Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps

navydevildoc · 02-07-2010, 9:53 AM

Greetings everyone! I had heard about this site from a friend and decided to come get some help.

I off road a lot in my various Land Rovers. My navigation solution in the past has either been the built-in GPS in my LR3 with its limited topo maps, or a handheld Vista HCx tied into a toughbook running the NatGeo Topo! software with real-time tracking.

The toughbook/HCx combo is fantastic as far as maps and what not goes. I can have the data screen up on the HCx showing heading, altitude, speed, etc; and have the map up on the toughbook.

The problem is that a setup like this has a bunch of cables going everywhere, requires an inverter to run the toughbook for any extended length of time, and in reality needs a co-pilot/navigator to run it.

In short, it's a great mapping solution, but a really messy way to do it.

With a trip coming up this weekend, I decided that I was going to try something new. I was poking around on Garmin's site and saw the 5" Nuvis, and the fact that you can load Topo maps on to them, even the 24K maps.

I thought I had my solution. I went down to Best Buy last night and picked one up. Brought it home, charged it, upgraded the software and base maps. Everything seemed to be fine (other than not being able to click on the GPS signal to get more detail, even though the help says you can do that).

Then I took the plunge and bought the downloadable 24K topo maps. Waited for it to download, then install.

I run outside to test it out, turn off the city maps, turn on the topo maps, and realize that whatever I just bought is NOTHING like the nice Topo maps from NatGeo. The area I am planning on going this weekend is just a blob of brown lines and jumbled contour line labels, and the more I zoom in the more "detailed" the contour lines become.

I know the Nuvis are supposed to really be for on-road navigation, but it looked like this was going to do what I wanted. I just wanted to see off-road trails, much like I can on the NatGeo maps. I have included a topo screenshot and the Nuvi screenshot of the same area so you can see what I am talking about.

So unless I am doing something wrong, this isn't going to do what I want. Short of a full-blown installed car PC with Topo on it, is there some other way to get this done?

The sucky thing is that I may have to suck up the 15% restocking fee at BB, plus eat the hundred bucks I just blew on the Topo maps.

doppler · 02-07-2010, 11:37 AM

I have used 100k Topo and 24k on a few different Nuvi units, it should not render like this. I will do some more research later this afternoon on a 1490T.

Dont give up yet!

navydevildoc · 02-07-2010, 2:36 PM

Looking forward to what happens with you... If there was just a way to turn off the contour lines or make them smaller it would probably work.

doppler · 02-07-2010, 3:16 PM

I got a friends 1450, Same issue.
I sent a email to Garmin, Lets see what happens.

HumVee · 02-07-2010, 3:58 PM

navydevildoc, what are your map detail settings set to in Tools > Settings > Map > Map Detail? If it's on High, try Normal or Low.

I have a Garmin zūmo 660 with Topo U.S. 24K - West loaded onto it. It's the very nature of 24K maps that you're going to have more contour lines than 100K maps would. I've attached screenshots of my topo display at 200 ft, 500 ft, .2 mile and .5 mile scale zoom settings. All of the screenshots are with Map Detail set to High, except that I've also included a .5 mile scale screenshot with the detail settings to Normal. I tried a Low detail screenshot at .5 mile and 200 ft, but there were no apparent differences - but you can see from the last two captures that there's a huge difference between High and the others at .5 miles.

As to your National Geographic Topo! series screenshot, there's just no way your Garmin nüvi 1490T's resolution of 480 x 272 (256 color, 8-bit depth) is going to compete with a laptop computer screen's resolution of 1024 x 768 to 1920 x 1600 (16 Million color, 24-bit depth). I have no idea what the native resolution of your laptop is - mine is the latter. As you so correctly point out, the laptop solution will give you by far the best display capabilities - but at the expense of convenience.

If you feel that your 24K topo map is still too cluttered even at the lower map detail settings, then you may have to get a friend to purchase the Topo U.S. 100K map (less detail, larger area coverage) and swap. Also, you can look for free enthusiast maps for the areas you're interested in off-roading. Try sites like GPSFileDepot.

doppler · 02-07-2010, 4:09 PM

HumVee, here is some screens of mine on Low.

He also bought the downloadable 24K topo maps, This would be locked to his unit.

And on my 265 They look fine.

