Garmin Topo GB Reviews

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Garmin Topo GB
★☆☆☆☆
1.3
18.0% of users recommend this
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Latest Reviews

“I have just been reading the reviews in this site and...”

★★★★☆

written by on 15/10/2010

I have just been reading the reviews in this site and I just don't understand why they're so negative. I use my device with Topo v2 and a 2gb SD card and use it very successfully for both walking and cycling. When used for cycling it gives me the best cucling routes on road, e.g. most appropriate. When wal;king I have used it extensively. I agree it doesn't gice the OS path detail in all cases but it's pretty easy to download them from the internet.

All in all I love my Garmin and the topo maps. When walking round london they work fine for all roads and get me to where I want to go.

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“I am extremeley dissapointed in the TOPO Mapping I...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by fishystephen on 03/10/2009

I am extremeley dissapointed in the TOPO Mapping I purchased for my GARMIN Colorado 300.

The cover on the case of the SD card I purchased it on carries an Ordnance Survey logo and states 'Enabled by' just in front of it.

Having read previous reviews and noted that GARMIN seem uninterested in the level of satisfaction I have sent the following letter to Ordnance survey and will post their answer here later.Maybe if more people do the same the OS will do something.

"Dear Sirs,
I purchased a Micro SD data card for my Garmin Colorado 300 with TOPO Great Britain mapping for Northern England. Reference 010-C****-00 TOPO GB. The cover of the mapping casing is endorsed with the Ordnance Survey logo and this is the only reason I purchased it as I specifically expected to find detailed mapping of footpaths, bridle ways and the detail that I have come to expect from Ordnance Survey Maps.I am afraid that the product is not fit for purpose as many footpaths are not shown, many more seem to start and stop in the middle of nowhere with gaps in them as well. I have to say that I am surprised such a bad product carries an Ordnance Survey logo and hence implies to a buyer that Ordnance Survey has endorsed it.

There are many threads from purchasers complaining that GARMIN have taken a very uninterested stance concerning the fact they have many unhappy customers that share my view and I would be interested to learn just exactly what the term 'enabled by Ordnance Survey ' is supposed to imply as you can rest assured that I expect a full refund for this unusable product.
I consider that I have been misled with this product through misrepresentation caused by your trusted logo appearing on the product and that this product is being 'passed off' as an OS product when in fact the product itself is not to OS standards.
I look forward to your earliest response.
Many Thanks"

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“Very disapointing with my recently purchased of Topo...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 19/09/2009

Very disapointing with my recently purchased of Topo GB map. As said by other reviewers many paths show on OS not shown on Topo and generally detail/mapping quality poor. I just wish I had seen the reviews before purchsing and parting with £150 since I also feel product not worth the money.

I bought a 2GB SD card but no info. given about how much of my Topo GB map it will hold so start loading in sections i.e. Scotland first (45 minutes)only then to find that when loading England it wipe out Scotland !! So now involved in long, time wasting, trial and error exercise to get as much as possible on the SD card.

Also having used computers and electronic product for many years I find the Garwin eTrex Legend HCx GPS a very non user friendly product. After 3 months use I'm only now just beginning to work it all out. Also it was another Garmin disappointment to find that a product costing over £200 designed to help walkers etc. shows nothing but A & B roads, no rivers, no hills, no paths, no contours or other points of reference was another Garmin dissapointment. I thought spending another £150 on Topo map would solve the problem but I'm afraid to say not so.

Lastly,when I purchased my GPS I read in a guide book that they were on top of the list of items that people get quickly fed up with after trying to master workings and put in bottom draw and are forgot about. After three months I quite see how this can happen but intend to persist.

Garmin need to do a lot better if they wish to stay at front in this line of business in future.

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“I brought this product thinking it would have enough...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 28/08/2009

I brought this product thinking it would have enough detail. But many paths are missing and some roads. The Maps dont show the National Cycle Network routes. I brought this to be used on a Edge 705 which is a cycle computer/ Sat Nav. Surely if Garmin are going to make a device for cyclist then they need maps which can be used by cyclists. I contacted Garmin only to be told that they don't think cycle tracks and bridle ways will ever be added. You wouldn't buy a sat nav for a car only to find half the roads missing. So why should cyclist be expected to buy an overpriced product without the cycle ways?

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“I bought the Edge 705 and paid the extra £115 for...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by matttom on 04/04/2009

I bought the Edge 705 and paid the extra £115 for Topo GB DVD. Although it improves the detail of the maps on the Edge unit, if you plan to buy this software for planning routes as i did then forget it. The contour lines and topographic detail seem to be accurate but paths and roads are simply incorrect with many well known tracks and bridleways missing or detailed as streams or rivers, some simply end at random. I only hope that if Garmin bring out an improved version it will be free for anybody who wasted money on this one. With so many FREE route planning websites around (bikely.com or mapmyride.com) to charge around £100 for this is almost criminal.

