Site updated
15 January, 2016 14:02

Maps on a Garmin GPS

Among the newer models, all run maps except the eTrex 10. See the comparison table on the GPS page.

Example 1:
Area around Wentwood Forest in South East Wales (N51°38.091'N W2°49.513'). Screen shots are from a Garmin Oregon 550.

OS 1:50,000 Map1 TalkyToaster OSM "OS50" map2 Garmin 'Topo' map3
1 Garmin OS GB Discoverer based on the OS Landranger 1:50 maps. This is the most detailed map but is quite expensive to buy.
2
TalkyToaster's OSM based maps that look like the OS 50 maps are very detailed and inexpensive to buy. There are two versions, one with and one without the contour lines.
3 This is Garmin's 'topo' map which is supplied with their GPS's that have the 't' suffix after the model number, e.g. Oregon 550t. This costs extra.

Example 2:
The small town of Caldicot in South Wales on the same 3 maps as above. The Ordnance Survey map is a 'raster' map which means as you zoom in it reaches a maximum zoom and then becomes 'fuzzy'. The OSM and Garmin maps are 'vector' based which means you can zoom right in without any loss of detail. For towns, these maps are better.
You can have both the Garmin OS and the OSM OS maps on the GPS and simply switch between them.

Garmin OS 1:50,000 Map TalkyToaster OSM "OS50" Garmin 'Topo' map
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