Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

=========================================================================== Update: Unfortunately, GeoTIFF maps are no longer available from USGS. So the instructions no longer apply. :( =========================================================================== First, I'm not knocking the TOPO US too much. It is expensive and does not have high resolution but it fills a niche. If you need a TOPO map in a hurry, I suppose it is the best alternative. I've had my Garmin Legend HCx for several months now. During this time, I've hunted for a reliable alternative to TOPO US, rendering 24K resolution and not limited to a few National Parks. Looking really paid off. The best solution that I've found is the following: * Free Maps from USGS Seamless Server (24K TOPOs as GeoTiff files) $0 * Any graphics editor program that can handle .tif format $0 * Mapwell (Basic) Google to find (includes raster/vector conversion) $45 * TrackMaker (free version) Google to find $0 Total: $45 Process: 1. Search, select, download GeoTiff map from USGS Seamless Server (15 minutes) NOTE ADDED 4/2010: Mapwell Basic can now read coordinates on GeoTiff files, making steps 2,3, and part of 4 obsolete. 2. Review the .xml data, downloaded with the map to determine the extent of the map: Northwest and Southeast boundary. (5 minutes) 3. Open GeoTiff file in graphics editor. Save as new .tif file, stripping out the embedded geo data. (5 minutes) 4. Open the new .tif file in Mapwell. Add extent information from Step 2. Add graphics features and waypoints(optional). Run vectorization option, creating a new set of Garmin IMG files (10 minutes - more if you want to add your own art) 5. Upload new map set into Garmin. Mapwell has a great Garmin upload/download manager. No need to use Mapsource although you can use it to add Mapsource maps. (1 minute) Time burned: 36 minutes TrackMaker (free version or licensed) is also a great product for creating tracks, waypoints, many more features. It also has a fine Garmin upload/download manager. So you can either load waypoints and features directly into the Garmin or embed them in the map itself while using Mapwell. The only disadvantage that I've discovered in the process is that Mapwell works too well. That is, the vectorization of 24K maps produces superb quality maps that take 10-20 seconds to render in the Garmin (at 1 mile). The closer in you go, the faster the rendering.