BaseCamp Problem transferring of custom maps to Montana 650

PC Windows 7
BaseCamp Version 4.2.4
Garmin Montana 650 Software Version 5.40

I’ve built several Custom Maps using Google Maps and .jpeg image overlays for use in my Montana 650. The tools for building .KMZ files are user friendly and this link tells you how:

http://www.garmin.com/us/products/onthetrail/custommaps#fragment-2

The .KMZ file or files created can be imported into BaseCamp. These show on the maps and let you see how it should look on the Montana.

BaseCamp then looks like it can be used to transfer the custom maps to the Montana. This looks just like transferring tracks, waypoints, etc. However, transfers often don’t work – some do. The warning message on the Montana when it is powered on is: “An image size in a custom map is too big. Images that are too big will not be on the map”. Which is true, usually some maps transfer OK and others don’t and can’t be used on the Montana.

By trial and error I’ve found that the same .KMZ files can be copied using windows explorer to: Garmin Montana 650\Garmin\CustomMaps. The maps that fail to transfer using BaseCamp work just fine using this method. I shared this with Garmin Customer Support and they saw the same exact results on the Montana there with these .KMZ files.

Hope this helps someone.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

By trial and error I’ve found that the same .KMZ files can be copied using windows explorer to: Garmin Montana 650\Garmin\CustomMaps. The maps that fail to transfer using BaseCamp work just fine using this method. I shared this with Garmin Customer Support and they saw the same exact results on the Montana there with these .KMZ files.

Hope this helps someone.

Strange anomaly, interesting! (I also use a Montana 650 GPSr along with identical system setup/software/firmware.)

PS: If you want to take things to the next level, check out a program called Mapwel. (There is a learning curve, but it's not too steep.) It allows you to create/convert actual .img maps from all sorts of data types and use them as maps on your GPSr. (Not free, but not expensive either.) I've converted all sorts of different types of data/files into custom shaded overlays (vector maps) for use on my Montana. ~ And as you probably know, maps (.img files) "render" on the GPSr much faster/more efficiently than displaying custom overlays. FYI, the confusion I encountered with Mapwel was that: Selecting a color (to display an object) was only for displaying that object on the screen. (Color choice for the actual map data is selected differently.)

Some of the .img (map files) I've created with Mapwel are (lightly) shaded overlays of nature conservancy data and "timber-cuts" (using custom patterns) which display with/on top of BirdsEye imagery (along with topo 24k still showing) I can't recall whether the original data was .kmz, kml, or .shp files. I've used them all. I've created/combined multiple maps into one (you can do this with Mapwel) and also done some simple things like combine kmz trail data from users into a map (.img) file for overlaying on BirdsEye. ~ Instead of having to manage a ton of tracks (.gpx track files/data) on the unit. (This way I also get all the trails "superimposed" on top of the BirdsEye imagery, by just enabling this one map on the GPSr.)