[SpeshulEd]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I don't see a picture.

 

[SpeshulEd]

hmm, perhaps this will work better:

 

[SpeshulEd]

I will post up a how I did everything tomorrow.

 

[Mr R2FJ]

I can't believe I never tried this. I guess I just got use to people telling me it couldn't be done. I'll be at the summit and will be more than happy to load people's 7100s with whatever they like after Ed shares if he did anything special other than "load SD card with maps". (I have mapsource 2008 dvd as well)

 

[sonof40]

I will post up a how I did everything tomorrow.

Thanks for this thread Ed. I will be watching with interest. I too am tired of having to use the laptop. The only problem is that I have so many map notes and draw files I wonder if they can be downloaded also. Probably not.

 

[Mr R2FJ]

I have tried to upload custom tracks without success. The only thing I've personally been able to do is upload custom POI breadcrums with info about where to turn for certain trails. Doesn't beat a laptop, but it's better than nothing and you can use proximity alarms with them.

If someone could figure out how to get tracks off and on the 7100 that would be stellar

 

[SpeshulEd]

I wish I knew more about writing code, I bet its all possible, I just don't know how to do it or where to start.

I stumbled across this by accident.

 

[shane4x4]

From what I can tell you'd have to build your tracks & waypoints in to custom maps. When i finally get a kenwood system I'll add all the CO Off road trails to my custom topo maps, it'll probably be a while though.

 

[Mr R2FJ]

right.. fully custom maps.. that's an option I never would of considered before Ed stumbled upon this. Great work Ed. I'm buiding my SD card now (you're right it's NOT fast).

 

[SpeshulEd]

You're gonna have to teach me how to do the custom maps.

 

[shane4x4]

It's pretty geeky, but It works:
Creating Custom Topo Maps for a Garmin GPS

This guy has made a few maps sets as well, but the resolution wasn't quite good enough for me since I do a lot of hiking:
Miscjunk

He doesn't have any AZ maps yet though.

Good luck!