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Switching from an etrex HCx

4845290
over 5 years ago

I am considering switching from an older etrex legend device to an edge 530 for my bike rides (MTB and road).

1. Can I use the same detailed topographical maps on the edge 530 ?

 I have seen some footage of the built-in maps and they seem more suitable for basic road usage

(e.g. no differentiation between road surface types e.g. for MTB, my current topo map on the etrex does a very nice job)

2. I was usually following a preloaded GPX track on my etrex devices, however it was limited to max 500 points per track.

Whats the limit for GPX trackpoints on the edge 530 ?

Thanks and best regards

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    I still use the etrex HCX for hiking - great unit still going strong.    Running off AA batteries can be a real advantage sometimes.

    I have to say for road bike use - its a pain in the ass.   The points per track limit makes route planning a real chore.    I also found the track difficult to see when navigating on the bike.

    I was previously using a FR 310XT for bike use.   The breadcrumb trail for navigation was pretty good but it struggled with longer tracks.

    I've just purchased the Edge 530 and pretty pleased with it.    Still getting to grips with it and haven't done many long rides yet.    But following a track with the audible alerts and turn by turn directions is very good.

    not sure on the track point limit but pretty sure its thousands.

    Getting tracks on the device is also much easier.

    You also have trailforks for MTB use.

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    1. Yes.  If they are Garmin maps that come on a micro SD card then you can't use them as there is no card slot on the 530 though.  In that case you would need to buy them for the 530.

    2. Not sure what the limit is but it is high enough that you don't really have to worry about it.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Wongataa

    Thanks for your answer.

    What do you mean with "buy them for the 530" ? I already bought them for quite a steep price, AFAIR almost the original price of the etrex Unit itself. There is no option to transfer the maps via USB to the edge 530 ?

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to 4845290

    If you buy Garmin maps via download they are locked to the unit they were first installed on and can't be transferred to a different unit.

    If you buy Garmin maps on a sd card they are locked to the sd card and can only be used in units that have a sd card slot.  They wont work if you copy them off the sd card onto a unit with no sd card slot.

    There are many freely available maps for Garmin units based on OSM out there.  There could be well be one that meets your mapping needs.  If you are minded to you can even create your own custom maps from OSM data to your own specification.