Need help with loading maps onto eTrex30x

[jbrett14]

All the maps which I downloaded show up in BaseCamp. They even appear to load to the GPS unit successfully. Everything goes smoothly. But the maps are not showing up in the GPS unit. But when I open Windows Explorer, all the map files are there.

This is a brand new unit, with the latest software, and all the maps that I am trying to load worked just fine in a previous model.

Also, at one point, one of the maps did show up, but it's random, and now they will not show up.

Any thoughts on why these maps are not showing up in the unit?

[Boyd]

There was an issue with some maps on the old eTrex30 when it was introduced. I thought this was corrected in the firmware but maybe not. I have a vague memory that it was related to the character encoding used by the map author when compiling the map. IIRC, a map like this could somehow affect other maps on the eTrex.

You could try loading just one map at a time and making sure it is the only one enabled in the settings. That might help identify the problem.

[jbrett14]

Thanks a bunch for the response.

I tried the following to bypass using BaseCamp: I copied a single .IMG file, using drag & drop in Windows Explorer, and that particular section of map works just fine on my GPS unit.

The problem is that there are HUNDREDS of individual .IMG files and there is no way to know which one is which. So even if I only wanted a few dozen of them, I don't know which ones to choose. Otherwise, I would just copy them manually like I did with test file.

If somebody else has any knowledge of what's going on, I would greatly appreciate you sharing it.

[Boyd]

You can try Garmin's older software, Mapsource. Download here, it will access the same maps you have installed in Basecamp.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=209

Use the map tool (icon that looks like a polygon) to select any of the individual tiles you want to send to your eTrex and then choose Transfer > Send to Device. See the tutorial here:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-load-maps-on-my-garmin-gps-unit/#mapsource

When you send maps with Mapsource, the file on your eTrex will always be named gmapsupp.img. Change the name to something more descriptive after sending, otherwise it will be overwritten if you send another map.

[jbrett14]

Throughout this process, I have learned how to make my own custom maps, so perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

I have a lot of high quality printed maps & images of the places I hike, kayak, etc., and I am finding that it's better to just use the scanned images that I have, to make into custom maps.

I never even knew you could do that. It would be more helpful if Garmin made it easier to find info about their products. Some of the info in the manuals is very vague.

Thanks for the responses.

[jaggy13]

I may be having a similar issue with the 30x and loading maps.
I have loaded several per the instructions (which were great and easy to follow!) but...
when I zoom out or in it takes an excessive amount of time for the unit to "Catch up" If I zoom out, it is worse. sometimes it will just act locked up and not ever refresh the screen to show a larger map. (100 miles in the scale bar) is where I start having the worst problems.

I have disabled all but the main map I wish to use. NWTopo. I have plenty of space left and would love to have  a few other layers active, but for now, it doesn't look possible.
This seems to be related but different to the OP's post. So if you think it best to make a new thread, I am happy to do so.
I also used base camp and have updated to the latest software on my device.

I will try manually loading some maps, per the instructions already givin in this thread.
Thanks in advance for all the work you have put into this sight and this community, Happy to be here!

[jbrett14]

Very strange that yours is taking so long to load a map.

I am beginning to think that this model is flawed. Mine gives incorrect "stopped time" when hiking. E.g. If I walk about 10 minutes, NON-STOP, it will record about 3 minutes of STOPPED time. This defeats the purpose of monitoring average speeds, etc.

I bought the eTrex20x and it had this same problem. So I returned it and now this 30x is doing the same thing. Very frustrating.

[Boyd]

when I zoom out or in it takes an excessive amount of time for the unit to "Catch up" If I zoom out, it is worse. sometimes it will just act locked up and not ever refresh the screen to show a larger map. (100 miles in the scale bar)

Are you saying that you have problems when zoomed way out, to the 100 mile scale? If so, then that just may be the way the map was made. There are some complex things involved with properly making a map work through a large range of zoom. You may find that a lot of maps become unusable when you zoom to about 5 miles in fact.

Before you assume there's a problem with your gps, you should confirm that the author intended for his map to work properly at high zoom levels. Also try using a "real" Garmin map and compare the behavior.

The problem is, when you zoom way out then more roads, more contour lines, more everything are included in the view. You have the make the map a certain way such that less line show as you zoom out in order to make a map useful when zoomed out.

And of course, the trade off will be that less detail is shown at the high zoom levels and the map gets pretty useless. There are settings on the gps that you can tweak. You can set less detail and should also be able to specify at with zoom level specific objects show. Read your manual for more info on this.

Don't attempt to compare this to the way the map works on your computer. ANY computer, even an older one is literally 20x more powerful than the top of the line Garmin handheld. I make some really complex  maps and amazed how well they work in Mapsource and Basecamp. On my Montana 600 they often aren't even usable and I have to fine tune them. And even then, when I zoom farther than 3 miles they are pretty useless.

All I can say is that Garmin's hardware is WAY behind a modern iPhone or Android phone in terms of processor power....

[jaggy13]

Boyd,
Thanks for the reply.
I think I was a little too brief in my description.
For example on the TOPO Idaho map, I can zoom out to the level that I see the shape of the state. but the issue it may take several minutes to load the map. It could be the detail of the map and that too much information is trying to be accessed at one time. If that is the case, then I will try not to zoom out that far. On the NWTopo map, it would lock up and only show portions of the map with huge swaths of blank space and essentially frozen.
I'll take a picture if this still doesn't make sense.
Another thing the OP mentioned as well as you is making your own maps. I think I will try and look into that as well. Sounds like it could be a good time.

[Boyd]

I think I understood you, and my comments above addressed the problem. In a nutshell: most maps are not intended to be zoomed out anywhere near that far. Unless there is something special in the way they are made, they don't work well when you zoom past the 2 or 3 mile scale typically. I don't find it surprising that you had problems when zoomed out that far, and this isn't a specific eTrex problem, it would be the same on any Garmin handheld.

[jaggy13]

Thanks for the reply!
I'm not worried about it, but I used to zoom out then pan the map and zoom back in to look at detail in certain areas. Just something I noticed seemed a bit clunky. But it appears all the detail is there at every zoom level. Instead of layers turning off or on as I zoom in or out.
The Idaho TOPO map seems to allow the entire state to be viewable, but the North West TOPO map doesn't even come close.
I have barely had time to even get familiar with the settings yet and look forward to playing with these maps over the summer. Thanks for the great community and the wealth of information!

[popej]

For example on the TOPO Idaho map, I can zoom out to the level that I see the shape of the state. but the issue it may take several minutes to load the map.

Maybe you have deleted basemap form your Etrex? Check on your GPS if there exists file \Garmin\gmapbmap.img.

[jaggy13]

I have disabled it, so yeah, I can zoom out to the entire state of Idaho surrounded by blackness.

But I live near one border and often hit the snake river, right on the border, and we have epic national forests, parks and mountain ranges on our other borders. So I would rather use the NW map instead of just the state.

But... When I zoom out to a similar level the map will just quit loading.

Since I bought this 30x, the Oregon 650 went on sale and I couldn't pass it up. It was the 650T, so it comes with 100k garmin maps.
It also fails at a similar level.

So as Boyd said above, they are just not intended to be used at that level.

Thanks for all the replies, I can't wait to get outdoors and actually use this technology!