Suggestions for Australian Garmin GPS mapping Software.

[Colonial Marine]

Hello all, I am based in the UK but will be visiting Sunny Australia in April for three weeks (our second Aus holiday in 3 years!)and I am about to take delivery on a spanking new Garmin GPSMap 60CS.

Please can you advise which Australian Mapping software allows me to transfer decent Australian maps from the PC onto the GPS.

I anticipate doing some geocaching but will also do some driving and hence road navigation is desirable. (depending on the cost!)

Am I right in assuming only City navigator v5 is the only software to do my autorouting?

Can anyone comment on its ability to show topographical detail (or lack thereof?)

Are there any different products you can suggest which might show better topo map detail?

How does Oziexplorer work? I see it can add routes/waypoints to the GPS, but can I transfer its maps onto the GPS? Or does it just run on a laptop with the GPS attached?


It appears that GSAK is a geocaching spesific product to allow managment of caches, and is thus on my list as a must have.

Can anyone suggest any further utilities or maps/mapping software I should be checking out?

Plus, if you know of a good retailer/supplier please let me know as I hope to buy this whilst on holiday!

Thanks for a great forum

Regards

CM

[Map Monkey]

Hello all, I am based in the UK but will be visiting Sunny Australia in April for three weeks (our second Aus holiday in 3 years!)

It might help if you explain which state you are visiting, suffice to say the mapping capabilities of the GPS aren't any different....

and I am about to take delivery on a spanking new Garmin GPSMap 60CS.

Great little unit...i own one myself

Please can you advise which Australian Mapping software allows me to transfer decent Australian maps from the PC onto the GPS.

There are only two Garmin products for Australia...CN5 and Mapsource Metroguide Australia.

I anticipate doing some geocaching but will also do some driving and hence road navigation is desirable. (depending on the cost!)

Am I right in assuming only City navigator v5 is the only software to do my autorouting?

Yes....however this is only limited to the major cities....There is a map/list of the coverage at http://www.ja-gps.com.au/maps_citynavig_maps.html

Can anyone comment on its ability to show topographical detail (or lack thereof?)

It doesn't have any contours etc if that's what you are looking for A sample map or two (as shown on the PC) is at http://www.ja-gps.com.au/maps_citynavig_maps1.html

Are there any different products you can suggest which might show better topo map detail?

Not necessarily any better detail , however Metroguide Australia shows a better road coverage for ALL of Australia than CN5. Check it out at http://www.ja-gps.com.au/mapsource_metrog_aust.html

How does Oziexplorer work? I see it can add routes/waypoints to the GPS,

Don't forget tracks

but can I transfer its maps onto the GPS?

No, it is considered a Raster mapping program

Or does it just run on a laptop with the GPS attached?

Yes.....generally speaking.

It appears that GSAK is a geocaching spesific product to allow managment of caches, and is thus on my list as a must have.

Good idea....GSAK also allows uploading of this info to a pda in most cases as well as displaying the cache on Oziexplorer's maps. My recommendation would be to purchase Ozi (and GSAK ) and find some maps of your area to view. You would then be able to use these two programs when you go back home . Just realise that you cannot autoroute with any Raster based program AFAIK.

Can anyone suggest any further utilities or maps/mapping software I should be checking out?

Not necessary for a three week trip

Plus, if you know of a good retailer/supplier please let me know as I hope to buy this whilst on holiday!

It really depends on where you are going to be....Generally the best place online to purchase garmin products seems to be www.ja-gps.com.au with 2 stores in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Thanks for a great forum

Thanks i! & co

Agsmky

[aussiecoder]

One word of warning, I recently purchased the Australian Metroguide and the maps are two years old.

The brand new freeway that runs near my house doesn't appear at all.

From what I can see there is no update for it.

It doesn't do routing.

It looks like Garmin are spending all their time on the City Navigator software . I'm not sure of the map ages in that software. It is more expensive software too.

The lack of routing didn't worry me, but the age of the maps was very disappointing to me.

[Colonial Marine]

Thanks Agsmky for your fast and comprehensive reply! And also to Aussiecoder, you pretty much confirm what I thought was the case.

I am visiting Queensland and WA and to be honest I wont be straying much beyond 2 or 3 hours from either city.

Mapsource seems better value for money but may be outdated, hmmn, I dunno what to get, shame theres no trial versions.

Everything else has trial versions do I can play and experiment with them.

