Vista Hcx - CD - munky maps

[Panoramix]

I have bought a second hand vista HCx, but the CD did not come with it. What's on the CD? Is it interesting?

Also, the previous owner left a detailed mapsource map on the GPS, can I add OSM maps without loosing the mapsource bearing in mind I don't have the CD? I am thinking of trying OSM on a different SD card.

[andygates]

The CD is drivers + Mapsource, nothing you can't download.  Garmin are good about downloads.

AFAIK, the current map you have is just the \garmin\gmapsupp.img file on the current card.  A different card with the munkymap will definitely work for the munkymap - I don't think it'll kill the mapsource map.  The map may de-register or go otherwise mental, that's a DRM thing and therefore a devil with whom I do not dance...

[Martin]

the CD (or is it a DVD?) contains the Trip and Waypoint Manager software; but no useful detail maps just a basemap of the whole of Europe or US depending on model where the S of England has about a dozen roads.

If you buy the Mapsource DVD which you will need to make proper routes you get all the software that comes with the basemap CD I believe.


no idea about OSM maps working with TWM; I also got a preloaded Garmin map with my GPS

[Panoramix]

The map may de-register or go otherwise mental, that's a DRM thing and therefore a devil with whom I do not dance...

This is what worries me, I wasn't expecting the map but it would be nice not to loose it....

[frankly frankie]

Just use another card.  The only thing that can go wrong is you'll mislay the card you take out - but you can swap them as much as you like.  Though the GPS does boot a bit more slowly first time after a card swap.
Be sure to put each map inside a directory /Garmin/ on each card.

One item that you probably do need is the Garmin USB driver - freely downloadable.

[Panoramix]

Thank you all, I am now learning to use the beast!

[andrew_s]

Copy the /garmin/gmapsupp.img file off the card to your PC, and replace it on the card with the munkymap version of the file.
You can have both versions on the same card, so long as only one of them is called /garmin/gmapsupp.img. If you have a phone or something that can rename or move files on a card, you can swap maps away from a PC (I could use my camera with CHDK on it).

You'd probably need the original City Navigator DVD to be able to merge the munkymap tiles and the garmin tiles into a single gmapsupp.img file. There may be freeware programs around that you could use, but I've not investigated.

[frankly frankie]

Copy the /garmin/gmapsupp.img file off the card to your PC, and replace it on the card with the munkymap version of the file.
You can have both versions on the same card, so long as only one of them is called /garmin/gmapsupp.img. If you have a phone or something that can rename or move files on a card, you can swap maps away from a PC (I could use my camera with CHDK on it).

I don't see the point though Andrew - microSD cards cost little, weigh nothing and take no space.  Provided you don't actually mislay the card that isn't in the GPS, just swapping cards has to be the easier option.

If the GPS could read map.img files with different names (which I think the very latest units/software can - but not the Etrexes) then yes by all means - get a 8Gb card and load it up.

[nuttycyclist]

I don't have the Vista Hcx, but the edge 605.  I'm hoping that they're similar in this respect.

I have the mapsource gmapsupp.img for the entire UK on the internal memory.  I have munkymaps gmapsupp.img on the microSD card.  Both load at the same time and display, I can turn either on or off on the setup menu.




On my last holiday abroad I went through many countries, and Andy showed me the cloudmade maps (nowhere near as good, but worldwide OSM coverage).  I put ALL of these on the microSD card as countryname.IMG.   All I needed to do to get them working was fire up the eeePC, plug in the Garmin, rename the gmapsupp.img back to countryname1.img and countryname2.img to gmapsupp.img.  Only took seconds as there was no data transfer required.   (I backed up the .tcx history files at the same time in case the GPS got lost/stolen so that I knew where I'd been on previous days).

[andygates]

Cloudmade is a lovely resource like that. 

[frankly frankie]

I don't have the Vista Hcx, but the edge 605.  I'm hoping that they're similar in this respect.

I have the mapsource gmapsupp.img for the entire UK on the internal memory.  I have munkymaps gmapsupp.img on the microSD card.  Both load at the same time and display, I can turn either on or off on the setup menu.

You can't do that on the Vista.  It can only store, and read, one gpsmapsupp.img

You can mix maps and turn them on/off, but they all have to be mashed up into the one .img file for storage.

But card-swapping is easy enough.

[andrew_s]

I don't see the point though Andrew - microSD cards cost little, weigh nothing and take no space.  Provided you don't actually mislay the card that isn't in the GPS, just swapping cards has to be the easier option.

That's the problem. Things thats take no space have a habit of going walkabout.

[frankly frankie]

Indeed.  I haven't even found a way to label them, short of keeping each one in a DVD case ...

[Kim]

Indeed.  I haven't even found a way to label them, short of keeping each one in a DVD case ...

Colour-coded nail varnish blobs.