GPS - Garmin map question

Author

Garmin map question

John

2007-02-19, 10:33 pm

I recently purchased a Garmin Legend Cx. I'd like
to get more detailed road mapping on the device.

On the Garmin web I see:

City Navigator North America
Garmin Part Number: 010-10474-00
U.S. List Price: $139.27 (for domestic US market only)

But this noted:
Note: You cannot use this product to update the maps on your preloaded
Garmin device. To order updated map data for your preloaded Garmin
device, visit the Map Updates page.

That page has other products for sale. And NT DVD or DVD. What
does NT refer to? Is it Microsoft's OS NT?

I also see:

Metroguide North America
Garmin Part Number: 010-10468-00
U.S. List Price: $116.65 (for domestic US market only)
and then it sells data cards (blank I guess?) that you
can download the stuff to. But no warnings about locking
and can't update your GPS with it.

I don't know how City Navigator compares to Metroguide maps.
Can someone share the gist of that? Do they really discriminate
city by non-city rather than detailed maps by region only?

I don't know what I should buy. I just want the very
detailed road maps (all USA or by section) that I can
view on my Legend Cx (mostly) and on my computer (secondary).

Any suggestions on what it is I should buy? If I want city
and non-city do I need to buy both!!!???

Thanks, John

Jack Erbes

2007-02-19, 10:33 pm

John wrote:
> I recently purchased a Garmin Legend Cx. I'd like
> to get more detailed road mapping on the device.
>
> On the Garmin web I see:
>
> City Navigator North America
> Garmin Part Number: 010-10474-00
> U.S. List Price: $139.27 (for domestic US market only)
>
> But this noted:
> Note: You cannot use this product to update the maps on your preloaded
> Garmin device. To order updated map data for your preloaded Garmin
> device, visit the Map Updates page.

That is the DVD you want for your eTrex Legend Cx. If you had bought a
unit that had City Navigator preloaded (a nuvi or StreetPilot for
example) the warning would apply and you would not want it.

> That page has other products for sale. And NT DVD or DVD. What
> does NT refer to? Is it Microsoft's OS NT?

NT = New Technology. It is a version of City Navigator that uses a
improved compression algorithm for storing maps. With CN the North
American maps take about 1.7 GB for storage, for CN NT they take about
970 mb. Given the choice, for a unit that will use them, the CN NT is
probably the best one to buy because it will take up less space on a
memory card.

> I also see:
>
> Metroguide North America
> Garmin Part Number: 010-10468-00
> U.S. List Price: $116.65 (for domestic US market only)
> and then it sells data cards (blank I guess?) that you
> can download the stuff to. But no warnings about locking
> and can't update your GPS with it.

It is primarily for use on laptops or mobile PCs. Maps produced with it
will not autoroute on a GPS that is otherwise capable of autorouting.

> I don't know how City Navigator compares to Metroguide maps.
> Can someone share the gist of that? Do they really discriminate
> city by non-city rather than detailed maps by region only?

They both have the same mapping, if you want to upload maps to your GPS
that can autoroute, you want City Navigator, not MetroGuide.

> I don't know what I should buy. I just want the very
> detailed road maps (all USA or by section) that I can
> view on my Legend Cx (mostly) and on my computer (secondary).

If you want the maps you upload to the Legend Cx to autoroute on the
GPS, you need City Navigator. The maps will include detailed roads down
to street level address, thousands of POI (Points of Interest) in
searchable databases. You can see the level of detail by looking at the
MapSource Map Viewer on the City Navigator North America product page.
Zoom all the way in to an area you know, select the most detail, and
you'll be seeing the same data you would see on City Navigator.

> Any suggestions on what it is I should buy? If I want city
> and non-city do I need to buy both!!!???

City Navigator includes nearly all paved roads inside and outside of
towns and cities. By non-city, do you mean topographical maps? If so,
then you would want to buy United States Topo North America for
1:100,000 topo maps of the entire U.S. or 24K Topo North America for
1;24,000 topo maps of selected National Parks in the U.S.

Again you can see the level of details and what the mapping would look
like by using the MapSource Map Viewers on the pages for the various
mapping products.

You can load both City Navigator and Topo maps on to your GPS and select
which maps to use from the GPS.

You can save up to 1/3 of the purchase price on the Garmin mapping by
purchasing it online or on eBay. Also, microSD cards do not have to be
purchased from Garmin, their prices are much higher. Buy name brand
memory cards from major makers like SanDisk.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

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