Thread: Shifting NT maps for China, can anyone help me?

Hi Arvi
Yeah, I'm familiar with those maps, thanks for the links.
I've spent quite some time looking for new ones, and I only found recent China "untouched" maps that are only compatible with China HW GPSs, as in they do not match the position (they're shifted the usual 600m).
They are in Chinese language, but that would be a "secondary" problem, sort of.
I'm looking for help on how to "move" the new maps as they are published, like the VENUS version, as in I'm looking for SW tools and method, so that I can mod them myself, anytime, VENUS style.


Anyone got any suggestion/link?

Update: I finally made it to use recent standard official Garmin China maps on my European Garmin GPS units, overcoming the (about) 600 meters shift here in China, which was corrected in the past in the “Venus” modified maps.
I tested the fix and it works on all my nüvi 2595LM , 1490, 1250 and 250 four units, I have no idea about the compatibility of this fix with the whole Garmin lineup; please add comments with additional tested models and the test results, if any.
One just needs to copy the "006B082300.bin" official Garmin data correction file (that I extracted from my recently bought Garmin “Edge 1000 China” bike GPS) into the Garmin folder where the unlocked map is… et voilà, it works, as simple as that.
I’m currently successfully using an unlocked China 2019.20AN map, extracted from the above mentioned Edge 1000 unit, but the 2018.40 that I downloaded off a local forum works as well, both maps in simplified Chinese (CHS).
The main limitation is obviously being related to the lack of ways to input addresses in simplified Chinese on all nüvi 2595LM/1490/1250/250 Euro unit, which I wouldn’t be able to do anyway since my Mandarin is basic and spoken only, but I go on by coordinates and (once set), I just ask the GPS to bring me back to the Home coordinates.
It is to be noted that any prior recorded coordinate/POI (i.e.: Home) on the nüvi unit will be affected by the data correction file, as in it will NOT BE OK anymore, having been “moved” of the infamous 600 meters as well: the problem does not affect the long distance route calculation but then, once nearby the target, it sends you to the wrong (inexistent) place. The fix, again easy, is to re-save the position in the memory of the unit once you’re there for the first time after the fix, and then everything works properly.
Since the map is in CHS, my Euro nüvi units don’t recognize any pinyin romanized spelling of the names of any city or road that I tried: if anyone were to try and succeed, comments and suggestions are welcome.
It remains unfortunate that an English version of the China map after 2015-2016 ones is no longer available, shifted or not.

I hope that the reverse process will work as well: whenever possible, I’ll test my new “Edge 1000 China” outside of China (Europe, likely), with local maps, where I should be able to use it without shift-related problems by temporarily removing the above mentioned "006B082300.bin" file from the map folder on the unit.

The file can be found on old posts:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

@cla2012
You could try the solution that was once used by users in China with Western devices bought overseas. That was to use both CH and EN maps but deselect the EN map in settings. The two maps must be different versions and FIDs however to enable search in PinYim. The author of Venus maps, syzygy has posted about this several times many years ago, one example [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. POIs of the EN map should also be available using that method.

About the use of that BIN file, it's success rate varies. Some US/EU devices work with it to use official 'shifted' maps but not always. It's quite some time since i thought about this, it's unfortunate the Venus versions aren't posted now for ppl in your situation. Another possible but riskier solution is to flash CH firmware to a Western device. if such fw is available to have any chance of compatibility the PCB P/Ns must match. How to check: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Semantics. The Venus maps by syzygy are described as "shift corrected". That's an accurate term because a Venus map 'corrects the shift' which is on the original official 'shifted' maps (making Venus maps 'non-shifted'). The small BIN file supposedly when used in a Western device mimics the firmware function of the Garmin Chinese devices which account for the artificial shift in the official maps on-the-fly.