question for anyone whos got a garmin

[bonj2]

it says on garmins website,

"Edge 605 comes with a built-in basemap, plus it has a microSD™ card slot for adding map detail and storing workouts, courses and saved rides. Just plug in optional, detailed MapSource® City Navigator® street maps on a preloaded data card and get turn-by-turn directions on a sunlight-readable, colour display as you pedal."

does that mean you have to buy the add on city navigator detail map to do navigation AT ALL, or just for fine city detail ? i.e. can you do navigation of planned routes without the extra detail map but just only on major-ish roads, and how major is major, i.e. how much detail does the basemap go down to?

 

[1LegRikk]

Unless all you want to do is follow A roads and motorways you need the city navigator yes.
You also can't do auto routing on the base map either.

 

[bonj2]

oh right ok thanks rikk.

do you know if the software that comes with it (MapSource?) enables you to create a route file of waypoints (i.e. where i create the route rather than it deciding the quickest route like a car gps does) and upload it to it,or do I have to buy such software separately. I've seen lots of articles that suggest that memory-map does that but its site isn't the most intuitive and i can't figure out how much it costs or whether i actually need it in the first place if I want to just create a route to follow.
I'm wondering also if the file it uses to describe the route is binary or just xml like a kml file is, if so I could create it myself.

 

[1LegRikk]

You can create routes, best bet is something like.......where's it gone...
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/ and upload this to your gps, this will also do auto routing for you so can just put in start/finish.
But bare in mind all you'll have on the gps will be this track, if you went off course on minor roads it knows nothing about them your basicly following a breadcrumb trail.

 

[Will1985]

If you've pre-planned your routes and loaded them onto your Garmin, the base map suffices IMO. The basemap only shows major roads, but it has villages named - even the small village (<150) where my parents live is on there - so you still have a good sense of what direction you are going it might be good enough.

If you are riding in the country, don't bother. If you need to find your way around the city, it would be more useful. A pocket A-Z is cheaper!

 

[1LegRikk]

Or if you didn't need auto routing on the device you can download these opensource cycle maps and install those http://www.mapomatic.net/garmin-maps-download/
Great if your going to be creating routes in bike toaster and just want all the roads etc on your device.

Ooops, forgot the link to the main site you so can explore the maps http://www.opencyclemap.org/

edit 2, the opensource mapping guys should have auto routing working on these in the near future as well

 

[cheadle hulme]

I've just replaced the topo maps on mine with the OS one in Rikks link to experiment with.

So far so good, though there are a few gaps near me. Better than topo for staying on road though. Even better when they get the auto routing working too!

 

[bonj2]

right, cheers all.
I've found http://cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=15438&highlight=garmin&page=2 <<
this threadis what i was looking for. am following dodgy's advice to get the DVD version of mapsource city navigator, rather than the SD card.

 

[dodgy]

right, cheers all.
I've found http://cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=15438&highlight=garmin&page=2 <<
this threadis what i was looking for. am following dodgy's advice to get the DVD version of mapsource city navigator, rather than the SD card.

Check out my site, there is now a workaround to using SD card mapping data on your PC. Might save you a few quid, but please take note of the possible performance issue on my site.

 

[Marko62]

Just want to jump in for a quick question if no one minds not worth making a thread, I'm after a 305 and am wondering if the rear cadence sensor also acts as a speed sensor? I have a Cateye V3 atm and it's great for turbo work, I will want the 305 to do the same role so in a nutshell, can the 305 read speed data straight form the sensor or is it gps only?

 

[Will1985]

Marko62 - The GSC-10 sensor which measures cadence also does speed and works with both the 305 and 705.

 

[Marko62]

Ta for the quick reply