Mapping for Garmin Edge 705

[Plax]

Well I finally took the plunge and have bought a Garmin Edge 705 (henceforth known as Gary). It came with a cadence & heart rate monitor. No mapping, just the basic mapping already on it.

I've downloaded the Garmin Training Centre and registered with Garmin Connect.

I'm confused as to what kind of mapping to get now. I've heard (or should say read) people saying to get the DVD version and not the SD version and that the TOPO maps are crap. I take it something like the Garmin City Navigator® Europe NT maps would be what I would be after. I have seen free open source maps such as; http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps
Would this do me? I'm not likely to be going much further than the UK this year. This weekend we're going down to Shropshire to do a little weekend pootling (staying in a YH). I'm also going to start on the Audax scene (Wild Wales Challenge, some CTC 100 milers, might have a mooch on the Audax UK site to see what they've got going etc). So would like to plot my route on that and use the route sheet as a back up.

I've plotted my first course on Bike Route Toaster;
http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com
I've loaded it onto Gary but unfortunately the weather is somewhat rotten. My route takes me up the Llanberis Pass and I don't fancy it in this weather, it's quite misty here so I'll probably not be able to see diddly squat up the Pass (which I found very scary in the car!). Bit gutted about that, I was looking forward to seeing how it worked. I'd set advance warnings for turns and stuff. Fingers crossed it clears up later.
It is a very nice site to use, but I tried to plot the Wild Wales route in it from the details on the website and as you can't type in the name of the place it gets a bit fiddly when you're not 100% certain where on the map they are. Are there any better programs out there for this kind of thing i.e particularly suited to audaxes with obscure place names?

I would like the option to enter a postcode in and get directions that way, which is something I can't do at the moment, although the manual implied that you could, I presume this is only a possibility with the likes of City Navigator?

Essay over
TIA

 

[byegad]

There's a lot to take into consideration.

I recently upgraded from my grey scale Legend, minimal map on board and no SD slot, to a Legend HCx, colour screen and a slot for maps but equally minimal onboard map as standard.

I own a Memory Map set of CD maps for half off the UK which I have beeen using to plot routes on my PC before loading onto my old Legend. So, not needing another PC based mapping system, I've bought an all UK CN Sd card for £35 and a TOPO for 1/3rd of the UK for £50.

I think the CN has all my local rural lanes on board and again I think the TOPO has everything the local OS maps show. I've checked as carefully as I can that this true but cannot be 100% sure as there is a huge amount of detail on the cards!

The TOPO gives a busy looking screen and to see topographical detail I have to use the zoom and scroll on the HCx quite a lot, the roads do show up fairly well through the other detail. The CN only shows roads so if your bag is off road routes it is the wrong option for you.

My plan is to take both SD cards with me when in an unknown, to me, area.

 

[PpPete]

I'm thinking of buying a Legend HCx - just can't decide whether to buy with all of Topo UK on SD card (much cheaper than on DVD), - or just buy the unit and take the OSM option. I think if it was just for bike/road use I'd definitely go with the opensource , but I also want to use for big walks in the hills - and apart from the SMC contour data there is basically no opensource mapping offroad.

 

[a_grumpy_old_man]

The subject of maps for an Edge 705 is discussed in the motionbased forums here http://forums.motionbased.com/smf/index.php?topic=12090.0

Basically it's City Navigator for road, Topo for off road / mountain biking. My 705 came with City Navigator on SD, although it's probably best in your case to get the DVD version and copy it down to SD. A trawl through the MB forums will tell you how.

If you don't want to pay for it, the free open source maps are generally good. I am especially impressed with the cycling and canal maps from mapomatic and I'm using their cycling map on my 705 atm. I'm not sure that it gives postcode support though.

IMHO bikeroutetoaster is the best for plotting rides and d/l'ing them to your 705 because it sorts out waypoints (turns) automatically.

It might be worthwhile also looking at Mapmyride; Bikehike; and the mapping section of RunSaturday which is a superb all round logging / info site full stop.

HTH

Grumpy

 

[Plax]

Nice one Grumpy et al.
I've downloaded a map from the open source site for now. I think I will eventually get a City Navigator one of the UK & Ireland.

 

[ocalld]

a little late but somebody might benefit from the info.



You can always plot your maps in mapsource.

Instructions on how to get mapsource and use opensource maps can be found here:
http://openmtbmap.org/tutorials/enbeginners-starting-guide-dewo-beginnen-tutorial/

and here:
http://openmtbmap.org/tutorials/install/

The mtb maps found on this site are very good.
I own the Topo maps, and basically gave up on the them very quickly and prefered the open source maps.

You can still plot your courses on toaster but view them in mapsource.

hope this helps
Dan

 

[marinyork]

I'm thinking of buying a Legend HCx - just can't decide whether to buy with all of Topo UK on SD card (much cheaper than on DVD), - or just buy the unit and take the OSM option. I think if it was just for bike/road use I'd definitely go with the opensource , but I also want to use for big walks in the hills - and apart from the SMC contour data there is basically no opensource mapping offroad.

I've got a HCx and use it for walks too. I'd not say no offroad data but it could certainly be improved. I've added footpaths from gpx tracks myself.