GPS

[frenchy]

nope...no blank screen....you can aload and add to favorites

What does it show then ? Detail wise...

[lmf1978]

it shows the closest roads.....and there is a way to track your trip so you can backtrack if you get "lost"......plus you can save the destinations as long as there is satellite coverage

[frenchy]

It does if it isnt recognizing a "known" road. It still will show your position relating to other roads around you if your zoomed out far enough. Aperantly you can make and save your own trails, tho i havnt figured out how to do that yet.. whether it requires topo or just the city nav program.. i am waiting to hear back from Dragonmaster about that.

Upload the topo maps and create your trails on that. Would be better then just a blank screen with black lines on it.

With the topo maps, it should look like this...

[JohnB]

i got a Garmin NV650 for christmas. it actually had Wiaprous Valley Rd all the way, which suprised me.But I am wondering if there is any after market trail programs for it other than 'topo'.. when I went to Margaret lake it didnt show anything.. I would like to find a program that knows all or most of the trails and can follow and store your own that you travel..

there is one program offered on the garmin site called "TOPO". does anyone know if its any good. (found here: http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ontheTrail/ )

Yes....  and free!!!

Trail maps: http://members.shaw.ca/calgarytrailmaps/maps.htm

Topo Map project (still in progress): http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/

[Dragonmaster]

It does if it isnt recognizing a "known" road. It still will show your position relating to other roads around you if your zoomed out far enough. Aperantly you can make and save your own trails, tho i havnt figured out how to do that yet.. whether it requires topo or just the city nav program.. i am waiting to hear back from Dragonmaster about that.

Pretty much just run the trail and go into tracks and save the track with the trail name.  Your saved tracks always show without CN or Topo.  The tracks feature is part of all units and you don't need any program to utilize them, however having topo is beneficial as it shows more streams, lakes, rivers etc.

[Tribal Jeep]

havnt figured out how to save tracks.. i am not sure if you can do it on my model. if so then, that is rediculous.
checkin out these topo trails JohnB suggested.. but this dang mac.. i gotta go through my old ladies PC.

[XJHERO]

canyou do this stuff on a tom tom go 510

[SwampSinger]

Tom Tom are for city slikers.....


or Pavement princess driver..... 

You have been hanging too much with XJ wrencher!!! 


who the heck pull that thread from 2 years ago.... holy crap...

[JohnB]

canyou do this stuff on a tom tom go 510

No....

The biggest reason to get a Garmin these days is that there is a huge amount of free mapping available for them.

Also don't get a Mac that does not do the PC simulation...  The amount of GPS software available is little to none.

As I pointed out above, the entire canadian topographic database is available for Garmin maps for free.

A shot of the Margaret Lake Area with Ibycus' Maps.


A shot of the trails in the area with the Calgary Trail Maps.  Note on the GPS, you will see these both at the same time.

[XJHERO]

Tom Tom are for city slikers.....


or Pavement princess driver..... 

You have been hanging too much with XJ wrencher!!! 


who the heck pull that thread from 2 years ago.... holy crap...

I got a tom tom from work, xmass gift
i was hoppin it could do more than get me to the closest gas station.

[Tribal Jeep]

Looks like my Garmin Nuvi 650, does not have the Mapsource program required to use the programs JohnB pointed out. That would also explain why I cant save/create my own trails.. I will be calling Garmin tomorrow to see if there is something I am missing, or if there is some way of getting the Mapsource program. If this is not the case, then I will be exchanging my gps for another more compatible and customizable model.

[FiEND]

Looks like my Garmin Nuvi 650, does not have the Mapsource program required to use the programs JohnB pointed out. That would also explain why I cant save/create my own trails.. I will be calling Garmin tomorrow to see if there is something I am missing, or if there is some way of getting the Mapsource program. If this is not the case, then I will be exchanging my gps for another more compatible and customizable model.

http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories/mapsourcecanadiandifferences.htm

[JohnB]

You don't need Mapsource.  There are other programs available for uploading and download maps and track to the unit.  Or you can find Mapsource on the net, if you look.

However, I'm not sure if the Nuvis support tracks but they probably do.  They certainly support uploadng maps.  You just need an SD card.

[JohnB]

I have not tried this, but....  It is supposed to be a way to get Mapsource for free.

Download "training center", http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-04 and install.

Then download the latest update to Mapsource, http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=209 and install.

[Tribal Jeep]

well I called garmin and they gave me some discouraging news. the Nuvi 650 unit that I have does not act like other units. It is unable to use some of the other third party programs such as the maps by Marco Dipol, and it attaches as a removable hard drive. it does not utilize drivers or the USB in ways that other units do. You can buy the canada topo maps sd cards, but there is no way of making or saving your own trails or "tracks".

He told me that i should buy a second unit that is more offroad capable if that is what i want to use it for..

I am going to email the marco dipol and see if there is a patch or something that would help me load those calgary area trails on my nuvi.

in the mean time, what gps units are you guys using and how do you like them so far? I am going to take his advice and look into a more capable unit.