Garmin GPS - Is it possible to share No Am and Europe maps between units?

Author

Is it possible to share No Am and Europe maps between units?

Gene

2006-03-25, 11:48 pm

It may be that Garmin enjoys making things complicated, or maybe I'm
just too old for this, but I can't figure out Garmin's descriptions and
limitations.

I'm in California and use a Street Navigator 2610 with City Navigator
North America. We are considering a trip to France. I would like to buy
a hand-held, battery operated unit with a set of detail maps for there,
then bring it back and use it in California using the map set I have.
I've been looking at the Legend Cx, but I can't figure out whether I
can do what I want to do.

e.g.: What happens if I (attempt to) load NoAm detail maps into a unit
that has a european base map or vice versa?

and: Is the City Navigator set I use in the 2610 compatible with other
units?

Any help or suggestions?

Phil Wheeler

2006-03-25, 11:48 pm

Gene wrote:
> It may be that Garmin enjoys making things complicated, or maybe I'm
> just too old for this, but I can't figure out Garmin's descriptions and
> limitations.
>
> I'm in California and use a Street Navigator 2610 with City Navigator
> North America. We are considering a trip to France. I would like to buy
> a hand-held, battery operated unit with a set of detail maps for there,
> then bring it back and use it in California using the map set I have.
> I've been looking at the Legend Cx, but I can't figure out whether I
> can do what I want to do.
>
> e.g.: What happens if I (attempt to) load NoAm detail maps into a unit
> that has a european base map or vice versa?
>
> and: Is the City Navigator set I use in the 2610 compatible with other
> units?
>

You can do what you want. The loaded maps override the basemap.

If they are maps requiring unlocking (City Nav, for example) you can
unlock them to two units by serial number, and not more than two.

I use City Nav NA 7.0 in my SP-III and my 60Cx.

When in Europe a couple of years ago I loaded Metroguide Europe into my
American eMap and it worked just fine.

Phil

JDG

2006-03-26, 5:48 pm

Gene wrote:
> It may be that Garmin enjoys making things complicated, or maybe I'm
> just too old for this, but I can't figure out Garmin's descriptions and
> limitations.

Garmin's owner's manuals are becoming more and more minimalist - I've
just upgraded from the 2610 to the 2720 (which was worthwhile) but if I
hadn't already learned how to use the 2610 I would have been in the
dark about many of the 2720 features.

> I'm in California and use a Street Navigator 2610 with City Navigator
> North America. We are considering a trip to France. I would like to buy
> a hand-held, battery operated unit with a set of detail maps for there,
> then bring it back and use it in California using the map set I have.
> I've been looking at the Legend Cx, but I can't figure out whether I
> can do what I want to do.

Buy your handheld in the US before you come to Europe - they're much
more expensive here. What sort of uses are you planning? If you want to
navigate with on-road directions, that will have an implication for the
loadable maps you get - City Navigator Europe will provide in-unit
routing, MetroGuide will not. For off-road/walking use, GPS Topo
provide high-detail topographical maps (with quite patchy coverage as
yet) but no routing information - details at (and purchase from, they
send overseas) IGN at www.ign.fr (which has an English-language option
- the www.gpstopo.fr site is very French...).

> e.g.: What happens if I (attempt to) load NoAm detail maps into a unit
> that has a european base map or vice versa?
>

As Phil Wheeler has said, there's no problem loading out-of-area maps
into a unit, they override whatever basemap is there - US-sourced units
with the Amercian basemap are often sold on eBay to UK purchasers,
because they are so much cheaper, and as long as appropriate European
maps are loaded there's no problem.

> and: Is the City Navigator set I use in the 2610 compatible with other
> units?
>
> Any help or suggestions?

I unlocked my City Navigator 7 maps from the 2610 to my Vista C as the
permitted second unit, and downloaded small segments and routed with
them without problem. The Vista is not, however, compatible with City
Navigator 8 NT which came with the 2720 - to use that on a handheld you
need a newer model, such as the GPSMAP 60CSx which I just upgraded
to... I'm going to post about that separately soon.

Quite important to get (the right version of) V8 of City Navigator
Europe, as the Autoroute junction numbers are now up to date and Garmin
used to say on their website that there was enhanced coverage of rural
France in V8 (no reference to that any more). Presumably MetroGuide
Europe V8 has the same enhancements.

Gene

2006-03-26, 11:48 pm

Thanks for your input. It's speculative yet, but I think I'd use it for
urban foot navigation. I doubt that I'll be driving a car.

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