New 60csx...Re: How To Tutorial SD card empty

[TLock]

 I got the unit, put Map source on PC,  downloaded CA Topo from File Depot...

In the How to Download Maps Tutorial it says (something like) "if you bought an SD card from Garmin with maps already on it, DO NOT overwrite it..."  being a literal type (and rookie) is see cursory maps on my GPS and think it comes from SD card....Can I put File Depot map on this card with no heavy consequences?  I'm thinking I can, but I wanna be safe and not complicate matters when I'm already intimidated.

One more thing:  Can anyone explain the disconnect here between -what I think will be- a decent, workable FREE map here, and paying +/-$100 for a map from Garmin?  Is their map THAT much better?  I was setting up to buy there, then was directed here by a knowledgable person

Thanks,T

[sunnybrook]

Greetings!

I have a 60CSX and the cursory map is stored internal to the memory of your unit, and not on the SD card.  To use the California topo, the best approach is to purchase a 2 GB SD card and put it into your unit.  You can then transfer maps to the unit, up to 2GB.  If you transfer the CA map to the card in your unit, it will overwrite anything stored on the card and it will be gone, gone, gone.

In my case, I have GPS File Depot Arizona Topo, South Dakota Topo, and Garmin City Navigator (purchased from Garmin and installed on my computer) that I have transferred to a 2GB SD card.  I now want to add New Mexico but doing that will "overwrite" and erase everything on the card.  I have two options-purchase another 2GB card for $12 and load NM and City Navigator to that card and then switch cards as I go from state to state.  Or, if there is enough space on a 2GB card, I can load all maps-Arizona Topo, SD Topo, City Navigator, and NM Topo all at one time.

The 24K topos available for free from this site are far superior to anything that Garmin sells.  So, using $100 as a measue of "value" would not be appropriate.

I hope as a relative newbie that I've stated everything correctly and hopefully in an understandable way.