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garmin software compared to google

I still think I'm missing something fairly basic with BaseCamp. For instance: I'd like to do a SS1000 from Philadelphia to near Lumberton NC, or from Philadelphia to Springfield OH. In google maps, I just type in "Philadelphia PA to Lumberton NC" and I get a route. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to find cities at all in BaseCamp. I'm essentially just trying to set a single waypoint, and failing.

Grrr.

SH
 
{snip}...For the life of me, I can't figure out how to find cities at all in BaseCamp. I'm essentially just trying to set a single waypoint, and failing.

Grrr...{snip}

Why not just download your Google route to the Garmin? You'll need to install the free Garmin "Communicator" plug-in (from Garmin's site) for your browser, then you'll be ready to go.

Works with my Mac/OSX/Safari setup and with the Mac/WinXP/Firefox setup. Do you seem to be running into problems when trying to do this?
 
Why not just download your Google route to the Garmin? You'll need to install the free Garmin "Communicator" plug-in (from Garmin's site) for your browser, then you'll be ready to go.

Works with my Mac/OSX/Safari setup and with the Mac/WinXP/Firefox setup. Do you seem to be running into problems when trying to do this?

When I tried that I could get it to download maps that Google itself created, but not custom ones where I designed the route. Was I doing it wrong?
 
When I tried that I could get it to download maps that Google itself created, but not custom ones where I designed the route. Was I doing it wrong?

Give me a little time this weekend and I'll try to replicate your problem. Stay tuned...
 
For more detail, if I go to maps and put in a starting point and a destination, the GPS shows up in the "send to" menu. If I pull up a map from the "my maps" list, the GPS doesn't show up in the "send to" menu.
 
Sith Lord,

Ok, I steered you in the wrong direction. I use MapQuest, not Google. (I'm so embarrassed!) :blush

I just experimented with both and you are absolutely correct about Google: (1) it only sends the destination AND (2) when saved to MyMaps, the send to GPS doesn't exist!!! So, substitute "MapQuest" for each time I mentioned Google (except for the seasonal road thing). Please refer to the following (Garmin Communicator plug-in required!):

I plugged my N??vi 550 into the computer and waited for the device to be mounted. Then, using MapQuest, I created a route from Easthampton, MA to Pittsfield, MA. I let MapQuest create the route. I then changed the route by dragging the route line to an alternate (longer) route chosen randomly. Here is the screenshot:
MQOverview.png

Note where the "Send to" button is (red box) in the above screenshot.


Next, I clicked the "Send to" button and a tabbed window of destinations was shown. I clicked on the "GPS" tab (red box below) and saw the following:
MQSend.png

Note that MapQuest (via Communicator) sensed the presence of my 550 (blue box above) and wants me to choose whether to save the file to the 550's memory or the MicroSD inserted into it. I usually save all ".GPX" exchange files to the MicroSD so I can easily transport them to another device (GPS/Laptop/Smartphone) if I want to. So, I selected the "TWMMICROSD" device

Also, note that I have selected to "Send the locations as" a "Route", not "Waypoints" (purple box above). Finally, MapQuest creates a file name that is rather cryptic, so I changed the name to something more descriptive.

I then clicked the green "Send" button and the following success verification screen was displayed:
GPSSuccess.png



At this point, the GPX file is on the SD card in the 550. I needed to import it to use it as a navigable route. To do this on my 550, I went to "Tools>My Data>Import Route From File" and searched the GPX files shown for the filename of the GPX file I just downloaded from MapQuest.

There you go. I hope this helps and my sincere apologies for leading you down the Google path!

Theo
 
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UPDATE:

Upon further testing, I verified that the test route I developed in the last post DID NOT transfer as routed to my N??vi 550! So I did a little research into a series of routes I used for planning a four segment trip through Maine last year. I was puzzled because the use of MapQuest worked perfectly during last April's planning and yielded and identical route on Garmin when I transferred the GPX file.

