Author Topic: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?  (Read 8843 times)

Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« on: 15 February, 2009, 09:17:31 pm »
*modified: One does NOT need to buy Garmin maps in order to use mapping on the GPS, one can use OSM on it's own. I have bought the Legend HCX for 135.80 from Amazon ( Garmin eTrex Legend HCx: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo )(and a 2G memory card) which is about as good a deal as I can find for one of the GPS units that are rated on this forum.
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I am about about to buy a Garmin. I'd be happy with the Vista or Legend HCX, at present the Legend seems the better value at £135 post free here: Cheap Garmin ETrex Legend HCX deal I think I'd be happy using free mapping from OSM but I am not sure whether I have to buy the metroguide europe on top £88? or whether I can just use OSM?

1. Anyone know of a better deal than 135 for the legend (or vista)?
2. Do I have to buy the garmin maps?
3. If I do have to buy the maps is there a better deal for buying the 2 together? (I think Roger got the Legend and maps for 166.18 here: Buy Garmin eTrex Legend HCx Reviews )

Martin

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #1 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:23:34 pm »
short answer; no, you can get waypoints off other sources but that's about all I know about it (getting a Vista for my birthday)


re the one you are about to buy; I know it's yellow but you get a lot more bang for your buck if you stretch to the Legend or Vista (most importantly the ability to store maps using a 2 GB SD card which are surprisingly cheap if you know what I mean)

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #2 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:26:19 pm »
thanks, I've realised that I'd got the venture confused with the legend and have modified the original post.

(I think I know what you mean)

But the spec for both of the above links says that it includes: "Basemap:  Europe: Atlantic Recreational." Is this sufficient or do I still need to buy something extra?

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #3 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:31:04 pm »
I got the legend hcx post free for 130 from amazon a week ago.

roger's deal with the uk map seems the best there is to be had if you're sure you only need the uk map, at least from what i could see from searching and searching for deals. One thing that put me off it was that it was an sd card and I think it's best to have a dvd map so you can use it to plot routes in mapsource on the pc, which is Garmin's proprietary software that comes with the gps unit.

as for other maps, you can use openstreetmap's free open source maps. They don't have all the roads and you can't use it for on-road route planning, but if you upload routes made, for instance, on google maps, to the gps that won't be a problem.

(of course, some criminal types simply download an unlocked garmin map via bittorrent for absolutely nothing, but that is illegal )
"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #4 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:33:00 pm »
Ibrahim - did you HAVE to buy maps on top of that £130 or can you just use OSM in order to have maps on the unit?   Bad question - Rather, did you buy extra maps, if so what did you get and why? another bad question.

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #5 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:35:31 pm »
well, let's just say i'm taking the fifth amendment on that one ;)

but i have tried the osm map and it worked fine, might actually end up using just that as it seems to be much smaller in size than the city navigator maps

"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #6 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:39:13 pm »
Excellent - I'm off to amazon to save that extra 5 quid.

Many thanks

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #7 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:40:32 pm »
hmm, just checked again and the price seems to be 135.80 now :(
"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #8 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:46:45 pm »
Inflation eh, shall I get the SANDISK MICRO SD 2GB CARD that amazon reccomends for 1.90. I've read on here people reccomending 7 day shop for these - surely these are all the same thing?

It is now also suggesting this: Digital Memory R for Card Reader V3 at 19.99 do I need one of these too?

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #9 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:51:12 pm »
yeah, i think they're all either made by kingston or sandisk... wouldn't make any difference.

when you get your garmin and register it on the garmin site, you get a 10 d% discount voucher number which is valid for 30 days. This means you can get a City Navigator Europe DVD for £75.33 inc delivery to the uk, instead of the normal price of £79.99 plus £ 3 delivery.

I haven't tried it myself, but apparently the best thing is to get the dvd map, which you can use to plan in mapsource, then somehow extract/convert the map into a format which you then upload to the gps unit.

of course, this is assuming you're not a criminal downloader or an open source guy, in which case you can sit back and chill out not having to spend a dime more than what you pay for the unit itself...
"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #10 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:52:58 pm »
you can use the gps unit itself as a card reader by switching it to storage mode in setup. that way you can upload your maps, then you switch it back to normal mode and upload your routes to the internal memory, so just get the microsd card itself
"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

gonzo

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #11 on: 15 February, 2009, 09:57:30 pm »
Wasn't there a thread about free mapping a little while ago?

edit - Free maps for Garmin

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #12 on: 15 February, 2009, 10:01:42 pm »
indeed :) there;s also a german feller who's got a site with the european version of osm:http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/User:Computerteddy#Downloads


"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #13 on: 15 February, 2009, 10:05:02 pm »
You can use whatever Garmin-compatible maps you like, but most people don't know that there is any alternative. 

