Cycling UK Forum

I have just had one for xmas and know nothing about them,do i need to buy a micro SD card for downloading maps on to it?
And are there such things as free maps or do i need to buy them.

Thanks rich

Rich,

The first thing to do is install the latest software from here:-

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download ... sp?id=3709

I don't have the said machine but I think this should tell you all you need to know ( for now anyway ) :-


http://www.gpsinformation.org/penrod/Vi ... tahcx.html


Ian

free maps are available here http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php
and here http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps
lots of cycling gps related help here http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=63.0
i haven't used the maps myself but there are quite a few on the forum above who do.
you need a micro sd card to save the maps. check the filesize for entire gb to see how big a card to get.

free maps/info...

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download

here there's a uk map with cycle routes overlaid, i've successfully loaded this on the vista cx (model before hcx)...

http://www.mapomatic.net/garmin-maps-download/

you'll need a micro sd card, 2gb is enough for the above (depending on model and software the gps may not like larger cards, or sd variations such as sdhc, so i'd stick with a basic 2gb sd card unless you are sure about larger/other types)

Thanks everyone for all those links.

I have a 2Gb SDHC card which works fine in the GPS but not in the computer's card reader.

The Garmin Navigator for UK and Eire is only about 256Mb of mapping and I suspect that all the mapping given will have to be on different cards to work as in my experience it has to be the only file of the correct name in the correct folder.
Apparently having too much on your card can seriously slow the GPS down, or at least too much mapping in use can.
For those reasons I would buy a number of small capacity cards rather than a large card.
None of my cards have 512Mb on them even with other non-GPS goodies and tracklogs on them.

aftre lots of not knowing what i was doing , i found www.bikehike.co.uk
plot a "track" go to "down load route" select file "gpx track", change "download to " to GPS
if it has too many points reduce them
when uploading to the garmin DON'T put it into mass storage , which was where i was going wrong , just have it switched on and it will work

after 3 month's i have just sussed it and now i am happy
i am thinking of getting one of these though

https://www.gpsw.co.uk/details/prod4324.html

fossil wrote:i am thinking of getting one of these though

https://www.gpsw.co.uk/details/prod4324.html

Make your own for less than a couple of quid, I also added a extension to clip a route card.



For the MTB, I made another one but without the extension.

If it helps, these are the rough dimensions, this is for a extra long one so that you can bolt a Polaris MapTrap to it.

However, this was the mark one version made in Perspex and it didnt work to well. It vibrated to much and I couldn't read the route card!

However, the mark two version is made from thin ali sheet (sprayed black) and works a absolute treat.





The three mounting clips are the same that Polaris use to mount their MapTrapto the handlebars, these can bought direct from their website, if you cannot source them from elsewhere.

I use a technique borrowed from an American.
Get a bit of a sponge and a bit of old inner tube and make a loop of the latter. Hold the GPS on the stem on top of the sponge with the loop and tie the GPS lanyard around the stem as well and off you go. This provides shock-absorbency to the system and it won't zero itself, which apparently it will with commercial holders.