Using shareware maps on Garmin Oregon 400t

[+hzoi]

Having problems getting our Oregon to work with shareware maps. We have the built in topo maps plus a (slightly out of date) set of US maps we purchsed through Garmin, but we're headed to Japan for a couple weeks and weren't especially thrilled with the prospect of spending $250 for the official Garmin maps.

 

In the past, when we went somewhere that wasn't supported by the map packages we'd bought, we used shareware programs to load shareware maps into Garmin Map Source, then loaded them onto our GPSMAP 60CSx. They weren't routable, but they were better than nothing.

 

When I tried doing the same with the Oregon 400t, they will load into Map Source, they will load to the GPSr, but then when I power on the GPSr, I get "Can't Unlock Maps." The US street maps and topo maps are still there and are available, but the Japanese maps don't work.

 

Can anyone help me out?

[+mpilchfamily]

Have a look at the maps on GPSFileDepot. They have a very large selection of free maps for garmin units. Looks like they have a couple of options for Japan. They also offer some great tutorials for installing the maps using either mapsource or basecamp.

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

[+coggins]

Having problems getting our Oregon to work with shareware maps. We have the built in topo maps plus a (slightly out of date) set of US maps we purchsed through Garmin, but we're headed to Japan for a couple weeks and weren't especially thrilled with the prospect of spending $250 for the official Garmin maps.

First off, the Official Garmin maps of Japan only will work on one of their Japanese models, an American GPS can not display the text or search etc. The only commercial maps that will work on non-Japanese models are the UUD maps: http://uud.info/en/map/

 

For free you can check the Open Street Maps and see if they will work on your unit.

[+webscouter.]

I use the maps from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ when I travel to Japan, they are route able and free. Occasionally you get a one way street marked as two way but I have had very good success with them.

[+chuck4564]

The "Can't Unlock Maps" message is indicative of a Garmin map that hasn't been unlocked for that particular GPSr. The lack of unlocking doesn't inhibit sending the maps from MapSource to the GPSr. MapSource sends the unlock codes as part of the gmapsupp.img file to the GPSr or the memory card in the GPSr. When the GPSr is powered up the unit checks the specifics of the unlock codes to the serial number of the GPSr and either accepts the map(s) or rejects them and gives the "Can't Unlock Maps" message. Some Garmin map products are locked to specific serial number GPSr units while others can be used on any mapping unit.

[+hzoi]

Yeah, it actually looked like my problem stemmed from trying to include some Garmin maps that were only unlocked for my GPSMAP 60CSx. Once I stopped including that map set and just used the maps for Japan, the unlock issue went away.

[+hzoi]

(Thanks for the responses, y'all!)