Getting maps onto Garmin GPS60csx

[Coach]

I bought a GPSMap60csx, and also ordered the Garmin TOPO US 24K Southwest DVD and a 2MB mico SD card. The idea is to put 24K topos onto the card so that I can have them available on my GPS.

 

So, how in the heck do you do that? I installed the maps and the super-lame "Base-Camp" software onto my PC, but the "Export" option is disabled.

 

Anyone know how to transfer the Garmin maps to the microSD card so I can use them in my GPS?

 

[NRS]

You can get a card reader at Radio Shack (mine reads 51 different cards) for about $20.00 and can drag and drop the files from the computer onto the card, then put it into the GPS. The reader also works for viewing the cards from trail cameras and regular digital cameras as well.

[Rio]

You should have a USB cord that you can connect your 60csx to your PC. Launch TOPO, on the tool bar there is an icon called map tool, select that, then you'll be able to select the specific map quandrants to you want to load. Once you have those selected, go to the TRANSFER option on your menu, and click on send to device. That'll load all the maps you have selected.

[Rio]

You should have a USB cord that you can connect your 60csx to your PC. Launch TOPO, on the tool bar there is an icon called map tool, select that, then you'll be able to select the specific map quandrants to you want to load. Once you have those selected, go to the TRANSFER option on your menu, and click on send to device. That'll load all the maps you have selected.

[Coach]

After digging a little bit more, it turns out when you load the maps from the DVD, you get two programs. One is BaseCamp, which I find pretty unimpressive. The other is called MapInstall, and it is specifically designed to transfer the 24K maps either to your device or a SD/Micro SD card. Takes about an hour and a half for a 2GB region, but I did copy all the maps to my card - but does it in a single file called gmapsupp.img. Unfortunately, my GPS is on backorder at Cabelas, so I can't tell what those maps will look like on my GPS. I tried them in my Garmin Nuvi - car based GPS, but didn't see any more detail that the standard maps pre-installed.

 

Can't complain too much about the backorder though, I got it for $199, when the "normal" price is $499 and the normal sale price is $369. So I'll have to wait to see how the maps look.

 

If they are anything like they look on BaseCamp, I'll be pretty disappointed. The topos when viewed in BaseCamp don't seem to show any dirt roads.

 

I doubt if the GPSMAP 60 series supports them, but I have the National Geographic TOPO state series, which are far suprerior to what I'm seeing in the Garmin 24K dvd. Has anyone had any luck transferring maps from NatGeo TOPO direcly to a Garmin GPS?

[kwp]

Here's another source of maps to try:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/1/

 

The "Arizona Topo" maps are 1:24K topo maps with the majority of the roads, trails, creeks, springs, tanks, etc. They load onto my Garmin Etrex Vista so I would think that they would work on your GPS as well. They're free too.

[Coach]

Thanks KWP, I'll load those when my GPS shows up. I'll post my findings here.

[Red Rabbit]

Thanks Kent for the filedepot info, I just got the 60csx also on sale, but have not played with it yet.

 

Doug~RR

[jamaro]

SWWWWAAAAEEEEETTTT

THANKS KENT...