How can I make sure to chose a 60cx compatible map please?

[herbeapuce]

Hi. Newbie here....

I was playing for overn an hour with a map I downloaded here ( I know...I`m slow..and English came late in my life... )  only to realise that my Garmin 60cx didn`t support that custom maps ( or something like this...) 

Now from the multitude of maps you have here, how can I make sure I choose the ones that are compatible with my unit ( garmin 60cx ) please ?

what kind of map will easely work with my unit please ? can I easely see the file extensions on your maps that are working with my unit ? what file extension is working with a 60cx  please ?

thank you very much for your help.

stef, Montreal.

[Boyd]

I was playing for overn an hour with a map I downloaded here ( I know...I`m slow..and English came late in my life... )  only to realise that my Garmin 60cx didn`t support that custom maps ( or something like this...)

You are correct that Garmin "custom maps" are not compatible with the 60csx. These maps are made from images and were introduced long after the 60csx. So none of these maps will work for you

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/search/garmincustom/

But the name "custom maps" is unfortunate. Before Garmin chose that name, this site was already using the term "custom maps" to refer to maps made by ordinary users instead of  Garmin themselves. Notice the page that lists all the maps on this site is called "custom maps". Certainly very confusing for new users! 

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/

But if you just avoid the maps in the first link I posted above, most of what you find here will be compatible. It is possible however that some newer maps may not display properly on the 60csx. There's an old bug that make lowercase text display incorrectly on older handhelds. The map will look OK but road names won't display correctly.

It will not be easy to check compatability based on file extensions until after you have downloaded and installed the maps. Most of the maps here will download as .exe files. These are installers, and the actual map files will not appear until after installation.

If the map can be installed in Mapsource (Garmin's older mapping software), it should work on your 60csx.

[herbeapuce]

If the map can be installed in Mapsource (Garmin's older mapping software), it should work on your 60csx.

thank you very very much for our help.

Now basecamp did tell me the map I downloaded will not work with my 60cx.  Is there a real benefit for downloading mapsource and trying to upload a map in it ? ( maybe basecamp won't always tell me the map won't work???)
In your opinion,  would I be better generally using mapsource or basecamp for my 60cx?
thanks
stef

[Boyd]

I would just use whatever you are most comfortable with. Garmin stopped developing Mapsource about 4 years ago. However, Mapsource was the program that was used to support the 60csx when it was a current model.

Generally speaking, if a map installs in Basecamp and appears on the dropdown map menu, you should be able to install it on the 60csx.