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“Garmin Topo GB has a lack of detail, look at the...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 17/03/2009

Garmin Topo GB has a lack of detail, look at the French TOPO maps, this is how it should be like.
On top of all the bad quality on tracks and walkpath the strange view and print restrictions just tops it off.

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“Pretty much everything has been said about the Garmin...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by ElvisPresley on 08/03/2009

Pretty much everything has been said about the Garmin Topo GB already so I "tried" it for free. In my opinion, it certainly isn't worth anywhere near the asking price. Remember Garmin, we are consumers not businesses.

Well be warned that after my latest Training Centre download my "trial" version doesn't work any more.

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“I bought this after reading reviews and looking at...”

★★★★☆

written by matcons59 on 16/02/2009

I bought this after reading reviews and looking at various examples of the product. Wasn't too sure what to expect but to honest, I actually like it. I work with maps on a daily basis, OS maps, digital maps, bespoke maps, you name it, I've seen it. Got bored with people constantly saying "it's not as good as OS mapping", well to be blunt, they're different products, so if you want OS, don't buy this, buy a different GPS unit that supports OS mapping software. For what I use this for it's ideal, it shows contours clearly, all major roads and minor roads, and a lot of paths. Everything I expected to get from this product I have got, so I'm happy. I always plan routes thoroughly and carry an OS map as a back up anyway.
Bottom line, if you want OS quality on your hand held then don't buy this, if you want enough mapping to navigate from that shows roads, tracks, rivers, contours, POI's, then this will provide.
Unlocking was not as difficult as I was led to believe either. Simply install the software but before you attempt to unlock it, check for updates, you will then download about 50Mb of update. Once completed you'll need to download the Garmin communicator plug-in, only 5Mb so won't take long. When you've done all this, restart your computer and then you'll find it easy to unlock, just make sure you've either registered your Garmin device on the website already or you can plug it into your machine, you'll need the unit ID and serial numbers along with your voucher code. It's that simple.
After all this, just use the software, it's easy to understand looks great too.

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Fishystephen's Response to matcons59's Review

Written on: 10/10/2009

Hi,You seem to be suggesting this is not an OS product. As far as I am concerned it is an OS endorsed product as it has their name on the cover!!!
<br/>
<br/>I don't know what you do working with maps on a daily basis either, but if you actually get outside into the country and try to use the TOPO mapping basically it doesn't work to the level that you can rely on it. The only purpose I purchased it in the first place was for walking and wanting to know where on my OS printed map I was. When you can clearly see a footpath on the OS map that is not on the GARMIN running the TOPO map its useless.

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“Doesn't even come close to proper OS maps / Memory...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by kevbaldry on 18/09/2008

Doesn't even come close to proper OS maps / Memory Map. However, I had to have some maps on my new Oregon and it's Hobson's choice.
Only now have I discovered the OpenStreetMap project - and it's free!

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“Compared with the French, German and other European...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 23/06/2008

Compared with the French, German and other European counterparts, the quality is poor. Paths are not routable, and quality is patchy. Paths and stop in the middle of nowhere, when the original OS maps have the correct details. Thus for the use of walkers this map seems to fall short of the mark.

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“I much prefer memory maps - if only they could be...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 04/06/2008

I much prefer memory maps - if only they could be downloaded to garnin gps's. ridiculously troublesome to instal paths, canals not clearly shown (if at all). woodland not clearly shown. Generally, detail and clarity leave a lot to be desired.

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“Bad news is I don't think Garmin Topo GB sat nav...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 30/05/2008

Bad news is I don't think Garmin Topo GB sat nav software is worth the money. Impossibly difficult to use, time wasting installation procedure. Topographical detail isn't clear enough.

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“I feel that this product was oversold and is very...”

★★☆☆☆

written by GEOFFCARSON on 11/03/2008

I feel that this product was oversold and is very disappointing compared with the quality of the Garmin 60Csx which is superb.
I think Garmin owe me.

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“Having previously bought the US equivalent ($60), I...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by illshaw on 08/03/2008

Having previously bought the US equivalent ($60), I had expected to have a similar level of detail as the product is to quote the Garmin site and package designed for walking, trekking with tracks and paths included. What they don't say but Garmin now tell me is that the data acquired by Garmin from OSGB is limited so cannot provide the detail required for walking and trekking. You can't find this out without trying the product. The package shows lots of nice detail and colouring but don't expect the same for where you live. Garmin now tell me that as I've opened the package they cannot provide a refund.

