Easy Garmin Mapsource Routing for N00bs (Tutorial)

[BriKielyGSman]

Problems here as well. I just want my route to transfer to my Etrex Legend just like I have it on map source. I have tried many many times. The GPS seems to alway want to make its own route.....even with a ton of ....waypoints??? Very annoying.....

Thanks for the rubber band tip.....it sure helps making a route, but doesnt make a difference when transferring route to GPS.

[MudLover]

Originally Posted by longtallsally

OK, as I play a bit more, I've got another question. I've got the latest version of Mapsource and also got GE. However, the "View in Google Earth" is greyed out in Mapsource. Perhaps a little more clarification there?

I'm new to a bunch of this stuff, so thanks.

Did you find a solution to this as I have the same problem.

Any help would be great.

Cheers

[MudLover]

Originally Posted by MudLover

Did you find a solution to this as I have the same problem.

Any help would be great.

Cheers

Turns out I was not running the latest Mapsource software. The new version fixes the bug dealing with communication with GE.

[longtallsally]

So how do I know if I have the latest version? And is this a free d/l or do I have to pay for a newer version? I just got the thing November of last year- actually December, so is it already outdated?

[markjenn]

Originally Posted by longtallsally

So how do I know if I have the latest version? And is this a free d/l or do I have to pay for a newer version? I just got the thing November of last year- actually December, so is it already outdated?

Updates to the MapSource application are free. Updates to the map databases loaded into MapSource (e.g., City Navigator) are not, although there is sometimes a grace period for a free update if the update appears shortly after you purchased.

Current MapSource version and updates are here:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/mappingsw.jsp

- Mark

[Jeffro115]

This thread is awesome.


I've learned a lot here.

[IVDesertRat]

cmwoodys is the MAN!!!!!!! This is an incredible post and will save LOTS of hours trying to figure out Mapsource. Seriously, I'm not sure I would have EVER figured this out on my own.

Using Mapsource now and .5 mile map sized I can now navigate routes created using this method that I never would have traveled.

It's one thing to find these obscure roads but it's another to be able to use them in a route format knowing that it's not going to dead end or end up some obscure place.

My family has owned property in JUlian California for so many years and I knew about lots of these roads but never had the time to really explore them. Now I will be able to.

Thanks for helping everybody out!!!

[nkern]

Thanks for a key piece of the puzzle- WinGDB.

There is no easy way around the problem that routes created in Mapsource are not exactly reproduced on your GPS, particularly handhelds like the 60C. If you think it's bad going from Mapsource to your own GPS, try making a route to distribute to a diverse group, who have different map databases and different GPS models.

The problem with routes is that they are designed to provide navigation to visit a series of waypoints in a particular order. That is not exactly what we want.

We want to ride a specific series of roads in a particular order. That's what WE consider a route. The only GPS file that unambiguously defines a path is a track. There is no way to create a track from scratch in Mapsource- you have to ride the physical path to create the track.

Fortunately, there is WinGDB. You can lay out a route in Mapsource, adding waypoints to get the autoroute to get it to follow your desired path. Then save the file and convert the route to a track with WinGDB. WinGDB is not perfect, so check the result carefully and add waypoints if necessary.

Load the resulting file back into Mapsource, select the track and reduce the number of points in the track to 500 or whatever your GPS can handle. You now have a track you can load into your GPS and follow, even if the roads are not in the GPS map dataset.

A friend of mine who has an old emap that does not autoroute was thrilled with this solution.

[Kieth]

I had 2 sets of identical mapsource routes which we layed out as cwoody describes and both of us had new 550 zumos. 2 of us rode for 8 days on the Cont/Divide trail, The zumo will drive you crazy, if you miss a turn it recalculates the route before you realize you missed the turn. Both our zumos were sending us in different directions. I stopped and bought a map, after getting confused a few time. How can we keep this from happening ????? I did figure out you better have a map and you better know which way you are going, we never got too lost but we sure got off route.

