Can I justify purchase of addition maps with only 8 meg of memory.

[Hannah904]

I assume after you purchase the CD's for the addition maps you bring it up on the computer and then choose the section of map you want to download to the GPS. I am sure it can depend on a lot of factors and the size of the state and size of cities in the state but on average how much of a state or city can you download if you have 8 megs of memory? The whole state of Kansas or just 10%? All of St. Louis or just 10%? Trying to decide if I can justify the purchase of the addition maps with having only 8 meg of memory. Thanks for you help.

[robertlipe]

Since you don't say what brand and model you have, it's hard to give exact advice, but I have a Magellan 330 with 8MB of detail map memory (not all of which is actually available for detail maps) and I carry the middle third of TN down to about 20 miles south of Huntsville AL and about 20 miles into south KY.

 

I travel to STL from time to time and have no problem getting STL from about Jeff City on into a chunk of IL. I don't recall how far north and south that goes, but for my caching trips, it's always been "enough" in that area.

 

I do load Topo data in all cases.

[+Renegade Knight]

If you will use the maps the lesser memory just means that you will rotate the maps you need in memory.

 

If you will be in the "East Side" one weekend do those maps with your 8mb. Then the "West Side" the next weekend.

 

Less memory means you will be swapping maps more often on your GPS. But you could still use all of whats available on the CD's.

 

My GUESS (I use Garmin) is that you could get 1/4 of a state like Idaho in your memory. That would give you about a 150 mile by 150 mile square in memory with your 8mb.

 

If you are running a route you only put the maps in that are on your route.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[+graewulf]

I can pack most of the state of NJ in my 8 megs... NYC on the other hand takes up almost 5 megs by iteslf.. depends on road density....

[+apersson850]

I made some examples of memory requirements for different European countries here.

 

Anders

[Eeyore and Shadow]

I have all of Pittsburgh and roughly a 25mi radius around the city in my SporTrak Map.

 

Eeyore

 

I'm one sat short of triangulation.

[cmdigests]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hannah904:

.. on average how much of a state or city can you download if you have 8 megs of memory?

---

 

I have a Garmin Vista (24MB) and Mapsource Topo.

 

I don't know all the technical details, but it would appear that the size of the files listed on the Mapsource program when you select all your maps, are not the size they will be when transfered to the unit. This probably also differs if your additional maps are topo maps or street/city maps.

 

For example:

 

I have 64 maps selected and saved in Mapsource. The Mapsource program on the PC tells me these add up to 14.5MB in size. These maps include all of Yellowstone, Olympic National Forest, Crater Lake and surrounding area, Mt. St. Helens and surrounding area, and Mt. Hood and surrounding area. Plus some other maps of Oregon.

 

When I transfered all those maps to my Vista, they only took 7% of the memory - just under 2MB. I still have 93% of my 24MB available according to the GPS.

 

However when I have over 24MB of maps selected in Mapsource, it tells me I can't transfer them to the unit.

 

Enjoy,

C.M.

 

[This message was edited by cmdigests on May 19, 2003 at 01:45 PM.]

[+EtrexRose]

Well, on My GPS REVIEW site, I posted some screen shots of how much you can fit on 8mb. The three programs I compared was, US TOPO, US METRO GUIDE, and US ROADS AND RECREATION.

 

Here is the Link, you may have to copy and paste to the TOOL BAR for it too work.

 

http://www.geocities.com/etrexrose/rinomap.html

 

I do what I gotta do, when I GOTTA do it.

[+kevin917z]

i have a rino 120 with only 8mb of memory, i can get all of kansas into 8 mb (depending on program i use) but i have half of missouri and half of kansas in my rino 120, i use mapsource metroguide, topo, waterways and lights, and roads and recreation in it. the 8mb is enough for me, because i can put some topo maps and some metroguide or any combination into the rino and just select what maps i want displayed.

the newer versions have smaller areas so you can download areas of 200kb or so allowing you to mix and match, hope this helps you some

[+Alan2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cmdigests:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hannah904:

.. on average how much of a state or city can you download if you have 8 megs of memory?

---

 

I have a Garmin Vista (24MB) and Mapsource Topo.

 

I don't know all the technical details, but it would appear that the size of the files listed on the Mapsource program when you select all your maps, are not the size they will be when transfered to the unit. This probably also differs if your additional maps are topo maps or street/city maps.

 

For example:

 

I have 64 maps selected and saved in Mapsource. The Mapsource program on the PC tells me these add up to 14.5MB in size. These maps include all of Yellowstone, Olympic National Forest, Crater Lake and surrounding area, Mt. St. Helens and surrounding area, and Mt. Hood and surrounding area. Plus some other maps of Oregon.

 

When I transfered all those maps to my Vista, they only took 7% of the memory - just under 2MB. I still have 93% of my 24MB available according to the GPS.

 

However when I have over 24MB of maps selected in Mapsource, it tells me I can't transfer them to the unit.

 

Enjoy,

C.M.

 

[This message was edited by cmdigests on May 19, 2003 at 01:45 PM.]

---

 

CM: Just to clarify a point about the Vista. The 7% memory shown in the unit refers to waypoints, routes and tracks and not maps. The 24meg is a separate storage section for maps only. That amount does not show in the unit. You have to check the Mapsourse on your PC to see the map total.

 

You cannot transfer more than 24 meg and if you have transferred 14.5 megs that's actually what's been used in the VIsta leaving 9.5meg still available to top off at 24 meg.

 

Alan

[+Renegade Knight]

I forgot in Mapsourse you can set your level of detail to what you want. Thus you can get more maps with less detail if you want it that way.

 

My numbers were for full detail though.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[cmdigests]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alan2:

CM: Just to clarify a point about the Vista. The 7% memory shown in the unit refers to waypoints, routes and tracks and not maps. The 24meg is a separate storage section for maps only. That amount does not show in the unit. You have to check the Mapsourse on your PC to see the map total.

 

You cannot transfer more than 24 meg and if you have transferred 14.5 megs that's actually what's been used in the VIsta leaving 9.5meg still available to top off at 24 meg.

 

Alan

---

 

Thanks Alan.

 

Perhaps you, or someone else, can shed some more light on this. Hopefully this will also help the original poster or someone else understand their unit and memory/map useage.

 

Right now I have no waypoints, tracks or routes on my GPS. When I loaded the 14.5 MB of data to the Vista the unit said 7% of the memory was used.

 

I uploaded the full 24MB limit from Mapsource, and now the unit says 15% memory has been used. I still do not have any waypoints, tracks, or routes loaded in the unit.

 

It appears that the "Memory Used" status bar might be tied to both the maps and waypoints, tracks and routes; otherwise it shouldn't have gone up? I see that it is not a direct reading of memory used for map data.

 

Enjoy,

C.M.

[3fros]

I checked out my mapsend Topo.

 

All of Kansas; Approx 11.8MB

All of Kansas and Kansas city MO; Approx 13.5MB

Just W of Wichita to just E of KC, MO; Approx 7.9MB

West edge of Kansas to E of wichita (where hwys 35 and 335 intersect); Approx 8.2MB

 

I hope this helps.

[+Alan2]

CM: I don't know why it ate up additional memory unless the unit's been on awhile and you're storing track data which will automatically happen if the track feature is "on". Otherwise, can't help there. Maybe ANders has an answer on this one.

 

Alan

[+EraSeek]

If you want to get more map chunks loaded into your unit BE SURE and uncheck the AUTOROUTE option in the Mapsource program on your PC. If left checked, it will take up a lot of the memory you could be using for maps.

 

 

"See the wonderous works of Providence! The uncertainty of human things!" Geo.Washington