Joining Maps Before Loading to GPS

[jackes]

How can I join the 7 or so USA, regional, planimetric maps into a single, composite map of the USA? I use a Map60csx which can only use a single file.
Thanks -- Jack

[Boyd]

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

Follow the instructions in steps 2 through 7 using first map you want but DO NOT SEND IT TO THE GPS YET. Now use the dropdown menu to choose the second map you want and REPEAT STEPS 2 through 7. Continue this process for all the maps that you want. After you have completed choosing the maps in this fashion, send them to the GPS as described in steps 9 through 14. This will bundle everything together in a single gmapsupp.img file.

On the GPS, you will then need to enable all the maps you have sent.

[maps4gps]

Question?

    What is your interest in a planimetric map versus a topographic map? 

Thanks
     

[jackes]

Thank you very much to each of you. I am somewhat of a novice at mapping for gps and had many doubts about doing this.

Actually, I would probably prefer using topos but I am limited, I think, to 4gb on my 60csx. (I've seen mixed opinions on this.) Was not sure that all contiguous 48 states in topo, would fit on my available so I was approaching the problem with "baby steps".

If you have a better idea I would welcome it. I do want good road maps included if I use a topo. My objective is the most bang for my 4 gb buck. I have 3, 4gb micro chips but don't want to be exchanging them a lot. They are a real pain to keep organized and locatable when traveling. I am newly interested in geocaching and I would also like to have inland lakes topos for fishing. Do you suppose that the topos might do lake depths as well?

Thanks again to each of you. I am very happy to have your help.

Jack

[Boyd]

The goal of having seamless maps of multiple states might be difficult to acheive using the maps on this site, unless they were made by the same author and intended to be used together. If you take maps from different authors, there will usually be problems where they overlap, and there really aren't any standards here for the map boundaries.

If you purchase Garmin's own products, they will be seamless however. You should also be able to do that with openstreetmap.

[jackes]

Thanks for your insight Boyd.

This is probably the wrong forum for this discussion but I have spent a little time studying and playing with openstreetmap, and the process for creating a openstreetmap image to load to my 60csx, using OSX, has me baffled. I must be missing something basic about vector graphics.

Openstreetmap does seem to have the basic data to accomplish my objective but I don't see how to use it on a Mac.
As I ponder what to do next I am going to do some "gpsfiledepot" author research

What amazes is that nobody ever saw a need for a free USA map. I found one in the list but it's accuracy disclaimers are sufficient to cause me to not use it. A 250' street location error is huge in an urban setting.


Thanks for your thoughts. I do appreciate you taking your time to help me,

Jack

[Boyd]

the process for creating a openstreetmap image to load to my 60csx, using OSX, has me baffled.

So you are using a Mac? That is a bit of rather important information that you should have mentioned in your original post, since my explanation of joining maps was Windows-specific because it used Mapsource (which is what I would use with an old device like the 60csx). However, you should be able to accomplish the same thing with Basecamp/MapInstall.

I am a Mac user going back to 1985 (Apple ][ before that) and my primary computer now is a Mac. But when it comes to making maps and managing my GPS devices, I use Windows. The really good tools for this just don't exist on the Mac unfortunately. But for the basic things you want, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

I don't use openstreetmap myself, but have you tried this site? I believe it will let you build the kind of map you want: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl

[jackes]

Thank you Boyd,

I appreciate the openstreetmaps link and I'll see what I can do with it.

I truly apologize for not including the OSX reference in my original post. I am shocked that I didn't reference it because I try to be so careful to always spell out all details such as OSX and MacBook Pro. Must have been distracted when I wrote it:)

Your comment on windows vs OSX probably provides a lot of insight on why I don't do more map work. Map development has always been a big frustration to me; probably because, like you, I am a Mac addict from the same era and shudder at the thought of using Windows for anything that matters.

Anyway, thanks again for your great support,

Jack