MotionX GPS

[chrissrhodess]

Hi all so I'm new so if I mess something up I'm sorry.  I just got a Garmin Oregon 450 (no maps). I previously was using my Iphone with MotionX Gps on it. I'm rather confused. The motionx app was able to download free topo maps and cache them to the phone. This way when I was using the phone out of cell service I still had maps of pre selected areas. I'm curious because the app has all of the us in topo form (it loads and discards as you go along). But what maps does that use? Because they are free. Had all the water and trail information I need and were accurate.

But now moving to the Garmin you have to pay for everything OR people here make them... but it seemed on the phone app everything was there. as one massive map. Trying to just hike in CT seems almost impossible now. I have a mac and the Northeast maps on this site are PC only. But with my iphone and the app I have all the trail and topo data already there... Should i just toss the Garmin and stick with the phone? The App says it uses OpenCycleMap is there a way to get those in my Garmin?

[Boyd]

You can download free USGS topo maps in raster format here: http://nationalmap.gov/viewer.html

They can then be converted to .kmz files that your Oregon will read. But Garmin has limited this format to "tiles" that are each no larger than 1024x1024 pixels. And you are limited to 100 of these tiles (newer models can use 500 tiles). My experience is that you can only cover about a 20 mile x 20 mile area using the USGS 24k topo maps in this format. There are several programs that can assist making these.

Really, if you like the USGS topo maps you should just buy Garmin's Birdseye topo. That gives you the whole US and Canada for $30 for unlimited downloads. When you register your Oregon you will get a 10% discount code you can use for it. This seems like a pretty reasonable deal, if that's the kind of map you want. Garmin's birdseye format is (for practical purposes) unlimited and you can cover as much area as you memory card will hold - which would be substantial.

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

[chrissrhodess]

Awesome thanks! Ive been looking at OSM and TopOSM is there a way to get those on my device?

[Boyd]

I don't use OSM, but you can download them here: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl

Sorry, don't know anything about TopoOSM.

[Red90]

If you choose "Routable Bicycle", you get topo maps.  This is "Opencycle Maps", http://www.opencyclemap.org/