Garmin Rino 530hcx questions....

[GoldTip]

Sounds like this is gonna be my GPS that myself and my hunting buddy are gonna buy.  Question is this, for those guys that own them, do you like the topo maps that come on the SD cards or the Mapsource downloadable DVD stuff best?  The Mapsource DVD offers the whole US and ALaska and Hawaii I beleive, whereas the SD cards only offer specific states.  My quandary is this, when I read the reviews on Cabelas site, the Mapsource reviews are not very good, whereas the SD card stuff has great reviews.  Just thought I'd see what you guys think.

[Crunchy]

I dont think there is a difference between the two maps to my knowledge.  I would buy the newest DVD 24k scale which I think only holds WA, Oregon, and Idaho?  Not the national parks one.  I might be a little off on that but the newest version DVD released a couple of months ago does not hold the entire US like the older versions do.  Great unit I bought mine last year and love that thing.  Are you finding good prices?

[GoldTip]

yeah good prices, Cabela's has a sale on them starting the 20th for $399 with a $50 mail in rebate.  Thanks for the advice.  Also, with the DVD, can it be loaded onto more than GPS unit?  ie: if my buddy and I both buy the 530hcx, can we buy one dvd and load the topo onto both units?

[Crunchy]

yes the dvd comes with some code that is specific for that DVD.  You can load it on as many units as u like. 

[backwoods_boy]

Talk to BK DAVE he has one and loves it and now is pushing me to get one asap.
its the cats meow...

[Crunchy]

before you pull the trigger might want to shop the web some.
Man some good deals out there.

http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=GRR530HCX

[backwoods_boy]

thats a dead link

[Crunchy]

Yeah I cant get it to come back up either, but through buydig.com a Rino 530hcx is 316 with the 50 dollar rebate. 

[backwoods_boy]

NICE!

[GoldTip]

Anyone else with hints or suggestions regarding the 530hcx Rino?

[KillBilly]

I buy a new version of Mapsource every year. When I first started buying Garmin GPS's, they didn't have SD cards so Mapsource was the way to go. I also use the national geographic software and download their GMU maps.

[matlockmike]

I bought the Washington chip for the better detail topo for my unit.  Best thing I ever did. 
My map source software is only a year old and it sucks.  When I down loaded it to the GPS the detail wasn't very good.

I download all my GPS info to the National Geographic software.  This software is the best in my opinion.  Too bad it doesn't work hand and hand with Garmin like it does with Magellan.  Great software though, love the 3D on it..

[Bob33]

I would strongly recommend buying the software rather than the chip.

When you use the SD card versions of the software, the mapdata is not available for use in Mapsource on a computer. You would have needed to buy the DVD versions to use it in Mapsource.  I think this is the biggest drawback.

If you want to put multiple mapsets on your GPS (Topo, City Navigator, etc.) that cannot be done with the pre-programmed card from Garmin.

The cards cannot be updated.

The card can fail; sure, you can get a new one from Garmin but it takes time.

Buy the software!

[GoldTip]

Thanks for all the advice fella's.

[spin05]

get free maps here.....http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/95/