Help for someone who can't work a computer - garmin maps Europe - Turkey
 

Howdy,

I have been trying in vain to follow Colebatch's advice - I've downloaded mapsource, base camp , plotted my journey in osm...
Net result = NADA!
I'm flying to Europe in 5 hours with an empty Garmin adn a sore head.
If anyone has any spare time to councel me in uploading maps, or better still has the maps on their computer I would be eternally grateful.


Many thanks
Tom

Hi, I've just replied to your other post on the sticky about OSM: if I can do it, so can you!!! :thumbup1:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...5-5#post416727

The maps themselves are pretty big files, so no one can email them to you (by the way).

Way too late to walk you through this! Less than 3 hours...
Have a good trip.

You could BUY a genuine Garmin map .... preferably one on a card so you don't have to use anything to put it on your GPS. Cost you $$$, but at this stage may be your best option. Probably buy when you get there.



-------------- Next time- leave more time for this sort of thing .. you really want that sorted out a good month before.

OSM maps onto a Garmin GPS
 

Unless you have some absolutely burning need to pre-plan your route, then you don't need MapSource, BaseCamp or any of those other complications.

For fast and dirty:

1) Go to Free Worldwide Garmin Maps

2a) Select your desired country from the pulldown OR
2b) Check "enable manual tile selection" and select tiles for the coverage you need

3a) If the map has already been built, then download it directly, OR
3b) If you've used manual tile selection, provide your email address and it will be custom built for you. You'll be notified by email and provided a link to your file when it is ready.

4) Get the gmapsupp.img file only. Forget the others.

5) Make a directory called "Garmin" on a micro-SD card and place the gmapsupp.img file there.

6) Stick it in the GPS and turn it on.

7) On some GPS's, like my old Nuvi 250, I then have to go to Settings > Map > Map Info and check "OSM generic routable". I uncheck anything else. You only have to do this once as it is remembered for subsequent restarts.

I don't want to start a flame war and so won't wonder out loud about why anyone would ever want to pre-plan a trip and upload it to a GPS. But not wanting to do that makes it so that I never have to even look at MapSource or BaseCamp. Shivers.... :gun_bandana:

As Sam says: that's the way I have been pulling downloads out of the OSM website. It is definitely fast - as fast as the internet connection that you happen to have at the time anyway - and not "dirty" (but I understand what Sam is saying :thumbup1:)

I also agree that Basecamp et al are big time wasters; I have posted elsewhere on this aspect - it draws me back in, now and again, but I never get satisfaction from it. It must be designed like this - one of those "designer drugs" to get us hooked. :innocent:

Thats great, thanks! yea i have no need to pre determine my trip or anything, i just need my Garmin to have Euro/Central Asian maps on it, so i can work out how lost I am....#

Thanks as usual guys,
the sense of community on the hubb is awesome

TG

Keep it simple, I say. :thumbup1:
That is pretty much how I use my Nuvi and I like to think that it tends to preserve my own sense of direction and "travelling common sense" rather than being a slave to the technology.

Your next issue will be managing multiple files of different maps because you can have only one gmapsupp.img file active in the GPS at a time; I do that via my notebook - there are a few comments about that in the sticky about OSM.

Also, the files are reputed to be updated about every two weeks or thereabouts: therefore, it makes sense to download a map as and when you need it, rather than stacking them up against the day that you might need them.

Hopefully, you will get your first map(s) downloaded, even with the remnants of a bad head and jetlag. :innocent:

Bloody Legend.
 

I made my way to Roma via google map/ memory sessions prior to riding. no mean feat in ROMA! ithanks to you i now have a map of europe on my screen, and a little pink line telling me where i want to go today.

Thanks mate. where in UK are you?
TG