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WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 12:50 pm
by Paul
I can't find my mapsource US West CD. Anyone have either the Mapsource or another map CD for sale? Thanks!

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 1:04 pm
by vibramhead
Why not just download the free/shareware Northwest Topos from Switchbacks? Includes (mostly, but not always accurate, but better than Garmin's) trails in red.

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 1:13 pm
by Paul
Is it pretty good? I have most of the Mapsource Oregon loaded onto my GPS, but I'm missing one unit I'm heading to in October. If I delete it to try that one, I'll for sure lose it.

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 2:09 pm
by Guy
Is it pretty good? I have most of the Mapsource Oregon loaded onto my GPS, but I'm missing one unit I'm heading to in October. If I delete it to try that one, I'll for sure lose it.
Well not necessarily, are your maps on an SD card in your unit? if so you can just use your pc to rename the gmapsupp file to something else like gmapsupp_old. Older garmins can only see this one file name so if you name it something else it's like it's not there. Then (assuming you have space on your card of course) you can try the Northwest Topos maps without deleting your other mapset.

I keep several map sets on my card & just switch names depending which one I want to use, actually I almost always use Eric's Gorge Mapset unless I am outside of that mapset's area.

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 2:15 pm
by retired jerry
Northwest topos is much better than Garmin software - 40 foot contours, the trails are more accurate

But doesn't include south east Oregon - Steens, Pueblos, Hart Mountain, Strawberry Mountain

Does include Wallowas, Mill Creek, Rogue River, Crescent City

Northwest topos takes more memory, so maybe you need to buy a new card, but that's cheap

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 8:17 pm
by Paul
Thanks guys. Hopefully is has NE Oregon, I need the area in the Blue Mountains above the Grande Rhonde.

Guy, do I just move the zip file onto the Garmin next to the renamed file?

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 24th, 2013, 5:19 am
by Guy
Paul wrote:Thanks guys. Hopefully is has NE Oregon, I need the area in the Blue Mountains above the Grande Rhonde.

Guy, do I just move the zip file onto the Garmin next to the renamed file?
No, you would use mapsource or basecamp to install the maps to your Garmin (after renaming your current mapset file) as you would with your other maps. You will first need to install the maps on your pc so that Mapsource or basecamp can see them. Follow the instructions that come with the mapset to do that.

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 24th, 2013, 6:13 am
by retired jerry
Yeah, install it on your PC, then you can see it and see if it's what you want.

Don't download to your GPS unless you're happy, then it won't wipe out what's already on your GPS.

When you download a map to the GPS, it wipes out any maps already downloaded.

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 24th, 2013, 7:57 am
by kepPNW
retired jerry wrote:When you download a map to the GPS, it wipes out any maps already downloaded.
Depends on your unit. I have three different mapsets loaded on my (Oregon 450) GPS, that I can flop between.

Re: WTB - Oregon map for Garmin

Posted: September 25th, 2013, 5:29 pm
by Paul
Guy wrote:
Is it pretty good? I have most of the Mapsource Oregon loaded onto my GPS, but I'm missing one unit I'm heading to in October. If I delete it to try that one, I'll for sure lose it.
Well not necessarily, are your maps on an SD card in your unit? if so you can just use your pc to rename the gmapsupp file to something else like gmapsupp_old. Older garmins can only see this one file name so if you name it something else it's like it's not there. Then (assuming you have space on your card of course) you can try the Northwest Topos maps without deleting your other mapset.

I keep several map sets on my card & just switch names depending which one I want to use, actually I almost always use Eric's Gorge Mapset unless I am outside of that mapset's area.
Can I just rename and pull the gmapsupp file onto my PC? Then pull the files from the new set? I assume I would need to zip it and rename it "gmapsupp"?