Garmin MapSource 2008 Topographical U.S. Map DVD-Rom
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin MapSource 2008 Topographical U.S. Map DVD-Rom
Customer Review: Unable to get Nuvi 350 to see the installed topo map
Summary: 1 Stars
Do not buy this from Garmin. Garmin does not issue refunds even when the map does not work at all. I should have bought through Amazon.
I foolishly bought the $99.99 downloadable version of this map from the Garmin web site because I wanted to download it and use it the next day. The Garmin web site listed my Nuvi 350 as a supported device and I followed the link to the download purchase page [...]. I downloaded the maps to an SD card in my GPS, but the GPS still only lists street maps and not the TOPO.
I followed the instructions at the Garmin knowledge base to go to Settings > Map > Map Info. The only map listed is "CN North America NT 2011.10 [1] US & Canada". When I uncheck this street map as directed, the resulting map displays show only interstates and large bodies of water - no topo, no city streets, no nothing.
Each time I call the Gamin help line I am on hold for 30 minutes. There is no way to get faster service even when you are calling back to say their advice did not work. The person at the other end seemed to have no idea why my TOPO map did not show on the Garmin's MAP INFO maps list. His only suggestion was to delete the files from the SD card and download again, which takes a LONG time. I did this. Same problem.
Garmin refuses to refund the charges.
I am glad that I will never need to buy another product from Garmin. Google maps is catching up fast, and providing much better service via smart phones.
Customer Review: Garmin Topo '07 & '08
Summary: 2 Stars
I BOUGHT A GARMIN 60CSX GPS LAST YEAR ALONG WITH TOPO '07 AND STREET MAPS. MY PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR THE GPS IS FOR HUNTING/FISHING AND GEO-CACHING. UNCHARACTERISTICALLY, WITHOUT DOING MY INDEPTH RESEARCH...I WAS COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED IN THE RESOLUTION ON THE TOPO VERSION AT 1:100,000 SCALE VERSES THE STANDARD U.S.G.S. TOPO SCALE OF 1:24,000. THE SOFTWARE FAILED TO MEET ANYWHERE CLOSE TO MY EXPECTATIONS. USELESS...HORRIBLE!! THE AREA THAT I HUNT HAS A VARIETY OF TERRAIN FEATURES INCLUDING STEEP HILLS, DEEP BOTTOMS, SWAMPS, RIVER BOTTOMS, ETC. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, IF YOUR GPS IS CAPABLE, TO ADD AT LEAST A 2GB SD MEMORY CHIP TO YOUR GPS BECAUSE THE FILE SIZE OF THE TOPO DATA IS SO LARGE YOU CAN ONLY LOAD VERY SMALL SPECIFIC AREAS/REGIONS AT A TIME. ONCE AGAIN POOR RESOLUTION OF THE TOPO DATA FOR FINDING KEY TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES SUCH AS FOR SCOUTING TO HANG ADDITIONAL DEER STAND LOCATIONS WAS USELESS. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS '08 VERSION CAUSE THE RESOLUTION HAS NOT CHANGED FROM LAST YEAR '07 TO THE NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION OF '08!!...HOPEFULLY, THE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS CAN EVENTUALLY DEVELOP A USEFUL, MORE PRECISE DETAILED, SCALED DOWN VERSION TO AT LEAST THE U.S.G.S. STANDARD TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF 1:24,000 OR EVEN LOWER AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE? MAYBE I'D BE ASKING TOO MUCH BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO MERGE/OVERLAY AERIAL PHOTO DATA AS IN GOOGLE EARTH WITH SCALABLE TOPO DATA VIA U.S.G.S. STANDARD OR BETTER!!!THAT WOULD BE TOO SWEET!
THANKS,
RON
Customer Review: Accurate? I don't think so.
Summary: 2 Stars
I love Amazon reviews. If a product works, I can praise it. If it doesn't, I can dis it. I am dissin' Topo US 2008 by Garmin.
It is not accurate.
I know it is 1:100,000 (o.k.a. One over the World scale) but still, it would be nice if it had some passing resemblance to the stuff on the ground.
I survey rail-trails (bike) for fun, so I get a lot of GPS time on the trail. My Garmin 60CSx GPS is a superb machine. Five stars, no question. The Topo US 2008 that came with it sucks.
Case in point ... Irvine, CA. In the Woodbridge Community there are two lakes, North and South. Only North Lake is shown on Topo 2008. One lake missing.
Case in point ... Irvine, CA. The street grid overlays Sand Canyon Reservoir. No, they have not developed a tract down in the water. The street grid overlay seems to be displaced.
Case in point ... Irvine, CA. I am surveying the Freeway Trail, which runs close along the north side of the San Diego Freeway. The map is showing me well south of the freeway. Duh!
The waypoints from the CSx, when uploaded to Google Earth are spot-on. No issues with the data; big issues with the maps.
Garmin would love to sell me a suite of electronic marine charts. Not buying. If the accuracy of those is anywhere near that of Topo US 2008, I would be on the rocks in a flash.
Customer Review: Garmin Topo US 2008
Summary: 3 Stars
I was excited to find a good deal on the Garmin eTrex at the REI garage sale, but was disappointed to find the GPS without any useful maps.
I looking around the internet for mapping software around the internet, and after some research concluded that that the Garmin Topo US was what I needed for all-US coverage. I went ahead and ordered it on Amazon.
The DVD it took about 6 days to arrive. It is good software, but here are some caveats:
1. Garmin doesn't let you load all the maps onto your microSD card, regardless of whether you have enough storage to store all maps.
2. The maps are only 1:100,000 scale: this tells you your general location: if you are looking for more help, expect to buy Garmin's 24K maps for the National Parks (this product actually gives you much more than just national parks) and computer print-outs and waypoints from National Geographic's Topo! 24K maps for local hikes.
3. Which leads up to my third caveat: this software (nor any other software out there) is not necessarily self-contained if you want it all- expect to buy other software as well (especially if you want to make use of the eTrex's (or Legend's or Vista's) mapping capabilities inside the city- you would then need to buy the City Navigator or MetroGuide).
All in all, it is not a bad product for the price: 60 bucks isn't bad for a product that gives you all-US coverage.
Customer Review: Topo U.S. - not for off road use
Summary: 2 Stars
After looking over the Garmin web site, I purchased the suggested MapSource Topo maps on CD for almost $100, and was stunned at the poor detail and accuracy of these maps. First use on my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx in my back yard, my Garmin unit indicated that I was across the street in a neighbor's yard perhaps 100-200 feet away, and that was in New Jersey with eight satellites in view. I walked to the nearest cross street, a major local road, and the unit located it perfectly. It (the map) could not accurately locate the 100+ acre lake near my home. These maps cannot be useful to anyone attempting to navigate off road, hiking on trails, or travelling on streams/small rivers. The maps simply bear little resemblance to actual geography except they do seem to indicate location of 25 foot topogtaphical elevation lines fairly well (not too useful). I kayak a great deal and had hoped to use the unit to navigate around New Jersey rivers and the sedge islands in Barnegat Bay. Forget about it! There is no correspondence between the Topo map and the actual geography! Totally useless for kayaking intercoastal bays or any of south Jersey's fabulous streams. If the maps can't locate major geographic features accurately, how is it going to keep someone on a hiking trail in the New Jersey Pine Barrens? I think there is considerable danger here of causing someone to get lost (and possibly hurt) rather than find their way.