Garmin Topo maps?

[moose]

Are they any good? I'm thinking of getting a GPS/satnav unit, I noticed the Garmin nuvi 255W comes with topo maps, and having these would be handy on the odd occasion I get out in the bush, but are the garmin maps any good? For that matter, is the nuvi 255 any good?

Any advice would be welcome.

[Phoenix]

I've got a Nuvi 255, and it's very good. that said, i've not got topo maps for it. If it is the new garmin topo maps, I believe they aren't too bad in most places.

[moose]

This is the one I was eying off Garmin Nuvi 255W Nuvi255W Street Navigator, free Carry Case, Screen Protector, 2GB SD card & Topo DVD (http://www.octapc.com.au/prod202.htm)
Is it worth the extra $90ish to go the widescreen over the normal?

[Phoenix]

we ummed and ahh's about it, but hte spoken words and screen size of the regular one is fine for us. my old man has a 250W from memory, which is nice, but i'm not sure it's worth the extra money, especially with spoken instructions.

[D3Jon]

This is the one I was eying off Garmin Nuvi 255W Nuvi255W Street Navigator, free Carry Case, Screen Protector, 2GB SD card & Topo DVD (http://www.octapc.com.au/prod202.htm)
Is it worth the extra $90ish to go the widescreen over the normal?

Looking at the web page advert, it doesn't say they are Garmin topo maps - just 'free' and on a DVD.

I'd ask before you purchase as you can download free Topo maps of Australia with 10m contours (Shonky maps for example). Whether Shonky maps will work with this device though I don't know.

Some of the best Topo maps I have seen come with the Magellan units, they use maps from Map Data Science, the same people that provide the info for Google maps.

Jon

[trev]

I have the Nuvi 255 widescreen,easier to read,so probably worth the extra.
I am quite happy with it for the money.
It has City Navigator...(very good),Aus-Topo maps, and the free Tracks 4 Australia downloaded off the Net.
You can select 1 or 2 options that overlay each other,say city nav+topo, or Tracks4 aus+topo,but gets a bit confused if you try all 3 options at once.
But for the money fairly good.
My first preference would be Hema maps but I don`t think you can do that on the 255.

Trev.

[dmdigital]

Shonky Maps (http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/) are also good on the Garmin. I have them on my Nuvi 760

[PhilipA]

AFAIk the Garmin maps are Hema.
I have a 250 and my kids are giving me the topo maps tomorrow for an early 60Th birthday, as we leave for the Kimberleys on tuesday.

I will tell you what I think when I get it up and running.
Regards Philip A

[PhilipA]

OK, I loaded the card today into my 250 and once I had found the screen which enables you to select maps I was able to select it.

At first sight it looks good with lots of tracks listed and ability to find a spot in Currawinya National park by finding it on the map.

It's a bit annoying to find places due to the small screen, but hey you cannot have everything.
I found it easier if I wanted to find a place in say Bourke to whereis.com it, as you can specify Post office and the nearby streets are shown.
Regards Philip A

[DougLD]

Hi All
I have just purchased a Nuvi 760 with City Nav on it great around the city but lacking in country areas as it could not find our address since then I have purchased the garmin Topo Australia on an SD card which is by Navteq & Hemma and found it very good around home and on a trip to Tweed Heads last week it found all the places we asked of it. If i was to buy it again i think i would buy the CD version and copy the bit to the garmin when needed. I also downloaded Tracks 4 Australia & Shonkey maps but these are for country areas only.
Regards
Doug

[Stepho_62]

Moose,

I've just purchased a Oregon 300 and this morning tried to set up Map Source and the Oztopo V2.1 (By GPS OZ). I know 3 fifths of five eights of stuff all about mapping but I'm learning.:eek:

The Oregon seems ok, only time will tell but the maps today on the run were ok. Most interesting, i just recovered the route from the GPS and was tinkering in Map Source when I saw a button thats says "view in google earth" and it did!:D Bloody brilliant.

