Purchased 3rd party map downloaded with Basecamp not showing up on Garmin Zumo XT

I purchased a 3rd party map (actually 4 files) and unlocked them in Basecamp. I can see them and use them there. So far so good.

Then I downloaded the maps onto my Garmin. But something strange happens: Only 2 of the 4 maps are available to select as map on the Garmin Zumo XT and it has gone at the expense of one of the City Navigator maps which has disappeared. 

Then I thought I only need one of the 4 maps mostly. So I de-installed the other three but I still do not see the map on my Garmin XT. The City Navigator maps are visible again.

Then I just copied the map manually onto the Garmin MAP directory on the Garmin XT. Now the map does appear on the Garmin XT but again at the expense of one of the City Navigator maps, which has disappeared.

Then I removed the map again and copied it to the MAP directory of the SD card in the Garmin XT. Again I do not see the map on the Garmin XT.

In the above Basecamp / mapinstall thinks the maps are correctly installed on the Garmin XT, I can just not select them on the Garmin XT under My maps.

There is no shortage of memory on the Garmin XT nor on the SD card.

So the only way I can use this third part map is by installing it manually into the MAP directory of the Garmin XT, but I effectively loose one of the City Navigator maps then. Obviously that is not what I want. I want to be able to select my third part map and all the maps that came with the unit, including the City Navigator maps.

It is almost like there is some sort of limitation in the number of maps that can be shown in My Maps on the Garmin XT.

Any suggestions what is going on here?

Many thanks! 

  • When you say you do not see it, is it listed in Settings, Map&Vehicle, my Maps?  Note if you have two or more overlapping maps selected only one will show.  If installing a map is physically deleting another one it could only be if the map files have the same name, so ensure you name the 3rd party maps differently to the Garmin ones.

    Incidentally while there isn't a limitation to the number of maps on Garmin devices there is a limitation on the number of map tiles, some maps have very few map tiles, others have a lot, so that could also explain the issue you're having.  Once you go over the magic number one or more maps won't be available.

  • Thanks for your quick reaction! I am indeed referring to Setting, Maps&Vehicle, my Maps. I tried it again with just one map, which is one file. The 4rd party map only appears in MyMaps when its file is in the MAP directory on the Garmin, but then the City Europe NTU Foursquare map disappears from the maps listed in MyMaps.

    And secondly, if I install this map file on the SD card, it does not appear in MyMaps at all.

    The map does show in Basecamp and MapInstall says it is installed succesfully.

    I only see 4 files in the MAP directory and with the 3rd party map that makes 5 in total. So what is this magic number?

    I find it really a strange constraint to have in software when there is more than sufficient memory. It basically means you cannot install any other maps in addition to the ones that come with the unit.

  • PS the map file name is different from the others.

  • But from doing troubleshooting on this, the issue is clearly not in the Basecamp software, but an on the Garmin XT. Seems like a software issue to me. It would be nice if Garmin could fix it. It is easy to reproduce this scenario on a European unit.

  • Well 4000 is the normal maximum number of map tiles.  What is this 3rd party map you refer to? Some third party maps are 'map tile heavy' so my bet is that is the issue.

    As for you cannot install other maps that simply isn't true, also note that the map on the sd card must be in a folder named Garmin or Map and the card must be formatted FAT32

  • The 3rd party map is https://www.onroute.nl/index.php/onroute-motorkaarten

    Their map claims to have specifically interesting roads for motorcyclists (i.e. what I am using this unit for and who it is aimed at). The way they say they achieved this is by making all other roads (so the ones less interesting to motorcyclists) a toll road and you have to change the settings in the Garmin up to avoid toll roads. That way it favours their motorcycle friendly roads and you end up with a longer, but nicer route to ride on your motorcycle. It works quite well from what I have seen from trying out some routes myself on the unit to see what it comes up with.

    They even have a video showing it with a Garmin XT. So that is why I thought it was so strange to have this issue.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Jk0ls5dSM

    but it is all in Dutch....

    As for the SD card, I think it is formatted FAT32 and it does have a MAP directory and the map was installed there.

    So maybe this map is 'map tile heavy' as you suggested then, I don't know how I could tell?

    Just to test this theory, do you know where I can find a small (test) map that I could install to see if that does appear? Because if that does work, then the issue is for sure specific to the map.

    My workaround now is to just put the map in the MAP directory on the main Garmin unit (not on the SD) and then I miss the CN Europe Foresquare from the list (that is the map that drops out), but I think that I can live with that. Then if I need any of the other 3 regions (these are 3 other maps in the package) then I will have to copy just the one map I need into the MAP folder and remove the others. But it is just cumbersome especially when travelling (you need a laptop then to copy the map). 

  • Foursquare is just more POIs so no big deal.  You can check map tiles by using JaVaWa's Device Manager program, which will also highlight any other map issue http://www.javawa.nl/jdm_en.html 

  • Thank you for your answers. And especially for the link, that is very helpful. I will do some investigating if I can further find out what is going on and can improve it.

  • No errors, but it has 811 Map segments.

  • Well that's within the 4000 but what about the other maps, it's the total map tiles that would be the issue, if indeed that is the issue.  If the total of all your map tiles are under 4000 then I recommend you post the issue on the forum I linked to, there are numerous XT owners there and you should get some XT specific help.