Author Topic: What maps do you use on the etrex 20x?  (Read 595 times)

Reinhardt

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What maps do you use on the etrex 20x?
« on: 23:10:19, 27/11/18 »
I'm seriously thinking about getting an etrex 20x, but need to get my head around the maps situation (never used a GPS before).


I gather there are cheap/free map options so I'm interested to hear what works well.


I plan to use the GPS for UK mountain hiking (Lake District, Snowdonia, Cairngorms etc). I expect I'll primarily stick with a map and compass, using the GPS more when visibility is poor or when I want to double check my location etc.


I always use 1:25k OS paper maps. Do you need 1:25k on a GPS, or can you get away with 1:50k if complementing a paper map?

sussamb

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Re: What maps do you use on the etrex 20x?
« Reply #1 on: 06:29:42, 28/11/18 »
1:50K maps aren't good on the small Etrex screen, as both they and indeed the 1:25K are raster maps, so basically copies of paper maps.  As you zoom in they tend to blur.  BirdsEye Select allows you to download 25K maps as and when you need them, you pay £19.99 for 3000 sq kms

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/86339

Free OSM mapping is vector mapping, this doesn't blur as you zoom in.  I use these although they aren't updated that regularly, but I like the style https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-BtzqG8Y_Z0fkwxRm5vOWNjOEdHZGlUTUYzM0p3dEFmaTVMcHowNjBsZ3RXUWh6QzVfMkU

Various other maps are available, I've tried all these and it's just a question of finding what suits you best:

https://talkytoaster.me.uk/ but only his free ones, I had the paid ones a while back and find them too cluttered
http://www.openfietsmap.nl/downloads/europe
http://www.freizeitkarte-osm.de/garmin/en/index.html
http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/
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ninthace

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Re: What maps do you use on the etrex 20x?
« Reply #2 on: 08:58:45, 28/11/18 »
I use Birdseye Select 25k as my primary mapping for my Etrex 30 which can be enlarged on the screen up to 1cm to 50m without unacceptable distortion although I normally use the 1cm to 120m scale.  The maps can be downloaded as rectangular tiles to cover the areas you are interested in so you are not paying for maps of places you do want to walk. For example, I have one tile for Dartmoor and one for Exmoor but the Coastal Path is a series of thin strips.


Birdseye Select can be used for other countries too.  I have a set of tiles for Austria which are zoomable versions of the Kompass maps.


I also have the Cachemap obtainable from the link Sussamb gave you the link to and Freizeitkarte maps of UK and Austria.  These are useful because they can be used for planning in the Garmin Basecamp app.  They can also be used to navigate with so if I happen to walk of the Birdseye map tile I have downloaded  I can switch to them.


Finally let me mention GoogleEarth. If you plot a route on GE you can import it into Garmin Basecamp which will convert it to a format the Etrex can use. Useful for planning walks on paths that are not on the map.
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