Picked up an Oregon 650t, it was pretty well discounted since it's apparently discontinued. Wanted to load some more detailed maps, 24k USGS topos. So to use the Garmin maps, they have you subscribe for I believe it was $30. I was under the impression that gave you access to download all you wanted from their servers for a year. But now it seems like it just gave me access to their store, and now they want more money for the maps.

Am I misreading this thing? Anyone have experience with this?

I'd be interested in any comments or feedback about this GPS as well. Just curious what others think of it. My last outdoor GPS was a Delorme PN-40, which had some awesome features but also developed some major issues.

Thanks

The Oregon is very good for a hand held. Yes, Garmin charges for access to their maps, downloads are extra.

Your 650t should have USGS 24k maps preloaded, just use the zoom feature for more detail.

It said it's only preloaded with 100k USGS, but it does seem to have more detail than that. Frankly though what I get when zoomed in or out doesn't look like the USGS topo maps I'm used to. Not that there's anything wrong with what is loaded though, just different.

You said they charge for access to the maps, downloads are extra? What does access get you, just allows you to see what you can buy?

If you google you might be able to find free 24K quads/USGS downloads for Garmin.  There is a free download for Arizona that I am running.

https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

Go here, there are tons of free, high quality TOPO as well as other maps you can download.  The goverments NGS data is free but they can charge you the "package" it.  This website hosts both free and not-free maps.  The free maps have been pretty good to me.  I have used Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama and Arizona in my Garmin 62S.

You use Garmin's BaseCamp software as usual.  Simply download and install the map you want from https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/ on you PC and then you will have access to them in BaseCamp and can select them for upload to your handheld unit.  There are detailed tutorials on the website.

You can also then move any data from your GPS to Google Earth (the Pro version is now free) and make some really detailed aerial maps.  The Pro version lets you save high resolution very large format images of the aerial photos with your data layered on top.  I have taken the data to Staples and had a poster size map printed and laminated of our hunting property.  We then use a grease pencile to mark location of stands, cameras, etc on it.

It is stupid how difficult it is to down load maps onto a handheld GPS.  I spent two days about 6 weeks ago doing it to my new one.  

If I needed to do it today, I'd have to re-teach myself all over.  I hate it.  The software is not user friendly at all.

I'm sure someone will disagree, but they probably fiddle with the damn thing constantly.  I need one a couple, three times a year, so I forget the details of doing it in between.

For the next time you need it and can't remember how:

https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-load-maps-on-my-garmin-gps-unit/

Yes!  Thank you!  I actually have that saved to my bookmarks.  I still get frustrated!  Since I posted, I've been thinking about it and what I seem to get so flustered over is finding the maps once downloaded, both on the unit and in the program.  I eventually fumble around until they appear, but am never consistent with how to turn them on and off.

It was simple and intuitive on my Delorme PN-40. That GPS had so many design features that made you think, "why can't they all be this way, it seems like a no-brainer design move". Unfortunately it had other issues that simply made it unreliable. Might have just been mine though.

I've been running Garmin Gear since the 45XL. They have always been proud of their maps but as time goes on, it seems easier and cheaper. I think the reason it is not intuitive is by design. They want the rights and resulting $$. For instance, if I buy the "download" off the store of any 24k topo, it is dedicated to one unit, if I buy the SD card with the maps loaded, I can put them on any of my Garmins, through base camp or via SD slot.

Thanks everyone.  I also have a Oregon 650t that I bought on the cheap.  I finally have time to play with it.

I have always used Garmin topo 2008 which are 100K maps.  Covered over 75 miles on foot in the Rockies this past week and the 100K maps did everything I needed them to do.

I have used several different Garmin units over the years and they have all worked well for me.  I found their support to be pretty good as far as support for electronics go to.

If you want the easy to use high quality 24K then the SD chip right from Garmin is the way to go.  If you don't mind fucking around with it then there are free maps to, but it does take a bit of tech savviness to make it work.