Uploading maps onto a Garmin “x”
I ended up wasting a lot of time trying to get my Garmin 60CSx working on a PC when it turned out I didn’t even need it now. So for one of you out there trying to get maps to work on Mac OS X, this might save you a lot of websearching.
How to get maps onto your Garmin GPS “x” series (microSD-enabled) GPS:
- Go to a place like MapCenter and download a map (.zip) and then uncompress it, you will get a file that looks like a disk image but isn’t—a IMG file.
- Connect your Garmin via USB to your Mac with a USB to mini-USB cable (one was provided with my model).
- Make sure you have the latest updates on your Garmin (this is the only step that requires a PC). An old Garmin might not have the new USB Mass Storage update. For instance, for my GPS, I go here and use a PC to install.
- On the Garmin menu, navigate to Setup -> Interface and then choose “USB Mass Storage”
- A volume “NO_NAME” will appear on your desktop. This is your MicroSD card so you might as well name it something useful.
- Create a folder “GARMIN” in that volume.
- Copy the map IMG file to the folder and rename it “gmappsupp.img.”
- Eject the volume.
You are now good to go.
Multiple maps
I haven’t figured it out yet. Basically you would use a program that will pack all the .img files into a single one. If anyone knows something that will do this on the Mac, tell me.
I’m not planning on plunking money down on a Garmin MapSource map until it supports Mac OS X.
In the meantime I’ll just rename and move files on the card to make the maps available as I need it.
July 20th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
James Robinson found this link. I hope this helps!
August 24th, 2006 at 9:41 am
connecting the GPS receiver to the Mac can be changed into:
put the microSD in the SD adapter.
now you can read and write from.to the microSD using a cardreader!
that’s how I do.
and… I save all the gmappsupp.img’s I make with MapSource. so I can change easily maps in my Garmin.
in fact, there must be a exchange program (P2P?) for all kinds of gmappsupp.img’s….
August 24th, 2006 at 9:52 am
by the way: what MapSource does is combining several IMG’s (of a country, or even different countries) to 1 combined gmappsupp.img.
in that case you can have a whole country on your microSD!
[those must be exchanged!]
August 24th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
@wim: I hope described that process above of how one uses a Mac to get mapsource img’s onto the microSD card. I hope I also explained that I am not going to purchase MapSource until Garmin implements their promised Mac OS X support, hence the “combine map” problem still exists for Mac users (or for PC users who don’t want to spend money on MapSource).
There is another advantage of Mapsource in that it is capable of marking the map in a manner that allows it to compute trip paths/turn by turn directions, etc.
December 29th, 2006 at 11:34 am
For me, this only worked when the name of the file was changed to gmapsupp.img instead of gmappsupp.img I don’t know why this is, but I am using the eTrex Legend Cx. If anyone is following these directions and still having problems, try using the name gmapsupp.img
December 30th, 2006 at 12:14 am
@Daniel: My article was probably a typo.
May 5th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
[...] map set, I noticed that Garmin finally has some Mac software out for my 60CSx. Hmm, only two years late and still not fully functional. Maybe it’s time to bite the bullet and make another VMWare image [...]