Best Map Software

ertyu · Senior Member

Best Map Software

TurdleEggs · Senior Member

I haven’t had the opportunity to compare data sets, but I’m using Garmin’s MetroGuide Canada v4 DMTI product. The rural mapping borders on amazing in my experience. The urban mapping seems plenty “good enough” to navigate cities for GeoCaching. I think the issue is maintaining current data. As near as I can tell, Garmin isn’t releasing updates for the MetroGuide Canada product – only MetroGuide North America. So if you want current data with rural mapping, your only choice may be MetroGuide North America (if you’re going with Garmin). It looks like the MetroGuide North America updates are free as well, and the City Navigator\Select updates come at a fee (a possible deterrent for keeping your data up-to-date).

Given the choice between “better rural coverage” and “very good urban coverage”, I’d find the better rural coverage more useful. But I’d sure like those mapping updates!

If I decide I need a GPS in my vehicle as a driving aid, I’d buy as big a Street Pilot as I could afford, and they come with City Navigator.

ertyu · Senior Member

I'm in agreement there, the city detail is usually quite enough.

But the big difference is the rural areas and the little additional of lakes and streams.

TurdleEggs · Senior Member

I live in a swamp. MetroGuide Canada (accurately) shows the marsh and the channel running through it that turns into a minor tributary of Cooks Creek. Also the roads, tracks, drains and little lakes on the way out to the Reynold's Ponds Cache. Even gravel roads like at the intersection of hwy 501 and #1 are amazingly accurate. The only thing missing is the Charleswood Parkway. I wonder if MetroGuide NA includes Winnipeg in its updates?

ertyu · Senior Member

Both Magellan and Garmin have map viewers that work in IE only, so you can check out the detail in the latest maps.

junglehair · Senior Member

I have the North America City Select (Garmin) and have been quite surprised with the amount of detail it had for Winnipeg. It even includes some of the newer roads in Fort Whyte. I noticed one street in Transcona that appeared on the map, but didn't really exist. Otherwise, it seems to be fairly accurate.

MHz · Veteran Member

I must admit, I had a hard time voting for this one as have and use all of these:
Garmin City Select
Garmin MetroGuide
Garmin Topo Canada

I voted for Metroguide as it's the one I use the most. On a regular basis, I have loaded into my GPS, MetroGuide for Winnipeg and southern Manitoba and Lake of the Woods, Topos same area and City Select for I-29 from the Can/US border down to just past Fargo. I usually have the Metroguide maps displaying and selectively turn them off and turn on the Topo's for an area as I need them. I do use routing extensively as it amuses 3T's&aG to no end. I find the Metroguide is a much better map of Winnipeg than the City Select so I use the City Select mostly for US travelling. Wouldn't have survived without it in Las Vegas last year!

I have found minor problems with City Selct such as street name typos (260th Ave instead of 620th Ave in MN) and of course defined waypoints that are out of date (trying to find a bank ATM in Vegas was a challenge!).

All in all I have enjoyed and use them all.
MHz

Lizardo · Senior Member

Looks like I am in the majority, too. I agree that the addition of the topo lakes would be nice. But the S&D that I use offers everything I need. It would be nice if the whiteshell had more than just one lake. I only get Westhawk now.

GrumpyIII · Member

This is a little off topic but, if I load map software onto my etrex legend, do I lose the base map thats on it? After I use the software will I ever want to just use the base map?

TurdleEggs · Senior Member

No and no. You can download the latest firmware and factory installed basemaps from Garmin for the eTrex Legend and rebuild your Legend if you ever need to (I've never needed to).

GrumpyIII · Member

Thanks for the info TurdleEggs.