Garmin 60CSx v Satmap Active 10

[Womble]

I've been playing around with my Garmin 60CSx and a Satmap for the last few days and my initial impressions of the Satmap aren't brilliant.

The 60CSx is a fully fledged satnav with goodies like road navigation and a database of nearby petrol stations. I've even been able to create a combined overlay map of all my local lanes and integrated it with the onboard topo maps (google for gpsmapedit and mapsettoolkit if you want to play). It's not easy, but there are a LOT of free tools out there to tweak about with files and to interwork between formats. The only major drawback is the topo maps just aren't as good as the OS maps. Also the buttons are easy to use on the bike on the move.

I've not got a full copy of Memory Map (I've already invested in a lot of other mapping tools and I'd rather avoid buying my OS maps yet again in a different format), but the only other tools available seem to be the execrable SatSync combined with the crappy file converter. Even the GPSBabel team seems to have taken one look at the file formats used for this and have walked away.

Do I really have to use Memory Map to get the best out of the Satmap? Although, having played with the demo version for a bit, it doesn't seem to be that useful either

Has anyone succeeded to upload multiple tracks into their Satmap, or are people just uploading a few tracks as routes?

 

[Womble]

A quick update - the file upload was working fine, but for older Satmaps (mine is platform 8), the new files aren't recognised until you power it off and on again, unless you upgrade the firmware by buying an SD card from them for a tenner. A bit of a waste, but I guess they don't trust geeks to be able to download and copy the files in the right sort of format - it makes me wonder just what they're hiding.

The import process ignores the names of the lanes from the GPX file though, it names them from the file you imported them from, followed by _1, _2 etc. Hopefully that can be cured using the forerunner GPX splitter - http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/forerunner/

At least I know I don't need to buy a copy of Memory Map now after all.

 

[ebbo]

The Garmin Oregon series, Dakota 20, Colorado 300 and Nuvi 550 will display OS mapping

Screen size is to small for me though and I read somewhere the rendering of the maps was disappointing so promptly lost interest

I'd really like to see OS mapping on the Zumo...

 

[Womble]

OS Maps on the Zumo would be really good, but it's not likely to happen because of licencing with the Ordnance Survey.

Now that Garmin have their own OS GPSs, they'd almost certainly have made it available if they were going to. I suspect that the Zumo processor just isn't powerful enough - there's a big difference between moving a load of lines on a screen (vector maps) and moving every single point (raster maps), which probably takes about 50-100 times the amount of mathematical magic.

 

[ebbo]

My though is if they can make OS mapping work on an Oregon or whatever, they should be able to do it on a Zumo. I suspect the real stumbling block is the bean counters back at Garmin HQ, sad bunch of none bike riding un adventuress twtas they must be

 

[Corkonian]

Fella here in work bought the oregon with full OS mapping of Ireland for 200 off eBay - not worth it IMO.
There's no way you'd see the screen in a bike scenario - too small for a start but also the brightness was a serious issue - could hardly see it under the fluorescent lights.
And yes the map tiles took ages to load.

Anyone see the new GPSMAP 62 series in action - they also support the Topo and Discoverer maps according to the Garmin site.

 

[Berin]

I'm going to take a look at the GPS map 62, which you can get with the GB Discoverer 1:50k OS maps. I've got an Oregon 450 with the Discoverer maps, which are very good so I'll be interested to compare

 

[Timpo]

My 60 is adequate for what i need a unit for, ie, recording routes to send on, and having route loading on to for rides in unfamiliar areas.
I can not justify the expense of the 62 at present.

Timpo.

 

[Womble]

A quick update about the Satmap, in case anyone is interested.

Satsync isn't as bad as I initially thought and it does allow tracks to be named from the name of the track (not just the file) as a configuration option.

However, the best thing is that there is a new software update for Satsync and the Active 10. If you have a lot of trails stored in your Active 10, they all used to have to be routes, which made could make navigation a bit confusing. Also, loading and displaying the routes can take a lot of time. There is a better way of doing it with the latest firmware - you can export routes and tracks as "lines of interest" which are simply marked up as lines on the screen. Not only does this clear clutter off the screen, but they are faster to load and process, making the whole thing more responsive. I haven't played with it yet, but the latest version of SatSync now works very tightly with Google Earth for downloading maps.

If you have an Active 10, you really should check out the new features.

I've been running both GPSs together on a couple of rides now and apart from my handlebars looking like Mission Control, I still prefer the Garmin for use on the lanes - the screen may not be so easy to interpret, but all I really need is a display of a trail and a simple clean user interface that tells me where I am in relation to it. The buttons are clearly labelled and I find it is so much more responsive than the Satmap - I can happily tweak about with the Garmin when on the move.

However, if you take a break and you need to sort out a navigation problem, the Satmap wins hands down because there is no substitute for the OS display when you're cross-referencing to proper maps.

If the 62 combines the strengths of both units, I'll consider buying one, but only once they hit the secondhand market at a decent price.

 

[Dainese Brave]

I have been considering buying a satmap for a while....

.....and as a techno numpty reading this has confused me even more.

My problem is I want an OS quality map when travelling abroad, but neither the Garmin or Active 10 seem to cover the countries that I'm likely to want a map for....

....for instance, I've recently returned from a tour of the Ukraine....

....can I load a map for that sort of area?

Active 10 doesn't list a sd card for the country obviously, but I wondered if they could be downloaded?

It's an expensive piece of kit to find I can't download maps for the areas I want to tour in.

You fellas seem to know your stuff so I'm in need of your wisdom....just go easy on the techno-speak please

thanks all

 

[Womble]

It's unlikely that either will do the job. All the maps I have seen for the Satmap are locked to the cards that they sell and I don't think that anyone has worked out a way of uploading custom maps. In short, if Satmap don't sell a map for the Ukraine, it's not possible.

The latest Satmaps do have a basic world map in them, but it is very basic and only shows main roads and little other detail for the areas that aren't covered by the memory card. To be honest, it's likely to be the same for the Garmin. However, if you want to get heavily involved in the technical side of things, it may be possible to upload custom maps to a Garmin, but even then there may not be enough detail for what you want to do, depending on the people who have developed the custom maps (check out http://www.openstreetmap.org/)

I suspect that the best option for you right now is to buy a PDA with a GPS in it and to download the mapping software that way, similar to the way that people in the UK use MemoryMap. You could then run something like http://www.gpsukraine.com/product.html. If you want to refer to the GPS while on the go, you will probably need to to find a way of mounting a waterproof box on the handlebars and getting power to it - just don't expect to be able to prod at the screen or tweak settings while on the move.

By the way, Satmaps aren't as waterproof as something like the Garmin 60, so you would need to buy the waterproof case to use it on the bike.

 

[Dainese Brave]

Thanks Womble.....I had a feeling neither would do what I was after.

You'd think that a digital replacement for a map would be an easy thing to get in today's hi-tech world

Maybe it's just the areas that I go to that is the problem, cos Active 10's options of maps are quite good.

What I don't understand is my Garmin satnav in ukraine had a detailed map...but not a list of the road names all the time. Yet a ukrainian satnav must do surely....so those maps are out there...as shown in your link.

I was in Riga in Latvia recently, and got in a car with a comprehensive satnav system....so they are out there.

Maybe a PDA is the way to go...but you'd think Garmin/Tom Tom etc would harness the growing adventure market and make these areas available?