2610 US or EU base and how to do it

[TerryM]

I will welcome your experience, as I have seen lots of secondhand opinion and prefer facts.
I can buy US or EU versions and understand that each has a local geographic base map. If I buy the US version along with the EU map on cdrom can I load all of that onto a memory card and if so what capacity card, or cards, do I need. And what disadvantages, if any, am I likely to find?

 

[BurnieM]

If you have the full area you intend to travel covered by detailed City Navigator or City Select mapping then the effect of the basemap is almost nothing.

Sizes of MapSource products here;
http://www.gpsriders.net/mapsource_sizes.html

 

[Greg Masters]

DO NOT buy a US basemap 26xx or SPIII unless you have Euro City Navigator (with unlock codes assigned to your new GPS) and Garmin WorldMap - or unless you plan to use the device entirely in the US.

When the 2610 came out, it was nearly £1k in the UK and the economics were all different. Now it's about half that price, but the mapping (which is included in the box when you buy) hasn't got cheaper at all!

Greg

 

[BurnieM]

I agree that the cost of local mapping is a significant factor that should not be overlooked, however...
....there are creative ways around this.

A friend of mine is thinking of buying a Quest and I am thinking of putting in a few dollars (not pounds) to buy the second unlock code for her City Select Europe on my GPSmap 276C.

City Select Europe v6 has identical visual mapping to City Navigator Europe and only slightly less road data. It will run on an SPIII or SP2610 and produce very good auto-routing.

 

[Greg Masters]

however...
....there are creative ways around this.

So there are!



But when you can buy a Euro 2610 for £500, I'm still not sure why you would buy a US version.

Greg

 

[TerryM]

Thank you all for your input, I had seen current UK pricing at under GBP550 and thought that it may drop further before the touring season starts for me. So I expect that is the way I will go.