An analysis of those GPX files created by MapQuest revealed that I had established a sufficient number of "stops" (sightseeing, roadhouses, etc.) on the routes to force both MapQuest's and Garmin's routing algorithms to be identical. However, when I replicated several of the custom routes WITHOUT the stops; the starting points and ending points were the only "rtept" entries in the new GPX files. I got EXACTLY the same result as others received! The custom route disappeared and Garmin routed me over a different one!

So, I guess I got lucky putting in all those stopping points in our trip planning last year. Of course, this means that the only way to make Garmin mimic the MapQuest routing is to load up a route with enough waypoints to force route duplication.

I even checked out Microsoft Streets and Trips. Same thing. With enough waypoints, routing is identical. But drag a route to a different road in S&T without establishing waypoints (pushpins) and Garmin will know nothing about your customizations!

I guess I'll eschew the BaseCamp and MapSource experience and still use the MapQuest environment with a few additional waypoints to force identical routing.

On well... :dunno
 
For a google based solution, check out gmaptogpx, it is a very lightweight, but third party converter. I ignored it for a long time because the instructions look complex, but in reality its pretty easy. I found the key was having a Garmin/GPX folder on my SD card, and just dropping the GPX files in there.

SH
 
UPDATE:

Upon further testing, I verified that the test route I developed in the last post DID NOT transfer as routed to my N??vi 550! So I did a little research into a series of routes I used for planning a four segment trip through Maine last year. I was puzzled because the use of MapQuest worked perfectly during last April's planning and yielded and identical route on Garmin when I transferred the GPX file.

An analysis of those GPX files created by MapQuest revealed that I had established a sufficient number of "stops" (sightseeing, roadhouses, etc.) on the routes to force both MapQuest's and Garmin's routing algorithms to be identical. However, when I replicated several of the custom routes WITHOUT the stops; the starting points and ending points were the only "rtept" entries in the new GPX files. I got EXACTLY the same result as others received! The custom route disappeared and Garmin routed me over a different one!

So, I guess I got lucky putting in all those stopping points in our trip planning last year. Of course, this means that the only way to make Garmin mimic the MapQuest routing is to load up a route with enough waypoints to force route duplication.

I even checked out Microsoft Streets and Trips. Same thing. With enough waypoints, routing is identical. But drag a route to a different road in S&T without establishing waypoints (pushpins) and Garmin will know nothing about your customizations!

I guess I'll eschew the BaseCamp and MapSource experience and still use the MapQuest environment with a few additional waypoints to force identical routing.

On well... :dunno

WOW. after reading this entire thread, :deal
i've discovered what i was seeking in my thread (last year) BEST GPS? it seems what i REALLY meant was BEST SOFTWARE FOR GPS? or "Best Route Entry Method For GPS"?

looks like there are myriad options for not only a GPS but also software and programs- and equally numerous ways to get messed up while route planning, using a GPS interfaced with a PC or laptop (read: computer)... different satellites, mapping sources, software programs, interfaces, updates... all of which seem to have some glitches? seems no single combination of GPS and software interface/mapping source is bulletproof. add human interface and the potential for error increases exponentially.

while i STILL Haven't gotten a GPS, i AM still considering the possibility of one in my life. this last post by Theo has sparked something about *waypoints* which i haven't really understood to now: are waypoints simply points along an intended route where you might change routes- like from one state numbered road onto another? or even a turn from one named street to another (if you were routing thru a major city?

you know how sometimes in life we tend to over complicate things especially when we get technology involved? is this what's happened here???

perhaps i misunderstand it, but if i were going to plan a (LD) route, i would

A: pick the start point and the intended destination.

B: go over the route and write down each turn at every intersection in or near whatever town the intended turn happened to fall at. (i usually include the town name). if i happen to know of a bangin' restaurant :eat or whatever along the way i might route myself to it as i choose the series of roads i will travel.

have i just *created* a series of *waypoints* along my *route*?
would each turn (intersection) or stop (restaurant) along the way be a *waypoint*?


