Is there a way to load the old draw files from Topo 9/10 to the new InReach? I'm searching for a way to continue using the PN-60 style topo map in a handheld. I have thousands of miles of tracks I need to display on the device to make this all work though. What about a GPX file at least?
No support for anything other than .gpx. Those can be uploaded to the Explore web site, then sync-d to the device. However, these are going to go over as actual tracks (or routes, depending on how you upload). There is no equivalent of draw layers, which were just graphic data.
Beginning with the 66i, you can also place the .gpx files directly on the device, avoiding the intermediate upload/sync steps.
For the 66i, Garmin "custom maps" might provide an alternative to draw layers. I've never done this myself. And it's been so long since I used Topo 9/10 that I don't recall if you can easily export the required JPEG image. Still, you might have a look here:
https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=cVuMqGHWaM7wTFWMkPNLN9
Custom maps are not an option for anything earlier than the 66i.
Thanks. Can you not drop a GPX straight into the device memory when it's hooked to a PC with the USB cable?
Only on the 66i. Legacy devices don't mount as USB "drives".
When you say legacy devices...the newer Garmin Inreach qualifies as legacy?
Anything older than the 66i. The Explorer, SE, the + versions are all true legacy devices. They were developed under DeLorme. They use the desktop sync program both for f/w update and data sync. If they have BT capability, they use the old Earthmate app on the mobile device. Mapping devices still use maps in the DeLorme format. Not compatible with standard Garmin maps. Maps are delivered via the desktop sync program, as controlled on the Explore web site.
The Mini is half way in between. It was developed by Garmin, but still uses the desktop sync program to deliver data. F/w updates are delivered via Garmin Express. Still uses Earthmate. Obviously, not a mapping device.
The 66i is the first true member of the Garmin ecosystem. F/w and map updates are delivered via Express. It pairs with the new Explore app on the phone. Data sync is delivered OTA via the phone app (no wired sync per se for data in the Explore universe such as contacts, tracks, routes, waypoints). Like all Garmin handhelds, the 66i can also mount as a USB "drive". Waypoints, routes, tracks can be deposited directly into the file system while the device is mounted. Also supports the full range of Garmin maps, including custom maps. Does not support maps in the legacy DeLorme format.
Edited to add: The Earthmate app provides a measure of OTA sync for the devices it supports. I believe it's capable of syncing everything important, but has less on-mobile-device editing capability than the Explore app.
Well the Garmin maps are embarrassingly bad so I don't want anything to do with those. I already have a Montana that's nearly useless. I can mount my PN-60 as a USB device so that seems a little odd. Is there a limit to the size of a GPX that can by synced to the legacy devices? My file is roughly 2.5 mb I think.
DeLorme essentially gave away good cartography to sell the devices. Garmin squeezes every possible penny out of map sales. If you travel the back country and use Garmin devices, you will either purchase higher quality Garmin maps (for example, the 1:24K topo series) or you will use third-party topos. There are some really good topos available for free from gpsfiledepot. I don't have any experience with them, but I gather that the OSM topos (as opposed to the standard OSM maps) are decent as well.
Downside to the free maps is that they lack the routable trails which are present on Garmin maps. Even on the (topographically useless) TopoActive maps that ship with some current Garmin handhelds.
The other major difference between Garmin and DeLorme maps is that Garmin maps are locked to the device on which they were first installed. The only exception is maps delivered on SD card, which are locked to the card. You can move the card among compatible devices. Of course, it uses up the one and only card slot.
There is certainly a limit to the size of a .gpx you can sync. It's more likely stated in terms of number of points. Routes have a low limit - somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 points. Tracks also have a (much higher) limit. I think maybe 10,000? These are similar to the limits on the device itself. The device also probably has limits on the number of files. Your best bet is to Google the device and a term like "track limit" so as to get accurate information for your device.
Hmm, yeah that doesn't sound good. The Montana is a 10,000 track point limit and that's only enough for a few days of riding. This map I'm talking about is 10 years of riding (although some of it overlaps). Do you have any recommendation on third party topo that is similar to the DeLorme map, because where I am in Maine that map is as close to the Gazetteer as you can get in a device. And what that mapping has for road info is unmatched...as far as I know all the Garmin topo uses USGS road info and that doesn't show the majority of roads in the woods. And some of the ones it does show don't exist anymore. Not real helpful. Routable doesn't matter to me, my current setup is just an overlay to the topo.
Remember that the 10,000 limit is per track.
I don't know much about road coverage (as opposed to topo contours). I'm a hiker. The TopoActive maps are basically OSM with some kind of Garmin special sauce. I would expect the OSM road maps to be decent. You might also check into City Navigator, which is the premium Garmin routable road map. It has pretty good coverage, but I can't say I've ever looked into (for example) dirt track coverage. And it does not have any topo information at all, although you might get DEM shading if the device has separate DEM maps. Don't recall for sure.
It's also possible to cut specific areas of OSM maps in Garmin format. I don't think it buys you anything extra except the ability to control the area covered, which helps with space conservation on the device. Oddly, I use a site in the Netherlands for this: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/
For topo coverage with tight contours, I generally use the state maps available from gpsfiledepot. However, quality varies according to the state (since it's all crowd-sourced). Look for the "50 state maps" splash in the rotating display in the upper right corner of the page at gpsfiledepot.com. Or at the editors' choice link. These topos usually contain roads, but I don't know about the quality. The site also has info on creating custom maps, which might still be your best bet for that library of tracks.
Ok, thanks for your help. It's unfortunate they had the best backcountry map for my area at least in their hands and they threw it away. The detail of logging roads and trails in the DeLorme mapping was great.
