Garmin CityNavigator maps/database on a GPSMap60CSX?

[w squared]

I've got a Garmin GPSMap 60CSX that has been doing a great job for me over the past 18 months of use in my Jeep. It's loaded with all of the topo maps for Western Canada, and it's been a huge help while wandering around the foothills.

There are two areas that I would like to upgrade it's performance:

#1. Manmade features that are of use to travelers - gas stations, restaurants, etc. It doesn't have any of the database information that the Garmin Nuvi or similar units offers.

#2. The combination of the Canadian topo maps and the NA base map leave a lot to be desired when I'm travelling in the US. Major state highways and the interstate are marked, but not a lot of the back roads that I would like to have.

I'm hoping that adding the CityNavigator maps would resolve this.

Has anyone done this to their GPSMap unit? If so, how well did it work?

 

[biggywallace]

I have the 60csx as well and have been very happy with it, although there are some notable shortcomings.

The city navigator maps for the US will not fit on a 2 GB nicor SD card. You have to split it up into 3rds only able to fit a 3rd of the US on at a time.

The Unit is also slow to render detail if you have the unit set to HIGH Detail (which is required to see many of the small back road trail/roads.)

But the detail is excellent and should be able to see gas stations, groceries etc..

 

[w squared]

I have the 60csx as well and have been very happy with it, although there are some notable shortcomings.

The city navigator maps for the US will not fit on a 2 GB nicor SD card. You have to split it up into 3rds only able to fit a 3rd of the US on at a time.

The Unit is also slow to render detail if you have the unit set to HIGH Detail (which is required to see many of the small back road trail/roads.)

But the detail is excellent and should be able to see gas stations, groceries etc..

Hmmm....I wonder if I can use a larger MicroSD card in there? I'm not averse to spending the money for an 8GB. That should give me full coverage.

If not, I'm okay with loading only the states that I will be in. That's what I do with the Canadian topos right now - I have Western Canada on the card in my GPS, and the balance of the data on my laptop.

Do you need the "NT" or non-NT version for the 60Csx? I'm overseas right now and for some reason can't access the Garmin site to check.

 

[biggywallace]

I think the biggest card that unit can recognize is a 2 GB im not 100% sure but IRC the max was a 2GB.

Im not sure what the NT and non-NT is.

 

[w squared]

I think the biggest card that unit can recognize is a 2 GB im not 100% sure but IRC the max was a 2GB.

Im not sure what the NT and non-NT is.

Neither am I

I just know that they offer both version of CityNavigator, and warn that the NT version won't work on non-NT devices.

 

[biggywallace]

I was looking at the box for my City Navigator and i dont see NT or non-NT anywhere on it.

But it does have directions and explanations in French and English. And includes detailed map of Canada and Puerto Rico.

Im guessing you bought the unit in Canada and are worried that you also must buy Canadian version of the softwarer? Since the directions on mine that i bought in California are also in French I would guess that this is the same software sold in Canada...??

 

[ThomD]

NT vs non-NT has to do with the number of segments the map is broken into. Way back when the GPSes did not have enough working memory to handle large chunks of data, so Garmin broke the data into many, many smaller chunks. Now the units can handle the larger chunks, so the same amount of data is in fewer chunks. NT is fewer chunks.

The 60 cannot more than 1024 ( I think) chunks on a single card, so even if the data fit on the card, the 60 would not read it. Happily, the City Navigator NT series will put the full US in a small enough number of chunks that you can put them all on a single card and you are set.

Get the NT series and a 2 G card (I think) and you are good to go. I don't know anything about Canada, but it will probably fit fine too.

 

[w squared]

NT vs non-NT has to do with the number of segments the map is broken into. Way back when the GPSes did not have enough working memory to handle large chunks of data, so Garmin broke the data into many, many smaller chunks. Now the units can handle the larger chunks, so the same amount of data is in fewer chunks. NT is fewer chunks.

The 60 cannot more than 1024 ( I think) chunks on a single card, so even if the data fit on the card, the 60 would not read it. Happily, the City Navigator NT series will put the full US in a small enough number of chunks that you can put them all on a single card and you are set.

Get the NT series and a 2 G card (I think) and you are good to go. I don't know anything about Canada, but it will probably fit fine too.

Perfect. That's exactly what I was hoping for. I just hope that Santa hooks me up