GPS maps question

Say I buy a Garmin. Do I have to download maps from Garmin for them to work in the GPS device? Or are the maps kind of a universal file format that all/most GPSs can read?

Thanks.

If its a handheld, unless it came with something other than a crapy basemap, you need to buy better maps (topo, national parks, city navigator, etc.). I have the colorado 300, it came with no maps so I need to buy maps (or use what I had already) and download them to it. Look at ebay for maps, thats where I got mine.

bigalpha said:

Say I buy a Garmin. Do I have to download maps from Garmin for them to work in the GPS device? Or are the maps kind of a universal file format that all/most GPSs can read?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Yes, only Garmin maps can be downloaded to Garmin GPSr's, although there are ways to create your own maps to download to the GPSr.

Free topo maps can be found at here that will work for a Garmin. Although they are free, he asks for a donation to help fund making more.