Detail not showing on Garmin 24K Topo

[+TractorHawk]

I'm hoping there is an embarrasingly easy solution that is staring me right in the face..!! But I'm at a loss trying to see any of the map detail using the Garmin 24K topo map for the Northwest on SD card, with my Oregon 450T. I've had my unit for about a year and have been very happy so far. I just purchased the 24K topo for the Northwest to have the additional detail for the Washington/Oregon area. The device seems to find the new map card just fine and allows me to enable/disable in the map selection setup option. I have disabled the base 100K topo and enabled the 24K topo. But, somewhere I think I am either missing a setting to turn on the detail or not seeing how to unlock or activate this map.

 

When I am in the map function there are no contour lines or trails displayed at all - nothing. The 24K map doesn't look much different from the 100K, which has never shown trails or contours which I assumed that was normal for the 100K map. I am certainly not seeing detail that compares to any of the screenshots that I've found on the web. The elevation shading and stream, park, city names are present but that's about it. Has anyone else experienced this at all? Anyone know of a simple setting that I have to activate?

 

Any help would be much appreciated...Cheers All!

[snowfleurys]

If the 100k topo (and 24k topo) does not show contour lines, there is something very serious wrong.

Why would a topo map not show contours, by definition a topo map has contours, thats what makes it a topo map.

Are you zoomed-in enough, say to the 800ft or 500ft display level?

Are you using a profile which is supposed to display the mapset?

 

How can you be happy with the 100k topo for the past year if you have not been seeing contours?

[+TractorHawk]

If the 100k topo (and 24k topo) does not show contour lines, there is something very serious wrong.

Why would a topo map not show contours, by definition a topo map has contours, thats what makes it a topo map.

Are you zoomed-in enough, say to the 800ft or 500ft display level?

Are you using a profile which is supposed to display the mapset?

 

How can you be happy with the 100k topo for the past year if you have not been seeing contours?

 

And that was it..I checked out the profile settings...I just switched from recreational to fitness and back again and then the detail all showed. It previously was on recreational and I didn't change anything when I installed the SD Card - I dont know why this would have fixed anything but it appears to have worked. Fair point on your question about my statement on being happy with the unit prior till now; guess that didn't make much sense. But, to be honest most of my hiking/caching in past year hasn't really involved anything remote - just main trails that I am already familiar with or within park boundaries so I never really paid much attention to it as I use the compass most of the time when caching anyway. I wanted to change that this year and get further afield so I purchased the more detailed map. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and pointing me in the right direction...think I'll read up a bit more on profile settings!!

[yogazoo]

WHat other maps do you have loaded onto the unit? The draw Priority of Garmin 24K topo's is 18. Just about every other current mapset shows up over top of the Topo's. Go into the map setup screen and select mapsets. Turn off any map that may be layering over your topo's.

 

City Navigator (draw priority-30) , Inland Lakes, and any custom maps like those from GPSfiledepot (default draw priority of 25) will write over the top of Garmins 24K series.

[snowfleurys]

Some of these 'enchancements' seem to cause as many problems as there are those who find them useful.

Not at all helpful that Garmin's documentation is close to non-existent.

Now that your GPSr can once again tell you up-from-dowm, enjoy the vertical world.

[rip3000gt]

I just bought a Garmin 550T. I was going nuts trying to figure out why it didn't show any contour lines, roads, or any other information. I finally found this thread and did what tractorhawk did. I changed the profile from recreational to fitness and now everything shows up.

 

So if you buy a garmin and nothing shows up on your map, change the profile and it should fix the problem.

[+UnicornMDKA]

All I want to say is oh my God...this was the only answer I could find in the last 7 hours trying to figure out what was going on. The stupid profile, that is what it was. Thank you so much for posting this. Now I can finally load the maps and go to bed.

[+Team Periwinkle]

The draw Priority of Garmin 24K topo's is 18.

City Navigator (draw priority-30) , Inland Lakes, and any custom maps like those from GPSfiledepot (default draw priority of 25) will write over the top of Garmins 24K series.

 

Fascinating! I don't doubt your values, but what is your source? How do you know? What is the draw priority of the 100K topo?

 

I have created ~75 KMZ custom maps, all with a draw priority of between 25 and 45. I knew to stay below 50, but it was just luck I stayed above 18.

 

However, it should be noted that (at least on my Garmin GPSMAP 78sc) the 24K topo displays on top of my KMZ custom maps. See any of the screen shots on any of maps at the link in my sig. What's going on if the 24K topo has a draw priority of 18?

[gottaluvtheserenity]

OMG

 

All I can say is thank you TractorHawk and yogazoo

After hours of trawling through forums I too was unable to get my contours showing on my Garmin, you are both legends.

 

Thank You.

[+Walts Hunting]

The draw Priority of Garmin 24K topo's is 18.

City Navigator (draw priority-30) , Inland Lakes, and any custom maps like those from GPSfiledepot (default draw priority of 25) will write over the top of Garmins 24K series.

 

Fascinating! I don't doubt your values, but what is your source? How do you know? What is the draw priority of the 100K topo?

 

I have created ~75 KMZ custom maps, all with a draw priority of between 25 and 45. I knew to stay below 50, but it was just luck I stayed above 18.

 

However, it should be noted that (at least on my Garmin GPSMAP 78sc) the 24K topo displays on top of my KMZ custom maps. See any of the screen shots on any of maps at the link in my sig. What's going on if the 24K topo has a draw priority of 18?

 

Here is a starter on draw order

 

http://www.mapwel.net/manual/0975layers.htm

 

If you google Garmin draw order you can read for hours about how to do it.

[YUkiddingme]

Holy Cow! I've had the Garmin 550T for just about a year now. I've always thought the Topo 100K was just crummy. I just found this thread and after switching profiles all the detail came up. I just returned from a hunting trip to SW Washington and all that would have come in really handy during the trip. Can't believe it's not a major NOTE on the Garmin website. If not for this thread I'd have never known. Thanks!