Any Garmin handheld GPS users - etrex Venture HC - maps?

[figoagogo]

Just looking for help, I am a GPS user both in car (Coilot Live, via mobile), and on my bike (Bryton GPS unit). I find the in car is a doddle to use, but admit my bike one took some time to get used to, the OS and button pressed on these handheld low powered devices seems like a step back in time

Any way, my Dad has a GARMIN Etrex Venture HC. It has a colour screen, it has a VERY simple map, only showing towns and main roads etc. It has an internal memory, but not a memory expansion. I presume with its colour screen etc, you can "add" some sort of map to overlay the route onto. Is this possible, and if it is what are my options.

1/ I would like it to be cheap and easy to understand
2/ Are the Open Source Maps an option - I.E. free
3/ I am happy to have the maps localised
4/ Any decent websites to down load from

On the Garmin site there are links to Garmin GB Discoverer (looks like high quality OS apps) and BirdsEye™ Select (choose customised sections of raster-based maps). I have tried a google search to see what is compatible with the device and not has much look. Currently looking for PDFs manuals to get a full understanding how it all works.

Thanks

 

[figoagogo]

Wiki confirms it can dispay maps, and also has a method of extracting OSM maps for use on the unit. May give this a try, but any other tips/ideas welcome.

 

[nheather]

I've found Garmin advertising a little naughty.

I fancied a map based GPS a while ago and the Garmin site and advertising shows units with nice map displays. What isn't made clear is that the advert shows expensive add on maps and that the base map is actually quite expensive.

When I looked at detailed electronic maps I found they are expensive and have to be purchased for the limited area you are visiting (just like paper maps but much more expensive). Sort of put me off.

But I would be very interested to hear how you get on.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[figoagogo]

I have found more info from trawling the net. The official maps for the unit would be the Garmin Topo maps, you can have GB maps for £130! There are other sites/software, but unless some can advise which, I am going to try and stick with OSM maps.

My bike GPS came with Navteg maps and works fine for road/street use, but not much good off the beaten track.

 

[Fozzybear]

I downloaded a map from openstreetmap for mine and chopped it into bits and converted it to transfer onto the HC but it was a long time ago that I did it on my old pc and honestly can't remember the software tools I used. Definitely doable but the memory is a bit limited on the HC so you can't put as much as you might like on it. The openstreetmap maps are pretty good though, the local ones I have even have bus stops on them, which is fantastically useful for me since I don't drive.

 

[figoagogo]

I had a go at it last night, there are a few programs that claim to convert OSM maps to Garmin .img files. Most are free Java based progs, but they use a command line and I can not get my head around them!

I found a program that is Windows based, I think it was called Mapwell (or similar - I can check at home), this was quite slick, you can import the OSM maps, then it will about the .img file direct to the Garmin, it worked quite well, I am using it in demo mode.

I am going to show the results to my Dad, and if he is keen I may buy it for him.

I hate using the unit, it is so slow and cumbersome - argggghhh

 

[nheather]

Hadn't come across OSM before this thread and when I saw it in your posts I originally thought you were referring to Ordnance Survey Maps (OSM) but thought that was odd because they would be expensive aswell.

Anyway a little wiser now.

But one thing I'm not 100% clear on

Is OSM just street mapping (as the name would suggest) or can it do detailed Explorer\Landranger type mapping?

If it can I might just get me a GPS for Christmas.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[figoagogo]

Take a look at the site - I have never used Open Street Maps (OSM) before and it does not work great on my works pc (home is fine). I have NAVTEQ maps on my bike GPS, from reading around my understanding is that NAVTEQ is good for road/street level etc, but not good for "off the beaten" track, I believe OSM may have addtional detail, but its only as good as the info that is put into it!

Just be careful on the GPS units, they do not work like car sat navs, they tend to be 10years behind in fuctionaility (low res, mini joy sticks, clicky buttons) feel like you are using an old Nokia with gloves on sometimes. I presume this is all to do with limiting power consumption.

There are bigger full colour OS map type units, but they aint cheap! Often the cheaper units don't come with the useful maps!

Have a look at the Mapwell software, it can be downloaded and used in demo mode. Ultimately it can take any type of map and put something out for a GPS, even old and scanned maps etc.