Maps for my Garmin Nuvi 200?

I bought Subject unit a year ago but didn't attempt to download any maps
for more than 90 days. Apparently, in that period, they were free. When
I checked a few months ago, they wanted a price well beyond the price of
the unit ($125), which was discontinued about a year ago. I just did a
Google on maps for it and found a number of sites offering free maps.
Are these of any use with the 200?

It is doubtful that any other maps other than Garmin will work for
Garmin GPS receivers.

PeterM wrote:


http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download

I don't download them from that site myself though. I download
raw OSM data every 2 weeks and make my own Garmin-format maps,
which I use in my 3 Garmins:

GPSmap 60CSx
GPSmap 76CSx
Nuvi 1350

John

On 4/2/2010 3:56 PM, John Henderson wrote:
OK, I go to that site and see how it might be done. I guess I go to
Provider or Routable and download something from there for the United
States. I'm interested in street maps. Do I need a map source installer?
Where do I get it? How do I make Garmin maps? There's USB port on the
back of the 200, which normally is used for power. Do I some how upload
the prepared maps through it?

W. eWatson wrote:


Not unless you want to combine two or more maps into a single
composite map. When I used to do that on a Windows system, I
used this program:

http://www.img2gps.co.cc/

On Linux, I use mkgmap:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mkgmap


If you come across a single image file which will do you it will
have a ".img" file name extension. Just rename that as
"gmapsupp.img" and it should work.


I'm not familiar with the Nuvi 200, but I see it takes an
optional SD data card. That's where you'll need to put your
alternative map. That map must be called

        gmapsupp.img

and be located in a top-level directory/folder on the SD card.
That folder must be named

        Garmin

A 1GB or 2GB SD card should have more than enough room. Anything
bigger (namely an SDHC card) mightn't work unless your Nuvi has
the latest firmware installed.

A Garmin USB cable could be used to create the folder and
upload the map to it "in situ". Alternatively, you could use a
card reader to prepare the card, and then just plug it into the
Nuvi when it's ready to go.

You may have to specifically select the OSM map in the Nuvi's
menus. On my Nuvi 1390, that's done by selecting:

        Tools / Settings / Map / Info

and then ticking the OSM entry (and unticking any other entry
which shows).

John