Kenwood DNX7100 and topo maps

SpeshulEd · 07-08-2008, 08:09 PM

Today I was reminded by my kenwood unit that I needed to upgrade my maps...yeah, yeah, whatever.

Well, I had a friend give me the 2008 city navigator dvd, only I need the data on sd card in order to update the kenwood unit. I started looking for solutions online (haven't even popped the disc in the computer yet, to see what I find out) to convert dvd > sd and stumbled upon these...

City Navigator 2008 NT on SD Card | POI Factory
Groundspeak Forums > Loading maps to sd memory

Granted they're talking about other units and not the kenwood, but it seems that it'd be close to the same idea.

Has anyone tried replacing the map data in the kenwood units with topo map data?

Just wondering if this is something I should pursue or if its a complete waste of time?

shane4x4 · 07-08-2008, 09:47 PM

This post:
IH8MUD™ Forums - View Single Post - Best double din nav/xm/bluetooth/etc...
Leads me to believe that TOPO maps will in fact work just fine. I've not tried it myself, but it's on my list.
If I choose not to do a mac-mini dash install, I'll be installing a kenwood system for use w/my custom topo map set.

SpeshulEd · 07-09-2008, 08:33 AM

hmm, very interesting.

I guess I'll be playing around with this tomorrow since I have the day off. That'd be very nice and I wouldn't have to lug around a laptop with me.

shane4x4 · 07-09-2008, 09:38 AM

Oh, so you have the 7100? Are you coming to the summit?? I'll have my topo maps with me & we can test it there. You can also download some topo's here:
Miscjunk

SpeshulEd · 07-09-2008, 10:57 AM

No summit for me, too many other work related trips going right now

Well, I had a conference call this morning, so I sat at my computer working on the garmin stuff.

I had the city navigator 2008 dvd and the garmin topo 2008 dvd, installed them both onto the computer. From there I clicked on the map install program and it gives you a world map, and you highlight the maps you want to install, both the city navigator maps (I did the entire continental US) and topo maps (I did all of AZ and every state it touches) and am now installing them to my SD card - (took about 1.3gigs of space).

Its currently building a map set with 7 minutes remaining. Hopefully its done after that. I'm assuming I just go plug the sd card into the 7100 once I'm done.

Guess I'll find out in a few.

**Sapper** · 07-09-2008, 11:08 AM

You got a reminder? I'd really like to know if you can get the topo maps to work on this unit. I have a 7100 also, but no friends with garmin dvds. If it works, I might think about investing in that DVD.

shane4x4 · 07-09-2008, 11:14 AM

Usually the garmin maps have to be unlocked to a specific unit, so you have to build custom topo maps in order to get topo working. I've not verified this though.

SpeshulEd · 07-09-2008, 11:38 AM

7100 running topo

sorry for the bad photo, i took it with my crackberry.

I also didn't move from my garage, so I just zoomed out really far, I'll take better photos this weekend.

I won't say how or where I got the dvds or what I had to do to unlock them. I did everything legally....mmmhmm, I swear I did.

**redfernsoljah** · 07-09-2008, 12:55 PM

interested in how this was done. please pm with more information on how to you were able to upload I tried before yet was unsuccessfull

**toytaco** · 07-09-2008, 03:10 PM

I don't see a picture.