Garmin Basemaps - how good?

[ampthill]

Any one have experience of using the base map found in the Garmin units? How useful is the basemap in getting you to a destination, or is it really just an emergency fall back feature with limited functionality?

Reason I ask is that I'm considering a tour to Switzerland/Italy later this year. Plan to load detailed mapping (City Select v7) of these countries into my Quest for use when I get there. However was wondering whether it is really necessary to also download the detailed mapping of my route (Rotterdam - to Swiss border) or whether the base map would be good enough to get me there. Was planning to ride down along the major routes/motorways with perhaps minor deviations for accommodation.

Thanks for any info
Peter

 

[chasr]

I'm sure the Quest is like the (steam driven) SPIII that I have to live with, in that you can ask it to simulate driving the route. If so, why don't you try it out?

rgds

ps. It won't give any 'extra' info on decent pubs, petrol, etc

 

[Mouse]

You can view the basemap in MapSource ... can't remember exactly how, something like the "GPS map detail" option in one of the menus, turn it off.

 

[alecmuffett]

Any one have experience of using the base map found in the Garmin units? How useful is the basemap in getting you to a destination, or is it really just an emergency fall back feature with limited functionality?

I got off the Ferry in Denmark, and it was 30 minutes before I realised the reason my 2610 was being so useless was because I was still on the basemap and had neglected to swap Flash cards for the maps of Europe which I had prepared.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, not least because it only gave coverage of dual-carriageway-like roads and upwards, but also because the resolution was crap and thus all the bends, curves and junctions of the road in front of you were (a) not displayed and (b) often not in front of you, since you were on a bit of the road which was not in the basemap's memory when rendered as jaggy lines.

I was a lot happier once I inserted the correct chip.

 

[araspitfire]

I can say that the basemap on the 60c is next to usless for autoroute navigation... I had a go for a couple months before finally buying CS Europe.

Al...

 

[PRR]

Any one have experience of using the base map found in the Garmin units? How useful is the basemap in getting you to a destination, or is it really just an emergency fall back feature with limited functionality?

It is a fall back for when you don't have detailed mapping available. It is a matter of your expectations if you'll be satisfied with it. If you in any way try to compare it to detailed mapping you will be very disappointed. If you on the other hand compare it to not having a map at all in the unit it is a big improvement.

However was wondering whether it is really necessary to also download the detailed mapping of my route (Rotterdam - to Swiss border) or whether the base map would be good enough to get me there.

It'll get you to the border but it's lack of precision will probably sometimes lead you wrong and take you for a few detours on the way there.

If I must choose between having detailed mapping of the area where I will spend time vs the transit roads taking me there, I choose the destination every time. But if it is in any way possible, I will arrange so that I have detailed mapping for both.

 

[PRR]

I can say that the basemap on the 60c is next to usless for autoroute navigation... I had a go for a couple months before finally buying CS Europe.

Basemap in the 60-series and eTrex C-models have even less roads on them than most other Garmin basemaps.

But no basemap were ever intended to be a substitute for detailed mapping, it's just a fall back when detailed isn't an option.

 

[Taff]

When I first bought my SPIII I didn't know how to download maps to the unit, so was just going on the basemap. While taking the machine out for a test for the first few days I asked the GPS to take me from home to a village about 5 miles away. As the vast vast majority of roads aren't shown, the unit directed me out on an "A" road then asked me to turn left where no road existed - I suppose it just got to the nearest point on the A road, then you're on your own. Why don't you just try asking it to direct you to a local town first, just to see how you don't get on.

The basemap is really only an absolute minimum, as said above "a poor map is better than no map" - but not by much. Honestly, you may as well just copy a section from a road atlas onto the back of an envelope and sellotape it to the tank.

 

[markie_wales]

try it

Hi

I have a 2610 and 1GB card so don't have this problem, but have you actually tried creating a route down to the area you want, then using the "select maps around route" under "edit"? Then select all the maps for the countries you want and just see how much space that uses up?

I did a very quick'n'dirty from Calais to Milan, then selcted some maps aorund North Italy etc. OK I didn't select that much, but had quite a few maps before 256 MB was reached. I guess if you are going for a couple of weeks you'll run into problems, but for a long weekend you'll probably be OK.

Just goes to show you can't have too much memory, huh? Quest II is going to sell like the provebial hot cakes I should think.

cheers

Mark

PS - Oh, and have a good holiday!

 

[TheJoker]

ampthill

Depending on your GPS, but I suspect you have a newer one, and if that's the case then the answer is, worthless in towns, slightly less than worthless out of towns. It *should* take you down the right motorways etc, but deviate from that and you're "back to the paper map".

My eTrex Legend C doesn't even have the A5 throught Milton Keynes on it, my old eTrex Legend (non-C) had much more roads in it, and from this perspective was much better - however, didn't do any routing.

Have a look at this for a bit more info:
http://jocke.selincite.com/gadgets/garmin-legend-c

 

[GSmonkey]

My experience of the basemap on the SPIII is that its useless. Only main roads are shown and the roads are straight lines rather than curves so you're always "off route".

You should be able to download a 'corridor' of maps from Rotterdam to Switzerland, then all the detailed maps you need for touring. I managed to do exactly the same last year with a 128Mb card.

 

[ampthill]

Thanks for all the responses to this thread - looks like the concensus is that the base map is pretty useless for all but the most basic routing and should be avoided where ever possible

Peter

 

[BLUE(UK)]

Hate to rain on ya's parades but i have a 2gig flash card and dont ever travel outside of my town!!

 

[TheJoker]

Hate to rain on ya's parades but i have a 2gig flash card and dont ever travel outside of my town!!

I hate to rain on your parade, but I travel outside my town all the time In fact, I'm not even from thsi country

 

[GSmonkey]

Hate to rain on ya's parades but i have a 2gig flash card and dont ever travel outside of my town!!

I should like to congratulate you on your gross inefficiency

 

[Fitzdangle]

Hate to rain on ya's parades but i have a 2gig flash card and dont ever travel outside of my town!!

I don't suppose you fancy a swop then for my 256mb card ???????????

Only it would save me messing about everytime we go away for a fortnight !

 

[marsellus wallace]

Just a general comment about Garmin mapping-I live on a fairly new housing estate(built 2001).The garmin I bought in 2002 has the estate on its mapping yet the factory fit dx unit using tele atlas software does NOT have it even though the disc is 2005/2006!!!!!

 

[marsellus wallace]

Just a general comment about Garmin mapping-I live on a fairly new housing estate(built 2001).The garmin I bought in 2002 has the estate on its mapping yet the factory fit dx unit using tele atlas software does NOT have it even though the disc is 2005/2006!!!!!

(The DX unit is fitted in my car)