Lengthy earlier than the Garmin Epix (2nd gen) or Fenix 7 got here out, Garmin has been promoting maps. In reality, they’ve been promoting maps for mainly their total existence. Recently these items are constructed into gadgets, however it wasn’t that way back that in case you wished further maps on a Garmin gadget you had to purchase them individually.
However one of many neat issues you are able to do with this map-buying-prowess is put satellite tv for pc imagery maps onto the Garmin Epix and Fenix 7 collection. In reality, you may as well do it on the Fenix 6 Professional watch. Neither are formally supported (listed as a suitable gadget), however all these models work simply advantageous and other people have been utilizing them for years. Some suspect the rationale it was faraway from official compatibility is that the map expertise with the decrease decision Fenix 6/Fenix 7 shows could not all the time be nice. However the Epix has far better decision and pixels per inch – at 326ppi versus 200ppi on the Fenix 7 collection. So, issues merely look higher now.
The primary purpose you’d wish to use satellite tv for pc maps over the included common maps is for areas the place the common maps aren’t as helpful. For instance, alongside coastlines or close to water, the place vital moist/dry particulars are usually fuzzy. Identical goes in case you’re off-trail fully, and making an attempt to determine in case you can reduce throughout an enormous swath of land, or if maybe simply out of sight are impassable rocks/marshes/and so forth… There’s numerous makes use of for it.
In any case, you are able to do this on the Fenix 6 Professional, Fenix 7 (all variants), and Epix models (in addition to even the Fenix 5 Plus collection and authentic Fenix 5X). And doing so is straightforward – assuming you’ve received a pc, and your charging cable close by.
(Observe: At current, if on a Mac, there appears to be a difficulty stopping Basecamp from seeing Fenix 7/Epix gadgets, although, it does work advantageous with Fenix 6/Forerunner 945 gadgets. This subject has nothing to do with Birdseye instantly, however since Basecamp is required to have the ability to obtain maps, it not directly blocks Birdseye in the intervening time.)
Downloading It:
First up, it is advisable to go and purchase a Garmin Birdseye Imagery Subscription. It prices $29/yr, and will get you limitless maps throughout that interval, for anyplace on the planet. It hyperlinks to a single gadget. Additionally, any maps you obtain throughout that subscription yr stay legitimate in your gadget even in case you unsubscribe.
So beginning there, merely comply with the acquisition steps from this web page:
When you’re accomplished paying, you’ll get a number of totally different e-mails over the course of some minutes. It’s not prompt, it takes like 5-Quarter-hour. Subsequent, in case you haven’t registered your gadget but (e.g. paired it as much as a cellphone or laptop), you want to take action. It’s fairly seemingly you might have already accomplished so – but when not, do this first.
Then, it is advisable to obtain Garmin BaseCamp. That is a part of their “Basecamp is Outdated and Smelly Software program” collection of desktop merchandise (aka BOSS). It’s been round for longer than the Fenix collection has existed, and permits switch of routes, waypoints, and maps to gadgets (initially for handheld gadgets). Usually for many newer maps you’d use Garmin Categorical or on the Fenix 7/Epix collection even the watch itself. However BaseCamp was designed for the hand-held period, and apparently no one remembered this software program remains to be there.
As soon as downloaded and put in, you’ll be staring straight into the face of 2008 consumer interface design and tradition (one other 2008 providing):
In the event you haven’t but, go forward and plug your watch in (sure, utilizing this stand makes this appear much more BOSS-like):
Then, on the high menu, choose ‘BirdsEye’, then ‘Obtain BirdsEye Imagery’. That’ll carry you right here, which reveals your Garmin Epix (or Fenix 6/7):
Click on subsequent once more, and also you’ll see the Birdseye product routinely populated, however then click on on ‘The place is my Subscription’ to sign-in and get your account validated (so you may see the acquisition you probably did above). The username you’ll enter is your e-mail handle. Keep in mind, the BOSS software program is so outdated it’s from an period the place Garmin Join used usernames, not e-mail addresses.
When you’ve signed in, you’ll see your subscription listed, click on the ‘Activate’ button to get it excited:
When you’ve accomplished that, it’ll provide you with successful message, after which one other affirmation dialogue indicating your mission is generally achieved:
Now, comes the nice half! Selecting the world you wish to obtain. You’ll see how you should use the little map zooming instrument in orange to spotlight a area. However keep in mind, satellite tv for pc imagery is large when it comes to measurement. So downloading all of Europe like this could take a whopping 22,465GB, also referred to as 22 Terabytes, which is roughly…properly…far more storage than you might have in your little 16-32GB Epix/Fenix models.
You should utilize the little icons to zoom in/out (magnifying glass), transfer round (hand), and both draw a sq. or free-form. You’ll be able to see that even when I choose the entire Netherlands, that’s nonetheless some 26GB on the excessive degree (however 74GB at highest). If I cut back that to the usual, it’s about 1GB.
However normal is not any enjoyable, so I’m going to zoom into simply Amsterdam, and there we go – much better, on the highest it’s about 779MB (slightly below 1GB) and simply matches. In the event you have been climbing in a area, you may simply make a extra finite circle across the space you wanted and simply make it match.
Besides, wait – it says I’ve exceeded the obtain restrict of the server. As a result of once more, 1997 BOSS. This was apparently the period of dial-up modems. The precise restrict appears to fluctuate primarily based on which setting you select. So on the ‘Highest’ setting, it seems restricted to about 76MB, whereas the ‘Excessive’ setting is 107MB, and in the usual setting you may go tremendous massive. Besides, not all the time. It’s additionally concerning the underlying tiles, so in some locations you’ll get far greater ranges. For instance afterward I obtain the world round Chamonix (Alps in France), and simply cleared over 200MB on the very best setting.
