Reviewing three typical GPS manufacturer software
GPS receiver manufacturers have a number of software products available for their models that support maps. So you have a better understanding of what types of maps are available, here are the different map software packages that the major GPS receiver manufacturers offer. Read on to discover what types overs. For more information and in-depth reviews of GPS receiver manufacturer map products, including screenshots, visit http://gpsinformation.net.
GPS receivers sold in different parts of the world typically have different basemaps. For example, a GPS receiver sold in Germany will have a more detailed basemap of Europe, compared with the same model of receiver sold in the United States.
I want to clarify a point that sometimes confuses current or prospective GPS receiver owners: Each of the major GPS receiver manufacturers has their own line of map products that all sound pretty similar. Here they are:
Magellan MapSend
Magellan manufactures the popular Meridian and SporTrak GPS receiver lines. The Meridian receivers use memory cards for map storage, and the SporTrak models have a fixed amount of internal memory to store maps.
Software products that you can use with Magellan mapping GPS receivers include the following. Information about all these products is available at the Magellan Web site.
MapSend DirectRoute
This software package provides street maps, POIs, automated street routing, and turn-by-turn directions for most Meridian and SporTrak receivers. With automated street routing, you can enter a starting and destination street address, and the GPS receiver will provide you with a route, including street directions. Most GPS receivers give you a straight-line route between two points, but Magellan upgraded the firmware on a number of their receivers to support both straight-line and street routes when MapSend DirectRoute maps are uploaded. Versions of the software are available for the United States, major cities in Canada, and Europe.MapSend BlueNav charts These are nautical charts with detailed coverage areas and enhanced marine navigation information, such as currents, tides, and port services. Charts, available for a number of coastal areas in North America and Europe, can be purchased on CD-ROM or preloaded SD memory cards.
MapSend Topo The Topo product is designed for outdoor recreation use :100,000 scale topographic maps of the United States, including trails, roads, rivers, lakes, coastlines, and POIs. After you upload the maps, you can display elevation profiles on your GPS receiver for roads, trails, and user-created routes.
MapSend Streets & Destinations
Magellan’s original road map software package has versions available for the United States and Canada. If you’re looking for street navigation software for your Magellan, I recommend MapSend DirectRoute because of its autorouting features and more cur-rent NAVTECH maps. Choose Streets & Destinations if you have an older GPS receiver that isn’t compatible with DirectRoute or if you’re on a tight budget.
MapSend WorldWide Basemap This map software package expands your GPS receiver’s built-in basemap coverage to other international regions. Each basemap region has basic map features such as cities, highways, waterways, railroads, national boundaries, and shorelines.
Lowrance MapCreate
Lowrance was the first manufacturer to offer a GPS receiver with uploadable maps. The company continues the electronic map tradition with its current line of iFINDER handheld GPS receivers; which use memory cards to store maps.
If you own a Lowrance GPS receiver or are considering purchasing one, here are the map products you can use:
MapCreate is Lowrance’s primary map program for creating GPS receiver maps of the United States. In addition to street maps and points of interest, MapCreate also has an extensive database of navigation aids, wrecks, and obstructions for marine use. One nice feature of MapCreate is that you can select polygon map regions to upload, which maximizes map storage space. Although MapCreate currently doesn’t offer autorouting and turn-by-turn directions, Lowrance does plan to offer this feature in the future.
In addition to maps on CD-ROM, Lowrance also offers the FreedomMaps product line, comprising memory cards preloaded with maps of the United States, Europe, and Canada. Regional maps come on 128MB and 256MB memory cards that you just plug into your GPS receiver; no software or CD-ROMs are required.
Navionics (www.navionics.com) is one of the largest producers of electronic nautical charts. Navionics Gold and Classic charts and fishing HotMaps are all available on MMC memory cards and are also compatible with the iFINDER Pro GPS receiver.Garmin MapSource
Like the other GPS receiver manufacturers, Garmin offers a number of different types of maps for its products. Unlike Magellan and Lowrance, however, Garmin doesn’t use memory cards in its current line of handheld GPS receivers. Any maps that you upload must be able to fit into whatever fixed memory the GPS receiver has available for storage.
Although Garmin doesn’t use commonly available SD or MMC memory cards in its GPS tracking device, the company is using newer technology to make uploading maps quicker. Recent Garmin products feature USB connectivity, which is considerably faster than uploading a map to a GPS receiver through a PC serial port.
If you own a Garmin GPS receiver or are considering purchasing one, here are some of the mapping software packages that you can use. Detailed information about all is available from the Garmin Web site.
City Select contains street maps and points of interest and is designed to work with Garmin GPS receivers that support autorouting , such as the GPSMAP 196 and GPSMAP 60C/60CS. The three versions of the product are available for North America, Europe, and South Africa.
Metroguide is similar to City Select but is designed for Garmin GPS receivers that don’t support auto-routing (such as the e-Trex Legend and Vista). Four versions of this product are available, providing street maps for the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
This software provides basic international maps that expand the default basemap coverage that comes with your
GPS receivers sold in different parts of the world typically have different basemaps.
BlueChart products are Garmin’s nautical charts and are available in regional versions that cover the Americas as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Fishing Hot Spots are maps of popular fishing areas in North America with depth contours, shoreline details, boat ramp information, and fishing tips. The maps are sold for multistate regions.
Minnesota LakeMaster ProMap
Designed specifically for GPS receiver owners who fish in the Minnesota area, this map product has maps of popular lakes and includes three-foot contours with underwater structure detail, islands, reefs, points, bays, access points, and marinas.
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