Difference between Topo maps on SD card and Topo on CD?

Viper · Regular Visitor Joined: Aug 30, 2004 Posts: 69

I am thinking of buying an etrex Venture CX with v9 Europe city Topo maps, but I would like the option of installing the Topo program on my computer, so I can plan the routes on there and upload onto my etrex afterwards and hopfully download my track history from my etrex onto my computer.

I have a horrible feeling that if I order the Topo maps preloaded on a CD card instead of buying a CD Version I won't get the computer version, so I won't be able to do non of the above.

Please can someone advice and hopfully tell me the differences.

Thanks Steve

crazyfingers · Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 2:33 am Post subject:

I have the Garmin eTrex Vista Cx a use it with Topo USA and Topo Canada CD.s The Vista and the Venture are almost identical units.

Your initial thoughts are correct. The CD is far more flexible. You can put the maps that you want onto the eTrex and still use the maps on the computer.

The Topo CD would also come with Garmins MapSourse software. In addition to managing what maps to put into the eTrex, the software will upload and download waypoints, tracks and routes from the etrex to the computer and back. You can save the waypoints on the computer and get them off your eTrex. You can put them back on again if you want them. You can plan a route on the computer and then send it to the etrex. After you've done a trip you can upload the trip tracks to the computer and save them. YOu can then delete them from the eTrex and can put them back again if you want them.

I use my eTrex for long canoe camping trips. I have maps that show the various authorized campsites. I locate them on the computer topo and then when ready download them to the eTrex. I can't imagine doing that on the tiny eTrex screen. After the trip I save the waypoints and the tracks to a file on the computer so that I can go back and review the trip at a later time.

You can't do any of that if you get the maps on a chip. Well, you can if you have other Garmin maps for the same region, such as City Nav. But it's no fun to look at a hiking or canoe trip on a street map. And trip planning is useless.

Besides, if you're like me you like to browse maps. That's easy on the computer. Its next to impossible to browse a good map on the tiny GPS screen.

You lose nothing by getting your topos on the CD and transferring them to the eTrex as needed. You lose a whole lot of flexibility and usefulness if you just go with the maps on the chip.

The only reason for getting the maps on the chips is if you really don't ever want to do anything very sophisticated at all.

missing_user · Joined: Aug 30, 2008 Posts: -7

No contest-Buy the DVD.
The SD cards are expensive, cover small sections, and cannot enable the PC facility!

See here:-

http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/topogb.jsp#

I bought the TOPO for Pembrokeshire Coast Path and areas like it! The paths are incomplete.
A waste of £120 for the DVD then [it's cheaper now] and its LOCKED to individual units.

Take a look at an area you visit and then see if its worth it!

The image is of Tenby in West Wales.

burtonian · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject:

On a connected subject, what make/size sd card would you recommend for the eTrex x models, and what other advice might folks have regarding their use? Thanks.

crazyfingers · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject:

burtonian · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject:

Thanks crazyfingers. Looks like a 512Mb card will be sufficient for me!

DSum · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 25, 2007 Posts: 9

I have an eTrex Vista HCx. With a 2Gb MicroSD card you can load the whole of the GB Topo maps at once, and still leave more room than you'll ever need for routes, tracks and waypoints. Be warned, though - I found that it takes about 9 hours even on a fairly fast computer to process and upload the maps for the whole of Great Britain. (And I've had to do it twice, because my original unit was faulty and had to be replaced, so I had to get a new unlock code and do it all again!)

burtonian · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:28 am Post subject:

Thanks Dsum, I've just found that out the hard way when trying to upload only half the TopoGB maps to my new Legend HCx - the transfer froze completely Sad

However, I then found this link http://tinyurl.com/2db8cl which solved all my problems Smile

Probably the old hands already know the trick, but I hope it saves you some time in the future.

	PocketGPS
	Web