GPS - File organization on SanDisk for Garmin

Author

File organization on SanDisk for Garmin

Pumper Hinkle

2007-09-03, 11:11 am

I hope this makes sense, I don't know all the correct terminology.

What I have is a Garmin 76CSx, a Garmin Vista HCx, the 3-disk set of Garmin
USA Topos, and a 2 gig San Disk to put them all on. It all fits and,
after over 7 hours of load time, I have the entire USA topo set on 1.7 gigs
of the 2 gig microdisk (or whatever it's called).

Unfortunately, to open or close any particular topo, one needs to scroll
through the whole list and they don't seem to be in any understandable
order.

So, I think I might have wasted my time.

Is there a better way to organize the whole thing? Or should I just have
gotten a few smaller SDs and insert/remove according to where I am going?

Ralph

Cooter

2007-09-03, 11:11 am

Maybe I misunderstand what you're doing, but it sounds like you are simply
copying the files from the three CDs directly to your microSD card. If so,
it's not going to work. You have to install the topo product on your PC
first, then create the desired mapset using the MapSource program. Finally,
you would transfer that mapset to your GPS. What you will find is that you
can use no more than 2025 segments, or maps, in any one mapset. I think the
entire 3 CD set runs in excess of 6000 segments, so you will have to use at
least three mapsets on three separate microSD cards to store the entire US.

"Pumper Hinkle" < ralphcompton@earthli
nk.net> wrote in message
news:13dm773924cqga1
@corp.supernews.com...
>I hope this makes sense, I don't know all the correct terminology.
>
> What I have is a Garmin 76CSx, a Garmin Vista HCx, the 3-disk set of
> Garmin USA Topos, and a 2 gig San Disk to put them all on. It all fits
> and, after over 7 hours of load time, I have the entire USA topo set on
> 1.7 gigs of the 2 gig microdisk (or whatever it's called).
>
> Unfortunately, to open or close any particular topo, one needs to scroll
> through the whole list and they don't seem to be in any understandable
> order.
>
> So, I think I might have wasted my time.
>
> Is there a better way to organize the whole thing? Or should I just have
> gotten a few smaller SDs and insert/remove according to where I am going?
>
> Ralph

Jack Erbes

2007-09-03, 12:33 pm

Pumper Hinkle wrote:
> I hope this makes sense, I don't know all the correct terminology.
>
> What I have is a Garmin 76CSx, a Garmin Vista HCx, the 3-disk set of
> Garmin USA Topos, and a 2 gig San Disk to put them all on. It all
> fits and, after over 7 hours of load time, I have the entire USA topo
> set on 1.7 gigs of the 2 gig microdisk (or whatever it's called).
>
> Unfortunately, to open or close any particular topo, one needs to scroll
> through the whole list and they don't seem to be in any understandable
> order.
>
> So, I think I might have wasted my time.
>
> Is there a better way to organize the whole thing? Or should I just
> have gotten a few smaller SDs and insert/remove according to where I am
> going?

Cooter's question and comments are relevant, you have the three CD's
installed and you are uploading them from MapSource, right?

The obscure fact that you cannot upload more than 2025 map segments (or
maps as they are selected from MapSource) has haunted most of when we
were new to MapSource and Garmins. It is one of the rites of passage.

So if you selected all the maps (East, West, Alaska and Hawaii) from
MapSource it will go through the motions and give you the impression
that all the maps were processed and uploaded but that is not the case.

This is further complicated by the fact that only one filename
(gmapsupp.img) in one locations (folder \garmin off the root of the
microSD card) can be used for a map file. Each time you upload maps
from MapSource, that file is overwritten with the next groups of maps.
You have to start from scratch and re-do the entire upload to add or
remove any maps.

So to have all the the 6,639 map files in U.S. Topo available for use
you have to, like Cooter says, divide them into four groups and put each
group on a separate microSD card.

Another way to do it with a larger microSD card is to upload one of the
four groups and then rename the folder it was uploaded to. Change
\garmin\gmapsupp.img to \garmin_1\gmapsupp.img for example. Then upload
the second, third, and fourth groups, renaming the newly created garmin
folder to garmin_2, garmin_3, and garmin_4 after each upload.

Then, to use one of the four folders (garmin_1 for example) and it's
contained gmappsupp.img file, use a PC or a PDA and change the name of
the folder from \garmin_1 to \garmin. To use another later, change the
first one back to \garmin_1 and then change the next folder.

None of this is documented anywhere, it is just a work around that has
evolved.

As for opening and closing individual maps, it is better if you turn all
the maps of one type on or off at a time. Do that by pressing Menu
again from the page where you are seeing all the individual maps. That
will let you choose to Show (turn on) or Hide (turn off) any particular
maps by type or product name (Basemap, City Navigator, US Topo, etc.).

All this is further complicated by the fact that there is a hierarchy
for displaying maps when you have more than one type or product in the
Show mode. Here is what I know about it.

Any other map will display on top of the base map (the base map will no
longer be seen).

City Navigator will display on top of all other maps and hide BlueChart,
MetroGuide, and US Topo.

MetroGuide will hide BlueChart if no other maps are on.

BlueChart will hide US Topo if no other maps are on.

Americas MarinePoint Database comes with some handhelds, I think it will
always be displayed (the marine NAVAIDS, tide symbols, etc.) with any
other map but I can't remember it that is correct or not.

There are also Hide All and Show All choices from the menu, sometimes it
might be easier to simply elect to Hide All and then (after waiting a
few seconds for the maps to be turned off) press menu again and then
choose Show All for the maps you want to see.

Jack

>
> Ralph

Pumper Hinkle

2007-09-28, 4:33 am

Jack,

What you say sounds like what I have observed, and makes sense, even to me.
I suspect I will go ahead and purchase some additional SD cards and go from
there. Cards are cheap.

Thanks,

Ralph

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