BTW, i usually use Google Maps, instead of Mapquest, for whatever reason?
i also *interface* using De Lorme Gazetteer and/or Rand McNally Atlas.
i *save* :type my route and my *waypoints* to a *piece of paper*! :doh

OK i admit the spoof. but seriously.
does it really need to be so complicated?

the process of mapping, like the route itself, has many options- all of which will get you there...
eventually.
 
{snip}...does it really need to be so complicated? ...{snip}

No. Use paper maps.

But learning how to extract the most out of your GPS involves a bit more time. It can be a simple as putting the start and end in and letting the GPS auto-route you. But if you want to customize the auto-routed route (!), you'll need to spend more time with your GPS/computer. Yes, you can change your route using the GPS device itself, but that can be quite maddening. Best to use a computer program (like MapSource or BaseCamp) to customize your route and faithfully download it to your GPS.

As we have discovered, the problem with Google AND MapQuest is that they download isolated waypoints instead of routes. When viewed in your GPS, it will show "as the crow files" connections to the waypoints; the paths between them are not constrained by roads, buildings, oceans, etc.

And, yes, you can write all your waypoints down on paper then enter them into your GPS, but most folks prefer to omit that step and simply adjust the route using software instead of brute force.
 
OK i admit the spoof. but seriously.
does it really need to be so complicated?

It's only as complicated as you want to make it. A waypoint is the same as a pushpin on a map. You put it there for whatever reason you like. Maybe it's an intersection, or a restauarant, or a campground, or anything else you like. No rules. It is just a point that you want to remember for some reason.

A route is a path between points. You may use waypoints to influence the direction of the path if you like. But you don't have to. Many folks first set some waypoints down then use them them to define the route. That is a convenience, not a requirement.

A via point is like a mini-waypoint. It *is* part of a route, used to influence the path taken. When you don't like the path between point A and point B and drag it so it uses this road instead of that road you are creating a via point.

Some mapping software also has the concept of a stop. With that software a route is something like: start via via stop via stop via via finish. The mapping software fills in the turn-by-turn information between the listed points.

The turn-by-turn information is something that that you don't care about. Mostly. If you care at all its because you are fighting with software that wants you to go this way when you want to go that way.

I personally find Garmin software to be terrible for my use. I constantly had to fight with the software. It worked great if my desire was "take me to 5th and Main". It sucked when my desire was "take me to 5th and Main via these twisty curvy roads that sometimes crossed". Usually I am trying to do the latter.
 
MarchyMan & Theo,
copy that.

i'm simply trying to get a handle on this GPS thing, *researching* vicariously thru these threads, if you will...

in the past, when putting together a rural route, i've gone into Google Maps, chosen legs of a route, A-B'd 'em, and *assembled* a way to and back again on a given destination, so maybe i am not too far off the mark?
just lacking the actual GPS to then save that route to? well, that and i wasn't using MapSource or whatever software....
 
No. Use paper maps.

But learning how to extract the most out of your GPS involves a bit more time. It can be a simple as putting the start and end in and letting the GPS auto-route you. But if you want to customize the auto-routed route (!), you'll need to spend more time with your GPS/computer. Yes, you can change your route using the GPS device itself, but that can be quite maddening. Best to use a computer program (like MapSource or BaseCamp) to customize your route and faithfully download it to your GPS.

As we have discovered, the problem with Google AND MapQuest is that they download isolated waypoints instead of routes. When viewed in your GPS, it will show "as the crow files" connections to the waypoints; the paths between them are not constrained by roads, buildings, oceans, etc.

And, yes, you can write all your waypoints down on paper then enter them into your GPS, but most folks prefer to omit that step and simply adjust the route using software instead of brute force.

well of COURSE we want to maximise everything, and of COURSE we want to customize our route. am i to understand that MapSource or BaseCamp override the shortcomings of Google Maps or Mapquest in terms of clearly laying it out so your intended route doesn't *morph* unrealistically within the parameters of the GPS's "play-back" capabilities?

also, i might guess that which ever method one chooses, time-wise, it's probably a wash. i can see that if i'm on the computer anyway, why NOT then, just use it as the only tool? (tho i have always been one to utilise EVERY tool in the theoretical truck IF they all may be used expeditiously towards the end-goal)

additionally, not being so much "strong like bull, smart like tractor", i've always found that a little finesse will get the job done as well as brute force, only without the *collateral damage*.

not that there's not a time when brute force may be appropriate... but i digress.

as you were, men.
 
