Etrex 30 - no joy using micro-SD card

[Biggsy]

What I've done:
 - Downloaded andygates' awesome OSM image (OSM-Garmin-Munky-UKIE.zip)
 - unzipped and copied GMAPSUPP.IMG file to the /Garmin directory on my device (internal memory not microSD)
 - run checksums to verify copy on device
 - rebooted device
 - maps not available - not shown on map view, no new, only the two that came with the device (Worldwide Digital Basemap/Digital Globe) shown in Setup->Map->Select Map
 - renamed file to osm-ie.img
 - maps still not available
 - move map to /Garmin/CustomMaps
 - maps still not available
 - panic

I don't see "turned it off and on again" nor "scrolled to make the screen refresh" on your list.  I've had to include BOTH these steps together sometimes when updating an Edge 605.  I don't know much about the Etrex 30, but I'd be surprised if it never suffered from the odd bug that needed a reset and mess-about to fix.

[Phil]

Thanks for your input, Biggsy.  Each time I checked to see if the map was available I turned the device on and off multiple times, and did plenty of scrolling.  TBH I'm not sure how you could avoid either of those things when performing such a check, but maybe there's a way!

I tried putting the file in /garmin/gmapsupp.img a MicroSD card, but again no dice. 

I'm now trying to dig out a smaller IMG file now to see if it's the size of the IMG file that's preventing it being read (~410MB).  I'll be a bit unimpressed with Garmin if that's the case

[Phil]

Oh, I should also mention that I know the card is being read as I can see photos on it with Garmin's photo viewer.  I also uploaded a GPX track to internal memory which works properly. 

[Phil]

A smaller IMG (150mb) works fine from internal memory.  I wonder whether it's size or format that it's choking on?

[stat]

Hello Phil,
You seem to have the same problems as me. I have downloaded several versions but still no sign under Maps. I have tried to internal memory and to SD card. HOwever, I discovered when I loaded Basecamp tonight that the OS look and feel map with contours was there but not on Etrex!

I have now resorted to purchasing the map preloaded.
I can transfer routes, tracks etc but cannot get the maps to register.

[Phil]

Hi stat,

Yes, apologies for hijacking your thread but I'm pretty sure we've got the same problem.  There must be something about the recent etrex series that means they won't play nicely with big OSM images, which is pretty disappointing given that they're the latest greatest bike GPS. 

I'm going to experiment further with OSM tomorrow, I'll keep the thread updated with how I get on.

[stat]

Hello Phil,

You were not hijacking my thread - I was so relieved to know that I was not the only one having problems. Posters on here have been so helpful in giving me step my step advice but with no success.

I have purchased an OSM map of Germany on Sd card and the Etrex recognises it with no problem. I loaded a short track and was able to see the map. It is a 2 GB card so no problems that way. The file is named gmapsupp.img in lower case. I tried changing my filenames to lower case but no joy with that either.

[henshaw11]

I'm not aware there's an issue with file size - and there shouldn't be (other than something vaguely sensible) - I've got the following talkytoaster OSM maps on a 16G (Kingston) sdcard:

1) 111118-British-Isles+Contours-Routable-GMAPSUPP.IMG (455,568k)
2) 111118-British-Isles-GMAPSUPP.IMG (339,672k)
3) UK-Contours-GMAPSUPP.IMG (115,216k)

 - all in the \Garmin folder on the card.

So if I go to the Map>Setup menu I see:
a) Enabled - Worldwide DEM Basemap,NR
b) Enabled - british_isles
c) Enabled - 111118-British-Isles+Contours-Routable-GMAPSUPP British-Isle-Contours
d) Enabled - Digital Globe Demo.JNX

I've also got 1) and 2) renamed (to .imh) so the garmin won't find 'em, on the actual device sitting in \Garmin) - I can't remember exactly what I did or didn't have displayed before I got the sdcard but when it - and usb adaptor - arrived I used that route instead, since it's a bit slow over usb. Since that worked (after remembered to eject etc) I've not bothered to go back and tinker any further -  tho' it sounds like I ought to for other people's sanity I guess copying the same files onto the device, and trying without the card present, would be a good start..

As a quick check against the maps above:
disabling b) leave the basemap displayed, with contours enabled
disabling c) leaves the detailed routable map displayed, with contours disabled.

Whether that's optimal in terms of how much processing the device is doing, is another matter, but I'm a bit loathe to break what seems to be working..

I suspect there may be some clues to be had with loading those files up with mapsource (or some other tool) and see what *displayed* names correspond to the files.

(Anyone having troubles doing the surrey hilly50 on saturday ?)

[frankly frankie]

Yes, 400Mb is nothing.  I use a 1.6Gb gmapsupp.img file in my old Etrexes (on the SD card 'cos there's no other way with these) and that's no problem at all (apart from fractionally slower boot time, compared with a smaller map).  I've used a 1Gb file on the E30 (card) and that's OK too.

The E20 internal memory is specced somewhere - 700-800 Mb seems to ring a bell.

[henshaw11]

It's specced at 1.7G - according to windoze properties, it's reported as 1.82G with 977MB used - but that's 'cos I've got about 900M of (renamed/disabled) mapping still sitting on there..

[frankly frankie]

Not to mention all those foreign-language PDF manuals that are buried on there ...

[henshaw11]

Indeed, I'd forgotten about those...not that they're really worth the paper they're (not) printed on..

[Phil]

Well I got a TalkyToaster image of the UK (here) uploaded without any issue, so it must just be the particular image that both stat and I were trying to upload that won't play nicely with the eTrex. 

It's all working beautifully now

[Chris N]

Well I got a TalkyToaster image of the UK (here) uploaded without any issue, so it must just be the particular image that both stat and I were trying to upload that won't play nicely with the eTrex. 

It's all working beautifully now

I've just had the same problem with the munkymap and my etrex 30.  The talkytoaster that you've linked to works nicely.

[henshaw11]

Even with the TT osm maps there's something funny wrt finding places:

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=58419.0

but I haven't yet tried any tinking yet.

[sg37409]

Thanks for the tips on this thread: Got a talkytoaster copy up & running on my etrex 30.

[Hillbilly]

Can I ask a rather naive question.  I have researched the web and can't find the answers I want.

Currently my GPS saves tracks to internal memory (likewise when I archive).

Is there a way to get it to archive to the microSD that I've got installed (which has my opensource maps loaded) or does this happen automatically when the internal memory is full?  Reason for asking is that I have plans to do at least one long distance rides next year (>1000km; not LEL) and want to record the entire track.

Also, whilst at it, another naive question.  If I set the unit to archive daily, does it "append" to a single file or does it archive each file separately?  Also, does it delete the "current" track when archiving?

Thanks; Billy.

[fuaran]

No, I don't think there is any way of logging tracks on to the microSD card.
The Etrex 30 has 1.7 GB of internal memory, so I doubt you will run out of space. Even if you have the memory half full of maps, it still has space for hundreds of hours of tracks.
I think there is a limit of 200 saved/archived tracks, each with up to 10,000 points.

But still, should be plenty of space for recording a 1000km ride.

[frankly frankie]

With the track-handling settings at their defaults, as straight out of  the box, simply by doing nothing you should never lose anything.

ie, it is set up to do all the archiving in a reasonably intelligent manner.  Your end result may be in several bits, but it will all be there somewhere.

[henshaw11]

I'm not sure of the form of the auto-archived tracks (ie whether it's incremental, or the track to date), but you can set it to be 'when full', 'daily', or 'weekly'. If you set it to daily, for example, it'll save a new file every day, irrespective of any distance travelled. I guess try it out over a couple of days and see what gets dumped.

[GraemeMcC]

Did the OP ever get the problem sorted?

I've just bought an eTrex30 and an 8GB card which wasn't recognized at first. Then I discovered what no manual ever stated, that rather than slide the microSD card into position, the shiny metal tab pops up and the card has to nestle into a tab set within! Doh! 

Sliding the card in doesn't lock it by the tab so its contacts don't!

Works fine now, and visible and accessable as a separate (child) drive in Explorer and via BaseCamp.

[stat]

In the end I had to resort to buying OSM on mini card. The  one I purchased from Andy Allan was fine but i was unable to look up any addresses on it as it would not recognise any country to start the game off. I did read that this could be a problem with some cards.  However, I bought the same card from GPS training and it worked well.

[toestrap]

Thread resurrection with a view to sharing learning.

Having taken ownership of an etrex 30 I loaded up http://talkytoaster.info/131102-British-Isles+Contours-Routable-GMAPSUPP.zip 
onto the internal memory (once unzipped). It worked fine.

I then inserted a 16gb SD card with http://talkytoaster.info/131102-British-Isles+Contours-Routable-OS50ttR-GMAPSUPP.zip
on it. Chaos. Unit failed to boot up properly. It would start and then close down or just hang with ‘loading maps’ displayed. Plugging into a pc didn’t help as it would not go into mass storage mode. However, taking out the SD card meant normality was restored.

I then tried putting both maps on the SD card, and deleting the version on the internal memory. Chaos again. But when I loaded each map onto the card individually (ie with only one map file on the SD card at a time) all was fine, so it wasn’t corrupt .img files.

Then I remembered that I had seen somewhere that having two files with contours is problematic as the contours share the same referencing or something (note the tech speak). So I loaded the first map above onto the card together with http://talkytoaster.info/131102-British-Isles-OS50tt-GMAPSUPP.zip  which has no contours. Success! Both maps can be seen by the unit. I’ve now also added http://download.freizeitkarte-osm.de/FRA/1309/FRA_en_gmapsupp.img.zip which covers France. This means there are 3 map sets on the card and all work fine. (plus a Garmin mapset (metroguide) and basemap on the internal memory)

I’m still playing. Whether these maps will work in the field is tba, but I can now at least try different versions as I go. Whether it was an issue with the contours I can't scientifically confirm; I have it working that's good enough for me.

(btw easily the best resource I have used for the etrex 30 is http://www.aukadia.net/gps/ by Francis Cooke. Thanks to those here who previously linked other stuff to such great guidance...and to Francis of course.)

[Kim]

I haven't done it, but multiple maps with the same internal ID number are very likely to cause problems.  You only need one copy of the contours anyway, you can select which map to display them over from the select map menu (City Navigator with contours is my preferred default mapping).

[don black]

I'm trying to fault find an etrex20 with an SD card. On the etrex20 running 3.40 is there
a display anywhere that gives information on the installed SD card?
Cheers Don Black.