Garmin GPS - Which maps are best?

Author

Which maps are best?

Clegg

2007-03-27, 7:33 am

I've just bought a Garmin GPSMap 60CSX as the wife and I enjoy
walking
and I thought it would be a useful thing to own for journeys in the
car too. We'd also like to start Geocaching as it looks like great
fun
and will get us to see lots of different places.

I also bought Topo GB at the same time as the GPS as I was under the
impression it was the best. However when i put a route in to take me
to a parking spot near the first Geocache we decided to try and find,
it took me down the dual carriageway and then went 90 degrees off it
to the location - something that should have been impossible!! I
can't
even see the slip road on the map!

We're walking some of the South West Coastal Path in July too but it
doesn't appear to show that either - at the moment i'm feeling very
disappointed and a little frustrated.

As a new GPS user am I expecting too much or just using it
incorrectly? I've seen the Memory Map software on a friends PC and
it's immediately obvious where the paths are but does it do auto-
routing? Does it show you where you are on the GPS?

Any help and guidance from experienced users of either software would
be gratefully received.

Thanks
Clegg

PS Apologies for x-posting this on the alt-rec-gps group - wasn't sure
which one to put it on!

Dick

2007-03-27, 7:33 am

"Clegg" <mark.jerrom@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1174989893.181563.96760@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> I've just bought a Garmin GPSMap 60CSX as the wife and I enjoy
> walking
> and I thought it would be a useful thing to own for journeys in the
> car too. We'd also like to start Geocaching as it looks like great
> fun
> and will get us to see lots of different places.
>
> I also bought Topo GB at the same time as the GPS as I was under the
> impression it was the best. However when i put a route in to take me
> to a parking spot near the first Geocache we decided to try and find,
> it took me down the dual carriageway and then went 90 degrees off it
> to the location - something that should have been impossible!! I
> can't
> even see the slip road on the map!
>
>
> We're walking some of the South West Coastal Path in July too but it
> doesn't appear to show that either - at the moment i'm feeling very
> disappointed and a little frustrated.
>
>
> As a new GPS user am I expecting too much or just using it
> incorrectly? I've seen the Memory Map software on a friends PC and
> it's immediately obvious where the paths are but does it do auto-
> routing? Does it show you where you are on the GPS?
>
>
> Any help and guidance from experienced users of either software would
> be gratefully received.
>
>
> Thanks
> Clegg
>
> PS Apologies for x-posting this on the alt-rec-gps group - wasn't sure
> which one to put it on!
>

Sounds like it might be using the basemap. Have you checked that your 60CSx
has the topo maps enabled? From map display page: Menu; Setup Map - enter;
Menu then check that the word Hide is shown against the line for Topo. Also
when you downloaded the topo maps did you select the Include route
calculation data check box in Mapsource? I don't have topo but doubt it will
route on footpaths or, indeed, show them all.

Chris Oates

2007-03-28, 4:33 am

"Dick" < richard@bellchambers
.org.uk> wrote in message
news:4608fa67$0$8753
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
snip
> I don't have topo but doubt it will route on footpaths or, indeed, show
> them all.

It won't route on paths but it certainly shows some obscure
routes through muddy fields and bits of Cornwall that look
like the surface of the Moon.
The coast path is farly easy to follow - it's not labelled as such
....it's a just green line by the coast.
I've navigated around the clay pits at St Austell, the Carnon valley
....all sorts of places where there are no major roads and no clue as to
where you are and the Topo map has been enough to get me where I was going.
I downloaded POI files of Churches & Methodist Chapels as they often exist
at remote locations and have tracks connecting them with 'somewhere' - using
'find' 'nearest' gets you to them and out of trouble.
Your odd route problem might be due to how you have routing set up -
menu/setup/routing/follow road options/
On that page are the options for best/quickest etc routing AND the one
I missed for ETA....'pedestrian'.
I'm very impressed with the 60csx (so I should be for the outlay)
...it takes a while to set up.
You should vist the Groundspeak Forum for help
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/

Clegg

2007-03-29, 4:33 am

On 28 Mar, 00:39, "Chris Oates" <chrisoate...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Dick" <rich...@bellchambers.org.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:4608fa67$0$8753
$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> snip
>
>
> It won't route on paths but it certainly shows some obscure
> routes through muddy fields and bits of Cornwall that look
> like the surface of the Moon.
> The coast path is farly easy to follow - it's not labelled as such
> ...it's a just green line by the coast.
> I've navigated around the clay pits at St Austell, the Carnon valley
> ...all sorts of places where there are no major roads and no clue as to
> where you are and the Topo map has been enough to get me where I was going.
> I downloaded POI files of Churches & Methodist Chapels as they often exist
> at remote locations and have tracks connecting them with 'somewhere' - using
> 'find' 'nearest' gets you to them and out of trouble.
> Your odd route problem might be due to how you have routing set up -
> menu/setup/routing/follow road options/
> On that page are the options for best/quickest etc routing AND the one
> I missed for ETA....'pedestrian'.
> I'm very impressed with the 60csx (so I should be for the outlay)
> ..it takes a while to set up.
> You should vist the Groundspeak Forum for helphttp://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/

Thanks Chris, I'll take a look at that forum.

Cheers
Clegg

LinkBot