CN and mapsource

I've got a 2610 and mapsource 9. Mrs msgs1200 wants a gps and so we're looking at a Zumo 550.

The map product with the Zumo seems to be called CN something. I assume this is like mapsource but updated somehow for the Zumo?

Question - does anyone know if I create routes with Mapsource can I download them to a Zumo. Or, if create routes with the Zumo CN thingy can I download this to the 2610

Mapsource is the route planning software on the PC and works with all compatible Garmin products including the Zumo 550 and 2610.
Newer Garmin products use City Navigator NT. This map software can give a
3D map display as well as a 2D version like the 2610 and allows 7-digit postcode searching.
You can have CN NT and plain old CN loaded on your PC simultaneously. Routes planned on one can be recomplied on the other.
You can download routes to the Zumo 550.

The only difference is NT includes compression. Both include full postcodes but the Quest/2610 isn't licensed to use them (Garmin has to pay a fee). You can use either NT or non-NT on newer devices but the Quest and 2610 do not support NT.

Great. So I can plan a route in Mapsource and download to both the 2610 and the Zumo. (But if I plan a route in CN NT I can only download to the Zumo.)

Shame it's not backwards compatible, I was getting all excited about being able to use the 7 digit postcode search on the 2610

thanks guys

Just a thought. Are the CN NT filetypes compatible with CN? What I'm thinking is, prepare the route in CN NT to take advantage of the new postcode search. Save the route and open it in CN - then download to both the 2610 and the Zumo?

Whichever map you plan the route on will cause the other GPS to 'insist' on a recalculation when the route is activated. Depending on how you have set your route defaults, & how many waypoints you have used, there may well be routeing discrepancies between the 2 GPSs.

chasr said:

Whichever map you plan the route on will cause the other GPS to 'insist' on a recalculation when the route is activated. Depending on how you have set your route defaults, & how many waypoints you have used, there may well be routeing discrepancies between the 2 GPSs.

Click to expand...

The easiest way to check this would be to plan the route on Mapsource in one, say CN NT, once done switch the mapping product to the non NT version of CN (there's a drop down menu in Mapsource to select this if you have more than one mapping product on your PC). Once switched right click the route in the left hand pane and select recalculate, you can then upload to your relevant GPSR. This way you should be able to spot any discrepancies between the routes, though with the same versions of City Nav there shouldn't be any. If you recalc on the GPSR settings may vary which could effect the resulting route after a recalculation added to which you won't be able to spot changes in the route on the small screen.

I don't see why it would recalculate?

If I save a mapsource CN route I just download as is to the 2610. What I'm saying is, if a save a route in CN NT, then copy that route, close CN NT, open mapsource CN, paste that route in - why would it recalculate?

And then down load from CN NT to both the 2610 and the Zumo. Why would that force a recalcualte?

msgs1200 said:

Why would that force a recalcualte?

Click to expand...

Garmin dictate that if the unit has different mapping to that which the route was created on a recalc is enforced. Even between variants of the same version. Obviously if you swap routes between units that have different versions of City Nav there might well be parts of the route where the road layout or priority has changed and the original route will not be valid. It can't direct you anywhere if it thinks your route takes you across a ploughed field...

Why it still insists on doing it across variants of the same version your guess is as good as mine. I know between City Nav v8 and Metroguide v8 there are differences in the number of road attributes in the data and can see why a recalc might be required as fastest route may differ even though the actual roads exist on both. IN the real world the route doesn't change anyway in this scenario.

You don't need to cut and paste between Mapsource windows, you can if you like, only change the mapping currently in use with the drop down menu. I can swap at will between City Nav, Metroguide and Topo GB, the route remains although a recalc in Topo GB just produces a via-point to via-point route.