Frequently asked questions
How old is the data?
The data has been downloaded from LINZ in the last 3-4 years. However, LINZ does not update the data particularly regularly, so features on the maps can be quite a few years old. In general, these maps will be considerably more up-to-date than printed maps.
What scale are the maps?
The maps don't really have a 'scale' as such. As you zoom in and out on the GPS, the scale of the map varies. I have designed the maps so that as you zoom in and out, you see different amounts of information. If you are zoomed in close, you will see all information - including 20m contour lines. If you zoom out, you will only see 100m contour lines, and some other information will drop out too. If you zoom right out, you will not see any contours, and only major features such as lakes and roads, so that you can quickly navigate around.
However - the data was taken from the 1:50,000 NZMS260 series maps. So, if you zoom right in, you will see some digitisation effects.
What card do I need?
The cards used in most hand-held units such as the 60 series and the Etrex C series are called micro SD cards. They used to also be known as trans-flash or t-flash cards. You need at least a 512MB card to carry the whole country on your card. These cards currently cost about $10. As cards have got bigger, you may find that a 1 or 2 GB card is even cheaper. Don't get a SDHC (high capacity) card. They may not work. Pricespy - www.pricespy.co.nz has a list of cheap suppliers of these cards here. Since the cards are so cheap - look for a local supplier, or one with cheap or free shipping. As far as I know - any brand seems to work fine.
Can I use the maps with the free Autorouting road maps?
Sure! I do that myself. Often the roads don't quite overlap each other, so they can look a bit messy overlaid with each other. It is very quick and easy to turn each whole map set on and off.
You don't have to switch all the individual maps on and off either. Go to the map setup menu - select the i icon. That is where you see the list of installed maps. Then you press menu again, and that brings up a list of the installed products. Scroll down to 'Hide NZ Topo' and press enter.
Will the maps work with my older GPS?
Yes - they will work with older GPS units such as the Black and White Legend and Vista, and the Quest. However, these older units have not been provided with firmware upgrades that will allow them to display 'customisations'.
This means that you will not be able to change the view on the GPS. More importantly, certain items that rely on customisation may appear odd on the maps. These items will also give strange descriptions when you 'hover' over them on the screen. These items vary with the version of the map - but may include: (Item : Appears as)
- Cliff/Slip Edges : International Boundary
- Fencelines : State/Province boundary
- Shelter belts : Timezone
- Scree/Shingle : Tundra
Can I use NZMG coordinates instead of Latitude and Longitude? Which is better?
Yes. This is also reasonably easy to do, on both the PC and on the GPS. You can switch from one to the other in about 30 seconds on your GPS. On 60 series units, Go to the Main menu, select Setup then Units, then Position Format - Select New Zealand for NZMG - or hddd°mm.mmm' for Geocaching.
Which one you use depends on what you want to do. If you want to look up or confirm your position on a NZMS260 map, you should use NZMG. If you want to go Geocaching - you need to use Lat/Lon. If you just want to see where you are on the map on the GPS, or find your way back to a place you marked, then it doesn't matter at all.