Hello all, I just bought a Nuvi 40 and I'm a bit new to the whole GPS arena. When I plug the Nuvi into the computer, I'm able to view the maps that came on the unit in Basecamp. When I unplug the unit, I'm no longer able to view the maps in Basecamp. Is there a way to view those maps without the unit plugged into the computer? (Interestingly enough, with a little searching, I've found the maps in a subfolder of Garmin Express saved on my computer taking up a whole 1.4 GB of space! I tried to install them using Garmin MapInstall but they still do not show up in Basecamp without the unit installed. Really aggravating if they're on my computer taking up that much space and I can't use them!) Thanks in advance! P.S. I'm using a Mac by the way.
To the best of my knowledge, no. You have to have the gps plugged in. The 1.4 GB on your hard drive is what's used to get the maps on the gps. You could think of it as a zip file, which can't be used as a normal file. I"m a bit new to this too though. I'd prefer to not have to plug in the gps, but it doesn't seem to be a big issue. Learning how to use BaseCamp... now that's an issue. It's very unintuitive, and for something you don't use that often, that's not a good thing. Cheers
That's what I was afraid of. I have to give up a ton of space and not get any of the benefits from it. BaseCamp is an animal for sure.
BaseCamp is a mapping program. BaseCamp does not contain mapping information (i.e., other than a very high level base map set). You have two choices for providing detailed maps while using BaseCamp. (There are more than two options, but for simplicity, I do not want to cover that right now.) Option 1: Purchase maps from Garmin, to use on your computer. Garmin's City Navigator North America (CNNA) DVD is a map set that you can load onto your desktop PC for use with BaseCamp. And depending on your GPS model, you can also load those CNNA maps onto the GPS. (I do not believe your Nuvi 40 is a model on which you can load those maps, but I could be wrong.) Option 2: Connect your Nuvi to your computer while using BaseCamp. One of the useful features of BaseCamp is it's ability to read and use the maps loaded on the GPS unit. When I am traveling, I keep a copy of BaseCamp on a USB thumb drive. If I need to, I can use a hotel computer, insert the USB thumb drive, connect my Garmin Montana GPS, and use the map set installed on the GPS. Downloading maps via Garmin Express does not allow you to use them unless you have purchased them. I have avoided using Garmin Express after it failed to properly install one of my lifetime CNNA map updates. Another (free open-source) option for getting maps for use with BaseCamp on your PC would be Open Street Maps.
Hmm. So this is Garmin's way of keeping me from handing my unit to somebody and letting them download Garmin's maps onto their computer so they won't have to purchase them?
not really. I could be wrong but my take from using GPS' and Garmin's software for a lot of years now is that basecamp eliminates the routing problems that mapsource used to have simply because it uses whatever map you have in your unit. For example, let's say you have city select installed in your computer and you create routes with it. Then you send your routes to your unit and you have city navigator on that. Your units maps, being different will have a hard time digesting the info. basecamp working the way it does now eliminates those types of problems. The workaround if you insist on having the maps on the PC is what Bill Murray posted in option 1.
I just tried this so I can confirm it works under Windows (not sure on the Mac). Plug in your GPS and a USB stick. Create a folder called garmin on the USB. Copy any maps (they end in an .img extension) from the GPS to the USB/garmin folder. Unplug GPS. Fire up Basecamp. It finds the USB and the maps. My maps are unlocked, so YMMV. Some non garmin maps may not display this way. In which case try using: http://www.javawa.nl/jdm_en.html
Digging this thread up a year later: If my original maps were for a mac, will this work to read the maps on a windows PC? I have the 60csx with city Navigator North America installed (and the discs at home) for Mac. I brought the gps unit to work where I have a PC. Should I be able to read the maps from the gps unit in Basecamp on the PC (I can't now)? Can I copy the maps from the gps to a flashdrive and be able to read them in Basecamp on my work PC? Thanks--I've already found so much useful information here.