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“I suggest its a case of horses for courses. The level...”

★★★★☆

written by hmarston on 09/02/2008

I suggest its a case of horses for courses. The level of detail is appropriate for a 50x60 mm GPS screen, although colour selection is obtuse (white for water, yellow for most land, green forest). Off-road, the contours and other features are invaluable, to relate to paper map, especially for mountain use - GPS screen is too small to get an overview. After downloading the track, Mapsource (or Training Center) displays the route overlayed on the same map for initial review. For my travels I have European city navigator (limited detail, no paths, streams, contours) and World map (even more crude, no navigation, inaccurate e.g. seamarks like bouys being on land). Glad to get back to UK and topo map on GPS!

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“Worst product I have ever bought.”

★☆☆☆☆

written by pushbike on 03/05/2007

Worst product I have ever bought.

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“I have never written a review on the web , as I am so...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Englishmash on 17/04/2007

I have never written a review on the web , as I am so disappointed with the GB Topo Map that I decided to do so.

This map is a waste of money, it suppose to replace the OS map but it is nothing like that.
I am a keen walker and was looking foward to this Garmin product, what a waste of money and Garmin should be shameful.
Many details and paths are missing even some the bridges on the major rivers are missing. If you only use this map , be ready to to walk few extra miles.
Forget to buy this product, buy Os and EuV7., otherwise you will be very disappointed.

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“Initially on reading reviews of this product I was...”

★★★★☆

written by pathfinder on 16/02/2007

Initially on reading reviews of this product I was somewhat disillusioned. I bought with some trepidation but nevertheless I suspected, gambled even on the basis of other reviews, that having some detail on the GPS screen when in the middle of nowhere would at least be better than a blank screen and it really is. Key factor is that well into the Cheviots, I can look at my GPS screen and compare with the OS Explorer map I am carrying and easily identify my location almost with a glance, rather than read off the grid reference and transpose that to the OS map. Some reviewers not just on this site, but elsewhere have suggested that you are better of with the City Select/Navigator series. Well that's fine if you are happy with a blank screen in remote upland areas and at least with TOPO GB I can now walk along the banks of the Tyne or along the North East coast without appearing to be in the middle of the river or wetting my feet offshore as is the case with City Select/Navigator. If you are an outdoor, off road, high hills activity person in remote the locations of Northumberland, the Lake District or the Scottish uplands, then this is for you. City Select/Navigator is fine for those who stick to the provenances of the average tourist but you can expect nothing on your GPS screen in really remote areas.

I don't know what people expect of this product but I am delighted with it. The level of detail may not be as per the OS 1:25k maps but then what do you expect for the price. To buy the whole UK at 1:25k OS detail maps from Anquet or TrackLogs would set you back around £1000 so for about 12% of that cost would anyone expect the same level. Then even if you spent £1000 to get the whole country for one of these alternative mapping products, you still wouldn't be able to download any of the topography to your Garmin GPS. As for the detail of tracks & paths, it certainly doesn't have the detail comparable with an OS Explorer 25k map but I have found tracks/paths in remote areas marked on the maps of this product that you would find difficult to find on the ground, as they are so little trod. Don't expect OS Explorer 25k Map detail but used in combination with OS Explorer maps TOPO GB is a significant aid and in my perspective worth the money, providing data in remote area where City Select/Navigator provides none.

However, isn't it scandalous that our rip off government monopoly namely the ordnance survey can impose such limitations as restricted view and no printing. Further they rip off multiple times people who purchase Memory Map/Anquet/TrackLogs and others in so far as every time the software is upgraded they render the existing maps unusable and a new set has to be purchased. Biggest con merchants in the business and if they were a private organisation would be publicly exposed, but they revel in their government protection.

Elsewhere the US government has decided that mapping data is a countrywide resource and many countries also have a more consumer friendly approach. Only in the UK, with the ordnance survey is such a rip off approach pursued.

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Jason13323's Response to pathfinder's Review

Written on: 01/04/2008

I found this review helpful because the reviewer used this product in exactly the way I intend. Garmin thanks you since I will now purchase Topo GB!

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“Total waste of money. Buy City navigator Europe V8...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by Scotch Whisky on 06/01/2007

Total waste of money. Buy City navigator Europe V8 instead.

City Navigator Europe V8 is a great product. This is total garbage.

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“Garmin, Mapsource & Ordnance Survey should be ashamed...”

☆☆☆☆☆

written by GARMINGARBAGE on 26/12/2006

Garmin, Mapsource & Ordnance Survey should be ashamed of themselves - It feels like this software was written by some spotty US teenager with no interest whatsoever in the topography of the UK or any of its non-major road details. Total garbage... DON'T BUY IT!

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