Messages

3751

GPSr Units / Re: will any car gps unit accept topo maps & be used for general trail type ridd

« on: March 21, 2009, 02:35:42 PM »

The maps on this site definitely won't work on Navigon. AFAIK, there are no topo maps available on Navigon at all. However, I believe Navigon is based on Windows CE. You should be able to find instructions on "unlocking" it, which would give you access to the underlying Windows operating system. Once you have done this, you might consider installing OziExplorer CE. It's a cool little program that lets you make your own maps from satellite photos, USGS topos, or anything you like.

The downside is that this gets pretty technical and involved. If interested, see GPSPassion's AIO forum for unlocking info here: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=71

Then you can visit their off-road forum here for info on OziExplorer: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=63

Aside from this, there really isn't going to be any simple way to get topo maps on your unit. If you really need them, take a look at some of the less expensive garmin units, which will be compatible with all the maps here. The Nuvi 205 is pretty cheap and can work both in the car and on a hike.

3752

Map Making Support / Re: A few questions

« on: March 21, 2009, 05:54:01 AM »

1. Are you loading the maps into the unit's internal memory, or on a micro SD card? Plug the unit into the computer and you will see a USB drive representing the Vista and another for the card (if inserted). The maps you are loading will be in the folder named Garmin in one of these places. They will be named gmapsupp.img and you can just delete that file. But be sure you understand what you are doing, because there will be no other clue as to WHAT that map is (other than the timestamp). You can have one file of that name in each place (card and internal).

You could also use a program like sendmap20 which you will find here: http://cgpsmapper.com/buy.htm I think it has an option to erase the maps in your GPS.

2. In mapsource you select the segments you want from any mapsets installed on your computer, then send them all together to the GPS. You will be able to select the different maps on the GPS after installing.

3. I never thought highway view was useful, so I don't know.

4. Don't know of any specific lake maps, but they might exist. I've made my own maps of New Jersey with lake details that are much better than Garmin's, so it's certainly possible to do. Sounds like a good mapmaking project for you! 

3753

GPSr Units / Re: OREGON AND MICRO SD CARDS

« on: March 20, 2009, 04:21:56 PM »

Generally speaking, for the map to be available on the GPS you need to create a folder named Garmin in the root directory of the SD. The map file must be placed in that folder and be named gmapsupp.img.

But it also depends on what is in the zip file is that you have. For starters, create a garmin folder on the card, rename the file gmapsupp.img if it is named something else, move it to the folder, then see what happens.

Or if you prefer (and have enough free space) just name the file gmapsupp.img and drop it into the existing garmin folder on the Oregon's internal drive. BE CAREFUL not to remove an existing file of that name however or you will delete any supplemental map that is already in there!

3754

General Discussion / Re: using img files

« on: March 15, 2009, 10:42:07 AM »

Sorry, forgot about that old model. Even easier, just snap the antenna closed. That will turn off the GPS receiver. Tap the screen and the Set Loc button should appear at the bottom.

3755

Using The Maps/Garmin Software / Re: Grid lines/Printing Questions

« on: March 14, 2009, 03:44:51 PM »

Instead of Mapsource, try opening the .img file directly with GPSMapEdit: http://www.geopainting.com/en/

I'm pretty sure it has an option to show grid lines.

3756

General Discussion / Re: using img files

« on: March 14, 2009, 03:43:11 PM »

note that I should very much liked to have tested such functions before I left, but there's no way to do that on the 350 . . .

Actually there is a way. Go to Menu > Tools > Settings > System and turn on the GPS Simulator. Now zoom WAY out until you can find London. Zoom back in to a location you want to test. There should be a button at the bottom of the screen "Set Loc". Tap that and the Nuvi will believe you really *are* there. That will show you what to expect from searches and routing. You can even simulate walking/driving a route.

3757

Map Making Support / Re: Newbie needs some direction

« on: March 10, 2009, 11:58:29 AM »

I don't use AutoCAD so I'm not sure what it can do.

If you scan your paper maps, Mapwel has tools to import and georeference them. You can try all this out in the free demo and see how you like it before purchasing.

Global Mapper is another fantastic program for this, but it can't compile the garmin maps, you need to export as a .mp file and use cgpsmapper to compile. And Global Mapper costs about $250.

3758

Map Making Support / Re: Newbie needs some direction

« on: March 06, 2009, 11:01:38 AM »

Well first you will need to do some detective work and find the data for those claims. Hopefully they are available as shapefiles (files with a .shp extension). There would be a variety of ways to use this data then. One simple approach would be to use Mapwel, which can import the shapefiles and let you change their color or pattern. It will also compile this into a transparent map with a few mouse clicks and load it onto your GPS.

