How To Update Garmin Gps With Sd Card

Last calendar week I published a piece on how to install free maps on your Garmin article of clothing, which was a tweaked update of my vi-year-onetime mail on how to install maps on your Garmin Border devices. But every bit promised, I'd be refreshing that old Edges-specific post too – which is what this new post is all nearly. It's nearly identical to last calendar week'south mail service and the ane six years ago, except specific to the Garmin Border serial because frankly it'll help people in Google trying to notice Edge-specific instructions.

Things have certainly inverse in the Garmin Edge world in six years – well-nigh notably that all of Garmin'due south mapping capable Edge devices now actually come with detailed maps for the region yous bought it in. Thus if you purchase an Edge device in the US you lot'll take Northward American maps, and if you buy information technology in Kingdom of spain you'll have European maps, and if yous purchase it in Sydney y'all'll take Australian/New Zealand maps. Detailed maps too – not the old and useless 'base map' junk.

Simply what happens when you traveled outside your region?

That'due south when you were back to the base junk. That so-called base map has virtually no detail in it. It might bear witness a single dot for the entire metropolis of Paris, or perhaps one highway leading into it. Certainly no usable streets or geographic landmarks.

Fright non – I've got you covered! You tin easily download costless maps on your Edge for when you travel. Quick and simple, and while the instructions might wait long, the unabridged working fourth dimension is probably under two-three minutes for most people. I just include a lot of pictures/text to make it super-clear.

I myself often use the freely downloaded variant I describe below (because I live in Europe, but ofttimes purchase my units in the US). Or, for the European units I have when I travel to the US/Canada, like two weeks agone. And thousands of you lot every month practice the same following these previously published steps. With that, let'south go into all the supported units and requirements and a few pocket-sized caveats below.

Requirements/Caveats:

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While this post probably looks long, it's generally my attempt at answering whatever questions ahead of time. In reality the entire process is super quick and like shooting fish in a barrel. I'thou just overly thorough in my screenshotting excitement. The actual agile time for you to do this is like iii-five minutes tops.

You lot must have a computer – Mac or PC (or even Linux). Yous cannot exercise this from an iPad or such. It'southward technically possible to do information technology from an Android device with the right cables, but you're on your own for that!

As for compatible devices, hither's the list of devices this will work on. It too volition work on most of the handheld type outdoor devices too. If information technology supports Garmin maps, it'll support 3rd party maps.

Compatible Bike Computers: Edge 520 Plus/530, Garmin Edge 705, Garmin Border 800/810/820/830, Garmin Edge yard/1030/1030 Plus/Explore/Touring variants (the base Edge 520 is technically compatible, but only has a sliver of infinite on it, like, plenty for one metropolis), and the Bontrager Edge 1030 is totally fine as well.

Compatible Wearables: Garmin Forerunner 945, Garmin Fenix 5s Plus, Garmin Fenix 5 Plus, Garmin Fenix 5X Plus, Garmin Fenix 5X (not-Plus), Garmin Epix (RIP), Garmin Descent MK1, Garmin MARQ Serial, Garmin D2 Delta PX

Now you may be request yourself, 'What if I have a non-Garmin unit? Will it nonetheless piece of work?' – and the brusque answer is basically no. There may be some third party units that work with these maps, simply nothing major. Plus, many other competitors like Wahoo, Stages, and Sigma simply get in piece of cake for you lot to download maps without all this fuss.

Optional: Micro-SD card: If y'all've got an Border unit that has a micro-SD bill of fare slot (namely the Border 705/800/810/one thousand/1030/Touring/Touring Plus), you tin can place the maps on there instead to salvage space. More than on that in a minute.

Finally, since I know some of yous will ask, the following are most definitely *not* compatible. And the reasons are simple: They don't take the storage, or they don't have the processing power to handle maps. The send has sailed on all of these (read: they're definitely not getting map support),

Non-Supported Bike Computers: Garmin Border twenty/25/130/200/500/510, and probably a few really onetime others.

Non-Supported Wearables: Garmin Precursor 15/20/30/35/45, Garmin Forerunner 225/230/235/245, Garmin Forerunner 610/620/630/645, Garmin Forerunner 735XT/910XT/920/935, Garmin Fenix 5S/five (not-Plus, non-X), Garmin Fenix three/3HR, Garmin Fenix (original), Garmin Vivo-annihilation, and endless others. Consider this but a 'starter list' of non-supported units.

Note that while Garmin would prefer you buy the maps from them, they actually get out of their way to allow you lot to download free maps from third party providers. They simply note that information technology's unsupported (but doesn't void whatsoever warranties or such). Meaning that if the 3rd political party map data isn't perfect, it'south non their fault. But here's the muddied undercover: It's the same underlying map data.

Last merely non least – annotation that Garmin does add 'special sauce' to their maps – most notably what they call 'Trendline Popularity Routing', which is basically a variant of heatmaps. The primary use for this is when you ask the device itself to create a route on the fly (such as roundtrip routing) that it leverages heatmap data to give yous routes that people use more oftentimes. However, this is only applicable if you create/re-route on the device itself. You can however take advantage of that concept by just creating the routes on Garmin Connect or Garmin Connect Mobile starting time, which will utilise that same data from the cloud.

For about all of Garmin's maps included on Border/Precursor/Fenix/MARQ serial devices, the base map itself is OSM (OpenStreetMap). What differs is some of the special sauce Garmin adds atop it (like heatmap type data), as well as the exact layers Garmin does or doesn't brandish (how it looks, simply also things similar topographic lines). In addition, there are some slight nuances to how the maps expect in terms of exact styling. You'd never know unless you had the 2 side past side, which you'll see beneath. At left is what the default Garmin maps wait similar, whereas at right is what the costless OSM maps wait like (the right unit is just rotated 90°, because that's the direction the unit thinks I was going):

I find the shading/clarity of the Garmin maps to generally be meliorate/optimized. But both are perfectly functional. However, yous also won't get topographic contour lines when using the gratuitous maps. Technically speaking you lot can download them and merge them together, but that'southward beyond what I'm going to cover hither.

Of course, I call back it's time for Garmin to movement onto the Wahoo & Sigma model of making it silly easy to download maps from other regions. Or heck, at least go far cheap. Charge me $10 per region (or even country), let me to select the regions via my smartphone app – and and so go and download the maps via WiFi (Wahoo is the same process, except free). I'd happily pay Garmin $x with a streamlined mobile-first strategy to get the heatmap and related data from them.

Role ane: Downloading the Maps:

This unabridged mail service is 'made possible past' OpenStreetMap, which are costless community-driven maps. OpenStreetMap has become in many areas just as good as maps from traditional providers. And best of all, they're free. The below site simply does all the hard work that you used to have to practice manually a few years ago if you wanted to apply OpenStreetMap. Now, it's literally every bit like shooting fish in a barrel as 1.ii.three. Seriously, y'all can practice these clicks beneath in under 15 seconds.

Also – earlier I forget to mention, if you're on an Edge 530/830, then the Trailforks mountain bike trail overlays are actually totally global, so y'all've already got the entire globe in your pocket no thing which land y'all bought it in, and this won't negatively bear on that one style or the other.

First up, going to the site. Which, will bring you here:

Note that every one time in a while that website goes down – as if someone didn't put enough coins in the slot. It's a community-supported page after all. I'd strongly encourage you to donate occasionally (fifty-fifty only $v, it saved you similar $100 anyway). I exercise. If the site is down, you tin apply another site here. The downloading steps are slightly unlike (select Garmin BBBike as the format, Map type OSM Mapnik), but ultimately all basically the same. I have no relationship to either site, information technology's just what I've used for a long-long-long time now. (Notation: I've added some more sources at this department for cases where you might desire something a bit more unique/specific.)

In one case the page loads, you'll want to select 'Routable Bicycle' as the map blazon.

Side by side, yous'll select the region/area of maps you desire. If you simply select a pre-defined surface area (similar a given land/country/province), then the site has already premade these for you, so they are instantly available. Kinda like picking upward sushi from the case at the grocery store (except less sketchy). Whereas if yous desire something custom – perhaps across multiple countries/borders, and so you can cull to create a custom map set.

If going for the preset sushi, you'll start by choosing your continent, then country. In some areas (such as the Us and Canada), you lot'll also choose the state/province. You'll see that it automatically selects the coverage area in the map below.

If you don't need anything custom, then just click 'Download Map Now':

That'll bring yous to this page. Select the one that the trivial MicroSD bill of fare icon adjacent to it. Do NOT select the Windows, Mac, or Linux ones. It doesn't matter what reckoner you lot're using to download things, always-ever-always select the one with the MicroSD card icon (likewise titled 'GMAPSUPP.Naught' appended to the end of it).

Download and relieve that somewhere handy on your computer (like your desktop) and skip alee to the installation section!

[Once more: Skip alee to the 'Installation' bulleted section if you lot've just downloaded your map!!!]

Whereas if you want to roll your ain custom map with added areas, so yous'll select the checkbox titled 'Manual Tile Selection', and go from in that location. As a pro tip, if you lot're merely adding a bit more territory to an existing predefined set, and then start by selecting that commencement, then checking the manual option. Equally you can see below, I started with kingdom of the netherlands, and so I checked the box and added a few more map tiles from Belgium/Deutschland/France onto the Southern portion of my Netherlands map:

Once you lot've selected everything you need to select, then put your eastward-mail address in the little box and select 'Build my map':

The reason you need to provide an electronic mail accost is because you go into a queue for the server to create your map. Similar waiting for your name to be chosen at the DMV, except, more than efficient. Here's what it'll show a second later:

And certain enough, simply as it says I'll instantly get an e-mail with my condition:

And a few minutes later I become some other e-postal service with the download link maxim it's ready. Usually that's all it takes. I don't think I've ever had to wait more than 10-15 minutes.

But like with the not-custom ones, select the one that the little MicroSD card icon adjacent to information technology. DO Non select the Windows, Mac, or Linux ones. It doesn't matter what computer you're using to download things, always-always-always select the one with the MicroSD bill of fare icon (as well titled 'GMAPSUPP.Nix' appended to the end of it).

And again, remember that there's a 'Donate' button on that site (I take no affiliation with it). Obviously, practiced karma dictates that if y'all find their (gratuitous/community-hosted) service valuable, sending a couple of bucks their way is probably wise – specially given how much money yous're saving. Plus, it'll probably brand that map creation fleck become faster for custom maps if they get more support.

And finally, if you want some other map sources, a number of DCR commenters accept listed their favorites, which I've included in here. All of these maps basically starting time from OpenStreetMap, and and so add together details atop them. The master ane I linked to to a higher place is merely ane I consider pretty trustworthy and more global in functionality. Whereas beneath some have specific areas they specialize in (and may show more details for those areas), or have specific focuses (like mayhap better mountain bike item):

– Topo-included map source: Frikart.no
– Topo-included map source, likewise POI's have opening hours: OpenTopoMap.org
– Topo-focused maps that are too recommended for Africa: GMapTool.eu
– Cycling maps specialized for Netherlands/Belgium/Luxembourg with more item: OpenFietsMap.nl
– Mountain-biking focused maps: Openmtbmap.org

Over again, the above-listed maps are totally optional – and merely additional sources.

Part Ii: Installing the Maps:

Installation of the maps is super like shooting fish in a barrel. All you lot demand to do is put the file in the correct folder and you're good to go. However, if yous demand to temporarily remove your maps, because you're tight on infinite, see the optional Part III below. About of the units nosotros have here have plenty space to add together other region maps without having to clear-cut first.

To put information technology into context, the Garmin default map information sizes (including some cycling-specific things) are roughly as follows (the maps you lot'd become by default for the region y'all purchased it in):

Northward America: ~5.6GB including topo data
Europe: ~6.7GB including topo data
Australia/NZ: ~2GB including topo information

And space-wise, you've got the following amounts of space on each device (minus the infinite required above for your base of operations maps, plus a tiny chip for whatever courses/activities/workouts/etc…, usually 0.ane-.3GB):

Garmin Edge 520 base: 0.05GB gratuitous (just enough for one urban center or a agglomeration of farmland)
Garmin Edge 520 Plus: 16GB
Garmin Edge 530: 16GB
Garmin Border 810: 0.05GB gratis (but uses micro-SD card for maps)
Garmin Edge 820: 16GB
Garmin Edge 830: 16GB
Garmin Edge 1000: 8GB (plus micro-SD Carte capable!)
Garmin Border 1030: 16GB (plus micro-SD Carte capable!)
Garmin Border 1030 Plus: 32GB
Garmin Edge Explore: 16GB

And then you'll want to do simple math to see if everything fits. For context, the download size for the Netherlands from the complimentary maps is 0.37GB (337MB) – then pretty small. France is ~1.4GB. Once again, should hands fit. But if you're tight on space, you can ever follow the custom instructions to a higher place and take a prepackaged map like France and make it smaller by removing areas you don't demand (if you're staying in the Alps, you don't demand the entire Western portion of France for example).

If yous've got ane of the units above with a micro-SD Carte du jour slot, y'all can follow the exact aforementioned directions, just stick the maps in a binder called Garmin on the micro-SD menu. You can pickup a trustworthy 16GB card for a mere $v on Amazon (Reminder: When purchasing micro-SD cards on Amazon *always* ensure that it'due south both shipped from and fulfilled by Amazon itself, not a tertiary political party.)

In any event, let's install things. First, connect your Edge device to your reckoner using the USB cable information technology came with (since that allows transfer for data).

Get grab that file you downloaded (openfietsmap_lite_gmapsupp.zippo), and open it up (just double-click it). This is what you'll see within:

Then select that file and then select 'Re-create'. Now simply paste that into the 'Garmin' binder on your watch. Do NOT copy/paste the entire .Nothing file, y'all need the file inside the zippo file (like yous meet to a higher place). It'southward called gmapsupp.img and needs to go into the Garmin folder on your device.

In one case it's done copying, you should now see that file sitting in the Garmin folder. The names volition exist like, merely it'south the one ending in 'supp' (similar 'supplementary'):

And with that, you lot're done.

