Oregon 600 custom map drawing slow

oregon

Just wondering if there is any way of speeding up my custom kmz maps i have installed?
Same thing is happening on 2 devices.
I have numerous custom maps installed but only a few switched on.
Large img maps are switched off.
Could DPI or map tile count be the problem? Files are converted with mapc2mapc.
Thanks.

Boyd

My experience is that Garmin's support for Custom Maps is very weak and all of the devices I have used are very slow drawing them (such as my Montana 600). I have been supporting maps in this format for a number of years, but I am phasing them all out on my site.

You can get an Android phone for $100 that renders raster imagery instantaneously and also supports multiple zoom levels with virtually no limitation on the size of the map. It's hard to escape the conclusion that Garmin has intentionally crippled raster imagery on their devices, to prevent competition with their own products.

Birdseye (.jnx files) are better, and support something like 50,000 map tiles, but the performance is still poor compared to a cheap smartphone. Anyway, sorry for the rant, but unless there's something unusual about your map, I'd say that it's normal for this type of map to perform poorly. :(

oregon

Thats really disappointing. I really like the units as they are very robust and use them on my dirtbike. They are really the only option i have.

I was wondering if the new 700's are faster then the 600's?
Does putting the maps in the internal memory speed things up?

Boyd

Internal memory is generally faster, don't know if it would be noticeable. You might as well put them there, because of Garmin's size limitations, even the largest custom map is still a very small file. Don't know if the Oregon 700 is faster. However, your Oregon 600 supports a total of 500 custom map tiles and the Oregon 700 only allows 100 tiles. Thanks, Garmin. :O)

If you want to use your own raster imagery (ie: "custom maps") your Garmin addiction will always be a huge handicap. When a company has a monopoly, they can pretty much do whatever they like. ;)

Boyd

One other thing you could try - save your maps as .jnx (birdseye) files. I believe that. MAPC2MAPC can do that, can't it? They are faster and you can cover huge areas.

But there are some "gotchas". First, you need to have an active Birdseye subscription for this to work. The method of installing the maps on the GPS is also complicated and non-intuitive (you can't just copy the files to the GPS)..

And it does not mix with Birdseye, so if you are using "real" Birdseye imagery, your map will be shown at the same time and conflict. You would need to use separate memory cards for your own maps and the real BIrdseye, and physically swap them to change maps.

oregon

It doesnt sound like the 700 is a worthwhile upgrade for what i want to do.
I called a gps retailer and they couldnt tell me if the unit was faster as garmin doesnt give out that info.
I will give the birdseye a go. Ive got quite a few maps to do though.
Very disappointing that i cant run basic 150 dpi maps with all of the tech thats floating around today.

I did find some guidelines on the garmin site that they recommend to follow.
I'll redo some maps following these and see if they speed up.
Some of them confuse me as i'm still a novice.
Here are some important ones i picked out.

Jpeg files must be saved without Progressive Image (typically found under advanced options).
(no idea what this is)
Images over 1 mega pixel (1024x1024 pixels, 512x2048 pixels, etc.) will be rendered at a reduced resolution on the unit. If this is causing a problem for your map, you can split the image and use multiple jpegs inside of one kmz file.
(not sure how to check the megapixels)
Each jpeg should be less than 3MB.*
(im guessing thats the jpeg associated with the kmz file)
The max number of Custom Map JPEG images that can be loaded:
Oregon 600 series (500)
(Are they talking about map tiles or total custom maps on the unit?)
The size of the jpeg files will affect the draw speed on the Garmin device
There is no limitation on kmz file size as long as the previous limitations are met
Since each kmz file will need at least one jpeg file to be a functional custom map, kmz file limitations match jpeg limitations
(sounds contradictory and confuses me)
Custom Maps are enabled or disabled as a group
(unsure on this one, i switch them on as i need them)
dpi resolution shoud be 155

Boyd

* Progressive jpeg is an option in photoshop specifically for images that are used on websites, they load gradually. I think this is probably obsolete considering the speed of today's internet connections

*The 1024x1024 pixel limit is strict and must be observed, otherwise the map will look like garbage. This is arguably the most ridiculous limitation of Garmin's format. If you use mapc2mapc, I think it will control the image size to meet Garmin's requirements although I haven't used it for a long time.

*3mb limit should not be an issue with a 1024x1024 jpeg.

*the 500 limit applies to tiles - the individual 1024x1024 images inside all the .kmz files on your device. This is also strict and another (ridiculous) limitation

* Should be obvious that a .kmz file must contain at least one jpeg image, otherwise it would be worthless. BTW, to see what's inside a .kmz file, change the extension to .zip and you can then unzip it like a folder.

* Stuff like dpi is meaningless to me in terms of GIS, it depends of the resolution of the image. More useful to talk about feet or meters per pixel.