OSM maps for Garmin GPS

[bernieq]

Ok, GPS map66 shouldn't have any problem.

Each map file should download as a single file; they are not big enough to need to be segmented.

You don't need Basecamp to load the maps to the gps - just copy the map file directly into the /garmin folder on the sd card. (ie turn off gps, take sd out of gps, insert sd in card reader, connect to mac, copy file to /garmin folder, eject sd, reinstall sd in gps, turn on gps)

However, this link is to a mac legacy version of basecamp :
https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... sp?id=4939

[andrewp]

Hi all,

Another set of new maps based on OSM data from 17 Oct 2020.

Queensland now has contour and hydro data from QTopo. A big improvement. WA and NT now the only ones without accurate contours and hydro. WA has data available, but only by subscription. Strange, when freely available from all other jurisdictions.

I've also used new state boundaries with less overlap. Actually no overlap where the borders are straight lines, and just a little where they are wiggly lines i.e. VIC/NSW along the Murray and NSW/QLD where it follows the Dumaresq, Macintyre and Barwon rivers. These winding sections are a bit problematic with overlaps, particularly NSW/QLD. Sometimes a forest area from one state protrudes into the other and obscures details from the other. If you are walking close to the border you may need to disable the other state map.

I've noticed that the NSW contour data are not very good close to the QLD border. Contour steps vary suddenly from 10m to 20m and 50m and some even 100m. Contour lines just stops. There are good examples (or rather bad) in Mt Nothofagus NP and Koreelah NP. As far as I can tell they are the same on Six maps online.

Cheers

[kelv]

Hi andrewp,

As far as I'm concerned you've provided the holy grail of map data, thank you so much for sharing your efforts! I'm a bushwalker from Queensland and the integration of Qtopo data is a huge improvement. Love having the same map data available on watch, handheld, desktop and phone (Oruxmaps).

Would there be any sense to filtering out the "Intermittent stream" text as an optimization now that rich hydro data has been included? It's a very common label.

Cheers, Kel

[Graham17]

Thanks Andrew !

[andrewp]

Would there be any sense to filtering out the "Intermittent stream" text as an optimization now that rich hydro data has been included? It's a very common label.

You're probably right. I may have been a bit over zealous in putting generic names on unnamed water features.

[andrewp]

Sorry, but I've uploaded yet another version.
This one is to remove the generic names of unnamed watercourses (i.e. 'Stream', 'Intermittent stream', etc). I hadn't realised how annoying they would be.

The link to get the maps is http://tiny.cc/osm-maps.

[neilmny]

Well done Andrew.

[mtrain]

Sorry for what might be a lazy question but how do these maps compare to the oz topo maps that Garmin sell on sd card? I have an old IMac and etrex 30 so I generally don’t mess with Basecamp as it can be a tenuous affair. If these maps are an improvement it might be worth it.
Does anyone know if there is room on the Garmin sd card to load these maps on as well?
Thanks from a barely computer literate walker.

[GBW]

Thanks for the great work Andrew. I haven't downloaded new versions for quite a while but in the most recent ones I've noticed a few weird lines on OSM Vic and variations in the contour colors on both Vicmap and OSM Vic. You can see both in this image:

[andrewp]

how do these maps compare to the oz topo maps that Garmin sell on sd card?

I'm not really sure how to answer that. IMO they are far superior to Garmin AusTopo v4, but I can't comment on v5. But I would say that wouldn't I.

You don't need to use BaseCamp to install the maps. You just copy the 'img' files to the Garmin folder either on the SD card, or the device.

The complete set of maps is 3.6Gb. So they would fit if your SD card is 8Gb, but not if it's 4Gb. Individual maps vary from ~200Mb - 700Mb. You will need to look at how much space is left on your device and SD card to see if the ones you want would fit.

There are brief instructions with the maps.

