topics!

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

The 24K Garmin map with routing is not a freebie...

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=276...991#coverageTab

[snowfleurys]

I didn't see the 24k map that would include routing.

I do not believe many or any free maps are routing capable. It requires much more effort to create and even if you can afford ($2800) the software version to do it and have the time, there seems to be little or no information on how to procede

[+coggins]

I didn't see the 24k map that would include routing.

I do not believe many or any free maps are routing capable. It requires much more effort to create and even if you can afford ($2800) the software version to do it and have the time, there seems to be little or no information on how to procede

Trying to make road data that wasn't intended to be used to autoroute, such as the census tiger road data, and making a autorouting map will end in less than stellar results. You are not going to see many users rave about how great they work overall, in some areas they may work OK and you could be fooled into thinking that they are the cat's pajamas, but without the road speeds, turn restrictions, oneway designations, etc., you are just going to end up with mess overall that any $100(+/-) nuvi will outperform.

 

But feel free to knock yourself out: http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php