Your Garmin help, please

Just plugged it in and I get E: which is the 705, and F: which appears to be the SD card in the Garmin, in there is a file called gmapsup

It might be a bit different on the 705 but on the 800 it's in settings (spanner icon) > system > map > map info...

If you only have basemap in there you will have a extremely basic map which will leave your routes floating in space unless you hit major roads...

I'd have to check, but I had thought that this unit was described as coming with the full maps package.

What would the filename for that be and I'll search for it?

This is the Garmin ad https://www.lfgss.com/thread60652.html it does say that there is a 4Gb card in there with US and Euro maps, and the one in the unit is a 2Gb, so maybe the right one is in the box.

Now to find the box...

gmapsup is the file that contains whatever maps have been uploaded. I guess the question is what maps, if any, do you have in there... how big is that file? If there's a map there, you'll need to check it's enabled on the unit (in settings (spanner icon) > system > map > map info...)

One of the most popular seems to be City Navigator-Europe NT but there are loads available....

Settings>Map>Show Map Name:
(Tick box) Series Name
(Tick box) CN North America NT 2011.20

There is a tick in both tick boxes, neither of them sound like Euro maps though!

And on the SD card we have:

gmapsupp, Disc Image File, 1,303,616 KB

And on the SD card we have:

gmapsupp, Disc Image File, 1,303,616 KB

I think that's the size of the US Maps only. So, at a guess, I'd say that's all you have, unless you have another card somewhere?

I found the box and had a search, nope, just this card.

Let me guess, City Navigator Europe is going to be a million pounds?

Not quite, it's about £60. I think you can get a UK one for about half that too.

Of course, there are many ways to get these without paying too if you are familiar with certain, less scrupulous, corners of the internet...

Look at openstreetmap for free.
The detail is better than any of the garmin maps

Look at the thread http://www.lfgss.com/thread379.html

Can a non-technical person load the openstreetmap maps without resorting to self harming?

yep - good advice is here...

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

I think I used 110805-GB-GMAPSUPP.IMG...

Great, I will haev a look at that - thanks.

Does Garmin use DRM of any kind with their maps?

As in, if a friend copied his Euro maps onto an SD card and "lent" it to me, would it work, or would there be copy protection that would stop this cunning scheme?

yep - good advice is here...

http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm

I think I used 110805-GB-GMAPSUPP.IMG...

All done and looks like it's working, I used 110805-British-Isles+Contours-Routable-GMAPSUPP.IMG

Thanks for the advice- I will report back when I've tested it

I've got an older Garmin Etrex Unit, it tends to be a little inaccurate. Is there any way to make the tracks lock to roads - either on the GPS itself or by editing the track post-ride?

There is an option in the settings of mine called "lock to road"

I've got an older Garmin Etrex Unit, it tends to be a little inaccurate. Is there any way to make the tracks lock to roads - either on the GPS itself or by editing the track post-ride?

A few questions, what etrex are you using?
What software or method are you using to create your tracks? and are the associated maps "routable". Is the software set to "follow" roads. etc.
How inaccurate are the tracks? i.e. a metre, 50 metres?

It's the Venture HC. I'm using a Routable Open Street Map but I don't think the unit itself is routable so perhaps locking onto roads is not possible? I certainly can't see any option in the menu.

The tracks aren't all that inaccurate. Perhaps 50m at the most. Just enough that on Strava some of the hill segments are not registered, a little annoying.

It's the Venture HC. I'm using a Routable Open Street Map but I don't think the unit itself is routable so perhaps locking onto roads is not possible? I certainly can't see any option in the menu.

The tracks aren't all that inaccurate. Perhaps 50m at the most. Just enough that on Strava some of the hill segments are not registered, a little annoying.

Even with my basic etrex with no mapping i found the accuracy to be something less than 3 metres indicating it is not your unit.

Are you creating routes or tracks ?. In my lmited experience I use mapsource to create a route using the point and click option as opposed to waypoints. I then use gpsvisualizer to transpose this to a track and load this onto my etrex and then use the follow track option.

Accuracy is normally within a few metres and mostly better.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=7de83e82a6e84761#!/?cid=7de83e82a6e84761&sc=documents&uc=1&id=7DE83E82A6E84761!135

Look at the gpx file in the link "to boxhill" how does it compare with your tracks?

I think it's an issue with how often track points are recorded. I upped the interval to "More Often" for a short ride today and it seemed more accurate and didn't use up all that much extra memory.

Just looked at my track log for the dunwich dynamo.
The log has 2600 points giving something like an update interval of 15 seconds.

Anybody ever had a garbled ride like this recorded?

http://connect.garmin.com/player/109337088

Maybe paused the timer and forgot to turn it on until later in the route? Looks like it stopped recording the route but then started to pick it up later in the ride? I've done this myself when stopping for a break, but just leave it set up for autopause now. Otherwise, just some Garmin freakery..?

I actually turned the timer on and off before and after the group ride, which normally gives me laps. Not this time so.