Free Maps Garmin

[Calfu Baransky]

YesRay, when I saw the new article I thought you upgraded your map sources. Definitely explore MTBMaps, VeloMaps, freizeit karte, and my best frikart.no. You download a country, which is better than tiling. You have a table listing most if not all Garmin OSM maps on the OSM Wiki. Just google Garmin OSM maps Wiki.

The OpenFietsMap light maps you are using are derived from the OpenFietsMap project link to openfietsmap.nl. They have much higher resolution maps available for Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg (which they call Benelux) and to a lesser extent Germany.

Garmin has MapManager and MapInstall software which is useful for importing maps into BaseCamp and sending maps from BaseCamp to the watch. This all works great on macOS with my 5X but seems flaky with the 5 plus series. MapInstall kept failing with a useless error message with the 5 plus. It sometimes worked with a 5 plus I was setting up for a friend but mostly failed with a useless error. We ended up copying the img files between watches.

Not to point out the obvious here: But perhaps those folks (you) could actually offer a service that numerous other people have had to implement so people (consumers) can actually use those maps offline direct from the source, rather than through 3rd parties.

The comments section here is full of 3rd party links/places where people have created solutions for ways to download the OSM data (and this is only a fraction of them). Which seems like a pretty clear indication that a gap exists to actually get that data to end users.

My point was simply that Simon comes on here complaining about another site offering a solution that is perhaps confusing to end users (and that he has to handle confusing e-mails). Thus, my response is more direct: Fix the issue.

I had tried this last week using a Mac, but noted that although Garmin Express could sync with my 945, it did not show as a mounted directory. I ended up calling Garmin support and was told that music enabled devices did not show as a directory mount on the Mac. The said if you need to interact at the directory level you must use windows.

I gave up, opened finder and was able to drag and drop the openfiets img map into my Garmin folder and it seems to have transferred. Hope it works. Do you know of any hacks to get the map to open short of me finding a way to spoof my position to downtown Sydney to see if the map is in fact there and able to be used?

I think it has been mentioned before, but when living in the BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands Luxemburg) link to openfietsmap.nl is a better option, Also highly detailed maps of the Alps region and other locations. Mapping/routing has been optimised for biking/hiking/running, and I find them highly detailed for trail running!

Aside from the map style the contents also differs. You can use a map from Openfietsmap in Basecamp and create a profile that forbids use of tollroads. Basecamp then produces a bit longer bike routes, however with nicer scenery. If you use the Garmin map that is supplied with a Garmin edge device Basecamp gives you the shortest route from A to B.

And another question. Does Garmin filter private road ? Track computed with Komoot and opentopo maps are showing them, which is a bit cumbersome for some workout where there are no other options ;). I never had this with the Garmin connect tracks and Garmin pre installed map which are also osm maps (but maybe I never had the opportunity of facing this situation because I switched to opentopo map soon after my f5+ :) )

Tx for answering: Opentopo map are said to be routable. And given my experience, a track was computed.

Given your answer, all visible items on track, paved, road (bitume), single trails, if they are visible, shall be used when computing a track (way point or way back).

which was not the case in my experience

Unfortunately, this is not easy to test / stress with one watch / one chance for such activity per month (young daddy constraint ;).

Indeed, ordered it late July (though only got around to saving my order image a few days later). At the time it said 2-3 weeks for delivery. As of today, it still shows pending shipment sometime this week, and then another 5-7 days for delivery.

Thanks for updating your post and making specific to wearables. I used your original post to load maps on to my Edge 520 and they work great. i now own a Fenix 5X and I wish there was information when on the water.

Dumb question but I have to ask. I have a North American Edge 530 and purchased the Garmin Europe map. They have finally made the download cost US$20 versus US$50 as it was in the past. And I figured it would be supported and would update automatically through Garmin Connect.

