Hello, I am new to GPS handhelds and have recently been bought the Oregon 400t. I then bought a Anquet map of the peak district. All the software on my PC is fine and I am able to add waypoints. At the top of the screen is a button which reads 'send to GPS' this didn't work. After speaking to Anquet maps they told me to save my waypoints as a gpx file which I did. I then found this file and sent it to my GPS, this seemed to work. When I plug in my gps, go to 'my computer' and click on the Garmin triangle, in this file, the file I saved is there, so I know it is in my gps somewhere. I have looked at all options on my gps to find these waypoints but nothing there?? Again I have emailed Garmin and Anquet maps and their replies have had too much terminology and gps Jargon for me to understand. Something about the gps not supporting certain files etc. Can you please if possible shed some light on this in easy to understand instructions. I would be very grateful, Regards Neil McCulloch
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 it sounds as if anquet haven't written the software support for the new model yet. their advice is piss poor imo. gpx has different flavours e.g. tracklogs won't read all gpx files and won't necessarily write one to be read by other software. buy a bike but you have to change the wheels before you can ride it! ask them if their software supports this gps model and if it doesn't when will it and will you be able to get a free upgrade so the unit will work with the mapping. suggest that if it doesn't support this gps then you want your money back. refer them to this thread if necessary.
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 Without getting technical......there is no universal GPS data format, and no universal standard for GPX - the nearest there is to a universal standard. Manufacturers of both hardware and mapping software have their own specific file type, which only work fully with their own products. There are several good shareware file convertors available including GPS Visualizer and GPS Utility. Alternatively you could upload your route from anquet to the OM Routes (and maybe win a prize). The route will automatically get converted into a gpx file that should work on your Garmin. Just come back to your route and download the gpx file. HTH
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you could download tracklogs free evaluation software and see if the unit works with that. if it does demand your money back from anquet and buy tracklogs.
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Hi Neil, good luck with your GPS mate. Its time one of the manufacturers brought out a unit which you can down load Ordnance survey mapping on cd / DVD. by USB port and also be fully compatible uploading / down loading our own personal routes from maps on our laptops to and from the unit. This requirement seems so obvious to me its frustrating waiting until the manufacturers get their acts together and producing the well overdue unit. I believe this is the unit what people are holding out for. Then I too will be in for one.
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 Ralph, there's already the Satmap Active 10 and shortly Garmin is releasing OS mapping for their Oregon and Colorado units, both will load the mapping via SD cards btw. The sticking point at the moment is how you use the mapping on your PC or laptop.
If Satmap's online route planner works as well as they claim, that should be excellent. With the Garmin mapping, I think, you'd still need to use a third party mapping solution like Anquet or Memory Map.
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Oregon 400t. I have similar "problems" from MemoryMap, however if I save a route of the waypoints as a gpx file and then copy the gpx file to the Oregon Garmin/gpx folder The route can then be found by the Oregon either by going to the "Where To?" menu or "Route planner" menu BUT the waypoints on my route do NOT appear as waypoints on the Oregon. Hope this helps. Ken
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Thanks for all the advise, Haven't had chance to have a mess since your replies, will let you know. Anquet have said they are upgrading their software this week so will try that and hopefully off we go! If not will prob have to wait for the new os mapping. I thought these things were supposed to be easy to use!!!! lol Neil
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Just thought I'd let you know I have sorted the problem out. Found the GPX file I had saved with my route and waypoints. Cut the file then opened my Garmin GPX file and pasted it in that file. This worked and all waypoints are now viewable on my GPS. Only taken me 4 weeks to get this far!!! Thanks again for your help. neil
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'from early November, the ability to load OS mapping should extend its versatility even further and make it far more user-friendly than most previous GPS units.' Is this extra-and in my opinion essential- versatility now available?
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I spoke to the rep at Garmin who said that the GB Discoverer maps are now available.
However all National Parks at 1:50 will only be available as a bundle with the Oregon 300.
I said that it was advertised on their site & should be available as a stand alone card.
As I had already bought an Oregon this is not fair.
Has anyone bought a card yet? I have seen them advertised at Wiggle.co.uk.
Anyone know how to contact Garmin by e-mail to complain?
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Hi David, Just to let you know that Garmin WILL be selling the 1:50k bundle of Garmin GB Discoverer maps from their web shop as a stand alone card in the next couple of months, so you'll be able to get your hands on one! 
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Just spoke to Garmin after 45 minutes on hold: No plans to make the bundled set of OS 1:50000 maps available for other Oregon users. Great  Some vague indication that more maps will be available later (no dates) or pay very high price for each individual map at 1:25000 scale. Having gone walking with my brand-new Oregon 400t I am not impressed! Base map did not show footpath I used or lakes I passed. Can anyone recommend any compatable 3rd party maps that will show details such as footpaths and lakes (similar to OS)?
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and the discoverer bundle is not very extensive is it? looks like most of the areas in scotland i want (sutherland) are not yet covered.
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Hi guys, Garmin tell me that due to the feedback on the OM forum, the Discoverer Bundle will now be available in mid-January from Garmin's web site. Not sure of the exact details, but will run a heads up once confirmed. I also have an Oregon with OS Peak Districy mapping in for review, turned up this morning, so watch this space 
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 I just got an Oregon 300 with the Discovery 1:50K national parks bundled. The unit is very nice apart from some issues with visibility in sunshine, and battery life. The Garmin Topo works very well. However the OS mapping is diabolical. I would say that it would be near unusable in the field. The maps, as well as being of extremely poor quality especially when zoomed in, are exrtremely slow to redraw. As I also have MM pocket navigator running on a pocket PC and a Road Angel, I have something to compare it with. I also have the same package of maps running on a Nokia N73, of much higher quality, and redrawing at an acceptable rate. This cost around £25 from Viewranger! You can see some screenshots of the OS mapping here: If anything, the screenshots are flattering! http://tinyurl.com/d4hvmt
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Hi John_T
Have you upgraded your software to Ver 2.86 Beta? Iv'e read elsewhere on the net that this should resolve your problems with GB Discoverer maps. Also fixes a lot of other problems. What battery life do you get? I get about 15 hrs in normal use with Ni-Hh 2100mAh Accu batteries. I am still waiting for my GB Discoverer map of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, should be with me next week. Will give a review once I have used it. I am using Topo map of Scotland at the moment & find it works well, but has it limitations with regard to lack of detail, which is why I am getting Garmins OS Maps.( I still use my GPS in conjunction with a map & compass, It's good to know where you are in poor visability by seeing your position on the GPS and review it on the map)
I have been informed from a nice lady at Garmin that GB Discoverer at 1:50 should be released as a stand alone card towards the end of March. Link to software. http://www.garmin.com/software/Oregon300_286Beta.exe
I have also used Memory Map on a PDA which is very good when it is working, tends to crash in the middle of a walk and loose unsaved track data. Also is not waterproof as I have found to my cost when I dropped it in wet heather "tripping" down a mountain. No such problem with my Garmins, never lost any data & is waterproof. The Oregon is my 3rd Garmin GPS.
With regard to reading in sunshine I have found it is readable by adjusting its angle to the sun, which makes it OK.
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I did update to 2.86 briefly, but on the advice of the Garmin Oregon wiki I went back to 2.85: http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Versions#toc10 So far I've just been playing with it, so have not tried it on a walk yet. I think I will need to set it on full brightness, perhaps with a 30 second timeout. I'll try angling in the sun if we ever see it again in the Peak District. I've also just been using some older rechargeables, not of maximum capacity. So just ordered some 2900mAH NiMH from www.vapextech.co.uk. Highly recommended for price and service. I think the problem with the OS maps is that they use some form of lossy jpg compression. If you've ever tried a scanned map in, say, Oziexplorer, you get the same sort of problem, although nothing quite so bad! The map seems optimised for one magnification. Obviously something Garmin is doing is radically different to other handheld mapping such as MM Pocket Navigator, Viewranger or Satmap. And the Topo stuff is implemented fine, apart from the lack of detail. As I said, I'm pleased with the unit itself, but will probably still need to use my Road Angel, which despite really being a sat-nav does a lot better job at handling OS maps than the Orgon! I'm also not happy that the mapping is locked to Micro SD cards which cannot be backed up (as they use DRM). So try changing a card in the field, and finding it again if you drop it!
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I used my Oregon last Sunday in the Snow & Bright Sun with no real problems reading the screen. Tracking was accurate when I did a download to Memory Map.
I too read about problems with 2.86 Beta, but have encountered no problems with using it so far.
I have my screen set to about 80% brightness, 15sec timeout, battery saver On, detail most & shaded relief Off.
I also find that the Micro Sd cards being locked is not good, no back up being possible, if you loose it you would have to get another card. Not tried changing it in the field for that reason. Tried copying the card to the internal memory, but that did not work either.
Seems the only way to be safe is to buy Topo GB on DVD & download to your own card, so you always have the original. I believe this is restricted to 2 GPSs.
Not possible to back up GB Discoverer, which at the price does not seem right. May-be Garmin should release on DVD & restrict to 2 units as for Topo.
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"May-be Garmin should release on DVD & restrict to 2 units as for Topo." I think the protection on Garmin Topo has already been breached. DRM on SD cards (CPRM/CPPM) has not. I think this will be the future, which is to the detriment of the bona fide customer who just wants to make a backup of an expensive and fragile item for security.
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