Garmin 60CSX SD Cards Preprogramed or Ddownload

[landtoy80]

Got a Garmin 60CSX and need maps for it.
I want a map for back roads (BLM, Nat.Forest roads) and trails.
Garmin has preprogramed SD cards that cover only sections of the US.
Do they cover back roads?

I can get MapSource® City Navigator North America v8 that covers all N.America and download the areas I need to SD cards.

Which mapping software covers more back roads, the preprogramed SD card or the City Nav.?

Is there other software that can be downloaded to the 60CSX that covers back roads?

[Doug_S]

Yes, there is a way to view backroads. Get the Garmin Topo map SD card. It should include the elevations as well as any off road areas that have been properly surveyed.

[e9999]

I just did a comparison of the Garmin Topo USA and the City Navigator softwares. (Check the Mapviewer function on Garmin.com for an area you are familiar with.)

To my surprise, pretty much all the trails I saw on the Topo soft were also on the CN. No elevation, of course, on CN but OTOH, you get routing with CN but not with Topo. And some of these were smallish technical trails, not big roads.

I would say go with the DVD and upload. microSD can be had for as little as $5 for 1Gb on Amazon. You'll pay much more extra for the Garmin chip.

watch out for the locking issues on some of Garmin software

[landtoy80]

I got the Topo USA CD and loaded what I needed on the SD card.

Is it possible to load both Topo and CN on a SDchip?

[calamaridog]

How do you like the 60CSX?

[landtoy80]

Up dating and downloading the hardware was a big pain in the a$$.
Had I not a XP computer I would of had to buy the preprogramed disk.
The topo CD is not very road detailed but land marks are well marked.
I need to buy the "How to" CD to beter understand how to use it better.

If you want a city road nav. GPS you may want to get one with a bigger screan.
It works fine for what I use it for.