OSM - visit the link in my sig for the UK, or this link for other locations: OSM Map On Garmin/Download - OpenStreetMap
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #14 on: 15 February, 2009, 10:23:13 pm »
Yep, I've spent a lot of today reading all that - but I felt really unclear about using free mapping because so many people talked about having the extra detail from OSM on top of metroguide (as opposed to using it as a stand-alone)

Its ordered, along with the memory stick (including a cheeky £2 postage for the memory stick because it was from a different vendor on amazon)

My only challenge is to sort out a robust mount and even harder will be to convince my girlfriend that this is a present for her rather than for myself.



Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #15 on: 15 February, 2009, 10:26:03 pm »
My only challenge is to sort out a robust mount and even harder will be to convince my girlfriend that this is a present for her rather than for myself.

Clearly this can be overcome by ensuring that it is attached to the stoker bars of the new tandem you've just bought her.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #16 on: 15 February, 2009, 10:28:56 pm »
One of the early things she established in our relationship was that I was the stoker

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #17 on: 15 February, 2009, 10:31:22 pm »
My only challenge is to sort out a robust mount

See pdm's guide to doing just this:-

Robust Etrex GPS Mount (HOWTO)
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #18 on: 15 February, 2009, 11:16:26 pm »
This HOWTO looks great, however living in a tiny room in london limits the size on ones spare bin and toolkit so this isn't really a simple option for me.

I know everyone has said they are crap but I've looked at the mount on Amazon. At first glance the solution appears to be this: Garmin eTrex Handlebar Mount Bracket: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo On further investigation  It seems the Etrex with the memory cards don't need the backplate and fit directly onto the handlebar and so one just buys this Garmin Large diameter rail mount adaptor: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo and pads it out with a bit of foam to reduce vibration. Is that right?

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #19 on: 16 February, 2009, 12:08:19 am »
when you get your garmin and register it on the garmin site, you get a 10 d% discount voucher number which is valid for 30 days. This means you can get a City Navigator Europe DVD for £75.33 inc delivery to the uk, instead of the normal price of £79.99 plus £ 3 delivery.

Is this the same City Navigator Europe DVD as sold in continental shops? Overhere it costs 200 Euro (150 if you buy it together with a Garmin GPS).

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #20 on: 16 February, 2009, 09:51:19 am »
I use the standard Garmin mount and it's spot on.

(Did have to pad the bracket's inside face with a bit of tape to stop it rattling ,but a bit of tape is hardly the end of the world)
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #21 on: 16 February, 2009, 10:39:19 am »
It seems the Etrex with the memory cards don't need the backplate and fit directly onto the handlebar and so one just buys this Garmin Large diameter rail mount adaptor: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo and pads it out with a bit of foam to reduce vibration. Is that right?

Yes that's all you need.  It works very well IMO.  Put a lanyard on your GPS and hook that round a gear cable or something - as a saver if the GPS hops off (its never happened to me, but I've heard plenty of stories ...)  Don't fit the clamp any tighter than it needs - because tightening it too much distorts it and makes the latch less secure.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #22 on: 16 February, 2009, 04:17:14 pm »
ordered the oversized rail mount adaptor from amazon

Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #23 on: 16 February, 2009, 07:04:00 pm »
when you get your garmin and register it on the garmin site, you get a 10 d% discount voucher number which is valid for 30 days. This means you can get a City Navigator Europe DVD for £75.33 inc delivery to the uk, instead of the normal price of £79.99 plus £ 3 delivery.

Is this the same City Navigator Europe DVD as sold in continental shops? Overhere it costs 200 Euro (150 if you buy it together with a Garmin GPS).

I think it is: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/buymaps.do

i put in legend hcx as model, then europe, and make sure the locale is set to 'United Kingdom - English'

It probably won't be long before they update the currency exchange rate and then it'll cost much more
"Many, also, are the hills that lie between, and we must ascend, by a glorious stairway, from strength to strength."
- Petrarch, 'The Ascent of Mount Ventoux', 1336

microphonie

  • Tyke 2
Re: Do I have to buy garmin mapping to use a garmin GPS?
« Reply #24 on: 16 February, 2009, 07:32:45 pm »
I've just taken the plunge with a Legend HCX from Amazon too, it cost £127.10 delivered (I remembered to delete my amazon cookies prior to ordering so saved a few quid!)


Any recommendations re City Navigator vs Metroguide (plus, iirc, Metrogold) baring in mind the latter is now discontinued (although still available in a few places)?

cheers!
Bingo! That's what I am, a saviour.
A sort of cocky version of Jesus.