[9Dave]

Originally Posted by Kieth

The zumo will drive you crazy, if you miss a turn it recalculates the route before you realize you missed the turn. Both our zumos were sending us in different directions. I stopped and bought a map, after getting confused a few time. How can we keep this from happening ?????

Use a track. More efficient in my book.

Originally Posted by Kieth

I did figure out you better have a map and you better know which way you are going

Yup.....

Dave

[cghoot]

Has anybody used the DeLorme Topo USA 6.0 product at http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELi...&section=10050 ??

Like you, I'm a map junkie, compelled to pan around in USGS 1:24,000 quads for hours at a clip. For that, I've been using National Geographic TOPO v.4.2.8 with the related NG State Series maps since about 2002 (see http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/c...?cid=135&tid=3.

I have a new Lenovo T61 Laptop with Vista (nice!) and I can't get the detailed NG State Series maps to install cleanly on my hard drive. So, I went clicking, and it looks like DeLorme has its act together now, for $100. Seamless USGS quads, plus other data, maybe some of it useful, shows trails on public lands, street names labled, talks to Garmin, imports and exports GPX files. You can post a map to the Web with links to (SmugMug?) photos. Clean looking user interface (?). Simple Routing (it's not clear how it interfaces with Garmin AutoRouting, but who cares? I've found it more reliable to build Routes with Waypoints.) 4 GB for full USA topo install, including gadget data. None of the clunky MapSource glitches (like how do I insert a new Waypoint in an existing Route?) Looks pretty good.

So, clue me in. I'm tired of wasting time with buggy software. Are you using DeLorme USA Topo 6.0? Does it show all the detail of USGS 1:24,000? Does it send and receive Routes and Tracks with Garmin 276C via USB? Any hassles with building Routes with Waypoints, and navigating them on a Garmin? And... if it's so good, why isn't everybody using it?

[Note to the Noob: These PC-based topo products are only for planning and plotting Routes (a series of points you want to visit) for export/import to/from GPS. They are the best planning tools, much more detailed and user-friendly than Garmin MapSource, but they are NOT for sending map information to the GPS, as a base map background for display in the field. If you want to display a topo basemap on your GPS, you need the proprietary topo basemap software for your GPS, for example: http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ontheTrail/ . It's also very useful.]

Edit: Found it. Here's everything you want to know about Delorme Topo 6: http://forum.delorme.com/viewforum.p...4f43578dc616a2 .

[RichardU]

Originally Posted by Kieth

The zumo will drive you crazy, if you miss a turn it recalculates the route before you realize you missed the turn. ... How can we keep this from happening ?????

Turn auto recalc off in your Zumo. When you get off route, it will ask if you want to recalculate. Just press No. Then it will simply show you where you are until you rejoin the route. After that, if you get off route again, it will ask again.

[Twohondas]

Originally Posted by RichardU

Turn auto recalc off in your Zumo. When you get off route, it will ask if you want to recalculate. Just press No. Then it will simply show you where you are until you rejoin the route. After that, if you get off route again, it will ask again.

I think you are talking about the prompted mode.



In "Off" mode when you stray off the route it does nothing - gas, break, view etc. Latter when you return to the route it will give you directions to stay on route only when a planned or on route turn comes up.

[RichardU]

Originally Posted by Twohondas

I think you are talking about the prompted mode.

You are correct. Thanks. Or he could choose Off and avoid the prompts.

[B-Rod]

Here's something I haven't seen clarified. I was making a route I rode pre-GPS, and I take the route tool from a known town with a visible road through it, and I then move the route tool to a spot in the middle of know-where, where I know there is a road, it actually will draw it out of nothing. How can I view all of these back boonies roads? I can follow black-top without a GPS, I bought it take me into the boon-docks, and more importantly, out of them.

I have the map detail on the highest, but I'm seeing jack in areas I know there are good roads.