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Cannot load topos into MapSource, BaseCamp or eTrex 20

Started by jhanson, October 04, 2013, 05:27:19 PM

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jhanson

I downloaded the Adirondack High Peaks file, which is a .kmz file.  I cannot open it from either Map Source or Base Camp.  The tutorial mentions a dropdown box listing maps in Map Source, but I see no drop down box.  Ultimately I want to see a topo map in my GPS so when I'm in the woods, it's not a blank screen with waypoints on it.  Any help is appreciated.

Boyd

.kmz files are not compatible with Mapsource, so that won't work.

Garmin treats these differently from "maps" and they will not show in the dropdown menu in Basecamp. None of the tutorials here discuss this kind of map. To use this kind of map in Basecamp, click on My Collection in the left pane. Then choose File > Import into My Collection and browse to find the file on your computer. It should open up after a few seconds.

To use it on your eTrex, create a folder inside the Garmin folder named custommaps. Then just copy the .kmz file to this folder. When you restart the GPS, you will be able to enable/disable the map in the Map Setup menu.

jhanson

Wow, you really know what you're talking about.  Thank you!  I did as you said and the map is enabled in my eTrex 20.  But then when I scroll up to the area in the GPS map, I don't see any topos... no evidence of the map being present. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

jhanson

oh, also, the only thing I wasn't able to do from your instructions was create a folder "custommaps" in the Garmin.  There didn't seem to be a way to do that.  But I was that the map was listed in the bottom under my waypoints so figured it was already in the GPS... and Map Setup did let me enable it.  But perhaps not putting it in the folder disrupted the process.

Boyd

If you just dragged it to the eTrex in Basecamp, that should have installed it. My method was just for using Windows directly and creating a folder. But if you see it listed on the eTrex, it should be there.

This kind of map typically only works when you zoom WAY in. Make sure you are inside the coverage area of the map then zoom way in, like to the 300 foot or 500 foot level  and see what happens. I am not familiar with that particular map, but have made many myself and posted some here.

There are reports that the eTrex 20 and 30 do not perform very well with .kmz maps, people say they are sluggish to scroll and zoom. Have never used on myself however. But it should work if it is enabled in the menu.

jhanson

Very cool!  Yes, I can see the topo that I imported when I zoom in.  It is a bit slow to load, but very clear and useful once it's there.  Now I'll go find a topo for the area I really want to be in. 

Thanks so much for your help! :)

jhanson

Actually, one more question if I may.  I've now found the area I truly want on WeoGeo... I have downloaded a USGS quad which is in either a .tif or .tfw format.  When I try to import it into BaseCamp, it doesn't recognize it.  Is there a way to convert this file into something that is viewed by BaseCamp... like .jpg?

Boyd

Garmin's software won't recognize that kind of file. The type of map you are interested in is called "raster imagery". This is basically just a picture of something that has  been aligned on the face of the earth. Garmin only supports .kmz maps of this type, and the support is actually very limited - it only supports a very small map - about 6 USGS quads at a readable scale.

Your file is a GeoTIFF and there are a couple programs that can convert it

http://moagu.com/?page_id=155
http://www.the-thorns.org.uk/mapping/

But really, if you want scanned USGS 1:24000 topo maps, I think you're just wasting your time. You can purchase Garmin's Birdseye topo for $30 which gives you unlimited downloads for the US and Canada. The Birdseye format doesn't have any limits to the size of the map either.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/maps/on-the-trail-maps/birdseye/birdseye-topo-u-s-and-canada/prod98816.html

Did you register your eTrex? When you do, Garmin will send a 10% discount coupon that you can use lowering the cost to $27.

jhanson

Well, I am all set thanks to your timely and accurate information.  thank you so much.  In case anyone else new to this is reading this thread, here's what I did...

First I followed the Birdseye link you provided.  Though the reviews complained frequently on how slow the downloads were, I continued.  But when I registered my device, I registered it just as eTrex without linking up with a USB cable.  Garmin accepted the registration, however, it would not allow me to purchase the Birdseye product because I had no compatable device.

So then I used your other link to download G-Rastor or something like that and converted my topo from .tif to .kzm, but then my device would not accept it because it said it was too big.

So then I went back to Birdseye and stumbled upon a way to properly register my device and bought the $27 US product and downloaded a small segment of that (but big enough for much of my use this hunting season).  It did take quite a while and had some false starts and repairs, but eventually it all got loaded and I am thrilled to see the topo on my GPS!  Now I can see from my waypoints last weekend, exactly where I was and where I need to deviate to get to where I truly wanted to go.  Happy days!

Thanks again.

Boyd