WestTexas

You'll find that you'll use MapSource for all of your map/route/track/etc management. You basically run MapSource as your "generic" GPS manager, and you pick which set of CD's you have, ie... Topo, etc.

One of the new formats it supports is .GPX, which is the "universal" format that most new GPS units can read, and what Google Earth can open.

I also use the National Geographic Topo State series for Texas, since it seems that NG's topos are much more current and detailed than what's on MapSource. But of course you only get the state you buy, not the whole USA like in MapSource, and they're pricey.

However, I did find the NG State Topo CD's invaluable for one specific item: The Lone Star Hiking Trail is CLEARLY marked on NG's Texas CDs, and they have a very cool route drawing tool that I used to trace the LSHT trail and then have it generate GPS routes which I can export directly to my Garmin eTrex.

Regards,
WT

lphilpot

At some point, I suspect my curiosity will get the better of me and I'll try my hand at making some maps, but that's a ways off.

Thanks!

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Len Philpot
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lphilpot

I'm discovering that you're right, with one exception (so far) - MapSource apparently can't merge multiple waypoint files. Every time a new one is loaded, it replaces the previous set of wpts, and I've not found any explicit way of merging them. So, I convert the various *.loc files to *.gpx if necessary using GPSBabel, merge them all in GPS TrackMaker (which has a few other neat features, including displaying tracks overlaid on imagery in Google Earth) and save them as one *.gpx that can then be loaded into MapSource.

I found a world map on the Internet and added it to MapSource* - Now I can pan around wherever I want, zoom in and then switch to the appropriate MapSource collection to view details. Without the worldmap, I'm always panning "off the edge" of the MapSource maps.

Now, if the clouds will EVER move on...

* There were no instructions, but I figured out what registry keys needed to be added and their values were pretty obvious.

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Len Philpot
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Electric Water Boy

Garmin and online auctions:

"To obtain warranty service, an original or copy of the sales receipt from the original retailer is required. Online auction confirmations are not accepted for warranty verification, and Garmin will not replace missing components from any package purchased through an online auction. "

Bummer. Maybe. I had a Lowrance IFinder GO2 that was meeting my needs until some &$&$$ took it out of my truck. SO now I've been looking at the Garmin 60 CSX and 76 CSX. I like the $300 price (after redbate) of the 60. I like that the 76 has twice the memory and floats - but's $150 more. Except that I just saw that West Marine has it on sell for $350. Santa may have to come early...

BigBendHiker

I have a Garmin 60CSx. Great GPSr for both hiking and city nav. You cannot go wrong with it. I have a 1 Gig MicroSD card in mine and have almost all of the City Navigator map on it, plus topo maps, plus the National Parks maps.

BBH

WestTexas

I meant to post this back in June, but time got away from me. I had loved my various Garmin Legend eTrex units, but did notice that when deep in the piney woods the signal would drop.

So I opted for the GPSmap 60Cx (same as the CSx but without the altimeter,etc). Aside from the fact that the display is about 50% larger than the Legend, it sports the new SiRFStarIII GPS chipset, which is super sensitive. Heck, I got great signal with it sitting on my desk inside the house! Packed it 20 miles into the Colorado Needle mountain area this summer and even deep in canyons totally covered by trees, it didn't hiccup once. And in 5 days I never had to change the batteries.

It even got submerged when crossing a stream, and I landed on it and rode it down when slipping down a scree rock area. Go Garmin!

WT