HumVee · 02-07-2010, 4:16 PM

Doh! I did read that navydevildoc had purchased download, but obviously I didn't retain it. Thanks for the correction, doppler. I always purchase the DVD map option if available. I think that navydevildoc needs to try turning down his map detail level to see if he's any happier with it.

doppler · 02-07-2010, 4:38 PM

" I always purchase the DVD map option if available"

Wise words!

navydevildoc · 02-08-2010, 10:32 PM

Hey everyone...

Yeah, I already had the map set to low, to no real effect.

As far as the screen resolutions, the screenshot I took from the toughbook was about the same pixel size as the nuvi to try and make it close to the same. The toughbook shows way more than what I clipped out.

So you mean if I had bought the DVD version I could move it around from unit to unit? Everything on the garmin site sure makes it sound like even if I had the DVD it would need to be activated and locked to a certain unit.

At least I figured out that to get the satellite info up you have to touch and hold over the "signal bars".

navydevildoc · 02-08-2010, 11:45 PM

Well, the trick was to use the free Topo maps on GPSFileDepot.

Wow! Way better than the garmin maps (200 bucks down the toilet there), and it even has the forest service roads, water crossings, etc.

This may do what I want after all! Thanks for the tip.

HumVee · 02-09-2010, 2:44 AM

Glad to help, navydevildoc! Enjoy your new GPS unit! And thanks for your comment about how to enter Satellite Acquisition mode. I'd been wondering how to do that. Since you enter that mode by pressing the upper left corner for 3 seconds, I figured you would enter Diagnostics mode by pressing on another corner. As it turns out - not quite, but close! If you tap or hold in the upper right corner of the Main Menu, you get to your time settings. But I discovered that if you press on the battery level icon just to the left of the clock for 5 seconds - you enter Diagnostics Mode!

There's a whopping 18 screens total, but a lot of them are graphical/display tests. Of those, the solid color display screens would be very handy for checking for stuck pixels (pixels frozen on one color state). Generally speaking, diagnostics modes are just that, and you can't actually make changes and muck things up - but my zumo is dear and precious to me, so I was very careful looking about. Here's a few screenshots, and a document showing everything.

Max · 02-10-2010, 9:02 PM

Nice info on the battery press...I had no idea about that...

Glad to see you're all squared away NDD

02-07-2010, 9:53 AM	#1
navydevildoc Join Date: Feb 07 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 4	Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps Greetings everyone! I had heard about this site from a friend and decided to come get some help. I off road a lot in my various Land Rovers. My navigation solution in the past has either been the built-in GPS in my LR3 with its limited topo maps, or a handheld Vista HCx tied into a toughbook running the NatGeo Topo! software with real-time tracking. The toughbook/HCx combo is fantastic as far as maps and what not goes. I can have the data screen up on the HCx showing heading, altitude, speed, etc; and have the map up on the toughbook. The problem is that a setup like this has a bunch of cables going everywhere, requires an inverter to run the toughbook for any extended length of time, and in reality needs a co-pilot/navigator to run it. In short, it's a great mapping solution, but a really messy way to do it. With a trip coming up this weekend, I decided that I was going to try something new. I was poking around on Garmin's site and saw the 5" Nuvis, and the fact that you can load Topo maps on to them, even the 24K maps. I thought I had my solution. I went down to Best Buy last night and picked one up. Brought it home, charged it, upgraded the software and base maps. Everything seemed to be fine (other than not being able to click on the GPS signal to get more detail, even though the help says you can do that). Then I took the plunge and bought the downloadable 24K topo maps. Waited for it to download, then install. I run outside to test it out, turn off the city maps, turn on the topo maps, and realize that whatever I just bought is NOTHING like the nice Topo maps from NatGeo. The area I am planning on going this weekend is just a blob of brown lines and jumbled contour line labels, and the more I zoom in the more "detailed" the contour lines become. I know the Nuvis are supposed to really be for on-road navigation, but it looked like this was going to do what I wanted. I just wanted to see off-road trails, much like I can on the NatGeo maps. I have included a topo screenshot and the Nuvi screenshot of the same area so you can see what I am talking about. So unless I am doing something wrong, this isn't going to do what I want. Short of a full-blown installed car PC with Topo on it, is there some other way to get this done? The sucky thing is that I may have to suck up the 15% restocking fee at BB, plus eat the hundred bucks I just blew on the Topo maps. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by navydevildoc; 02-07-2010 at 10:18 AM. Reason: Added images

02-07-2010, 11:37 AM	#2
doppler Join Date: Oct 21 2008 Location: Wichita Posts: 16	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps I have used 100k Topo and 24k on a few different Nuvi units, it should not render like this. I will do some more research later this afternoon on a 1490T. Dont give up yet!

