download/install latest map for Garmin Nuvi 500?

[+Deuce & Spark]

I'm trying to figure out how to install the latest free map update to my Garmin Nuvi 500. I've looked on openstreetmap and GPSfiledepot, as well as the search engine for this forum, and I can't seem to find simple, clear instructions on how to proceed.

 

All I really need are simple street maps for the U.S. Topo would be great (I have that now) but not totally necessary, and if I could get something that shows trail maps for state and county parks in Iowa, that would be cool as well (I don't even know if they make such a thing, though).

 

Thanks so much for any help anyone can give me.

 

Spark

[alandb]

On a nuvi 500, the supplementary maps need to be named gmapsupp.img and go in the \Garmin folder. I think you can have one supplementary map in the nuvi's on-board storage and a second one on the SD card. The primary map on the nuvi (normally City Navigator) is named gmapprom.img and has to go in the on-board storage in the \Garmin folder.

Edited October 19, 2012 by alandb

[+Deuce & Spark]

Thanks for the quick reply. Think I'm still a little bit lost, though. Looking back on my original post, I don't think I did a very good job of stating my question, and I apologize for the lack of clarity. In order to install the maps, I first need to figure out how to find them on one of the sites I mentioned. Can someone please walk me through how to do that? I thought I'd just find a file named something like "USA road map 2012" and I'd be ready to rock and roll, but apparently that isn't how it works.

 

I'm guessing that the U.S. road map would be the gmapprom.img and the topo, trails, etc. would be the gmapsupp.img files?

 

Once I get ahold of the proper files, I'm pretty sure I understand alandb's post, and I think I can take it from there. I sure appreciate the help I find on these forums!

[alandb]

This site has downloads of Open Street Maps that have already been generated into the Garmin .img file format: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download . If you download these files, you should be able to rename the file to gmapsupp.img and copy it directly into the \Garmin folder of your nuvi 500's internal storage or SD card.

 

For GPSfiledepot maps, there are usually instructions provided. The maps I downloaded (My Trails and a few Topo maps) have had their own installers (distributed as a .exe file for Windows computers). Once the map is installed, it is available in Garmin's BaseCamp or Mapsource programs where it can be sent to the Garmin GPS device (in my case to my Garmin Oregon's SD card).

 

Your nuvi 500 probably came with a Garmin City Navigator map. It will be named gmapprom.img and will be in the \Garmin folder of the nuvi's internal storage volume. There will also be 1 or 2 authentication files containing unlock codes (gmapprom.unl and gmapprom.gma). The gmapprom files contain the routable street maps and built in POI's that came with the nuvi, so you might want to think twice about replacing them with a non-Garmin map. At least do a backup of them so you can restore them if you need to.

Edited October 23, 2012 by alandb