Garmin mapping software
Submitted: Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007 at 23:25
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simple
i'm buying a GPS and am looking at either the Garmin gpsmap60cx or the magellan explorist500.
they're prett similar machines, i think my decision is going to come down to the mapping programs.
the DiscoverAus that comes with the magellan appears to be very good and fairly easy to use. its based on 1:25,000 maps where as the OzTopo program through GPSoz is based on 1:250,000 and so not quite as detailed.
so my question really is.
Is there any other Topo mapping programs that work with the Garmin that are as good as DiscoverAus???
Reply By: Skippy In The GU - Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 00:38
Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 00:38
Oztopo and Shonkmaps come close , but maybe not as good as DiscoverAus. The new Crossover looks very nice , you also have to look at the screan size, 60cx and Exp500 are very small compared to Crossover-Map 270c, but there still isn't anything out there that will be 100% correct, roads and tracks do get closed off at anytime. A gazetted road sometimes gets fenced off by the farmers.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 02:02
Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 02:02
"Oztopo and Shonkmaps come close"
With all due respect - you must be kidding!
DiscoverAus Streets and Tracks (V1 and Topo versions) have detail down to street level i.e. all streets, in all cities and towns in Australia (at the time the map data was compiled). Oztopo (~T4A) and Shonkymaps only show (with respect to roads) main highways and some tracks - no detail what so ever at street level and certainly not the out of town track detail available on Magellan S&T map products. This is not to say maps available for Garmins wont suit any one persons requirements but they (Oztopo (~T4A) and Shonkymaps) cant be regarded as "coming close" to Magellans DAST in any significant respect - they are way, way off. Suspect main drawcard for some is that the Garmin maps in question are free...but they come at the cost of a lack of detail. T4A and Shonky were made by desperate (but creative) Garmin users who had no other option, besides going without or buying a Magellan and using their superior (a fact, not my opinion) map product.
Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: Skippy In The GU - Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 09:24
Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 09:24
Ok I made a mistake Explorer, it's been over 3 years since I've seen a DiscoverAus map, I can't remember how much more detail it had then.
I knew they were better but didn't know how much more.
Everyone just buys the Garmin products like me and get ripped off the price we pay for crappy maps. My next GPS might just be the Crossover, it has everything I need.
I know Mapsource doesn't have every town in Australia in it's database.
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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 01:25
Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 01:25
I have the Garmin and found it to be a little easier to learn, its more intuitive I think, BUT, once you learn them theyre the same I reckon. The maps doont make the difference in my opinion. I have CityNavigator 6 and find it has MANY of the outback roads and T4A has the rest but it doesnt replace the paper maps in the outback, I prefer to use the Hema maps and input the waypoints of major turnoffs and then setup a rote using the waypoints. Have found that any GPSmap product is inaccurate out bush.
If u use a PDA with OziExplorer then u have pinpoint accuracy, and outback this is my preferred option.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - graeme W (WA) - Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 21:09
Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 at 21:09
We purchased the magelland xl explorist before going on both the central road and the
holland track.Discov aust tracks has about the same detail as the hema and westprint maps of the same areas.Better than i thought it would be and easy to use.Cost is a bit high compared to others but probibly worth it.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Robin Miller - Friday, Sep 07, 2007 at 08:20
Friday, Sep 07, 2007 at 08:20
Hi Simple
I have not compared those two handhelds in detail , but do run both softwares
DiscoverAus and its Garmin rival City Navigator
Discover Aus has more country tracks which include a lot of errors and old information.
Out of the mainline GPS's the Magellan XL and its Garmin equivalent the GPS276c I choose the Garmin mainly for technical reasons.
The Garmin City navigator is fairly good but when the free Shonky troppo contour maps are used in conjunction with it (as the 276c allows) one ends up with powerful additional data which is probably the best there is for self contained GPS products.
Robin Miller
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