Streets or Topo CD

[Sportcat]

I just ordered the Meridian Platinum and the Streets CD. I'm starting to wonder if I should have ordered the Topo CD instead.

 

This GPS will primarily used for geocaching, but I thought the Streets CD will come in handy when in new areas.

 

Is the built-in base maps on the Platinum good enough?

 

I have about 24 hours to change my order.

[k2dave]

is it a garmin unit - if so I would say go for topo over streets. the topo has the streets but not the names of local streets plus topo info. The names would normally be too cluttered on a small screen and usually you can see what intersection you are at and don't need the names anyway.

 

----(sig line)---> Did you ever do any trail maintainence? - if so you will know that all but the most worn trails need continuous maintenance to prevent mother nature from reclaiming it. herd paths are quickly reclaimed - k2dave

[Sportcat]

I purchased the Magellan Meridian Platinum

[+Stunod]

I have the Topo software. I haven't used it on the Platimun yet (it hasn't arrived yet), but I loaded the software on my PC and it seems like the right choice for a geocacher. As the earlier poster said, some of the street names are not included, but I'm sure you could use it for driving navigation quite easily.

[MACpa]

I have only seen the TOPO! But if I remember correctly the Streets CD has more Points Of Intrest useful to travelers (that always change anyway) While the TOPO CD has contour lines and Geographic POI's I bought the topo because my main GPS use is while hunting both game and caches

 

[This message was edited by MACpa on September 09, 2002 at 03:41 PM.]

[+phantom4099]

Topo and S&D have the same road detail. Streets (mostly for the 330) has mostly the same streets, but it is missing some trails, and less than ideal roads. Plain streets does not have any POI's, while S&D has traveler POI's (restraunts, hotels, etc...). Topo has more out doors (locals, summits, mines, etc...), and historical waypoints (odd it has more shopping centers than S&D). I have all three of them, I use topo for all most every thing, but I still have S&D on my card if I want to find the nearest restraunt.

 

Wyatt W.

 

The probability of someone watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions.

[Sportcat]

Does the base map on the Platinum have pretty good detail of the land anyway (lakes, rivers, creeks, etc...)? If so, the Streets CD will come in handy if I am in a new town, right?

 

help?!? I'm confused.

[+phantom4099]

The basemap has a fairly good costline detail (I think, but since I don't live there I can't be sure). The basemap has some of the larger lakes and rivers on it, but the quality will not be as nice as what is downloaded. The basemap contains major roads, and all the town names (meaning if you get the plain meridian you can't download the names of the town that are missing in the smaller basemap). With plain streets you will get almost ever road that you would get usinf topo or streets or destination, but some trails will not be on the plain streets.

 

So what you do is up to you, the plain streets is quite usable, but you may want the POI's, in that case choose S&D or topo(I go for this one).

 

Wyatt W.

sorry about the gramar and spelling, I ran out of time.

 

The probability of someone watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions.

[NightHiker]

Sportcat,

I borrowed Streets but ended up buying topo. The major difference I saw in my area was that the wilderness areas show information (contour lines); rather than just your own track line. Besides, for the most up-to-date street info we can always by cheapo folding maps.

 

I have noticed that the topo info doesn't quite match the USGS topo maps, but if I needed that info I could go to Topozone and print a map.

 

By the way, don't forget that no map info can be downloaded into the Meridians if you don't have an SD card installed.