Garmin eTrex Vista HCx-Switching between mapsets

[+muncle56]

I bought a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx a few weeks ago and downloaded topo maps from gpsfiledepot. So far so good. Tonight I went to Open Street Map and downloaded some routable maps. They work well too.

 

My problem is now I can't view the topo maps on my GPSr anymore. I tried reloading them from MapSource. I tried hiding the OSM maps. Can't find the topos anywhere.

 

How do I get them back? What am I doing wrong here?

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

I bought a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx a few weeks ago and downloaded topo maps from gpsfiledepot. So far so good. Tonight I went to Open Street Map and downloaded some routable maps. They work well too.

 

My problem is now I can't view the topo maps on my GPSr anymore. I tried reloading them from MapSource. I tried hiding the OSM maps. Can't find the topos anywhere.

 

How do I get them back? What am I doing wrong here?

 

Unless you included the Topo maps with the OSM maps when you uploaded the OSM set, the OSM maps probably overwrote the set you already had on the gps.

 

What you need to do is load all the maps at once, on that type of gps.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide

[+muncle56]

Thanks, that did the trick but what about when I want to load more maps? Will it overwrite what's already on my GPSr?

[-Oz-]

Yes, you need to reload all of them at the same time everytime.

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

Thanks, that did the trick but what about when I want to load more maps? Will it overwrite what's already on my GPSr?

 

As Oz said, you do need to upload all the maps at once on that unit.

 

That's one of the big advantages of newer units like the Oregon, Colorado, Dakota and the very new 78 series: you can upload maps to the unit, rename the file which had been uploaded to a name which is reflective of the content, then upload more individual mapsets and give them all their own names.

 

When the mapset is uploaded it's called gmapsup.img, and in my case I renamed that file to TopoV4.img when I uploaded my Topo set, then uploaded a Canada Roads and Recreation mapset and renamed that to RnR.img...

 

You get the idea, I'm sure.

 

Unfortunately you can't do that with older units like yours, or the 60CSx, another very popular model.

[+DonB]

I have a question about loading maps also. I bought my first Garmin hand held a 76CSX, and downloaded the Wisconsin topo. I played around with it and installed it to an SD card and it makes a ton of .img files, but it wouldn't let me open any of them into MapSource even though they showed up in the MapSource map manager. But the funny thing was I couldn't run MapSource anymore unless I had the card in my reader. Finally I ran the uninstall file on the card and after it uninstalled from the card it would let me run MapSource again without the card.

 

I didn't have a big enough micro SD card at the time but I went out today and picked up a 4 gig card. So what's the correct procedure, put the card in the 76 and install the topo maps directly to that or do I have to install it to the hard drive and use MapSource?

Edited April 28, 2010 by DonB

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

I have a question about loading maps also. I bought my first Garmin hand held a 76CSX, and downloaded the Wisconsin topo. I played around with it and installed it to an SD card and it makes a ton of .img files, but it wouldn't let me open any of them into MapSource even though they showed up in the MapSource map manager. But the funny thing was I couldn't run MapSource anymore unless I had the card in my reader. Finally I ran the uninstall file on the card and after it uninstalled from the card it would let me run MapSource again without the card.

 

I didn't have a big enough micro SD card at the time but I went out today and picked up a 4 gig card. So what's the correct procedure, put the card in the 76 and install the topo maps directly to that or do I have to install it to the hard drive and use MapSource?

 

No idea - you haven't really said whose "Wisconsin Topo" you downloaded, but I think you need to go back to where you downloaded it from and look there for the information you need.

 

You probably do need to install to your computer, though, if I was to guess.

[+DonB]

I have a question about loading maps also. I bought my first Garmin hand held a 76CSX, and downloaded the Wisconsin topo. I played around with it and installed it to an SD card and it makes a ton of .img files, but it wouldn't let me open any of them into MapSource even though they showed up in the MapSource map manager. But the funny thing was I couldn't run MapSource anymore unless I had the card in my reader. Finally I ran the uninstall file on the card and after it uninstalled from the card it would let me run MapSource again without the card.

 

I didn't have a big enough micro SD card at the time but I went out today and picked up a 4 gig card. So what's the correct procedure, put the card in the 76 and install the topo maps directly to that or do I have to install it to the hard drive and use MapSource?

 

No idea - you haven't really said whose "Wisconsin Topo" you downloaded, but I think you need to go back to where you downloaded it from and look there for the information you need.

 

You probably do need to install to your computer, though, if I was to guess.

From gpsfiledepot

[+coggins]

I have a question about loading maps also. I bought my first Garmin hand held a 76CSX, and downloaded the Wisconsin topo. I played around with it and installed it to an SD card and it makes a ton of .img files, but it wouldn't let me open any of them into MapSource even though they showed up in the MapSource map manager. But the funny thing was I couldn't run MapSource anymore unless I had the card in my reader. Finally I ran the uninstall file on the card and after it uninstalled from the card it would let me run MapSource again without the card.

 

I didn't have a big enough micro SD card at the time but I went out today and picked up a 4 gig card. So what's the correct procedure, put the card in the 76 and install the topo maps directly to that or do I have to install it to the hard drive and use MapSource?

As you have found out, that is not the correct procedure. You have to install the maps to your computer to use them with your computer. Run the installer again and let it select the default location c:/program files/... and then they will work correctly. Then when you use MapSource, the map will be available with or without the GPS connected. Next you use MapSource to load the maps to your GPS. A tutorial on this can be found here: LINK