Garmin GPS V: TOPO Software

[OIIIIO]

I just purchased the above. I'm VERY disappointed in the MapSource TOPO (MST) CD's I paid $100 for. I'm really excited with the features the GPS V has and not excited with the features the MST provides.

Please shed some light... What I'm missing from the TOPO software are the logging/4x4 roads that may or may not (they are advertised on Magellan TOPO) be available to Garmin GPS units.

I loaded the street detail and get WAY better forest service road detail than with the MST. I would like forest service roads AND 4x4/hiking trails...

Does the Garmin TOPO suck or am I missing something?

Should I take this back and get a Magellan? Do they have hiking trail/4x4 trail detail in their TOPO compatible software?

[Alphawolf]

Depends on the return policy of the retailer where you purchased it. At our store, we won't return software that has been opened. This is why I strongly recommend to folks that are considering Garmin maps, that they first check them out closely on Garmin's online map viewer, so as to decide before purchase if the maps are suitable for their purposes. I'm not sure that the Magellan series will be any better. Good luck.

[+Lil Devil]

In my area, I have always found that the jeep/hiking trail detail is much better in Topo than it is in City Select. What area are you finding the opposite?

 

Also be aware that the GPS V shows the street detail preferentially if both maps are loaded. You have to go to the 'MapSource Info' menu and de-select the street maps so it will show the Topo maps.

 

Lil Devil

[OIIIIO]

I'm looking around the Cascade Mountains (Washington State, I-90 50 miles East of Seattle).

I haven't loaded it into the device yet. I'm just reviewing it on the computer. I'm zooming in on areas I know are chock full of hiking trails and logging roads and I'm only seeing partial logging road detail. Most of them just say *road*, not even the forest service number. (???)

On the computer, I switch from TOPO to CitySelect for the same area and see all of the main forest service roads and numbers.

The guy at the store (REI) showed me his Garmin eTrex and I'm almost certain it had hiking trails on it.

I'm really confused on this. The TOPO detail is not what I expected.

[+Night Stalker]

In the areas that I have using my Sportrak with Mapsend and my brother-in-law has been using Mapsource with his GPS V I haven't seen that much difference in the detail on our units. I would think that you should stick with what you got since the GPS V is such an excellent unit.

 

Lost? Keep going. You're making good time anyway!!

[+Night Stalker]

In the areas that I have using my Sportrak with Mapsend and my brother-in-law has been using Mapsource with his GPS V I haven't seen that much difference in the detail on our units. I would think that you should stick with what you got since the GPS V is such an excellent unit.

 

Lost? Keep going. You're making good time anyway!!

[+deenpea]

The US Topo does not have hiking trail detail for most areas (I cannot speak for Magellan). The MapSource US Topo *does* include some hiking trails here and there, most commonly in certain National Parks and National Monuments (Ben Johnson trail in Muir Woods National Monument, CA, for example). Some dirt and Jeep roads are shown, too.

 

It would be nice if US Topo could include all hiking trails, but it would be an act of magic for a software company to obtain this information. Often it is impossible to get trail maps at all, especially maps to scale with reference positioning. Look at most US Geological Survey maps and you will rarely if ever see hiking trails. It is understandable that GARMIN -- and most likely Magellan too (and DeLorme) -- would find it impossible to locate and include most trails in their topographic maps.

 

Maybe one day someone will undertake a project to collect bread crumb tracks from qualifying GPS hikers and compile them into a comprehensive map of trail systems. Until then, the US Topo maps should still prove very useful in identifying bathymetric contours, land and water features.