Messages

If you've only used Mapsource, then you didn't delete anything which you shouldn't. Mapsource sends all its maps to one file in the Garmin folder named GMAPSUPP.IMG. If you send one map, then a second map, the second one will replace the first one. Each map that you send with Mapsource replaces any others that you previously sent.

When deleting files, DO NOT delete gmapprom.img or gmapbmap.img - these are the preloaded maps (if any) and the basemap. Before deleting ANYTHING, make a backup by dragging all the files on your Oregon to a folder on your computer.

Well here's the confusion... this site calls all of its Garmin maps "custom maps". However "custom maps" means something very different to Garmin. This is the feature on the Dakota/Colorado/Oregon that lets you use images as maps - like this one of mine: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/237/

The CustomMaps folder must ONLY be used for that kind of map, and not a regular (vector based) Garmin map. Files in the CustomMaps folder will have a .kmz extension.

Files with an .img extension must go into the Garmin Folder.

You can't just drag and drop the files that you download from here. They are installers which must be run. See this tutorial: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-load-maps-on-my-garmin-gps-unit/

If you don't have Mapsource, do this first before installing: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-install-mapsource-if-it-didnt-come-with-your-gps/

After installing, you will find the maps in the \Garmin folder in a file named GMAPSUPP.IMG. If you try to send another map to your GPS, it will indeed erase the previous one that you installed because Mapsource always names its files GMAPSUPP.IMG (which is necessary on older Garmin units).

On your Dakota, after installing the first map, browse to the Garmin folder and rename GMAPSUPP.IMG to something else - any name is OK as long as it has a .img file extension. So you could name the Arkansas topo arkansas.img. Now repeat this process for any other maps you want to install.

After doing this, drag the map files to a folder on your computer and it will be easy to manage your maps in the future by just dragging and dropping these files in the Garmin folder.

This happens because the map doesn't contain any routing information. Almost none of the maps on this site are capable of creating routes. They can be used to show your position, but cannot provide directions for getting from point A to B.

If you need routing, you will probably want to purchase Garmin City Navigator.

Yes, that's one of my maps.  I don't know if your Dakota basemap shows enough detail, but you may be able to find Crater Lake using the Where To? menu. Otherwise, as Maps4gps says, you will need to drag the map to the general vicinity and zoom in. I don't recall what happens with that map, but generally the .kmz maps I've made will not appear until you zoom in to the 1.2 mile setting - or you might even have to zoom in to .8 miles.

Sorry, I'm fresh out of ideas as to why the other maps don't work for you. You may want to just cut your losses and purchase Garmin's maps...

Someone else is having issues on the Mac, and I took a couple wild guesses at the end of this thread: http://forums.gpsfiledepot.com/index.php/topic,961.0.html

Something very strange is happening here. I use Macs quite a bit... for everything but mapping and gps applications.   I don't suppose you that you also have Windows on your Mac, do you? If so, then I'd try installing the PC version with Mapsource.

If not, then I can only think of a couple wild guesses, which are probably wrong, but it's worth a try.

Did you format the SD card on your Mac? If so, what kind of filesystem did you use? If you formatted it for MacOSX, I suspect you'd have problems. The card should be formatted as Windows FAT32. I believe you will have a problem with any other filesystems, and the default for a 16GB card on the Mac may not be FAT32.

There was a bug in the Garmin software awhile ago (on the eTrex line, I think) where invisible MacOSX files were causing the GPS to crash. These are files beginning with a period or dot. On my Mac, I would use the Terminal application to view these (being an old unix geek ), but there is probably some other program to show you hidden files.

The only other wild guess is that the Dakota can only handle a maximum of 4000 map segments. That is probably plenty for what you're doing, but you might check just in case (assuming that the Mac installer tells you how many segments you've chosen).

Well that's what I assumed anyway, but I wanted to ask just in case it was something that would benefit the site. Glad I didn't click on anything. 

Just now when I clicked on my GPSFileDepot forum homepage, a popup window opened from a place called Opinion Central asking if I would take a survey. Being suspicious by nature, I just closed it.

Is this something related to GPSFileDepot or was it triggered by something else?

If you purchased the map on a card, then it can only be used on the original card. The Garmin cards are copy protected and even if they could be copied it would be piracy. So unless your friend can loan you his map card when you need it then you'll need to purchase your own maps.

I'm not sure that you can disable the basemap on the oregon. I have to option to do that on my 400t. You could try copying the file gmapbmap.img to your computer as a backup, then removing it from the Oregon I suppose.

But yes, be very careful unless you really know what you're doing.  You *should* be able to backup everything on your GPS by just copying all the files to a folder on your computer.

Well first you will probably want to make a custom (raster) map of the area. Have a look at these programs:

http://topofusion.com/garmin-custom-maps.php
http://moagu.com/?page_id=155

Making vector maps can be complicated. You might find that a track and a group of waypoints could do what you want when overlaid on the image. These can be created with a variety of tools, including mapsource or basecamp. Really, any program that can read and write .gpx files could probably be used for that.

But if you want to create a "real" vector map, then Mapwel is probably the most user-friendly program. It can do everything, as opposed to other solutions which require one program to create the map and cgpsmapper to compile it. You can play with the free demo to see if you like it:

http://www.mapwel.eu/

Haha - it took Garmin a little longer than most companies to realize that USB 2 was invented. 

Look two posts above... he was talking about 6.15.11