Author Topic: Etrex 20 or Etrex 20x..any real world difference looking at the screens ..  (Read 2921 times)

Slowcoach

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 605
It's all uphill from here.

GnP

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2052
I deleted the Garmin base map on the unit and then transfered the Open Source map directly to the unit into the space thus created in its memory .
Everything works well and seems quicker to load possibly because the map data does not have to be read from the sd card but directly from the unit itself .

What does not work now though is the Ordnance Survey mapping on the other sd card and it locks the unit up . It is odd as it worked previously .      ( even though I actually think the card is not totally authentic . I bought it cheaply on E Bay ) . ???
So I am still in the position of not being able to access both maps on my little gps at will .

The positives are that the Open Source map opens quicker and seems to be able to be zoom in and out quicker also . It was this map I use all of the time .

So I am ok with that and now I may still look for another cheap etrex 20x or etrex 30 which have the higher resolution screens . Then pop the sd card with Ordnance Survey into it and pray ....
I still want to be able to access both Open Source and Ordnance Survey maps.. ???
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

sussamb

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8011
Seems weird that the OS map worked previously but now doesn't.  However cards do go bad and/or files get corrupted.  Did you by any chance back up the card when you got it?  If so try copying the files back to the card.
Where there's a will ...

GnP

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2052

I didn`t back it up . I haven`t used it much either , because of the reasons you give ..the rasta map is not great .
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Eyelet

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 464
G&P - a few suggestions to try  :o

The Garmin-supplied 1-50k Ordnance Survey OS) map file that came with my old GPSMAP 62 is 3.2Gb. According to the GPSrChive the Etrex 20x only has 3.7Gb available. How big is your Open Source (OSM) map? Should it fit?

What happens if you delete the Open Source (OSM) map from the device internal storage and then re-try the card with the Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping? Does the OS map work?

If you put the card into a card reader and open BaseCamp, can you see the OS mapping?

This might help determine if the card or the OS map file(s) are corrupt.

I wonder if the device is freezing because it is trying to load both the vector and raster maps at once? Sussamb will correct me if I am wrong, but I think when you put a card with a raster map into a device and turn it on, by default that map is enabled in Map Setup. It is worth taking the OS card out, turn on the device and turn off the OSM vector map so you have a blank screen. Turn off, put the card back in, turn back on and see if the OS map is enabled and visible. If it is, don’t try and enable both the OSM vector map and the OS raster map at the same time.

Last suggestion is in future to use a bigger card (GPSrChive say the device should take cards up to 32Gb) and put both OS and OSM map files onto it. It might be slightly slower, but you will have plenty of headroom for other maps. You could also try making some CustomMaps in Google Earth KMZ format of the areas you are walking in to see how much better raster imaging can be compared to Garmin's offering. There is a tutorial here: https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=cVuMqGHWaM7wTFWMkPNLN9 and JPG map images up to A3 size are available to download from the DEFRA Magic map site.

Good luck!

BTW I believe the reason the Garmin OS raster maps are so poor is that they downsampled the jpg resolution so that they could minimise the file size and map loading time on older devices.
« Last Edit: 10:33:11, 17/02/21 by Eyelet »

sussamb

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8011
Certainly worth trying but maps are read before the device becomes ready whether they are enabled or not. Same is true of any BirdsEye files. Having said that I have the OS map and 4 OSM maps on my Etrex 20 and it is ready in under a minute.
Where there's a will ...

Eyelet

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 464
That makes sense Sussamb, that explains why you get error messages if the BirdsEye JNX isn't authenticated first!


What are the file sizes of your maps?

GnP

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2052
Eyelet thanks . I have just tried opening the OS mapping in Basecamp using a card reader . It starts well then the loading symbol turns red and it locks out and nothing shows.

It is a 16GB card and from what I recall most of that memory is used up . It is 1:25k mapping and the whole of GB so lots of data...
For some odd reason East England has disappeared from the OS mapping data. That I do know, because the list of areas showed it at one stage ( a day or two back) then it didn`t...that was before it gave up the ghost completely.. Maybe it got deleted in some odd way when I was deleting the maps from my units memory .



So is the card or the files corrupted . Maybe the files..Does it need all the areas intact to load properly . I don`t know.

That thing about Garmin downsizing the resolution makes sense and clears a  few things up in my mind anyway...The OS map took ages to open up when it was working ( I have no patience so felt like ages) ..I can only imagine how long it would take with higher resolution mapping and also the size of SD cards are limited to 32Gb in the Etrex`s , so may not have been big enough to hold all of that very high resolution mapping.
I understand that the etrex`s are relatively old tech now compared to the later incarnations .

I read that it can take 6 months or even a year for all the glitches to be ironed out with every  new model of  Garmin GPS units . In a sense the first time buyers are used as guinea pigs to trial them .

« Last Edit: 12:30:42, 17/02/21 by GinAndPlatonic »
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

GnP

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2052
Certainly worth trying but maps are read before the device becomes ready whether they are enabled or not. Same is true of any BirdsEye files. Having said that I have the OS map and 4 OSM maps on my Etrex 20 and it is ready in under a minute.
Sussamb , do you have the 1.50k or 1:25k OS mapping ?
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

sussamb

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8011
Where there's a will ...

