# Garmin etrex vista Hcx which maps to buy?



## roundisland (19 Feb 2010)

recently brought a garmin etrex vista and not sure which maps to buy for general touring in gb? any ideas apprectiated


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## andym (19 Feb 2010)

Ther choice from Garmin is the City Navigator Europe for UK and Ireland vs the city Navigator for the whole of Europe. The latter looks like much better value, but if you're convinced you're never going to tour on the continent then there's no point.

I'd be tempted to experiment with Open Streetmap before splashing out.


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## roundisland (19 Feb 2010)

I've looked at open street mapping it looks complicated I've tried saving some traces to my sd card there saved and I can see the files on the gps but cant seem to get them to load and show themselves. I just want to follow a route like in my car and keep recordes of my routes maybe plot a route too if its not gonna take megga brains to work it all out!! Its all getting a bit frustrating right now.


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## arallsopp (19 Feb 2010)

I like City Navigator Europe, but either way, the key to making it work is accepting you have to use the computer (preferably a PC) to plot the route, then learn how the device 'interprets' it. 

It all comes with practice. If your legs start hurting before your brain, try it out in the car whilst passengering.


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## andym (19 Feb 2010)

roundisland said:


> I've looked at open street mapping it looks complicated I've tried saving some traces to my sd card there saved and I can see the files on the gps but cant seem to get them to load and show themselves. I just want to follow a route like in my car and keep recordes of my routes maybe plot a route too if its not gonna take megga brains to work it all out!! Its all getting a bit frustrating right now.



I must admit I don't have much experience with OpenStreetMap on Garmins (I've been impressed with OpenStreetMap mapping on my iPod Touch). Go for one of the two off -the-shelf map packages then - or maybe just use the basemap for the moment (it's not 'routable' but you can plot a route using MapSource and download it to your GPS - or download a gpx file from bikely.com etc). 

BTW there is a package 'GB Discoverer' or something like that, which uses Ordnance Survey topographic mapping, but I think it may only be compatible with the newer touch-screen models like the Oregon. Might be worth checking out if you're interested.

But be cautious with routing: the routing facility is great for _following_ a route but I've found (even when I've set the cycle-friendly options) that the Garmin sends me off up A-roads when I thought I'd mapped out a route using country lanes. I now mainly only use it for things like how to get from the train station to the ferry terminal.


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## Ergle (19 Feb 2010)

Open Street Map works well for me on myLegend HCx.

David


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## scraynes (19 Feb 2010)

Try getting the garmin img files from here:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download#Europe

You'll need this toolkit to enable the map in garmin mapsource in order to unload to the GPS:
http://www.anpo.republika.pl/files/GmapToolSetup048.exe

I've just upgraded from an old etrex legend (the black & white one with serial lead) to an all singing and dancing Oregon 450!! It's brilliant, nice to upload maps using USB rather than serial lead. At the same time I got City Navigator 2010 which is great.
I'm mainly interested in France, and when I compare the two maps in Mapsource, the Open Street data isn't that different to the Garmin stuff. So I would say have a good do at getting the OpenStreetMap to work before investing in the garmin data.

Also have a look here:http://openmtbmap.org/ for cycle specific maps.

Good luck and have fun.


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## roundisland (20 Feb 2010)

Thanks for all the replies I am going to stick with it as I'm sure the gps will be useful and worth it after getting to grips with the set up etc. 

Does anyone have the answer to why this might be. I've got the file *gmapsupp.img *on the sd card inside my etrex vista but I'm unable to see the maps.

Does the city navigator europe just do cities? or does it cover more rural areas in the UK too?

Thank you


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## andym (20 Feb 2010)

roundisland said:


> Does the city navigator europe just do cities? or does it cover more rural areas in the UK too?



No it covers rural areas too - stupid name really.


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## psmiffy (20 Feb 2010)

roundisland said:


> Does anyone have the answer to why this might be. I've got the file *gmapsupp.img *on the sd card inside my etrex vista but I'm unable to see the maps.



The maps are in vector format -ie they are just lines rather than a lot of pixels -needs the garmin software in the GPS to see them or mapsource.


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## roundisland (20 Feb 2010)

psmiffy said:


> The maps are in vector format -ie they are just lines rather than a lot of pixels -needs the garmin software in the GPS to see them or mapsource.




I've tried opening in mapsource but it wont recognise the file. The gps has got a base map in it but its very basic and only covers major roads. Are there free maps that can be uploaded to the unit keep reading that there it seems very complicated


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## psmiffy (20 Feb 2010)

The file is the base map - in some sort of garmin format - when you add maps they go into that file - the file will not open just by clicking on it

I use the City Navigator Europe on my pc and just add what maps I need

Anyone know if there is a download to upgrade the CN to CN2010 - I have looked on the Garmin website but cannot find one


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## arallsopp (20 Feb 2010)

roundisland said:


> Does anyone have the answer to why this might be. I've got the file *gmapsupp.img *on the sd card inside my etrex vista but I'm unable to see the maps.



From memory (its been a while) once you've got the gmapsupp.img file built (or downloaded or whatever) you can just pop it onto the SD in the vista as if it were a shared drive, in a folder called 'garmin'.

It should work from there.

This may help: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap


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## roundisland (20 Feb 2010)

arallsopp said:


> From memory (its been a while) once you've got the gmapsupp.img file built (or downloaded or whatever) you can just pop it onto the SD in the vista as if it were a shared drive, in a folder called 'garmin'.
> 
> It should work from there.
> 
> This may help: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap



Thanks for that its done the trick!

If I go for the City Navigator option does it work like a car gps IE: you put in destination and it gives you directions to that point? can you mark waypoints on it?


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## andym (20 Feb 2010)

roundisland said:


> If I go for the City Navigator option does it work like a car gps IE: you put in destination and it gives you directions to that point? can you mark waypoints on it?



Yes (but don't trust it to send you on a bike-friendly route - see my comments above). There has been some work on a routable version of OpenStreetMap.

Yes. It's a wee bit fiddly with the little joystick but you can do it - and you can of course put in waypoints on the PC.


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## GrumpyGregry (26 Feb 2010)

Been trying OCM and a Vista HCx for a few days as sat nav in the car prior to entrusting my self to it on the bike. The only flaw I've found so far using the routing in the OCM is the sometimes extraordinarily mistaken directions e.g. "take 5th exit from roundabout", at a rural T junction about 7 miles from nearest RAB. The map showed it correctly as a TR.


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## andygates (17 Apr 2010)

Thread necromancy - the GMAPSUPP.IMG file IS the map. Garmin use IMG to annoy and confuse. 

The file needs to be in the SD card's "garmin" folder, for example: E:GarminGMAPSUPP.IMG


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## cucola (15 Jun 2010)

Try www.opencyclemap.org where you can get maps suitable for your garmin hcx receiver.


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