[andrewp]

I haven't downloaded new versions for quite a while but in the most recent ones I've noticed a few weird lines on OSM Vic and variations in the contour colors on both Vicmap and OSM Vic. You can see both in this image

I'm not exactly sure what you are referring to. If you mean the square where the overall colouring is different I have no idea. It almost looks as though that area has some transparency applied. I can't see any line or contour colour change. I haven't used BaseCamp for a long time, but with QMapShack when you are zoomed out that far, there are only 100m contours, smaller watercourses are gone. Much, much less detail overall. If you zoom right in on part of the transition you might get a better idea what is going on. I've done that with QMapShack and there is certainly no change along that line.

I don't know what version you have, but I'd suggest that you download the latest version. You can check the version in BaseCamp under Manage map products/Copyright. It gives you date the map was generated.

[bernieq]

It's not a colour change, as such, but a change in the thickness of the contour lines. It occurs at all levels of zoom but, when zoomed in, you have to look very carefully.

I have no idea why it occurs but it's been there for a long time - in the original versions, I think (but would have to go to archive backups to be sure).

how do these maps compare to the oz topo maps that Garmin sell

IMO, andrewp's maps are vastly better than the Topo Australia maps - the contour lines, in particular, are much more accurate (and, of course, are completely free - thanks andrewp).

[keithy]

Sorry for what might be a lazy question but how do these maps compare to the oz topo maps that Garmin sell on sd card?

I've done some comparisons between Garmin's Topo AU/NZ maps and Andrews OSMs. You can see some screenshots on a Garmin Oregon 600 here viewtopic.php?f=21&t=30162

Note that Oztopo currently up to V9 (https://shop.gpsoz.com.au/products/ozto ... -gps-units) is a different product from Garmin Topo AU/NZ currently at V6 (https://buy.garmin.com/en-AU/AU/p/83071)

I used the Garmin V3 for a long time (even after the V4 and V5 came out) before moving to OSMs. I've not used OZtopo maps for a very long time.

I've only borrowed the Garmin V6 lite (which has 40m contour intervals) vs the Garmin V6 full which has 10m contour intervals.

The V6 lite that I tried is a vast improvement over the dodgy V5 release (with wonky contours), but for VIC and TAS where I've used it, the OSM map is still far superior. You can see some comparisons viewtopic.php?f=21&t=30162

I borrowed the Garmin V6 lite on SD from someone, but if you have any specific areas you'd like to compare, I can try borrow it again now that the lockdown restrictions in Melb have lifted.

I also haven't updated Andrew's maps on my Garmin yet. I think I'm still rocking the June 2019 maps on mine. The June VIC map was 352Mb, so should be able to fit on the Garmin eTrex device memory itself, instead of an external SD card. As Andrew and others mentioned, there is no need to use basecamp or Garmin express. Just copy the IMG file to the \Garmin directory of your device or SD card, and it's ready to go.

[Andrew P]

Andrew, I'm finding no names for peaks in the ACT. Is this intended? I find them in opentopomaps and OSM via opentopomaps (can't access OSM website, as they're "full" atm).
Thanks again for all your work with this magnificent dataset.
Cheers
Andrew P

[Graham17]

Found this on googlemaps... flooding at cradle?

[andrewp]

I'm finding no names for peaks in the ACT. Is this intended? I find them in opentopomaps and OSM via opentopomaps (can't access OSM website, as they're "full" atm).

I see named peaks around Canberra e.g. Mount Taylor and Mount Mugga Mugga. Further out there's plenty around Tidbinbilla (is that ACT?). I'm viewing using QMapShack. As you zoom out lesser peaks aren't displayed.

Sorry for the delay in replying. I must have missed it.

Cheers
Andrew

[Andrew P]

(A very slow conversation!)
Whilst we were in Tassie, using your Tasmanian bundle, I also experienced a scarcity of feature names (though park borders, contour heights and track names etc are visible). Is it a Garmin eTrex 30x thing? I wonder if I've fiddled with a setting that suppresses topographic names!! (umm, see below)
We were just up Mt Gingera on 1 Jan, and it never appeared on the map on the eTrex. But today when I joysticked my way there on the GPS map, I could point at Gingera on the screen and then it would show up at the top. So the data is there, just not being put on the map.

