Garmin Tour mapping

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
DarkNewt
Posts: 388
Joined: 12 Aug 2014, 9:55pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DarkNewt »

Mick F wrote:
DarkNewt wrote: ....................how did you successfully get past the locking to card serial?
I'm not suggesting you do this, but if you Google Garmin map unlocking, and spend some time doing this, and doing some research, you could end up finding this site.

http://www.gpspower.net/software-tools/ ... patch.html

Don't do it.
It's against the copyright laws.


I absolutely agree, this would be bad and would prevent me from paying garmin more money to use the product I have already paid for on the same device but from a bigger card which would be immoral.
Currently planning my next adventure and trying to get over two operations in 6 months but still going strong!
email: newt@systems-engineer.info web: thedarknewt.blogspot.co.uk
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by tatanab »

DarkNewt wrote:
tatanab wrote:
only read maps from the file GMAPSUPP.IMG.
You can still have several maps on one card by using different names. E.g on one card in my Edge 800 I have the following -
CN GMAPSUP.img which is City Navigator Europe
GMSUP fiets.img which is open fiets map for western Europe
GMAPSUP osmFR.img which is OSM FRance
OS GMAPSUP.img which is Ordnance Survey

Then you enable the map you want to use and disable the others. If an Edge 800 can do it then I imagine an Edge Touring will do the same.


Did your maps come preloaded on a different micro sd card originally or on a DVD? If they were on a card how did you successfully get past the locking to card serial?
Fiets and OSM are free to download. City Navigator and OS I bought in good faith through the internet and it wasn't until I got them that I realised they were of suspect origin, hence I was able to copy them.

Edit ---- I will probably never use either CN or OS, fietsmap does all I want (I think) and the representation on the screen is better than OSM.
DarkNewt
Posts: 388
Joined: 12 Aug 2014, 9:55pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DarkNewt »

From the last comment:

I loaded my city navigator maps onto my Garmin Touring last night and the screen representation looks identical to the original maps supplied (comment above suggests they should look different) i.e. open maps..... should it be different?? (sorry this is my first cycle gps and I appear to be monopolising this thread)
Currently planning my next adventure and trying to get over two operations in 6 months but still going strong!
email: newt@systems-engineer.info web: thedarknewt.blogspot.co.uk
DarkNewt
Posts: 388
Joined: 12 Aug 2014, 9:55pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DarkNewt »

An update, even with the new maps still having problems and now when I try to navigate to a postcode it gives me the Ride button but nothing happens!!! I phoned garmin support did a reset, same issue and they told me they will RMA it sent it off today. One funny thing though I stated that I originally was going for the 800 and decided on the touring plus after some obviously biased reviews in magazines had said it's the best option for that. The support assistant said "sometimes you have to learn the hard way" LOL that's garmins support team!!!

I am going to give it one more try when the new unit turns up, if I am still not happy I will fleabay it with all the extras and garmin and I will part ways permanently I need something that is reliable and easy to use - I am going to get the tiagra bike console stick my galaxy S5 in hooked up to the bike dynamo as nothing yet has come close to the ease of use with google maps to plan routes and download them to co-pilot!
Currently planning my next adventure and trying to get over two operations in 6 months but still going strong!
email: newt@systems-engineer.info web: thedarknewt.blogspot.co.uk
bobzeller
Posts: 114
Joined: 20 Aug 2013, 8:37pm

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by bobzeller »

Thanks for all of the above information, but I have still another Garmin Edge Touring question. I have been searching the many mapping sites ie Ride With GPs, cycle.travel and so on. If I use Ride With GPS , I can apparently download maps from the site directly into my Garmin. The downside of that is the fact that routes generated on that website can include stretches on dirt roads and trails, both of which I would prefer to avoid. cycle.travel, on the other hand, allows for some customisation but requires another step while moving a route from the website to the Garmin.The advice I need, therefore, is what mapping websites are being used, and why those choices are being made. I am grateful for all the help.

Bob
Richard Fairhurst
Posts: 2030
Joined: 2 Mar 2008, 4:57pm
Location: Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

I'm keen to make getting routes from cycle.travel to a GPS as easy as possible. If you can point me to how RWGPS (or anything else!) does it better then I'd like to have a look at matching that.

But if I'm reading it right...

At present you can download a browser plugin called Garmin Communicator. This allows websites to send a track directly to your Garmin.

Unfortunately old-style browser plugins are on the way out and won't work with modern browsers for much longer. As a replacement, Garmin are promoting a standalone program called Garmin Express, which doesn't run in the browser. Garmin charge site owners $5000 for the privilege of being allowed to use Garmin Express. Ouch.

So my guess is that it's about to get a lot harder for everyone. Possibly the solution is to have dedicated apps that can download a route and then transfer it directly to a GPS, but that's a lot of hassle to build.

(More details: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.ph ... -it-is-EOL .)
cycle.travel - maps, journey-planner, route guides and city guides
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DaveP
Posts: 3333
Joined: 9 Mar 2007, 4:20pm
Location: W Mids

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DaveP »

I haven't had any problems with simply downloading the gpx file to a computer, opening it in Basecamp and then using Basecamp to send the file to a device. This also allows you to check and if necessary reduce the number of way points in the track. (this can be an issue when loading longer tracks into some models

I don't particularly like Basecamp FWIW, but its free, supported by Garmin - and I have already crippled one device while manually loading it in mass storage mode - a twitch at the wrong moment and my file disappeared into the wrong folder, never to be seen again :cry:
Trying to retain enough fitness to grow old disgracefully... That hasn't changed!
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monxton
Posts: 113
Joined: 12 Mar 2010, 12:42pm

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by monxton »

Well, well, a hardware company which thinks an active developer community is a problem. They'll go far.