Eyelet

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 464

It is a 16GB card and from what I recall most of that memory is used up. It is 1:25k mapping and the whole of GB so lots of data...
My Garmin 1-25k OS map files total 13.9Gb, so you are right - not much room left on a 16Gb card - but note that some disreputable brands of mSD cards don't actually hold the stated capacity which is why I only use a decent brand from a reliable source (i.e. not counterfeit) in my device (I use SanDisk)!

For some odd reason East England has disappeared from the OS mapping data. That I do know, because the list of areas showed it at one stage ( a day or two back) then it didn`t...that was before it gave up the ghost completely.. Maybe it got deleted in some odd way when I was deleting the maps from my units memory.
I presume the file is physically still there in the \Garmin card folder?

Does it need all the areas intact to load properly.
AFAIK you can load just one or all five 1-25k maps, I don't think you need them all for just one to work.

... the size of SD cards are limited to 32Gb in the Etrex`s , so may not have been big enough to hold all of that very high resolution mapping.
They do fit onto a 32Gb card but I don't know about the loading time on an Etrex.
 
I read that it can take 6 months or even a year for all the glitches to be ironed out with every  new model of  Garmin GPS units . In a sense the first time buyers are used as guinea pigs to trial them .
That's certainly true. I upgraded to a GPSMAP 66st when my trusty GPSMAP62 failed after 7 years hard use as I had worn a hole in the rubber on/off button cover and water got in!  It took a year for the bugs to all get sorted out but the 66 is a fine device and I am very happy with it. I would not bother with the Garmin TOPOActive map option though. Open Source alternatives are better.
« Last Edit: 12:33:30, 17/02/21 by Eyelet »

GnP

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2052
Eyelet I rechecked and the east England section has actually gone ..


  That's certainly true. I upgraded to a GPSMAP 66st when my trusty GPSMAP62 failed after 7 years hard use as I had worn a hole in the rubber on/off button cover and water got in!  It took a year for the bugs to all get sorted out but the 66 is a fine device and I am very happy with it. I would not bother with the Garmin TOPOActive map option though. Open Source alternatives are better.

Do you have OS mapping on your 66st .  If you do what is the resolution like , and  raster mapping can be pretty good , if the resolution is good initially ?
I really like the Open Source mapping for viewing. The only down side for me is that some paths are missing compared to OS mapping , but then OS mapping is certainly not perfect .

 
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Eyelet

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 464
I have made do with my old 2014-era OS maps but have newer raster mapping for Spain for example which has certainly better resolution on the device, but obviously not quite as good as vector maps. I haven't seen the latest Garmin OS offerings so cannot compare them to the old one.

You will get a reasonable idea of the resolution if you create a KMZ CustomMap as mentioned above and import it into your device or mSD card via BaseCamp. GPSrChive have a better tutorial here - > Maps > Map Types > KMZ > User Created takes you to the tutorial.

You are right about some missing paths on Open Source maps, but if you walk them and capture the path as a GPX track, you can load the track yourself to OpenStreetMap and have the satisfaction of having contributed to the accuracy of the mapping with a new path added O0
« Last Edit: 19:48:40, 17/02/21 by Eyelet »

GnP

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2052
I have made do with my old 2014-era OS maps but have newer raster mapping for Spain for example which has certainly better resolution on the device, but obviously not quite as good as vector maps. I haven't seen the latest Garmin OS offerings so cannot compare them to the old one.

You will get a reasonable idea of the resolution if you create a KMZ CustomMap as mentioned above and import it into your device or mSD card via BaseCamp. GPSrChive have a better tutorial here - > Maps > Map Types > KMZ > User Created takes you to the tutorial.

You are right about some missing paths on Open Source maps, but if you walk them and capture the path as a GPX track, you can load the track yourself to OpenStreetMap and have the satisfaction of having contributed to the accuracy of the mapping with a new path added O0

Thanks for that Eyelet , all interesting . I have bookmarked GPSrChive and with all this rain lately , it will while away an hour or so attempting to create a map .


I can get the concepts of what for me can be challenging academic stuff , but don`t always have the mental stamina to follow through what may seem run of the mill for some .  :-\
The first thing that entered my mind when looking at that map creator was how or if the unit and map could track up when being used  .
I remember that the OS map was incapable of track up and would always display North up .


From all the very helpful replies to this thread I understand my little etrex so much more now too . I am continually impressed by how much tech can be crammed into a small gadget nowadays .
I know for sure that my walking would not be half as fulfilling if it was not for these hand held GPS`s in the last decade .
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

Eyelet

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 464
Eyelet I rechecked and the east England section has actually gone ..

I should have suggested this yesterday - it is worth scanning the card with a file recovery program like Rucuva to see if the deleted East England file can be recovered.


The first thing that entered my mind when looking at that map creator was how or if the unit and map could track up when being used.
I remember that the OS map was incapable of track up and would always display North up.

I just checked to be sure and the CustomMap I just created can be used North Up or Track Up. I routinely use OS mapping displayed as Track Up, so not seen any problems.

One tip for the test map is to centre the DEFRA map where your GPSr is, that way when you load the map into the device and enabled it, you don't have to scroll to find it. Let us know how you get on.

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy