For those who don’t want to deal with learning the software, taking the time required to create USGS topographic maps for your Garmin, or figuring out how to install the maps in MapSource or BaseCamp for upload to your Garmin GPS, you now have the option of ordering USGS 1:24K topo maps in Moagu or BMap2MP Garmin-compatible formats directly from me. Maps will be delivered as a Windows executable that installs them automatically in MapSource and BaseCamp.
Note: USGS topographic maps only; no aerial or satellite imagery.
A. The first thing you should do is check to make sure that you’ll be happy with the map quality and performance on your Garmin GPS unit:
1. You’ll need a copy of Garmin MapSource (aka Trip and Waypoint Manager), or Garmin’s BaseCamp software, installed on your Windows PC to view the maps and upload them to your Garmin GPS unit. MapSource comes with many of Garmin’s paid mapsets, and with some of its GPS units (e.g. it came with my 60Cx). BaseCamp software is free, and can be downloaded directly from the Garmin website; the included MapInstall utility lets you select and upload maps to your GPS.
2. You should also check the list of compatible Garmin GPS units to make sure yours can view the maps. To evaluate map performance, download and install the sample mapsets listed below to get a feeling for how well they work on your unit; the zip files include both the installer executable and a GPX waypoint file to make locating the maps in MapSource/BaseCamp, and on your GPS, easier. You can install both types of maps in Mapsource/BaseCamp, and on your GPS, at the same time to compare their look and performance. There are two kinds of sample mapsets available:
Moagu maps – The original map format. For USGS topo maps, these have the best on-screen contrast, and also do a better job with closely-spaced details like contour lines in steep areas. But display draw speed can be fairly slow, and you can’t zoom in closer than the 500-ft. (120-m) zoom level without the image starting to break up into individual pixels. Download the sample map installer for Moagu maps here.
BMap2MP maps – Created using Moagu’s BMap2MP GUI for the original free BMap2MP utility. Contrast isn’t as good as Moagu maps, and it has difficulty dealing with fine detail like closely-spaced contour lines. Display draw speed is about 2-3x faster for these maps than Moagu maps, and they don’t break up into pixels when you zoom in. IMHO, a better choice for USGS topo maps. Download the sample map installer for BMap2MP maps here.
3. Use MapSource or BaseCamp/MapInstall to upload the maps to your GPS unit. For best viewing in Mapsource/BaseCamp, set the detail level to “Higher” and zoom in to at least the o.3-mile (500-m) zoom level. If you upload the GPX waypoint, you can use this to zoom in quickly to the map area; select the waypoint with the “Find Waypoint” function, select the “Map” option in the waypoint screen, then zoom in to the map area. For viewing on your GPS unit, you should zoom in to the 500-ft. (120-m) zoom level, as this is the closest map scale to the original 1:24K scale of the USGS topos. The color scheme on these topo maps has been simplified to improve map performance; any green color is converted to white, and some map colors are merged with other colors (e.g. light blue is merged with dark blue).
B. If you find the map performance and quality of the sample mapset satisfactory, you’re ready to order the maps:
1. Make a list of the names of USGS topographic maps you want converted to Garmin format, along with the state they’re located in. A great tool for locating USGS topographic map locations and names is the DDS Mapfinder for Google Earth. Maps need to be contiguous (i.e. touching each other), with a maximum of nine maps total (a 3 x 3 matrix).
2. Specify what kind of map you want, Moagu or BMap2MP. I recommend BMap2MP maps because of the faster display draw speed, but can supply them in either format. Check out the sample mapsets above to help you decide which one you want.
3. Specify the mapset name; this will be the name the mapset is listed under in MapSource or BaseCamp.
4. If you have other custom mapsets installed on your computer, it would be helpful for you to provide me with the Family ID codes (FID) for these mapsets, so that I can choose a number that doesn’t conflict. You can use the free utility Mapset Toolkit to find out what FIDs are currently in use on your system. If this doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry – I’ll choose a high number that’s very unlikely to conflict with any other mapsets, and will re-do the mapset at no cost in the unlikely case that there is a conflict.
5. If you have a preference for the map ID numbers used, you can give that as well. As above, don’t worry too much about this.
6. Send me an email with the above information, and I’ll get back to you with a quote and delivery time. Pricing is $10 for the the first topo map, and $5 for each additional map. For example, three maps would be $10 + 2 x $5 = $20; the maximum nine maps would be $10 + 8 x $5 = $50. Payment is by PayPal only, and must be paid in advance; no refunds except for cases where I can’t provide the maps you’ve ordered for technical or logistical reasons.
C. Turnaround time will vary depending on my schedule, but I expect to be able to turn around most mapset requests in about 24 hours; if it will take significantly longer, I’ll let you know before you place your order. After I’ve created the mapset, you will receive a download link to a zip file containing the following:
- The original USGS topographic map files in GeoTiff format; you can open these in any graphics editing program or GIS software. A nice free graphics editor is Paint.Net; free GIS programs include Quantum GIS and MapWindow.
- All maps de-collared and combined into one single GeoTiff file. “De-collaring” means removing all parts of the original map file outside the map area, including white space, map legend, scalebar, title, etc.. This will give you a contiguous map image with no gaps, useful for viewing and printing with a graphics editing program or GIS program.
- A Windows executable that will upload all the maps to a compatible Garmin GPS unit connected via the USB interface. This uploader is not locked to any one GPS, so you can distribute it freely to as many people as you like.
- A Windows executable that will install your custom mapset for use in MapSource/BaseCamp. This installer is not locked to any one GPS, so you can distribute it freely to as many people as you like.
- A GPX file with a single waypoint located in the center of your mapset; this will help you locate the maps in MapSource/BaseCamp, and on your GPX unit.
- Other files if necessary (but they shouldn’t be).
Any other questions? Drop me a line.