Free Maps?

[+asd03]

I just a got a new Garmin 450 and I have seen mention of "free maps" here before. I really don't want to pay for maps for my handheld but if there lesser quality existing free ones for a good source I wouldn't mind having them. Am I making things up or do free maps exist?

[+PDOP's]

Check out www.gpsfiledepot.com/

[+Chrysalides]

and NA1400's packaging of OpenStreetMaps. For Oregon / Colorado it is the easiest to use. Submit the request, download gmapsupp.img, and drag it to your Garmin. Can't remember the folder, but I think it is X:\Garmin where X is the drive letter of your Oregon or micro SD. It's the same directory where you find gmapbmap.img (the basemap).

[+Scaber]

It has been 3 years since I have messed with maps for my Vista HcX. It it time to update my maps and POI's. In the past free maps have not been routable. This is why I ended up buying City Navigator. Is this still true of free maps? I hate to pay out $100 everytime I want to undate maps for one unit.

[+ecanderson]

It has been 3 years since I have messed with maps for my Vista HcX. It it time to update my maps and POI's. In the past free maps have not been routable. This is why I ended up buying City Navigator. Is this still true of free maps? I hate to pay out $100 everytime I want to undate maps for one unit.

No - no longer the case! gpsfiledepot has not only topo maps, but pointers to the OSM maps that are routable. Those are the ones that Chrysalides pointed to in his post at http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

 

And to the poster above - gpsfiledepot offers 24K (7.5 degree) topos. These will have better definition than 100K topos that you might procure from Garmin or elsewhere for a price.

Edited March 27, 2010 by ecanderson

[+allory]

gpsfiledepot has not only topo maps, but pointers to the OSM maps that are routable. Those are the ones that Chrysalides pointed to in his post at http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php

Do at least download the OSM maps and give them a chance. Their detail is good, and in some areas the routing is good. However, there are glitches. I live in Laramie Wyoming and often travel to Casper Wyoming for business. It is a 146 mile trip on US and state highways, or closer to 200 if I head east first and do the whole trip on the Interstates. OSM wants me to head west on the Interstate before turning north onto state highways and ends up with a route of over 300 miles.