DeLorme Earthmate PN-20 for Canada?

[BriansFJ]

Hi all,

I've read the reviews on other threads concerning the DeLorme Earthmate PN-20:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9759&highlight=delorme+pn-20
and
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3925&highlight=delorme+pn-20.
It looks ideal for personal and SAR use because of the multiple map and image types, but I have an unanswered question:REOutIceFishing:: Is the unit and/or the Topo software capable of any mapping outside the U.S., i.e. Canada or Mexico? Or are there any third party suppliers of such stuff? Thanks a bunch...

Brian

 

[HenryJ]

...Is the unit and/or the Topo software capable of any mapping outside the U.S., i.e. Canada or Mexico?

A quick check of Street Atlas 2008 , that comes with the LT-20 shows major roads for both Canada and Mexico.
Seems like I read of people adding custom maps somewhere. Converted to a readable format and loaded on the SD card. If I can find that information I will post it.

 

[nvprospector]

The PN-20 works just fine in Canada and Mexico. The only issue is the DeLorme Topo maps don't go into detail. The other issue is that if unless you use XMap and create your own maps there are no foreign maps or providers that will work with Topo or the PN-20. The lack of foreign maps is a big topic on the Delorme forums and alot of people, my self included, are trying to get them, or to let some one else, to provide foreign maps and not make us resort to XMap.

Overall it is a great device and has a lot of fetures that I am still figuring out.

 

[Dances with trees]

The problem with the Canadian side is the cost of individual map sheets.
Fagaui have good maps, but the fool shortsighted government makes it fat to difficult to get the maps. I speak from experience, being Canadian, and living in the capital city with all the government fools. I have tried in vein to explain to them how silly they are being but they just don't get it. Departments are run by accountants, not users or map makers.
A couple of years back there was talk of a company buying the rights as a contractor digitizing the maps, but that information seems to have been buried or lost, and until there is an audit lost to the public.
fagaui does have good maps, although at a higher cost than the US counterpart and the maps are fairly current, most areas have been re-flown in the last 5 to 7 years.

 

[mountainpete]

I'm just going to speak to the Canada part:

From my personal experience, Garmin has the best "install and go" maps for Canadians.

While any vendor can do the Navtech based street routing, Garmin's classic Canada Metroguide has a surprisingly high amount of trails and fire roads on it. Compare the topo with the Metroguide on Garmin's site (they have an online map viewer).

Pete

 

[Dances with trees]

I probably should have mentioned I use a Toughbook cf-30 with a number of mapping software products. For Canada I use Fagaui, and when in the US I use a combination of either Delorme, or National Geographic depending on where I am traveling, for no reason other than which map set I have.
I only use a hand held when out of my truck and normally in conjunction with a printed map. being a former cartographer, old habits are hard to brake.

kevin

 

[BriansFJ]

Thanks for the responses. I was looking at the Canada/Mexico capability based on where I might go someday, but the reality is I probably won't get there soon. I went ahead and splurged on the DeLorme, especially with the rebate they have going right now. I'll upgrade to Xmap when opportunity knocks for travel north or south of the border!:safari-rig: