GARMIN GPS OWNERS: Read This

by **chrisrh57** » 24 Jul 2007, 13:13

OK - I have a eTrex Vista CX and a Mac - so what I need to do is get the 24K map data on the microSD card instead - and then all will be fine? This is great work by Above the Timber - I am going to email Roger to see if he will sell the pre-loaded microSD cards for Mac users. Am I missing anything?

by **ADKben** » 24 Jul 2007, 13:46

by **ADKben** » 24 Jul 2007, 13:54

by **poorman** » 24 Jul 2007, 14:45

ontopoftheworld wrote:A little off-topic, but I'm having problems and wondering if anyone else is...

I recently bought a brand spanking new Garmin eTrex Vista Cx. I have hiked maybe 50 miles with it so far. If I'm hiking below treeline, it loses signal more often than I would like. If I'm hiking above treeline, weird things happen. I hiked Bierstadt last week, and by the time I got to the summit, it said I had traveled something like 50 miles from Guanalla Pass! It plots random points miles away from where I am. I just noticed a setting this morning that will hopefully solve some of those problems - I had 'Lock on Road' set to on. I hope the solves it, but I'm not confident it will.

Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions to make it work better? Should I take it back to REI?

Lock On Road could cause that. Turning it off should fix it.

I say "should" because several people have reported recently on the eTrex_Legend Yahoo group that their Vista Cx always reports a position that is on a road, even when "Lock On Road" is off. The current suspicion is that it happens only when you're moving fast (the only first hand reports so far are from trains and airplanes), but there isn't yet a concensus that speed is the only factor.

I'm taking both a Vista Cx and an older eTrex Legend out to Maroon Bells this weekend. I'll report my experience back here.

-- Pete
P.S. The "eTrex Legend" Yahoo group is a great place for questions about Garmin eTrex products. Some extremely knowledgeable people hang out there, yet the group is kind to newcomers. The discussion covers all eTrex products & related mapping software, despite having "Legend" in the name.

by **mateo303** » 24 Jul 2007, 16:44

I was having similar problems with my Vista CX. According to the GPS I was "bouncing" all over the map erratically. Eventually, I realized it only happened when the GPS was getting cold. In warmer temps the problem does not happen and it works as it should.

Is your GPS exposed to cold and wind etc. when this is happening?

Just a thought...
Matt

by **Couloirman** » 25 Jul 2007, 11:45

payment sent, thanks for the link Bill, Mapsource topo's are awful

by **BillMiddlebrook** » 27 Jul 2007, 13:34

FYI -

Roger just added an option to purchase via download instead of a DVD. The file is around 300mb, so this would only be for broadband users.

Here's the updated page on his site: http://abovethetimber.com/GPSmaps.htm

by **Alan Ellis** » 27 Jul 2007, 21:04

Just ordered Roger's software via the download and am very happy. The download only took about 10 min (with high speed connection).

I installed and loaded my 60CS with no issues or problems. The maps are exactly as advertised and work perfectly with Mapsource. Suggest downloading the demo and see for yourself.

THIS SOFTWARE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND WORTH EVERY PENNY.

In addition, Roger never hesitated to quickly answer all my stupid emails and questions before and after purchase. Very satisfied with my experience.

AE

by **BillMiddlebrook** » 31 Jul 2007, 21:10

Yup, the high level of detail was the part that I found to be a bit frustrating when I need to navigate with wide viewing.

But the answer to your question is yes, you can load different base maps at the same time when you upload maps to your GPS. I have MapSource v6.12.4 and have installed both the ABT 24k maps AND the Garmin US TOPO 1:100,000 maps (the Western US CD). In MapSource, just toggle between the different datasets on the top left (drop-down box) use the map selection tool for each to build your download map list before sending them to the GPS.

This is what I do: I only load the ABT 24k maps for an area where I'm climbing, but each time I send maps to the GPS, I also send over most of the CO maps from the MapSource US TOPO (west) CD. So, when driving outside of the 24k map area, I see the 1:100,000 maps. Works very well.

It's just too much clutter to navigate at a high level using the 24k (ABT) maps.

I hope this helps.

by **alexosias** » 11 Aug 2007, 08:25

Newbie question- So with the downloads from the routes pages I would need to have the Nat Geo Topo program correct? The maps discussed in this thread don't need either program do they?

by **Alan Ellis** » 11 Aug 2007, 15:38

alexosias wrote:Newbie question- So with the downloads from the routes pages I would need to have the Nat Geo Topo program correct? The maps discussed in this thread don't need either program do they?

The maps discussed on this thread are for Garmin GPS users who have handheld units with Mapsource capability. NG Topo is not needed to use the Garmin maps referenced in this thread; however, the route downloads on the route pages ARE from NG Topo.

by **MtnHermit** » 11 Aug 2007, 16:32

Alan Ellis wrote: however, the route downloads on the route pages ARE from NG Topo.

Will those NG routes show up on top of the 24K GPS Topos inside a Garmin mapping receiver? Do you have a screenshot?

Thanks
Hermit

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