If you were going to buy a in car GPS don't buy the Oregon. The screen is to small. It eats batteries lit its going out of fashion but you can clip it onto you belt n off you go. It will also take marine charts and it is water resistant too.

I think it will do me for the time being but I'm not convinced its exactly what I want.

Cheers,

[John W]

Just looking through this post. I purchased this deal from this supplier only with the wide screen and the DVD is not Garmin Toppo. The contours are a little helpful but I not a great deal. You will need to purchase the Garmin Toppo as and extra for all the detail.

[cwiley]

I've just installed the Garmin Australian Topo maps on my nuvi 310 and I must say I am very impressed. Way better than Shonky or t4a so far. They look remarkably like the Victorian HEMA maps. Definately worth a look.

[Phoenix]

Interesting to note. I may even splash out and get them if they are that much better.

[DaveF]

I've just installed the Garmin Australian Topo maps on my nuvi 310 and I must say I am very impressed. Way better than Shonky or t4a so far. They look remarkably like the Victorian HEMA maps. Definately worth a look.

Hi swiley, Did you purchase the DVD or SD card? If you purchased the SD Card can you view the maps on your PC or laptop via Mapsource?? I have Shonky maps on my Nuvi and can view the maps on my PC which is useful for creating trip waypoints. I would want to do the same with the Garmin Topo maps and can get a low cost SD card but dont want to get the card if I cant view the maps on my PC.
Cheers
DaveF

[dmdigital]

I checked it out yesterday and you can download them from the Garmin web shop for AU$229, they are 1.8GB. I think if they are better than Shonky and T4 I'll download them before my trip.

[Jedimastermat]

Im lookin at one of these with the TOPO Maps. Ive got oziexplorer on the laptop with the NapMap 2009

BRAND NEW GARMIN ETREX VISTA HCX HANDHELD GPS UNIT - eBay, GPS, Electronics. (end time 25-Jun-09 22:08:45 AEST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270409061600&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:AU:1123)

anyone got one? like it?
Mat

[Phoenix]

I prefer the 60 series (http://www.gpsoz.com.au/garmin/garmin_60.htm) , but those look good as well

more info (and another price) Here eTrex H series (http://www.gpsoz.com.au/garmin/garmin_etrex_h.htm)

[cwiley]

Hi swiley, Did you purchase the DVD or SD card? If you purchased the SD Card can you view the maps on your PC or laptop via Mapsource?? I have Shonky maps on my Nuvi and can view the maps on my PC which is useful for creating trip waypoints. I would want to do the same with the Garmin Topo maps and can get a low cost SD card but dont want to get the card if I cant view the maps on my PC.
Cheers
DaveF


I got the DVD version specifically so I could use mapsource.

[draymond]

Shonky Maps (http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/) are also good on the Garmin. I have them on my Nuvi 760

I've had Trouble getting these to work on my 760.

Did you do anything special to get them to work?

[dmdigital]

No just downloaded the files from their website.

[draymond]

Hmmm.

Odd, I get a 'Cannot Unlock Maps Error'.

[DougLD]

Hi everyone
I can now view the garmin topo maps on my pc through Mapsource I downloaded a copy from this site garmin australia v2 topo - Gps Underground Forums but still use the sd card in the Nuvi.

[D3Jon]

I've had Trouble getting these to work on my 760.

Did you do anything special to get them to work?

You have to have Mapsource or similar installed on your PC, Shonky maps come as an installer package (a bit like an application) that you run first. Once the maps are in Mapsource you can upload them to your handheld device. You can't just open them from an SD card on your handheld.

Hope this helps.

Jon

[miky]

Hi everyone
I can now view the garmin topo maps on my pc through Mapsource I downloaded a copy from this site garmin australia v2 topo - Gps Underground Forums (http://www.gpsunderground.com/forums/showthread.php't=10390) but still use the sd card in the Nuvi.