One issue will be that polygons (the claims) cannot be made transparent, so if you overlaid them on another map, they would cover up any details below. One solution for this would be to make your claims map opaque but make the Arizona map transparent. There are various ways to do this, but we have been asked not to discuss ways to modify others' maps so I will leave that as an excercise for you.

Another approach would be to use a pattern of dots to fill the polygons instead of a solid color. That would allow details from the underlying map to show through between the dots. Mapwel makes it easy to do this with its user-defined styles. For more info see: http://www.mapwel.biz/

3759

General Discussion / Re: 3-D maps

« on: March 04, 2009, 12:19:13 PM »

There are a variety of software packages which can display 3d maps on your computer, but nobody has figured out how to use the 3d data in a map which works on a Garmin GPS. OziExplorer has nothing whatsoever to do with Garmin compatible maps. They have a proprietary map format which Global Mapper can't even grok.

I have the full version of OziExplorer and it's pretty cool for making your own maps from raster images, like scanned USGS maps or satellite photos. You can then use these with OziExplorer CE, which is an application running under Windows Mobile on handheld devices. A variety of GPS'es from Magellan, Mio, Navigon and HP are Windows CE based and have been hacked to work with Ozi CE - I run it on my iPAQ 310. BUT... this is in no way related to making Garmin maps. Completely different approach - Garmin maps are vector-based, Ozi is (primarily) raster-based.

3760

General Discussion / Re: using img files

« on: March 02, 2009, 06:41:06 AM »

For some reason, only the very newest Garmin units have USB 2 interfaces. USB 1 is dog slow. But I agree there's something else going on there. My Oregon and my Nuvi 205 seem very inconsistent in terms of transfer speed, and copying FROM the unit is much faster than sending TO it. OTOH, my Nuvi 5000 is lightning fast in both directions. Strange...

3761

Map Making Support / Re: GM contours

« on: February 28, 2009, 02:34:55 PM »

Once GM completes contours how do I determine which are minor,intermediate or major? Or does it matter in the end product?

I honestly don't think it matters. When you export the contours as an .mp file they will be properly flagged by Global Mapper. Have you seen their tutorial here?

http://cgpsmapper.com/download/GM8DocV2.pdf

Note how the major and minor intervals appear in the screenshots from both Global Mapper and the GPS itself on pages 21 and 25. I would not get discouraged by the postgis issue. I'm making my own maps and have not needed it. The only thing which may be an issue is processing POI data from the census bureau.

But Global Mapper can do almost everything else for you using the powerful search function and the MP_TYPE field which gives you control over what kind of lines/points/polygons will be used on the GPS; this is also covered in the tutorial at the above link.

3762

GPSr Units / Re: Sony NV-U44

« on: February 28, 2009, 10:35:07 AM »

The Sony GPS'es are not compatible with Garmin maps unfortunately. You  might try these places for discussion:

http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewforum.php?f=28
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=71

3763

General Discussion / Re: using img files

« on: February 28, 2009, 10:31:30 AM »

<sigh>I'm stunned that there is no readily available freebie utility that will show you what the heck is in that there nnnnn.img file.

GPSMapEdit (as per my link above) is the program which can do this and you can use the freeware version. I'm stunned that you didn't even try this before reaching such a conclusion.

To use MapSource, first download the free training center software here:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-04

That will install a crude basemap on your computer. Now try to install Mapsource again. It will see the training center basemap as a "product" and you will be all set. Inside mapsource there is a dropdown menu to choose maps. See if it lists City Navigator as an option. If not, then go back to garmin.com and see if you are able to download the 2009 map update again. That will install the City Navigator maps into Mapsource.

I think the "gotcha" is that Mapsource has to first be installed on your computer. If it is, then when you download a map update it is installed to work on both the GPS and your computer.

3764

General Discussion / Re: using img files

« on: February 27, 2009, 04:30:03 PM »

any freebie / shareware software out there that would allow me to look at .img map files?

GPSMapEdit will open .img files.

http://www.geopainting.com/en/

3765

Map Making Support / Re: Alternate types depending on zoom?

« on: February 25, 2009, 09:42:59 AM »

So I think its a built in function of Garmin that it automatically decides whether or not to display it.

This is true on the Nuvi, however handhelds - as well as the old StreetPilot 26x0 series - have a series of preference settings where you specify at which zoom level different map features are shown and you can also choose what size text (or none at all). I really wish Garmin would include these in some kind of advanced menu on the Nuvi's.

Here are some of the choices on the Oregon; other handhelds are similar