[Talk-us] Whole-US Garmin Map update - 2018-07-03

[Martijn van Exel]

Also, if Garmin can sell OSM maps for US/Canada for $50 there is a clear business opportunity there.
-- 
  Martijn van Exel
  m at rtijn.org

On Thu, Jul 5, 2018, at 12:13, OSM Volunteer stevea wrote:
> I frequently download Dave's Garmin images for my (fairly ancient, yet 
> still trusty!) Garmin GPS 60 CSx.  (The fact that it runs on two AA NiMH 
> rechargeable cells I can rotate into a pocket-sized solar charger while 
> I'm in the wilderness has something to do with this).  Yes, I have 
> noticed that as the CPU in my Garmin GPS 60 CSx remains the same 
> (obviously), yet the density of OSM data from the SDHC card gets denser 
> (especially in urban areas at medium-zoom), it REALLY slows down screen-
> drawing on the Garmin.  This is problematic, but only during initial 
> draw or re-draw as I change zoom.  Basically it means I shouldn't fiddle 
> Garmin zoom levels (In OR Out) while in dense urban areas unless I'm 
> prepared to wait maybe 30 seconds for a full screen refresh, possibly 
> missing upcoming navigation cues.  Otherwise, navigation and "the map 
> moving along with me" (whether ped, bike or car) work just fine once the 
> screen draws at any particular zoom level, even in dense urban areas.
> 
> As an aside, if Garmin (a well-respected GPS developer/manufacturer) has 
> "switched" to using OSM (even if only ONE of its products!), that says a 
> great deal of "wonderful" for the quality of and confidence in our data.  
> (Which have for some time found their way into Telenav's Scout products, 
> too).
> 
> I also appreciate learning about alternatives (I didn't know about the 
> Fenix link either, thanks, Martijn), and also didn't know that Garmin's 
> own map is OSM-based.  Are we sure about that?  Garmin's "built-in" maps 
> didn't used to be OSM-based (obviously), when did that change?  (Yes, it 
> may be that different maps — some OSM, some not — are used for different 
> car/bike/hike/golf/fitness/whatever products by Garmin).  If anybody 
> knows this Garmin map history, I'm eager to hear it.
> 
> SteveA