I also use the topo maps on a pc with mapsource and I also use Garmin's nRoute which is a free download from Garmin which works with mapsource and gives voice directions from one place to another.

For a long time I used OziExplorer (well, I still do sometimes) but the problem with Ozi is getting the maps at high resolution for all states. Can become very expensive if you have to buy them all (I have Ozi maps for SA only), but with mapsource you get all of Australia (and NZ with the latest) so no need to chase other maps.

By the way... I bought mapsource and the OZtopo maps and OziExplorer etc. I think maps are usually pretty cheap really. Just think how much it cost to go on a trip...

[stace70]

DOUGLD....what is the difference between the OZtopo V2. part 1 and part 2 files......where did you extract the part 2 to? (it has no setup.exe file just folders)

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

DOUGLD....what is the difference between the OZtopo V2. part 1 and part 2 files......where did you extract the part 2 to? (it has no setup.exe file just folders)

You don't do anything. You need to have it in the same folder as part1 so it will extract.
Its basically just a split file Rather than a single 1.9Gb file, it makes it smaller so you can parallel download it and get it quicker, but this only works if you have an account with a download site such as easyshare etc.
As I have a few PC's, I just used 1 to d/load part1 and another to d/load part2 at the same time.

Cheers

Andrew

[DougLD]

Hi
As Andrew said you need the two files together and I extracted them with the RAR extractor from memory i downloaded it from the same site. Hope you have them running as you read this post I have been away for the last few days.
Regards
Doug

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

Hi Doug
Got GMPC from the Jetmouse link, but it didn't have the setup.exe in it, just the msi file which won't install. Is this .exe available anywhere??
Not sure if GMPC is needed as I already have Mapsource and have the topo's working fine in this and on my Colorado, but what is GMPC anyway??

The other thing is that the 3D view in the Colorado is actually crap and is nothing like it shows on the Garmin site :mad:
Cheers

Andrew.

PS Now to find the latest version of Mapsource so it reeeeally works!!

[DougLD]

Hi Andrew
I do not have GMPC i just use Mapsource i have not bothered with anything else. I was thinking of running it on a laptop at sometime in the future but thay are bulky and require more power to run in the Disco.
Regards
Doug

[bblaze]

Question
I have a garmin nuvi and registed on line, but where can you download mapsource from because it seems like you need it to do or add extras like topos, tracks etc.
Should I be able to down load it from the Garmin site or when I down the topo maps for $230 or what ever it cost, does it come with mapsource
Cheers
blaze

[D3Jon]

Question
I have a garmin nuvi and registed on line, but where can you download mapsource from because it seems like you need it to do or add extras like topos, tracks etc.
Should I be able to down load it from the Garmin site or when I down the topo maps for $230 or what ever it cost, does it come with mapsource
Cheers
blaze

You get it from the Garmin website, here is the relevant page : Garmin | Mapping Programs (http://www8.garmin.com/support/mappingsw.jsp)

So long as you have a Garmin map product installed on your PC the download will install & work OK. So if you havn't already, then install your maps onto your PC.

There may be a version of Mapsource that came with your GPS device or the maps you purchased, but the latest one on the Garmin website is the best one to use. For example Mapsource was updated in April 2009.

Hope this helps,

Jon

[bblaze]

The link says that the latest release is for vista, dont see any mention of xp (thats what I use), do you know if the lasest will run on xp or do I need the eariler one
cheers
blaze

[D3Jon]

The link says that the latest release is for vista, dont see any mention of xp (thats what I use), do you know if the lasest will run on xp or do I need the eariler one
cheers
blaze

Latest version works fine with XP - that's what I use.

Jon

[DougLD]

Hi All
The more I use the Gamin Topo maps the more i like it much more detail than city navigator in regional areas eg Raymond Terrace. We used it on a trip to Tassie last month and it was great only switching to city navigator in Melbourne and Sydney. I will say it shows some tracks that are just not there most likely overgrown or closed by National Parks.
Regards
Doug