Garmin GB Discoverer (All of Great Britain,1:50K)

As already mentioned in other reviews this is the OS Landranger 1:50 scale map of the entire UK on a micro SD memory card. If you are not sure this is the right map for you or your activities then it might be worth checking the differences between a Landranger map and an Explorer map. Essentially Landranger has less detail and has differences in the map legend on how things are displayed and the colours used. Not hugely different but enough to warrant some learning.

I use mine in a Garmin Oregon 450 and it is pretty much the perfect combination without any issues on a technical level. Anyone who blames the map for not doing what they expect are either not reading the map properly or they simply have the wrong type of map for their chosen activity. This micro SD card is the same as having the 204 paper maps you would need for complete UK coverage which if you got for a fiver each would amount to £1,020 !

I use mine for walking and plan the walks using Garmin`s free download PC software "Basecamp". Once you plug your GPS in to your PC you can view either the OS Landranger map or the street map. From there you can create tracks and routes on screen, alter, add or delete waypoints, zoom in out, plus many other functions in 2D / 3D or both. From the PC you can upload your route to your GPS and see the route superimposed over the Landranger map complete with all waypoints. Generally it makes sense to compare the route created on a paper version of the more detailed Explorer map before setting off and to ensure accuracy. Again though this may be activity specific. It works for me.

Before I had this setup I used Explorer maps with a compass and planned routes before leaving home. These items still come with me as a back up and reference if required but in practice the Oregon and Landranger combo do not miss a beat. It is incredibly useful and accurate enough for walking / hiking assuming you have entered accurate data. Yes... good data in good data out and you will not be lost!

There is not really anything bad to say about the actual map, it is exactly the same as the paper version from what I can see, so if you are not used to or familiar with the Landranger series then a useful tip is to download the Landranger legend chart from the OS site and keep it with you as a reference.

The map itself according to Garmin cannot be updated. From a technical point of view this is probably not true so it's probably a limitation of the OS licence. However things should be very accurate for many years to come so it is hardly an issue. The micro SD card it comes on cannot be copied but according to Garmin you can back the files up to your PC and re-copy them to the original SD card. Not sure what good that is if your card becomes damaged, worth doing though if you are the type to accidentally format your data.... The map can also only be licensed to one unit.

Personally I think the backing up issue needs to be addressed at some point or some kind of replacement scheme put in place for genuine owners. The micro card comes in a larger normal size SD holder and contrary to a previous review this is just a holding case for the micro card rather than being another copy of the map ( my version anyway! ) Also consider that OS have placed a printing restriction on the map so you cannot print any portion of the map.

All in all if your activity is covered by the Landranger map and your GPS supports the running of the map then there is much to commend it. For me now walks are guided with the GPS/LR map almost exclusively and rarely if ever do I need to resort to the paper Explorer maps. I consider it to be excellent value if initially it seemed expensive, and it with the Oregon has transformed the way I plan walks. I guess the ultimate mapping would be Explorer 1:25 which is available for certain areas at huge cost so maybe not in this lifetime!! This however is the next best thing and although I did have a few reservations before purchase as I was so used to Explorer maps all of those have now subsided after finding out how good this was with my GPS

Very highly recommended.

This product brings detailed mapping to the world of the GPS at last. All the detail of the Ordinance Survey 50k series on your GPS screen. I bought it for my Dakota20 and it works very well. Everything you can see on an Ordinance Survey map you can see on your GPS (and on your computer screen if you download the free BaseCamp software from Garmin). It does cause a lot more options to appear on the Dakota menu system and you have dig around a bit to set up the driving options for turn-by-turn navigating. Having gotten used to my wife's Garmin Nuvi for driving I find the Dakota screen a little small and not bright enough for easy navigation (it's fine for walking as I just turn my back to the sun on bright days) and the absence of the delightful Emily saying "Recalculating" is also a negative point but there is a suitably loud "ting" when it's time to turn (I'm well paste 50 with below average hearing and can hear the "ting" with no trouble at all).
I bought the product as I am walking "coast to coast" this year and am looking forward to the prospect with such extensive maps on my GPS. One problem is that you are not allowed to print from the SD card which means I will have to buy paper versions in case of flat batteries or damage to the GPS. On the positive side, though, is the 3D option on the free software. With this you can see all the Ordinance Survey detail in 3D (I found it best to use the slider above the navigation ring to set the viewing angle to 25 degrees for a very life like feel to the perspective) so no nasty surprises when you arrive at a hill. Waypoint marking and route editing is also very easy.

Having recently bought an eTrex 30 I was keen to get obtain some mapping to use its full potential. The new Garmin GPS units allow you to download 1:25K OS maps at a cost of £20 for a user defined area of 600km2. This is actually a very small area making the Birdseye Mapping extremely expensive. The Birdseye maps are also very poor quality.

The Garmin GB Discoverer maps are 1:50K scale, but I find that this is perfectly adequate for walking with a GPS. The GPS tells you where you are so the level of detail is less important compared with using a paper map and compass. Garmin sell this product for £200 on their website, but it is available for £150 on Amazon making it good value compared with other options.

In my opinion, buying the full GB mapping will make me more likely to use my GPS as I have made a one off investment that I might as well use. The alternative of downloading Birdseye maps at £20 for a small area, would make me think twice about whether I needed the map and I probably wouldn't bother for small walks. For example, if I went to Scotland for a week and planned on doing 4 walks, I would be faced with a bill of £80. GB Discoverer is good value in comparison.

The main downside to the product is the fact that is stored on a micro SD card which can not be backed up on a spare card or PC. I you lose your GPS or wipe the card the data is lost. Personally, I would prefer to be able to store the data on my PC and just transfer the relevant data to the GPS when I need it, but this option is not available.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase.