Free maps for Garmin

[inc]

older card-carrying Garmins don't treat the card as a 'drive' and you can't really navigate around it - AFAIK, you have to upload the maps into the GPS via Mapsource to register them properly.  So you'd still need a copy of Mapsource. 

If you use Linux then this will work with Garmin and OSM maps ( converted to img) with direct uploads to your unit.
Welcome to QLandkarte GT/M I think it now also works with Windows but I have not tried that.

[zzpza]

I've just edited my first post in this thread to collect as much of the information together as possible. Is it worth making this thread sticky? This is a lot of information that could save people a packet who are looking to buy a Garmin GPS. It might not be right for everyone (at the moment) but IMHO everyone with a mapping Garmin GPS should be considering using OSM maps, and hopefully contributing to the project.

Jules.

[harvey]

This is really good stuff - thanks, Jules.  I'll give the card reader a try for my 60csx.  Having this topic made a sticky is a good idea.

[andygates]

Unfortunately I don't rate OSM as quite complete enough for Audax purposes (having looked at its routing between, say, home and Lavenham).

Aye, it's about where Wikipedia was in 2002-2003.  This will change (there's already two people who got GPSs for Christmas who have piled edits into my area this week).

As a wiki zealot, I heartily endores this project.

[saturn]

How can you tell where the gaps are if you don't have local knowledge? Are there any areas that are blank (I couldn't see any).

The area near me appears at first sight to be complete. However, there are a couple of stretches of road missing but you wouldn't know that this is missing data just by looking at the map (you'd just think they were correctly shown as dead ends where in reality the roads continue and join up).

Is this a case of an area that hasn't been mapped yet or an error in some underlying data? Interestingly the same stretches of road are also missing from some other map sources e.g. Streetmap

[simonp]

How can you tell where the gaps are if you don't have local knowledge? Are there any areas that are blank (I couldn't see any).

The area near me appears at first sight to be complete. However, there are a couple of stretches of road missing but you wouldn't know that this is missing data just by looking at the map (you'd just think they were correctly shown as dead ends where in reality the roads continue and join up).

Is this a case of an area that hasn't been mapped yet or an error in some underlying data? Interestingly the same stretches of road are also missing from some other map sources e.g. Streetmap

If you use the OSM editor (josm as mentioned upthread) you can download the raw data and see if there are any GPS traces showing the missing link.  If there are, you can then use that data to fill in the gap.  Otherwise, you'd need to ride/walk/drive the missing road(s) with a GPS and fill in the missing data.

There are large areas missing in some places, for instance I lived in this town as a child:

OpenStreetMap

Google Maps

[andygates]

How can you tell where the gaps are if you don't have local knowledge?

That's the Wiki Problem of Completeness.  And somehow, someone ends up filling in the gaps and adding detail (today's lunchtime prowl: hospital internal roads, carparks, bike parks, entrances, part 1 of 3). 

Eventually successful wikis reach adequate completeness (on par with the printed "expert product").

Generally the trunky stuff - the stuff you'd need to route around safely - seems to be done.  It's the residential stuff off that that's absent.  That's how it is for mid Devon.  It gives me an excuse to go on training runs and rides to places outside my rut  

[saturn]

I see, trouble is you wouldn't know that it's incomplete until you got there (to Kilmarnock for eg).

I was confused by just how complete it is by me, even the track round the back of our houses to the garages is included.

So if you used it for an audax (say), would it be a problem unless you got lost and needed the map to find your way back to the route?

I've don't yet own a GPS (so sorry for the daft questions) and I've been confused about the need for mapping for audaxes (and put off by its additional cost). I presume you can plot your route on bikely for eg and transfer it to the GPS which will (even without an onboard map) point you in the right direction. I've assumed you only need the on onbard map in case you get lost or want to do something else unplanned (e.g. abandon and find a shortcut back to HQ). Is that correct?

So, if you transferred your route from something like bikely to you GPS which used openstreetmap, when you came across a missing road would the GPS continue to point you in the right direction but just not show the road you're on?

[simonp]

I see, trouble is you wouldn't know that it's incomplete until you got there (to Kilmarnock for eg).

I was confused by just how complete it is by me, even the track round the back of our houses to the garages is included.

So if you used it for an audax (say), would it be a problem unless you got lost and needed the map to find your way back to the route?

I've don't yet own a GPS (so sorry for the daft questions) and I've been confused about the need for mapping for audaxes (and put off by its additional cost). I presume you can plot your route on bikely for eg and transfer it to the GPS which will (even without an onboard map) point you in the right direction. I've assumed you only need the on onbard map in case you get lost or want to do something else unplanned (e.g. abandon and find a shortcut back to HQ). Is that correct?

So, if you transferred your route from something like bikely to you GPS which used openstreetmap, when you came across a missing road would the GPS continue to point you in the right direction but just not show the road you're on?

In theory you don't need the maps at all unless you need to retrace or take a diversion.  I don't use auto routing on the device.  However, sometimes I find the map helps to disambiguate something on the route even when still on the route.  They're also useful for a diversion or as you mentioned for if you went off route.  Going off route is more rare if you use GPS though.

I would like to be able to use OSM for the route planning.  Unfortunately knowing for sure if a gap is real or a mistake is not easy.  But the number of errors will reduce over time.

I don't tend to use bikely for route plotting as I find the UI too clunky.  OSM really needs a decent app you can run locally to do route plotting before i would stop using Garmin mapping software or Tracklogs (even more expensive).

[andygates]

It would cheerfully point you over blank land.  Follow the arrow and you're fine.  The device would mark a breadcrumb trail which you could follow back if you needed to double back (every GPS has a "backtrack" facility, which can be a literal lifesaver if you're on t'moors and the fog comes down).

The trick with blank areas is to zoom out a bit so you can see, the two features you're travelling between.  

(I got this a lot with the Garmin UK Topo and the Dun Run, wiggling around the little roads.  Topo is not a road-rider's map, it's for hikers, and the level of ground detail means its roads are patchy.)

A lot of folks don't use a full route anyway, just a series of turn points, but that's personal preference - a sort of interactive route sheet.  Or you could use a paper route sheet with an OS roadmap in your bag as backup.  Nowt wrong wi' paper.

[drossall]

I've assumed you only need the on onbard map in case you get lost or want to do something else unplanned...

That's pretty much right. I've used a GPS without mapping capabilities on Audaxes. The main thing is to mark the turns. Since most Audaxes deliberately use quiet roads, there can be quite a few. Route sheets are usually good, but you can be wondering whether this is the left turn, or is it a mile further up the road. The GPS confirms that this is the correct place.

Given the screen size, I think a GPS would be limited if you were trying to choose a new route. You'd only see a mile or two. I'd rather have a paper map for that, which I do often carry for backup.

GPSs are also good for touring. It can be a pain stopping to check direction at every junction. With a GPS, you don't have to.

[simonp]

Given the screen size, I think a GPS would be limited if you were trying to choose a new route. You'd only see a mile or two. I'd rather have a paper map for that, which I do often carry for backup.

You can scroll the map to look further afield, and zoom out.  Once you zoom out a certain amount you start to lose minor roads but you can increase the detail setting to prevent this.

GPSs are also good for touring. It can be a pain stopping to check direction at every junction. With a GPS, you don't have to.

+1.

[drossall]

Then there's the encouragement of the steep hill warning function. There's an altimeter of course, but I know I am on a proper hill whenever my GPS says:

Hold level

 

[andygates]

Oh yesh!  In the Alps it was really motivating to have the altimeter up, knowing that I had to climb n-hundred metres to the next village and n-thousand to my destination.  Linear distance was meaningless, the climb was everything and whenever I went into a dip I almost cried...

[frankly frankie]

I've tested the map on my Garmin GPSmap 76CSx
And Garmin eTrex Vista HCx

EDIT2: Found the instructions AND a list of maps for other countries compiled from OSM here. There is also a UK map with contour information - effectively a free version of the topo GB map here. There is also a free utility called "Sendmap20" that can send the map to the GPS receiver without using mapsource and without removing the uSD card and using a reader. Scroll down to the instructions section of the previous link. 

Cool.  I'll definitely give this stuff a go.
Thanks!

[numbnuts]

Is it possible to download the free maps and send them to mapsource to view on computer only if so how hope it's not to techie

[leeg]

Which ones do I need to work with these maps?? (starting at the low price end)

any that can use maps.

The Edge series and other newer Garmin types like Oregon have a completely 'new' way of handling the card data generally, which obviously does work -

older card-carrying Garmins don't treat the card as a 'drive' and you can't really navigate around it - AFAIK, you have to upload the maps into the GPS via Mapsource to register them properly.  So you'd still need a copy of Mapsource.  Enabling this map in Mapsource will at very least need a registry hack won't it?  I haven't seen such a thing as yet (maybe haven't looked hard enough).

And the single map file is too big for older non-card-carrying Garmins - their memory limit is 24Mb.

Great project though.

I had a play around today and have managed to get the South East of England onto my Garmin Etrex Vista C (old model with 24mb internal memory).  Here's what I had to do (there may be short cuts I've missed);

1. Download Sendmap20 and unzip it into a directory, from http://cgpsmapper.com/download/sendmap20.zip

2. Use this site to select the map tiles you need Coordinate-To-OSM-Tile - this also gives you a command line for later use.

3. Download (to the same dir as sendmap20) the above .img map tiles from Computerteddy's site - http://osm.ammit.de/osm/latest/img/

4. Unzip each of the files to get the .img files

5. Connect your gps via USB, switch it on.  Open a DOS window, cd to the sendmap20 dir and run the command line from step 2 but remove the -l parameter so for the 6 tiles for SE Eng that is;
sendmap20 63272362.img 63272361.img 63272542.img 63272541.img 63272722.img 63272721.img

That's it, the maps appeared in my GPS.  Those 6 tiles used approx 12mb space (those that didn't include a lot of sea were about 7mb each).

The tiles on Computerteddy's site are refreshed once a month so you'd have to repeat steps 2 to 5 periodically to keep up to date.

[zzpza]

thanx leeg, i'll add a link to your post from my first one. 

[zzpza]

Is it possible to download the free maps and send them to mapsource to view on computer only if so how hope it's not to techie

hmm, i don't think so. but then i can't view my garmin (paid for) maps on the computer either as they were bought preloaded on the SD card. you can however, view the OSM maps whilst you are on-line by going here.

[frankly frankie]

Blimey.  That worked.

I can now see an OSM map in Mapsource and therefore upload it mixed with Metroguide etc into an Etrex Cx, and switch between them there. 
There's some wrinkles to experiment with, involving map priority, and transparency, which might improve things further when got right.

[tonycollinet]

Is mapsource free - or do you have to buy a map to get it?

[andygates]

It might be available dodgily on torrent... but my dodgy one doesn't work :/

[inc]

There is now a lot of info in this thread, I may have missed the link but a lot of OSM maps are already converted to img suitable for use with Mapsource and con be found here along with yet another explanation of how to select tiles to make up your own smaller map OSM Map On Garmin/Download - OpenStreetMap

I have mentioned Viking before but forgot to say after you have plotted your route/waypoints on OSM or Google maps it will upload directly to your gps unit so you don't actually need Mapsource.

[frankly frankie]

It might be available dodgily on torrent... but my dodgy one doesn't work :/

Have you tried applying the latest** free Garmin update to it?  You can firewall it to be sure, but ISTR it doesn't register online anyway.
** Or the next-but-one latest, is much better.

The problem with the method whereby you just copy a   gmapsupp.img    into a directory called /Garmin/ - is that there can only be one file/directory of that name.  What Mapsource can do is combine tiles from different sources, into a single   gmapsupp.img, this being the only filename the GPS can use.  (I think Colorados and Oregons are better here - they can have multiple mapsets on their cards.)

Having said that, I lied earlier - MapSet ToolKit works like a charm, to get OSM into Mapsource - but I haven't yet succeeded in using Mapsource to load a combined map (metroguide/worldmap/OSM) into the Garmin - it appears to go OK, and the OSM map tiles are visible on the GPS screen, and they are registered and named correctly in the GPS setup page - but on zooming in there's no mapping visible.  Switch them off and the other maps (metroguide or worldmap) work OK. 
[edit] - now got it working, 'mixed' maps on GPS - not sure what I did different ...

Incidentally OSM looks quite a bit better than Worldmap in S.India, which is of particular interest to me just now.  Its not so much that its more detailed, but the detail there is is much more accurately placed (Worldmap is really pretty awful).  Unlike the UK where I think its not quite so spot-on accurate at the junctions as Metroguide (and it has a lot less road detail even though some of the cycleroute stuff makes valuable additions).

[simonp]

Is mapsource free - or do you have to buy a map to get it?

The application comes with Garmin GPS units (it's called trip & waypoint viewer).  I think you can view and work with maps in that.