I've read somewhere on the us GC site (awaits lightning strike) that you can import scanned maps by tweaking them a bit so I suppose with a lot more knowledge I could buy paper topo maps and transfer them? If this theory is correct? link here

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index. ... try1133024

have you tried this method?

[Map Monkey]

Colonial,

I've used that process before, however you may take just as long as your trip if you don't know where to obtain the map data from .

IIRC You could use the FREE Sendmap to upload a garmin .img file to the 60C/S if you knew someone with the appropriate file

Contact me if you want to find more info on this process

Agsmky

[Colonial Marine]

I've PM'd you.

regards

CM

[Colonial Marine]

Colonial,

I've used that process before, however you may take just as long as your trip if you don't know where to obtain the map data from .

IIRC You could use the FREE Sendmap to upload a garmin .img file to the 60C/S if you knew someone with the appropriate file

Contact me if you want to find more info on this process

Agsmky

Hi agsmky,

I PM'd you but no joy as yet?

any ideas?

regards

CM

[aussiecoder]

Start your search here ....

http://gps.chrisb.org/en/main.htm

and you will see a link to "free maps at map centre" - there are 15 maps for australia - most of melbourne from what I can see.

I used this method to get maps into my eTrex Legend before I bought the offical maps. I was pleased with the quality, not the quantity (when I used the maps they had good coverage where I lived, but not where I wanted to go).

[Zytheran]

If your happy uploading maps using mapsend I can supply basic maps made from the publicly available 2.5M data. These show main roads, towns, main rivers.
You can't do routing with them and they don't have layers. I can supply quite detailed maps of around Adelaide for uploading. Neither show things like shops, petrol stations, hotels, parking nor contours. They are designed for caching, the detailed ones around Adelaide in particular, and they are slow, 10 second refresh due to detail and no layers. Each 1 degree by 1.5 degree map is about 500kB compiled.
Free to try, dump if no good (there is probably lots of things they dont do compared to the bought ones).

[SteelRat]

I've spoken to a tech at GME recently who advised that the ACN version 6 is likely to arrive later this year. It is expected to have the coverage and detail of Metroguide (updated of course), with the auto-routing of Navigator. But it is expected to be a beast, though. ACN V5 is about 56MB, Metroguide V4 is less than 50MB, and the new ACN V6 will be about 200MB+. Looks like loading in pieces will be required.

[elmofreak]

I am visiting Queensland and WA and to be honest I wont be straying much beyond 2 or 3 hours from either city.

<p>
WA you say??:P - http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=1156 - Devar did these uns - i never did try them as i use a mini-laptop for mapping, but they appear to be quite good from all accounts...

[Colonial Marine]

thanks to everyone for their replies, this free mapsite is tops for my needs at the moment.

I will prob invest in ACN when we move over for good, but I'll hold off now, esp since there's a new version coming out soon.

Best regards to you all.

PS sorry for delay in reading, Ive been on nightshift

regards

CM

[aussiecoder]

thanks to everyone for their replies, this free mapsite is tops for my needs at the moment.

I will prob invest in ACN when we move over for good, but I'll hold off now, esp since there's a new version coming out soon.

Best regards to you all.

PS sorry for delay in reading, Ive been on nightshift

regards

CM

So, they don't provide lighting on night shift ????

[Colonial Marine]

thanks to everyone for their replies, this free mapsite is tops for my needs at the moment.

I will prob invest in ACN when we move over for good, but I'll hold off now, esp since there's a new version coming out soon.

Best regards to you all.

PS sorry for delay in reading, Ive been on nightshift

regards

CM

So, they don't provide lighting on night shift ????

Aww, no, I am a copper and they dont provide us with internet access at work (in case we look at kiddie porn or upload plans for nuclear bombs probably ) And when at home before the shift I try to spend some time with the family.

[aussiecoder]

thanks to everyone for their replies, this free mapsite is tops for my needs at the moment.

I will prob invest in ACN when we move over for good, but I'll hold off now, esp since there's a new version coming out soon.

Best regards to you all.

PS sorry for delay in reading, Ive been on nightshift

regards

CM

So, they don't provide lighting on night shift ????

Aww, no, I am a copper and they dont provide us with internet access at work (in case we look at kiddie porn or upload plans for nuclear bombs probably ) And when at home before the shift I try to spend some time with the family.

Can't you radio back to dispatch and have them read the forums to you ?