02-07-2010, 2:36 PM	#3
navydevildoc Join Date: Feb 07 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 4	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps Looking forward to what happens with you... If there was just a way to turn off the contour lines or make them smaller it would probably work.

02-07-2010, 3:16 PM	#4
doppler Join Date: Oct 21 2008 Location: Wichita Posts: 16	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps I got a friends 1450, Same issue. I sent a email to Garmin, Lets see what happens.

02-07-2010, 3:58 PM	#5
HumVee Join Date: May 11 2009 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 1,258	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps navydevildoc, what are your map detail settings set to in Tools > Settings > Map > Map Detail? If it's on High, try Normal or Low. I have a Garmin zūmo 660 with Topo U.S. 24K - West loaded onto it. It's the very nature of 24K maps that you're going to have more contour lines than 100K maps would. I've attached screenshots of my topo display at 200 ft, 500 ft, .2 mile and .5 mile scale zoom settings. All of the screenshots are with Map Detail set to High, except that I've also included a .5 mile scale screenshot with the detail settings to Normal. I tried a Low detail screenshot at .5 mile and 200 ft, but there were no apparent differences - but you can see from the last two captures that there's a huge difference between High and the others at .5 miles. As to your National Geographic Topo! series screenshot, there's just no way your Garmin nüvi 1490T's resolution of 480 x 272 (256 color, 8-bit depth) is going to compete with a laptop computer screen's resolution of 1024 x 768 to 1920 x 1600 (16 Million color, 24-bit depth). I have no idea what the native resolution of your laptop is - mine is the latter. As you so correctly point out, the laptop solution will give you by far the best display capabilities - but at the expense of convenience. If you feel that your 24K topo map is still too cluttered even at the lower map detail settings, then you may have to get a friend to purchase the Topo U.S. 100K map (less detail, larger area coverage) and swap. Also, you can look for free enthusiast maps for the areas you're interested in off-roading. Try sites like GPSFileDepot. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by HumVee; 02-07-2010 at 4:14 PM. Reason: Added reference to GPSFileDepot

02-07-2010, 4:09 PM	#6
doppler Join Date: Oct 21 2008 Location: Wichita Posts: 16	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps HumVee, here is some screens of mine on Low. He also bought the downloadable 24K topo maps, This would be locked to his unit. And on my 265 They look fine.

02-07-2010, 4:16 PM	#7
HumVee Join Date: May 11 2009 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 1,258	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps Doh! I did read that navydevildoc had purchased download, but obviously I didn't retain it. Thanks for the correction, doppler. I always purchase the DVD map option if available. I think that navydevildoc needs to try turning down his map detail level to see if he's any happier with it.

02-07-2010, 4:38 PM	#8
doppler Join Date: Oct 21 2008 Location: Wichita Posts: 16	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps " I always purchase the DVD map option if available" Wise words!

02-08-2010, 10:32 PM	#9
navydevildoc Join Date: Feb 07 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 4	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps Hey everyone... Yeah, I already had the map set to low, to no real effect. As far as the screen resolutions, the screenshot I took from the toughbook was about the same pixel size as the nuvi to try and make it close to the same. The toughbook shows way more than what I clipped out. So you mean if I had bought the DVD version I could move it around from unit to unit? Everything on the garmin site sure makes it sound like even if I had the DVD it would need to be activated and locked to a certain unit. At least I figured out that to get the satellite info up you have to touch and hold over the "signal bars".

02-08-2010, 11:45 PM	#10
navydevildoc Join Date: Feb 07 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 4	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps Well, the trick was to use the free Topo maps on GPSFileDepot. Wow! Way better than the garmin maps (200 bucks down the toilet there), and it even has the forest service roads, water crossings, etc. This may do what I want after all! Thanks for the tip.

02-10-2010, 9:02 PM	#12
Max Chicks dig waypoints. Join Date: Dec 28 2006 Location: Near Boston, Ma. Posts: 1,272 Blog Entries: 5	Re: Garmin Nuvi 1490T and Topo Maps Nice info on the battery press...I had no idea about that... Glad to see you're all squared away NDD __________________ Nothing free is good, nothing good is free.