In any case, now I’m able to obtain:
It’ll obtain every part, and in case you didn’t give it a reputation, you are able to do in order properly. It’s best to hear the dial-up modems beginning in your laptop. It’ll take about that lengthy to obtain this 76MB map. Examine that ‘Copy maps to gadget’ field, so as soon as it’s accomplished subsequent week, it’ll at the least have copied the maps too. That’ll be the short half.
In the event you faucet end, you may double-click on the map title you created to see this nifty display screen displaying, the place you may watch map tiles obtain, mentally envisioning Tetris items falling:
No actually, this whole factor took about 45 minutes to obtain this 76MB. And no, it’s not my web – I common speeds of about 500 Mbps right here on the DCR Cave, that means in a best-case state of affairs it ought to take roughly 1.216 seconds to obtain a 76MB file, and a worst-case state of affairs 2 seconds. Clearly, that is extra concerning the design of how information are downloaded for BirdsEye imagery.
You’ll be able to double-check every part copied by wanting on the ‘Major’ folder below your gadget, after which seemingly scrolling to the underside:
Additional, you may repeat this course of for as many areas as you’d like. I went alongside after and added some imagery for Chamonix as properly. Although this time it allowed me to obtain a 220MB part on ‘Highest’, demonstrating it’s all concerning the underlying tiles. This one took 1hr 31mins to obtain.
With that, you’re prepared to make use of it – so go forward and disconnect your watch from the pc.
Utilizing it:
Excellent news! This part is trivially straightforward. You simply use your watch as regular.
By default, Garmin will load the Birdseye Imagery for any areas you’ve downloaded. However what’s cool is that they’ll additionally routinely overlay the path/street/route imagery excessive of that. You’ll be able to see this under right here:
As you may see, the standard right here is usually fairly good, however not as detailed as you’d discover if wanting on a pc or cellphone. For instance, I can roughly guess that there are boat docks above, however you may see it’s not as sharp because the precise imagery if I look on Google Maps or such (under, however upside-down). And whereas these are definitely totally different sized pictures, even when absolutely zoomed in on the Garmin satellite tv for pc maps.
Nonetheless, relying on what you’re utilizing this for, it’s nonetheless greater than helpful normally. I discover satellite tv for pc imagery tremendous useful in making an attempt to determine areas of tree cowl (or not), or tough concepts on the place snow-covered trails is perhaps in summer season (since mountain satellite tv for pc imagery tends to be taken in the summertime, so you may normally work out the place glaciers/and so forth is perhaps). Identical goes for a lot of coastal areas the place non-satellite maps aren’t tremendous helpful for locating the perimeters of water or small islands. As all the time, there are lots extra makes use of right here.
For instance, right here’s the sting of a marsh space I typically run in:
And for enjoyable, right here’s Olympic Stadium:
And right here’s Epix and the Fenix 7 facet by facet, clearly, in very totally different areas (French Alps vs Paris):
Now, if you wish to flip off the BirdsEye layer (or the paths layer), you are able to do so within the maps choices for that individual sport profile. As soon as in that profile, entry the settings by long-holding the middle-left button. Then scroll to ‘Map Settings’ > ‘Map’ > ‘Configure Maps’ > ‘BirdsEye Imagery’ > after which toggle both on or off.
Observe that it’s all or nothing right here, so both all of your areas go on or off. In the event you backed-up one degree, you’ll see the identical possibility for ‘TopoActive Maps’, which do enable toggling it per-region (e.g. North America, Europe, and so forth…).
All of the core options like routing and recognition and such are all the identical right here, since they’re leveraging that detailed TopoActive map layer. So none of that adjustments. Undoubtedly there’s a battery hit to utilizing the BirdsEye maps versus TopoActive maps, however I haven’t calculated that at this level.
Wrap-Up:
It’s cool that that is an possibility, each when it comes to having the ability to obtain satellite tv for pc maps for anyplace on the planet, in addition to having the ability to toggle these layers on and off, inside the gadget itself. Plus, with the 16-32GB of storage, you may load fairly a little bit of satellite tv for pc imagery, relying on the precise element degree you select, and the way specific you get with that obtain space creation instrument.
In fact, I believe it’s additionally clear that Garmin most likely wants to have a look at overhauling some of these items. As increasingly more of their models get AMOLED shows over the approaching years, folks’s curiosity will improve right here. And that is a simple $30-annual subscription when it comes to income for them. Plus, it’d profit all the current handheld and Edge biking gadgets that already assist this in the present day (nearly all of them). Shifting such a characteristic to be smartphone-based utilizing WiFi to obtain maps, with speeds that signify this decade, is one thing I hope is on some inside roadmap to get accomplished.
Actually, we aren’t all going to be utilizing BaseCamp without end. Or at the least, this model of it. I think this could match properly inside the Garmin Discover app, and there appears to be hints about variants of that app permitting BirdsEye imagery obtain (primarily based on wanting on the baked-in model on their new Overlander gadget). The Discover app has not too long ago seen its duties expanded to accommodate Garmin’s inReach Mini 2 connectivity, so maybe extra is on the best way.
Both manner, as with many different Garmin issues, this characteristic will seemingly be utilized by lower than 1% of the Fenix customers. However for that sub-1%, it’s extremely helpful. And, as I’ve stated earlier than – that’s finally what’s made Garmin so profitable – discovering everybody’s personal 1% characteristic.
With that – thanks for studying!