In the early days Garmin were not that keen on letting users have control over their own maps, but I think they've understood that now. However I've often wished for them to open up their firmware, because what they provide is .. not great.

Meanwhile, GPS users are migrating from dedicated hardware to 'phones.
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RickH
Posts: 5834
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by RickH »

DaveP wrote:I haven't had any problems with simply downloading the gpx file to a computer, opening it in Basecamp and then using Basecamp to send the file to a device. This also allows you to check and if necessary reduce the number of way points in the track. (this can be an issue when loading longer tracks into some models

I don't particularly like Basecamp FWIW, but its free, supported by Garmin - and I have already crippled one device while manually loading it in mass storage mode - a twitch at the wrong moment and my file disappeared into the wrong folder, never to be seen again :cry:

When copying files I generally use copy & paste (keyboard shortcuts CTRL+C & CTRL+V are useful ones to remember if you do it frequently) rather than drag & drop as there is less likelihood of you putting it in the wrong place.

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by geocycle »

I use cycle.travel routes. Export as gpx and then download. Open download file on PC and copy into new files folder on garmin touring. Two things don't work, 1. elevation is lost, 2. The file name is changed to Active. You can change the name on the Garmin
DarkNewt
Posts: 388
Joined: 12 Aug 2014, 9:55pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DarkNewt »

quick update on my discussions with Garmin:

I bought the city navigator maps to solve my woes with the edge touring not wanting to use A roads... turned up didn't work .... the postcode search left my device sat there with the ride button frozen... They felt my device was at fault even, though I told them that the postcode search on the open maps worked?? They insisted so they took my unit in for RMA, on the brightside new unit turned a short while later. Guess what, same problem... so now they are taking my card back to be re-programmed. The young lady started to tell me how they should be charging me 35 quid to reprogram?????? I pointed out that it was new and how do you charge £35 quid for a reprogram...

and then I pointed out that my Garmin Virb no longer uploads to garmin connect via garmin express as it just fails... wait for it.... after speaking to customer services/tech support and being told that you should use Virb Edit, I pointed out that it doesn't upload to garmin connect they told me it does..... after proving it with screenshots they then told me that the garmin Virb is not supported by garmin express and if I want my rides from the virb in garmin connect i have to export them and import them manually {FFE - family-friendly edit }....

I am going to try and find the name/details of the head of uk garmin etc.. send him my woes and see what his response is... so far my opinion of GARMIN is GARBAGE! If i get the navigator maps and they still don't let me use A roads I think I will do something silly with my device!

If you are thinking of buying this device... don't please don't or if you are really really going to buy it... buy mine :-)
Currently planning my next adventure and trying to get over two operations in 6 months but still going strong!
email: newt@systems-engineer.info web: thedarknewt.blogspot.co.uk
DarkNewt
Posts: 388
Joined: 12 Aug 2014, 9:55pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DarkNewt »

latest update, after swapping out the unit thinking it was faulty, Garmin decided it was my newly bought UK + NI City Navigator Maps! they RMA'd those took two weeks to do it so I put them back in and hey presto EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE:

You can enter a postcode input the house number and then hit the ride button for a big fat nothing, I am going to contact garmin to see if I can get a refund on both units!

I have never been so exasparated or disapointed in a piece of kit!
Currently planning my next adventure and trying to get over two operations in 6 months but still going strong!
email: newt@systems-engineer.info web: thedarknewt.blogspot.co.uk
DarkNewt
Posts: 388
Joined: 12 Aug 2014, 9:55pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by DarkNewt »

Yet more on Garmin! they finally got a unit for themselves put in the City Navigator Maps and hey presto they don't work!!!!! They have admitted a serious fault and are going to refund me the cost of the maps!!! Essentially once you put in a postcode and hit ride it just sits there!!! So much for their quality control... I have asked for a refund on my unit so far no luck so I am now going to the trading standards!
Currently planning my next adventure and trying to get over two operations in 6 months but still going strong!
email: newt@systems-engineer.info web: thedarknewt.blogspot.co.uk
bobzeller
Posts: 114
Joined: 20 Aug 2013, 8:37pm

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Post by bobzeller »

Some time ago, I asked for assistance using my then new Garmin Edge Touring GPS unit. I am now just back from a 500km tour in France, almost all of which was planned using Ride With GPS and then loaded into my Garmin. It did a remarkable job, very much better than I had anticipated. One great benefit was that, at times, I ended up using even smaller roads than the usual quiet D roads that I normally ride. Ride With GPS and the Garmin made all of this possible because had I just been using a map, I would have looked for roads that were quiet but were relatively long so that I wasn't constantly consulting the map when I arrived at intersections. The GPS simply told me when to turn left or right and thus I rode so quite wonderful routes that I would have avoided at other times.

There were some complications as well. I sometimes struggled to get on track at the start of a route. One time I exited a train station from the other (back) side where I had got off the train and not the main doors of the front of the station. This had the poor Garmin going crazy trying to figure out where I was and I ended up in an almost impossible one-way road system. Using the GPS didn't mean going without a map, nor using it. But it did open up many new routes to me which would have been to convoluted with it. I would recommend it to everyone.

Regards to all

Bob
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