Mapsource help - UK routes?

[Sergeant Pluck]

OK - I've finally decided to learn how to use mapsource rather than getting my mate to do it all for me.

Found a version of MapSource - got it installed no problems.

I've read Whattons Mapsource for Dummies guide ( excellent ) and I've managed to get the UK contours maps and Whattons camping maps loaded onto my GPS units' meagre 8mb space, so thats all great. Regristry hacks required but no problems.

Question is - where do I get a UK roadmap map from, or is this something that I am actually going to have to buy? If so, where's cheapest and what's best?

Pluck

 

[araspitfire]

There are torrents available I think... But most later autorouting Maps need an Unlock

You don't say what your GPS is, but if it is a non autorouting one, you could look for a used or torrent copy of metroguide europe. Should be cheap as it's several versions out of date, and doesn't allow routing on the GPS... but it does allow autorouting in Mapsource... which you can then download to the GPS (non autorouting) and have a complete road route ready to navigate...

Mapsource Metroguide Version 4.0 for Europe did this great with my Vista. Maps on GPS, Autorouting on the computer, then downloaded to the GPS no unlock needed....

Al...

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Thanks for that.

It's a Garmin Rino 120 - I've just checked and apparently it does have auto-routing although I've not used this feature before on this particular unit. It's not quite the same as TomTom, is it?! The Rino is aimed more at hikers and the like rather than for pure route-finding. Anyway - I'm not sure how useful auto-routing is going to be on my Rino - maybe I'll try your trick of getting what is it? version 4 of metroguide europe.

Cheers,

Pluck

 

[navig8r]

Go for MetroGuide Europe V7 ,its the latest version that has small map tiles which is essential if your unit has limited memory.You can also have auto routing if your unit supports this by up loading the maps to it with Metrowizz which is a free utillity.I have this working in my gps map60c which has just 56 mb of memory and it auto routes very well.

http://www.geodude.nl/gps/modules/xfguestbook/index.php

Dave

 

[Bumpkin]

Go for MetroGuide Europe V7 ,its the latest version that has small map tiles which is essential if your unit has limited memory

Metroguide Europe v8 has about 280 tiles for the whole of the UK, I didn't think it changed between V7 and v8 whereas City Select/Navigator > City Navigator did for the same revisions?

MetroWizzz works well with v8, there are some minor short-comings, read on the link above to see what they are. Metro Gold (same site), which costs $6 converts your copy of MapSource so you can upload mapping directly, MetroWizzz is free but a little fiddly.

 

[Bumpkin]

Double post, deleted

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Thanks for the information.

I've downloaded Metrowhizzz and will acquire metroguide v8. I don't know how successful this whole operation is going to be as my unit only has 8mb of memory which may turn out to be unuseable - hence not wanting to spend any money yet. Although we did manage to get [very] basic maps for the whole of Eastern Europe and Central Asia on there last year

Thanks again.

Pluck

 

[Bumpkin]

I don't know how successful this whole operation is going to be as my unit only has 8mb of memory which may turn out to be unuseable - hence not wanting to spend any money yet.

Depends on what areas you want to load. Long trips would be out of the question with only 8MB to play with, ride-outs confined to a few tiles from Metroguide should be OK though. Also depends where you're going, highlands of Scotland or South East for example, you'll get a far bigger area with the former onto your unit but you probably already knew that.

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Also depends where you're going, highlands of Scotland or South East for example, you'll get a far bigger area with the former onto your unit but you probably already knew that.

No I didn't - I assume thats because there is simply less information in terms of roads etc to be loaded?

Funnily enough - Scottish Highlands is next on the list Last time I was up there I had TomTom on my PDA - not that you really need it up there.

Cheers,

Pluck

 

[Bumpkin]

I assume thats because there is simply less information in terms of roads etc to be loaded?

Correct.

For everything North of the Firth of Forth, including the Sheltands, there are 18 tiles in MetroGuide v8, this is covered by one big, irregular shaped, tile in City Navigator v8. The latter is 5.54MB without routing data and 7.8MB with, the 18 tiles in MetroGuide total 5.52MB without the MetroWizzz generated index required to make it routable on your GPSR. Should be around the same size as the total for City Nav, maybe a little less so it should just fit.

 

[navig8r]

Metroguide Europe v8 has about 280 tiles for the whole of the UK, I didn't think it changed between V7 and v8 whereas City Select/Navigator > City Navigator did for the same revisions?

MetroWizzz works well with v8, there are some minor short-comings, read on the link above to see what they are. Metro Gold (same site), which costs $6 converts your copy of MapSource so you can upload mapping directly, MetroWizzz is free but a little fiddly.

Yep, I was getting my MG and CN mixed up for the number of tiles.

If you want maps but not autorouting I have European roads and recreation V4 in which you could get the north of the UK from Leeds up for less than 8MB

The area per MB diminishes once you get into more populated areas.


Dave