Wildlifewriter Founder member
Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Norn Iron
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:52 pm Post subject: SMC Contour maps FAQ |
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(Last updated 6 Oct 2005)
Q: Can I use SMC Contour maps on my Magellan/Silva/Lowrance/Whatever GPS receiver?
A: No. The maps are in a proprietary format which is only used by Garmin Inc. Don't even think about it.
Q: Can I make my own Garmin-compatible maps?
A: Yes - but it's a highly-skilled job, and the means of doing so are outside the scope of this FAQ.
Q: I don't have Mapsource! Is there any other way to get contourmaps into my GPSr?
A: Yes - you can use a little command-line utility called "Sendmap", which can be downloaded from this web site. It's not very friendly to use, but I hear that some people are working on a GUI front-end for it. At present, we can't answer questions about "Sendmap" on this forum.
Q: I installed the maps on my eTrex, and now I don't want them any more. How can I get rid of them?
A: Make a new map selection on Mapsource, leaving out the contours. Each upload over-writes whatever was there before.
Q: Will the addition of contours disable the factory-installed basemap on my GPSr?
A: No.
Q: I've been using the maps with an iQue 3600, and the altitude reading disagrees with the contour height, by a small amount. What's wrong?
A: The GPS is showing an elevation above estimated Mean Sea Level. This is different from altitude above the geoid datum. At any given location, they may agree or may not.
Q: Why didn't you mention X, Y or (even) Z in the user manual?
A: Gimme a break - post your query in the relevant section of this forum, and I'll include it in the next revision.
-Wlw |
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