Side annotation: Need to have two actress downloaded maps? Just append the land name to i of them to get in unique. Such as 'gmapsupp-france.img' and 'gmapsupp-netherlands.img'.

It works perfectly fine.

Part 3 – Optional Space Savers Edition

This section is skippable unless you're a hoarder and demand to detect a way to save some infinite on your device to make way for other maps. I mean, you might not be a hoarder, it might but be that times are tough and now you've got more maps than you know what to do with. As noted in the previous section, the maps that came with your device tin take upwards a agglomeration of infinite. And if you're headed somewhere that too has a big ol' map, then you lot might demand to temporarily offload the original map. Though once again, that'due south pretty unlikely with any of the half-way contempo units. Seriously, there should be well-nigh no reason to do this section.

First though, earlier you practise so – consider going with a smaller map. Meaning, if you're going from the U.s.a. to France, and simply need to ride in Paris – only download Paris just, and not all of France. Or if you're going on a European trip to the Alps and thus think you demand French republic, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria considering that covers your entire Alps region, effort instead just downloading a bunch of squares covering the alps using the 'manual tile' way. Similar this (my selection below isn't perfect and definitely overshot a flake, just you can spend the actress few minutes to go it just right):

But, if all else fails – no biggie, taking maps off the Edge is super like shooting fish in a barrel to do. I strongly recommend though *non* deleting them, and instead only doing a movement to your computer hard drive for later. Recall 'Cut' and 'Paste', not 'Delete'.

For the most part, the steps are identical to above, so instead of re-writing them, I'll just tell you what to practice differently. Let's swoop right in!

1) Download the map section of interest per the 'Part 1: Downloading the Maps' department
two) Plug-in your Garmin Border to your computer.
3) Inside the Garmin folder on the Edge, you'll discover a bunch of .IMG (image) files. These are the pre-loaded map and summit files. Information technology can include any of the following:

A) gmapbmap.img (base of operations map)
B) gmapdem.img (Digital Acme Map, it'due south per-region)
C) gmapprom.img (pre-installed map file)
D) gmapprom1.img (another pre-installed map file)

Yous could peradventure have boosted gmapprom #'s as well, if then, take hold of information technology. You're basically looking for the big files to brand space. Encounter the big file sizes below?

4) Cut and paste all of the above .IMG files to somewhere on your computer (create a binder chosen "My Garmin Maps" or something, just don't delete them).
5) Re-create the gmapsupp.img map file you downloaded into the \Garmin folder on your Edge (or, if you lot're unsure, simply get back to "Part II: Installing the Maps" above and complete equally normal. If you lot desire to help yourself remember which is which later on, only rename gmapsupp.img to something similar gmapsupp-french republic.img or after whichever country you're going to. You can proper noun it anything you desire – like gmapsupp-dcrainmaker.img and that'll work too.
6) There is goose egg extra you need to practise on the Edge itself as far as configuring maps – it'll happen automatically, then you tin ignore Function 3 of the instructions. You're done, become exterior and ride!

And hey, at that place's a bonus to using this hoarder's route – you got the express lane for installation instructions. Just remember afterwards on that when y'all become home you'll demand to put back the map file from your calculator onto your Edge device. To do so, only copy the files from your figurer back into place information technology into the Garmin folder on your Edge and delete the gmapsupp.img file you added.

Office IV: Using the Maps:

Actually, there's zero you have to do here. Once you've installed them they but work. If yous haven't added the map data page to your device, go into the activeness profile of your choice (Settings > Activeness Profiles > Choose your Activeness Profile> Data Screens > Map>Always

However, in the event you want to turn off the downloaded mapset for some reason, information technology's pretty easy to do (and you can ever delete that single supp.IMG file if you demand the infinite after your trip.

To disable a given map though, become to Settings > Activeness Profiles > Choose your activity profile > Navigation > Map > Map Information/Select Map > Enable/Disable the map that yous just loaded. You tin can meet below the Openfetsmap Lite-NLD, which is my Netherlands map, and beneath that my French map I added for France. While to a higher place it is the stock Garmin maps, in this case. By pressing the select button, it'll plow on/off the different maps. Super easy.

And in fact, as I mentioned earlier – for Edge 530/830 users, yous can actually run into the global Trailforks map listed in there above (and if you really wanted you can toggle information technology on/off). Or you can meet it listed when you connect your device to Garmin Express (once you've activated it once, which is free). It covers you lot no affair where you lot go:

And that's it! Y'all'll be able to employ these maps as normal. That includes things similar elevation details for courses, planning betwixt points, points of interest, specific addresses, and round trip routing. Savour!

As always, thank you for reading. And if yous plant this post helpful – consider becoming a DCR Supporter, I appreciate it!