Etrax Vista Memory

[MTBer]

First I would like to say thanks to everyone for all the information I’ve learned in a short period from this forum. I learned things that I wouldn’t have even known to ask, like I can save my tracks to a PDA (I didn’t even know what a PDA was a few weeks ago.) I got a used Palm M100 from ebay and now I can save all my biking and hiking tracks from my upcoming vacation. Thanks for the info PDOP’s and thanks for asking the question Midway Cafe. And to think I was thinking about taking a laptop with me and leaving it in the car.

 

Second, I have an eTrex Vista that according to the book will “accept up to 24 MB of memory from any MapSource program.” The book also says it will store a track log of up to 3,000 points. I am ready to load 18 routes, 24 waypoints, and 23.7 MB of maps for my vacation. What I am wondering is if the routes, waypoints, and especially the tracks share this 24 MB of memory or if each area has separate memory allocated to it. I would hate to have all those maps loaded & find out the hard way that I can’t store my tracks

[+Sputnik 57]

This review suggests that the 24MBs is Map Memory, not waypoint or track memory. Garmin's site may have more info. If you have time, log your track to work and back tomorrow and see how it works.

[Neo_Geo]

When they say 24MB for map memory, they mean 24MB for maps. If you load 23.9MB of map data, you will still have all the room you need for waypoints, tracks and routes. The tracks, routes and waypoints are stored in another memory address location.

[peter]

Yes, all Garmins keep the map memory completely separate from memory used for other data like tracks, waypoints, routes, etc. The 24 MB memory of the Vista is only the map memory.

 

Also note that if you have loaded firmware 3.10 or higher (current is 3.60) then you can store up to 10,000 points in the active log (up from 3000) and up to 750 points in each of 10 saved tracklogs. So you can actually store up to 17,500 trackpoints now.

[MTBer]

Thanks everyone! I think after this weekend I will load everything in and see how full I can get the track log. I can sacrifice some maps if I need to but it sounds like I won't have to. I wonder how long it will take to upload 23.7 MB. I better recharge th batteries before I start.

[Neo_Geo]

I will load everything in and see how full I can get the track log.

Be prepared to hike a few days! It takes a long time to fill up the track log!

 

As far as time loading, it'll take about an hour for 24MB.

[+Texan78]

So if the Map memory is seperate from the route and waypoint memory. Does this mean the Vista has more than the advertised 24MB? As far as i know it only has one unupgradeable memory slot from what Garmin says. So if this unit has two memory locations that can store more than 24mb, why wasnt it advertised as that since that would be a plus for Garmin. I could be wrong but i think the 24mb is for ANYTHING saved and stored including maps anf waypoints, etc.

[peter]

Yes, clearly the Vista has far more total memory than 24 MB since you can load 24 MB of maps into it and it also has to have memory for firmware, basemaps, user settings, routes, waypoints, tracklogs, computational scratch space, etc.

 

Garmin has always chosen to only advertise the actual amount of memory available for user-downloadable maps. That's the only place where the user has any need to know the actual amount of available memory since MapSource indicates how many MB will be needed for each selected map region. As long as you know how many trackpoints, routes, and waypoints you can load there's no reason to know exactly how much physical memory these require.

[+Texan78]

So then the 24 mb is strictly for maps? With that used you will get your 1,000 advetised waypoints and 20 routes no matter if the 24mb is used. If thats the case that rocks. I know with the firmware updates that is not include in it as that has already been allocated from Garmin just for updates and its most likely partitioned spaced. I just would think Garmin would want to advertise 24MB of Map storage instead of just 24MB of memory.

[Neo_Geo]

The Vista has more than 24MB of memory, but only 24MB is allocated for map data. The other memory is used for tracks, waypoints, routes and the firmware. They have to set aside a certain amount unused memory for the availability of firmware upgrades. New additional features and bug fixes require additional instructions in the firmware code.

 

What if they allocated the unused memory toward mapping, and then had to take back some of that additional memory for a bug fix? You'd have some pretty upset customers. But if you give them lots of little new features along the way without taking anything back, that's viewed as a plus by users.

[+Alan2]

The book also says it will store a track log of up to 3,000 points.

Actually you can store 10,000 points before your have to clear or start writing over them. Make sure you have the latest formware loaded. You then select the amount you want o store through the menu.

 

You can also maunall slect the rate of storing either by time increment or by mileage as you travel rather then leaving it on auto. Once up to the max, you can of ourse save the file track file but it's abbreviated and some data such as time of log etc is lost in saved logs.

[+Gonzo-YT]

As far as time loading, it'll take about an hour for 24MB.

 

An hour? Wow! It takes me about 60 seconds to load that many maps on my Vista C.

[Neo_Geo]

As far as time loading, it'll take about an hour for 24MB.

 

An hour? Wow! It takes me about 60 seconds to load that many maps on my Vista C.

Yep. That's the difference between RS-232 and USB.

[+Texan78]

Why does it take you an hour? Which one is faster?

[+Sputnik 57]

USB is faster

[+apersson850]

The Vista has two flash memory chips. One is 32 MB, the other 2 MB.

The large one holds the basemap in 8 MB and allows the other 24 MB to be used for the user's maps.

Firmware, user settings and user data, like waypoints, routes and tracks, are stored in the 2 MB chip.

[+Lostby7]

I'm a bit of a noob here, but is the base map always loaded? That is if I load a topo map or street maps, will I be able to switch back to the base map without messing around with the newly loaded software?

Edited November 13, 2004 by Lostby7

[peter]

Yes, the basemap will always be available. You can temporarily turn off display of the downloaded detail maps if you want to see the basemap instead.