Mt Gingera. Its names doesn't appear on the map unless the cursor is right on top.

20210103_104556.jpg (94.95 KiB) Viewed 39251 times

(Please excuse the black splodge - it fell on its face nine months ago and impacted the screen - still readable in good light - I must look into installing a replacement screen).

(Five minutes of fiddling later...)
Hey! I found the setting!
Setup | Map | Advanced Map Setup | Text Size | Map Points
This was set to None! A pretty useless default.
Anyhow, place names are now being displayed on my eTrex.
Apologies for the distraction.

[neilmny]

Nice one Andrew I just checked and mine had he same setting.
Much better.

[tastrax]

No apologies required Andrew P - its trivia facts like this that sit in the back of the brain and re-emerge when others have the same issue!

[tastrax]

Found this on googlemaps... flooding at cradle?

Oh it gets much worse Graham....every bit of marshland, wet buttongrass plain etc is now a lake in Tasmania. Just check out down near Melaleuca (you can Kayak south to the coast!) or the Rasslelas Valley!!

If anyone has a direct contact to Google I would love to know. I have advised them on multiple occasions (including the solution as I know where they got the data) but alas still no fix. To be honest Google is getting worse by the day, especially if there is no commercial value in that chunk of data.

https://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopi ... 21&t=31618

[Clint]

Another set of new maps based on OSM data from 17 Oct 2020.

Thanks for this "andrewp". Got these loaded on my device and basecamp ok. After reading about having the same on the phone I went to do the same but oruxmaps not available on iphone so trying other options. I've been (slowly) uploading to [mygeodata.cloud] to convert to kmz/kml files so I can try to use them in map plus. Just thought I would ask if you already have that format so others don't need to do the same? I'm actually not sure that my conversion will be of any use so any advice on an app that can read your img format would be helpful. Failing that, is there something I can read on the best way to convert and preserve the integrity of contents.

Thanks again!

[andrewp]

After reading about having the same on the phone I went to do the same but oruxmaps not available on iphone so trying other options. I've been (slowly) uploading to [mygeodata.cloud] to convert to kmz/kml files so I can try to use them in map plus. Just thought I would ask if you already have that format so others don't need to do the same? I'm actually not sure that my conversion will be of any use so any advice on an app that can read your img format would be helpful. Failing that, is there something I can read on the best way to convert and preserve the integrity of contents.

I don t think that will work as you you expect. AFAIK Oruxmaps is the only mobile app that opens Garmin img files. Get yourself a Samsung!

[Clint]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah it failed (files just disappeared) but after some reading and searching unfortunately it looks like you're right, however a samsung isn't going to work for me. If you do think of anything I can try I'm happy to report back on outcomes, failing that I'll have to go without.

[noahj97]

Hi Andrew Just download your Tasmania map and it looks great! Just wondering though do you have a page or document that shows an index or what colour/pattern each item is? I'm finding all these large pink spots on the map and have no clue what they are! Thankyou

[north-north-west]

I'm finding all these large pink spots on the map and have no clue what they are! Thankyou

That's usually just blood due to cutting grass ... ohh, sorry, you mean digital maps. Never mind.

[Andrew P]

Noah, you could try here
https://www.geograph.org/leaflet/otm-legend.php

[noahj97]

Just check, No luck with the pink but definitely a great thing to have thankyou

[peregrinator]

Noah, you could try here
https://www.geograph.org/leaflet/otm-legend.php

I do like the symbols for footpath, difficult footpath, and scramble. Not forgetting those for manor, bothy, and funicular. I didn't see one though for unsightly campfire.

[north-north-west]

Hi Andrew Just download your Tasmania map and it looks great! Just wondering though do you have a page or document that shows an index or what colour/pattern each item is? I'm finding all these large pink spots on the map and have no clue what they are! Thankyou

Could you give us a screenshot of an example, please? My curiosity has been whetted.

[noahj97]

Here you go