Thread: How to get a Bluechart Map in Mapsource

Not entirely solved... I don't actually have the chartplotter yet, because I won't buy it if I can't get the maps I need to work on it. I am looking at the GPSmap 421. The North Norway Bluechart Map doesn't include detailed info. for the lake I live on, so I was hoping I could use the TOPO map with the chartplotter. Garmin lists only the TOPO Alaska Enhanced as compatible. I would ideally like to display 'Garmin TOPO Sweden Friluftskartan Pro v2 - Norra Norrland' on the plotter. I succeeded in getting the split to display in homeport by following the above tutorial, but not to do so via SD card- so I don't think the chartplotter will be able to display it. The original, unlocked .img won't pull up from SD in homeport, the split images on SD cause crash to desktop in homeport. Any ideas?

You can change map type with gmaptool. Load your img to gmaptool, set advanced and experimental options, go to write tab and try to set TRE parameters to 0-4-23-empty. This will change your map into marine type, but I'm not sure which type exactly. Than you can try to view it form SD with HomePort.
Other values for TRE parameters that you can try are 0-6-31-empty or 0-6-32-empty

Originally Posted by Kanopus

Other values for TRE parameters that you can try are 0-6-31-empty or 0-6-32-empty

That did the trick. 0-4-23-empty didn't work, but the other two did, with no noticeable difference between them in homeport. They both open up right off the SDcard like a bluechart does, so hopefully it'll work the same way in the plotter. Thanks!

So I have the chart plotter now, and I have to say homeport is not much of an emulator. The original TOPO map opens up just the same on the chart plotter as the TRE converted maps (not so in homeport) and there appears to be no difference in map display what so ever. The only difference seems to be in functionality: the converted maps let you access the Bluechart Vision options, such as the 3D navigation and 'fish eye view' while the original TOPO does not allow these options. I'm guessing the operation of these features is going to be quite limited because the map lacks bathymetric data, but maybe with the depth sounder connected... I will update once I have these maps out on the water to see how they work in real application, but I'm happy that the TOPO will display on this plotter, because the factory installed world basemap is pretty much useless.

Anybody who knows how to get rid of the G2 fishing chart contours, so only the "real" bluechart data is displayed in MapSource?



Found a better way than mapsource, it seems that Garmin has yet another application called nRoute. This is very much the same as mapsource, but you can connect a gps in realtime and use the system as a chartplotter. This is super for yaching and the bluecharts do not show the annoying fishing chart contours.
When maps are open for mapsource, they are as well for nRoute.
It seem to work with all kind of garmin maps. (TOPO, CN, Bluechart +(G2 , Vision))
nRoute can be downloaded from Garmins site.