How Do I Load Maps On My GPS Unit?

[-Oz-]

We have a tutorial that will show you how to load maps on your Garmin GPS with either a PC or a Mac; click here to see the tutorial.

If the map you're downloading doesn't have an easy installer you can use this tutorial to load the maps into MapSource/Basecamp.  Note: you cannot use this tutorial for the OSM routable maps.

[Indrid Cold]

Might be worth reading the following if you have one of these units:

http://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/2010/09/map-selection-improvements.html

[Boyd]

This is the same system already used on the Colorado, Dakota, Oregon and the newest Nuvi models. Unfortunately, it isn't completely backward-compatible with mapsets created in mapsource that contain multiple products. So if you used mapsource to make a single gmapsupp.img file for your 60csx, that will not behave properly on any of these new units. You will only be able to turn all of the maps in that file on/off at the same time. You will not be able to select individual maps within the file.

The solution is to create new files which only contain one "product" each. But there may even be some glitches there with home-made maps. For example, if you use Sendmap20 to create a map file and name it NYtopo.img, then use Sendmap20 to create another file named TXtopo.img, these maps will have a generic name "Maps uploaded by Sendmap20" on the GPS. And the GPS will group them together, even though they are in separate files. So you cannot individually enable them on the GPS, they can only be globally enabled as a group.

[Indrid Cold]

Then it doesn't sound like much of an issue unless you are using SendMap20. Maybe they'll have to update that software.

[Boyd]

I think the unit just groups everything with the same FID together regardless of what file the map is in.

But having mulitple maps in gmapsupp.img is something else. They will need to be separated into individual files.

I noticed something else the other day about multiple map files. The "receive from device" command in mapsource will only recognize maps in the gmapsupp.img file. So if you have separated all of your maps into different files and given them names, you can't use mapsource to read them back in. You would have to rename each file to gmapsupp.img to do that.

[-Oz-]

sounds like they are just making what we already do manually easier

[Boyd]

Yes, I think this is a big improvement. It will just take some adjustment for those who are new to these models and have a collection of maps in a format that will need tweaking.

[hawk]

In the tutorial step #9 for Base Camp it says all maps will be erased. Dose that mean all previously loaded maps will be erased as it says or am I missing somthing. Why would I want to do that?

[Boyd]

What model GPS do you have? The new ones are a little different. But until recently, Garmin GPS units would only recognize one map filename - gmapsupp.img - and that is the name of the file that either Basecamp or Mapsource sends to your unit. When you send a new map, it replaces the existing gmapsupp.img file on the GPS with a new one containing the map(s) you have chosen.

It doesn't erase the maps that are installed on your computer, just the ones stored on the GPS. That's just the way it works. On older units, if you want to install more than one map, you must use the selection tool to choose sections of all the different maps you want, then send them all together. They will be bundled into a single gmapsupp.img file and sent to your GPS, replacing whatever maps were there before.

The newest models are a little more flexible, which is why I asked what you're using.

[hawk]

I just got a 78s.Have not loaded anything on it as yet.It sounds like if I had two or three different hunting areas(maps) on a sd card in the device,loaded a new map of a different area,all my maps would (except) the newest one would be gone. This is not at all good and dosn't even sound right.Surely you can have more than "one" map on this device.

[Boyd]

On older units, using mapsource you select the portions of *each* map that you want first (by choosing them one at a time and highlighting the areas you want). Then you send it all to the GPS together.

On your new model, you have more options. Send your first map to the gps, then look in its \Garmin folder and find gmapsupp.img. Change the name to something descriptive, like huntingmap.img. Now send the next map and repeat as needed. Your 78s can recognize multiple map files (up to something like a total of 14 maps).

This is a relatively new thing for Garmin. You need to realize that they pretty much pioneered all this stuff, and they went in their own direction using 1990's technology. Old habits die hard I guess, and it's taken them a long time to change their way of doing things. In the old days, you didn't have enough memory in a GPS to even need to worry about multiple map.

Maybe you would be happier with a unit from Magellan? 

[hawk]

So you can have more than one map on the 78s correct? This comment in step #9 is referencing some older units?

[maps4gps]

Correct.  I have not heard of a total of 14 maps before.  A post (on the groundspeak forums ?) said 10 on the GPSr and 10 on the micro memory card.  I tested this and had no problems with 17 seperate mapsets on the micro memory card and Garmin's basemap on my OR300's internal memory.

[Boyd]

I don't know what the limit is and haven't tried, I read about the 14 in a post at Groundspeak I think. For most people, it won't be an issue.

Actually #9 is correct with any Garmin unit if you just follow the standard procedure. Basecamp/Mapsource always generate a file named gmapsupp.img. So unless you have manually renamed that file, it will be automatically erased whenever you send a new map. If you rename the map after uploading, then you can avoid the problem on your unit.

[Boyd]

There are links in the first post of this thread that describe how to load the map. Yes, it must first be installed on your computer. You cannot connect the GPS directly to the internet.

If you really have a hard time with this kind of thing, and you don't care if the maps are on your computer, then just buy one of the *real* Garmin products that comes on a data card. All you will need to do is plug that into the GPS, and you'll be good to go. And if you do have any problems, Garmin support will help you.

You could get either Topo US 100K, which covers the entire US, or one of the regional 24k topo's for your area. The 24k topo's have roads and POI's like the City Navigator maps on the Nuvi, so they can be used to give driving directions and find gas stations, stores and restaurants. The 100k topo's will only display your position on the map and cannot do those things.