Garmin City Navigator maps: what level of detail?

Ands
Ands Posts: 1,437
edited April 2011 in Road beginners
Will the Garmin City Navigator maps show me B roads & country lanes? Not sure if I need the OS maps or whether the City Navigator maps will do. The OS maps are more expensive so would prefer to get the City Navigator. I can't find any info online as to what level of detail you get with the Garmin maps. Thanks
Cannondale Six Carbon

Comments

  • hugo15
    hugo15 Posts: 1,101
    City navigator show all the roads. The OS ones are only needed if you want to go off road.
  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    Save the money and google Open Source Maps, they are free and work just fine. I have the UK and Belgium on my 705 and both have served me well.

    I get mine from this site but there are several based upon the same mapping.
    http://www.velomap.org/
    Scott CR-1 (FCN 4)
    Pace RC200 FG Conversion (FCN 5)
    Giant Trance X

    My collection of Cols
  • Ands
    Ands Posts: 1,437
    OK thanks. Good to know the City maps aren't exclusively for use in the city. I'll look into the Open Source maps.
    Cannondale Six Carbon
  • mattsaw
    mattsaw Posts: 907
    Are the OSM maps fairly easy to install? Does anyone know of any good tutorials?
    Bianchi C2C - Ritte Bosberg - Cervelo R3
    Strava
  • careful
    careful Posts: 720
    I got the OS 1:50k map with the package, but I also have the City Navigator and have been comparing the two for a while now. The OS is great when you are creating courses in Base Camp on the computer, it gives loads of detail and contours etc and can be used to generate a gradient profile. Imo it is too detailed for road use though, especially if you have less than perfect eyesight - it is sometimes tricky to see the route among all the other stuff on the screen. I now use the City Navigator map nearly all the time. I used open source maps on my 705 and was happy with them although they dont give as much detail in towns, and dont give turn by turn directions. I couldnt get them to work on the 800 although I am sure it is possible.
  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    Mattsaw wrote:
    Are the OSM maps fairly easy to install? Does anyone know of any good tutorials?

    Yes very.

    1) Buy a 2G micro SD card and put in Garmin
    2) Download required map
    3) Connect Garmin to PC and access the card via Explorer window
    3) Create /Garmin folder on SD card
    4) Save map as gmapsupp.img in the Garmin folder.
    5) Start the Garmin.
    Scott CR-1 (FCN 4)
    Pace RC200 FG Conversion (FCN 5)
    Giant Trance X

    My collection of Cols
  • Broaders
    Broaders Posts: 89
    Does the garmin only use 2GB SD cards? I have done the above and cant get the garmin to see the 4GB SD card I have them on.
    Boardman AIR 9.8, Zipp 303 Clinchers, SRAM red groupset.
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    Broaders wrote:
    Does the garmin only use 2GB SD cards? I have done the above and cant get the garmin to see the 4GB SD card I have them on.

    Update your firmware
    Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/
  • Broaders
    Broaders Posts: 89
    I did when I bought the machine a couple of weeks ago?
    Boardman AIR 9.8, Zipp 303 Clinchers, SRAM red groupset.
  • peehee
    peehee Posts: 24
    will it fit onto 1gb if not damm i'll have to go shopping :roll:
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,351
    you can try the city navigator europe online, go here...

    https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6299

    click "Coverage Details"

    click "Click to view a detailed, interactive map."

    you'll get the real map to explore

    as in the gps, you can also set how much detail is shown in the demo, but i think the demo omits the most detailed setting

    tbh set for maximum detail the gps shows far more than i've ever wanted/needed, dirt tracks in rural portugal for instance

    i've used it around europe, found it very handy/comprehensive, only tried the autorouting in uk but was pleasantly surprised to find it recognises postcodes

    of course osm is free, but it's convenient to have so many countries in a single map
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • colsoop
    colsoop Posts: 217
    I'm not sure if its helpful but here is a screenshot of the map detail at 0.5 miles (2009 city navigator europe) :

    mapsource.th.jpg
  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    jibberjim wrote:
    Broaders wrote:
    Does the garmin only use 2GB SD cards? I have done the above and cant get the garmin to see the 4GB SD card I have them on.

    Update your firmware

    I'm on the latest software and it works with a 4G fine.

    IIRC the UK maps takes c.300M so will easily fit on a 1G card. I bought a 4G to try and put the whole of Europe on but never got round to it.
    Scott CR-1 (FCN 4)
    Pace RC200 FG Conversion (FCN 5)
    Giant Trance X

    My collection of Cols
  • dr11
    dr11 Posts: 31
    If I download Open Source maps from somewhere like velomap, can I create a route on something like Bike Toaster or Mapmyride, export it and upload to the Garmin and then get turn by turn navigation?
  • careful
    careful Posts: 720
    City navigator show all the roads
    Sadly not quite true hugo15. Sure it will show all the main A and B roads but if you like the country lanes it misses quite a lot, not only in uk but also in Majorca and France and presumably other Euroean countres. I have both maps and use the City Navigator most of the time (less cluttered screen) but switch to the os map for rides involving country lanes. If buying just one, I would go for City Navigator but just be aware of the limitations.

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