At least on macOS, MapManager merely lets you see what (and where) you already have installed on your computer and manipulate them (i.e. delete old versions). The app that allows you to select and install portions of maps is MapInstall. It should work with the 530, but the question is whether the maps you get with the device or the maps that you buy from Garmin these days are ever installed on the computer so that MapInstall can see them. I doubt either is true.

Just another idea for Mac users. An alternative to the Android file transfer utility is Commander One file manager, which is an old-school dual-pane file manager that allows you mount the Garmin as a drive.

Hi there,

I have just downloaded a pair of maps following the instructions and when disconnect the device (FR 945) it says to me that the maps are not authenticated and ask for the help of the map provider. Have you had this issue before? Many thanks

Not 100% sure which ones are the Garmin installed v.s. ones I have added )I had thought I had added some free maps for a recent trip to France and Italy). The BirdsEye Imagery just has two smaller map sections (New York and Maryland).

Hi Ray, I have two questions. 1. Which map is displayed if for example 3 or 4 different maps for the same region are selected? And number 2: which map does the Fenix use to calibrate altimeter using DEM? If I disable worldwide DEM map, will it still calibrate from 2d GPS fix and data from another map? Cheers!

Hey Ray,

great Job mate! Thanks a lot for your post. I have a US Fenix 6 and recently travelled to a different continent. Now since some restrictions have start lifting and I would be here for next few months, I have downloaded the city and country map for this new region. however, despite trying several times I am not able to see the toggle choices in Maps setting.. sometimes after i place the file in GARMIn folder the latest file becomes visible in toggle only to disappear after I place another file in Garmin folder.. and it happens randomly.

On the OSM.org page you have the integrated OSM editor, or you can download JOSM which looks like the main editor, or there are iPhone and Android apps that can edit, like Vespucci or GoMap. Enter your edits, for the whole world to see, and after a period of time all the map providers will generate the maps and they will be available. That is the easiest way to do it.

I have tried to install downloads on my Fenix 6 pro, but get compability errors saying that they are not possible to laod. I thought that I was maybe using the wrong file format when doing the downloads so I have tried thre different, but still with the same result. Which is thee file format to use in the extract.bbbike.org site?

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Great instructions as always Ray

Is it possible to download entire continents such as North America etc or even just the USA in its entirety rather than having to select all the squares manually?

You can actually toggle the DEM map separately. So you could just add the OSM maps in there as you want (should have plenty of room for both), and then just got into the menus and toggle which layers you want, including (or not including) the DEM map.

The gmaptool.eu maps definitely do include DEM data. There are routable topo maps available for everywhere except Europe. I have used the Southern Africa, Southeast Africa, East Africa and Southwest USA maps both on fēnix 5X and in Basecamp. They are very high quality.

Hello and thanks,

Silly question maybe, what is the use of dowloading a free map on my Edge 820 which already has got one?

Are the ones you mention more precise? It looks you are saying no (in terms of rendering) so really I was wondering.

Thanks!

KRgds,

Ray,

Any idea if Garmin is planning on updating their integration with OSM in the web version of Connect? The current implementation is horrible. No contour lines, missing road names for secondary and fire roads, blocky trails. Just terrible. Looking at connect.garmin.com and openstreetmap.org side by side in a browser is night and day. The maps on the edge device actually look better than the maps in Connect!

The google maps layer may be fine for road rides, but it sucks ass for mtb trails and we have to rely on the OSM option. Unfortunately the connect integration is terrible and absolutely needs to be addressed.

I prefer this maps over the Garmin maps even where the detailed Garmin map is installed. I very seldom use routing, but quite often I use the map during bike rides to make spontaneous decisions where to go next. In this maps here

1) you can see if a road is paved or unpaved and get proper information of which quality the unpaved road is.

2) official bike routes are marked, so I can spontanously decide to follow a bike route with no need to download it.

Meredith,

Thank you for your reply. Which one specifically from the list below and have you tried it?

Generic Routable

Generic Routable (new style)

Routable Bicycle (Openfietsmap Lite)

Generic Nautical (non-routable)

Transparent overlay with elevation contours

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