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Just to be clear though - the version of mapsource which comes with the 60csx is just the program used to send and receive data from the GPS. It does not include any maps to load onto the 60csx.

When you purchase mapwel you must provide your GPS unit ID number. After that, the GPS becomes sort of a "dongle" that is used to authorize your copy. The basic version will only allow files to be uploaded to that single GPS and no others. I think the author is saying that if you load a map to an unauthorized GPS, it will hang and you will have to remove the map (which could be done either via USB disk mode or sending another map with Mapsource).

Just guessing though. I have the advanced version of Mapwel which will work with any GPS. But even so, I need to connect the same GPS I registered with the program when exporting a map file because, as I said above, it behaves like a "dongle".

If you have not yet purchased Mapwel then there isn't a lot of point in sending the map to the GPS. The trial version strips out a lot of details at random, making the map pretty useless.

That is pretty cool, I had forgotten about the online compiler. I didn't realize it could generate routable maps either. 

Trip and Waypoint manager is just Mapsource. You should be all set to download and install maps from this site.

The simplest way to make a garmin map from a .shp file is Mapwel: http://www.mapwel.eu/

Every other method I know requires using several different software packages. First you need to convert the .shp file to a .mp file, then you need to convert the .mp file to a .img file, which is the Garmin map format. And yet another piece of software is then needed to make it work in mapsource.

Mapwel can make the .img file all by itself, but the resulting map will only work in your GPS itself and not in mapsource.

The .shp file is what you need. But this will not produce a routable map, just a map which will display in mapsource or the GPS. You need to go through a number of steps typically to make a Garmin map and install it in mapsource. See the mapmaking tutorial on this site.

But again, that won't give you routing capability. Mapwel is supposed to release a new version with routing capability soon. Don't know how well that will work, but it can already open .shp files and turn them into a map pretty easily. Unfortunately the files it creates only work on the gps itself and not in Mapsource.

I think that the largest card that this unit will take is a 2GB.

I believe that was the case at one time, but software updates have changed it. Again, a search of Garmin's site found the answer   I think that the 4gb limit comes from the use of the Windows FAT32 filesystem. As a practical matter, you will probably reach the 2025 segment limit before coming close to 4gb.

Question:  What is the largest SD/microSD card supported by an expandable memory device?

Answer:

There are several products within the Outdoor and Fitness families that can accept expandable memory cards in SD or microSD format. These cards, for some devices, can be used to store active track-log data, however, all expandable memory devices can utilize the additional memory to store MapSource products.

There are limitations to the size of SD/microSD card used and to the number of detailed mapping segments that can be recognized by a device.

If at the most recent unit software version, these limitations are:

   * There is no limitation to the size of SD/microSD card used but the device will only recognize 4GB of detailed mapping
   * Each expandable memory device will be able to recognize up to 2,025 detailed mapping segments

If 2,025 detailed mapping segments are loaded to an SD/microSD card but does not reach 4GB worth of data, the unit will not show any more detailed mapping than what is provided by the mapping segments.
Last modified on:  10/12/2009

[At this time, the non-NT version of City Navigator has been discontinued and it will no longer be eligible for future updates beyond the current 2009 version.]

From Garmin's site:

Question:  Can I update my non-NT version of City Navigator North America?

Answer:
You can order your update for the non-NT version of City Navigator North America for $75.00 through the Garmin website. At this time, the non-NT version of City Navigator has been discontinued and it will no longer be eligible for future updates beyond the current 2009 version. This update will be available for purchase through Garmin until the end of 2009.

If you have a compatible device, we suggest that you purchase the City Navigator NT software. The full version of City Navigator North America NT retails for $99.99 plus tax and applicable shipping. The City Navigator North America NT software can be purchased directly through the Garmin website in download, DVD or preprogrammed card format or from one of our many Garmin dealers in DVD format.

http://iqc.garmin.com/eCustomer/KODSelfService/request.do?session={b5b0eb30-e454-11de-5bd3-000000000000}&event=1&view()=c{979c4db0-5a20-11de-7911-000000000000}&objectId=&eksObjectId=&objectType=Case&isJumpEnabled=false&isContentJumpEnabled=false&vendorKey=&versionId=105&objectScore=89&from=search&categoryIdLvl2=mapschartsandextras&categoryIdLvl3=all&categoryId=mapschartsandextras&categoryFieldLvl2=Maps,%20Charts%20&categoryFieldLvl3=all&categoryField=Maps,%20Charts%20&kbname=garmin

Everything works fine on the Mac. There are Mac Installers and "RoadTrip" is the Mac version of Mapsource. BaseCamp has been released on both platforms. I don't think they make the non-NT version of City Navigator anymore, do they? I know that owners of the old StreetPilots have been complaining that the were orphaned, and it is not listed on Garmin's site as far as I can tell. http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/cache/offonce/us/maps/ontheroadmaps

I don't know, but I just saw this on the Yahoo Map Authors group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/map_authors/message/11645

That is just a generic warning - it doesn't check to see if there are actually any maps which would be erased. On the eTrex series, you cannot erase the basemap-  it's stored in protected memory that users cannot access. If you had previously loaded another map onto your unit, that would be erased however.

The regular Legend does not have a card slot. The Legend Hcx does. Again, it's a generic warning. Sending a new map to your eTrex will not delete any tracks or waypoints. However, when you choose "Send to Device" in Mapsource, make sure that the only thing with a check mark is "Maps". That way you'll be sure that the only thing which will be replaced is the map itself.

BTW, got the PM and responded. Thanks for all the detective work on this!

As an aside, I just got a Nuvi 1350 and to my dismay, it renders all the topo maps I've tried really poorly. For one thing, contour lines are too big and fat - they look like roads. But a bigger problem is that it doesn't render the wetlands type correctly. It is drawn the same as water, so it gives the appearance of huge lakes in lowland areas where there aren't any. I have never seen another Garmin GPS which does this.

It also doesn't seem compatible with Mapwel's extended custom types. The map in the examples we're discussing here is basically blank with sort of a noise pattern covering most of it. I believe it works correctly with the cgpsmapper re-defined types however. I have an older map where I replaced Garmin's wetland symbol with my own and it looks fine. In that same file I also redefined the contour lines so they would look better on my Nuvi 205, and they look good on the 1350 also.

The new pedestrian mode is pretty cool though, and it makes the topo maps display a little better.

Sounds good. FWIW, this is what the same area looks like on my Oregon

Whoa - that is very cool! How did you do it? Is there a way to turn this into an installable mapsource file?

For the OP - on the Oregon 550 you can now use *real* USGS raster maps with Garmin's custom maps feature.

Any maps (aside from the basemap which can't be erased) currently on your GPS will be deleted when you load a new mapset. A mapset can include several different areas or even different maps, but they are all grouped together in storage.

24MB of internal memory is pretty limiting. I used to have a Legend C with 24MB and could only load a few counties here in New Jersey. Exactly how much you can load depends on the map and how it was made. In mapsource, select some areas of interest. Click on the Map tab on the left and look at the bottom of the page. It will tell you how much space is needed. Just watch that number as you select more areas and stop when it approaches the limit.

If you try to transfer too much, it will give you an error message and you can try again with less segments.