Rider --

Remember that in Google maps you need not assemble multiple A-B routes into a final route. Just identify your whole-route Start point and whole-route end point. Google Maps will auto-route the path. If you want to alter the path just put the cursor on the blue path line and drag it to a new road. Google will then auto-route you through that new "via" (thanks, Marc). You can keep dragging until you have your final, customized route.

Having said that, neither Google nor MapQuest will download a route to the Garmin, just the waypoints. Even though the MapQuest allows you to download directions as a "route" or as "waypoints", by the time the resulting GPX file is downloaded and imported into the Garmin, it displays as waypoints with "as the crow files" connecting paths.

Based on my research, I have only found three programs that allow you to create a drag and drop route on the computer and have it faithfully load into the Garmin:

1) MapSource -- The Garmin route planning software for the Win platform. Not exactly the most intuitive software until you become familiar with it. Even then, it seems a bit clunky to me.

2) BaseCamp -- basically MapSource functionality (and vagary) for the Mac platform. I have got BaseCamp to create something that can pass as backup tankbak maps (big arrows and distances).

3) Microsoft Streets and Trips -- I have begun using the 2011 version recently and have been favorably impressed with its features and its ability to faithfully transfer routes to the Garmin. It allows changing routes by the drag and drop method. The POI database is fairly complete and is DOES have the ability to set stops and define the amount of time to be stopped. It also has some handy sliders to adjust your speed preferences +/- average speed (which I take to be the speed limit value). One of really swell features of S&T is its connection to a national road construction database to find out whether your chosen route will encounter construction. If so, it highlights the part of the route where the construction occurs. This may become my everyday favorite for route planning.

There is other route planning software out there (Delorme for instance), but I haven't had any experience with it. BTW -- I use a MacBook Pro with Fusion to allow me simultaneous OSX and WinXP environments. Others with Macs use Bootcamp and reboot into Win.

HTH,
 
{snip}...am i to understand that MapSource or BaseCamp override the shortcomings of Google Maps or Mapquest in terms of clearly laying it out so your intended route doesn't *morph* unrealistically within the parameters of the GPS's "play-back" capabilities?...{snip}

Precisely, Rider! Microsoft Streets & Trips works too.
 
THANKS, Theo!
i think i am beginning to see the light here. i'm going to begin using Microsoft's Street and Trips now. just to familiarize myself with it. i was reading the thread about Garmin's Nuvi 500 and 550... seems there is a weatherproof GPS now that won't cost an arm, a leg and a new-born son? yee haw. i have no problem throwing down good dosh for something i am familiar with but it seems a natch to drop the small dime on a Nuvi and work up to a better machine after having mastered it...

i wonder:
would any purchased maps and satellite data package transfer from one Garmin unit to another, if both were registered in my own name?

would the Nuvi 500 or 550 maps, data and software cross over to or be compatible with an up-grade model Garmin?

Tom
 
{snip...would the Nuvi 500 or 550 maps, data and software cross over to or be compatible with an up-grade model Garmin?...{snip}

Unfortunately, not for maps or software. Garmin's maps (and map updates) are purchased for a single GPS. If you went from the N??vi 5XX (great low cost, waterproof units, IMHO) to a Zumo at a later date, the maps could NOT be transferred.

However, any routes that you have created CAN be transferred to another unit.

Cheers,
 
Yeah, what Theo said with rare exceptions. I bought a lifetime map upgrade for a 450 and the unit went bad a few weeks later. I replaced it with a 220 and talked the Garmin people into moving my subscription over.
 
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Theo,

I agree with you that Garmin's MapSource is really clunky and requires a lot of OJT to learn how to use it so that the routes follow where you really want to go; especially on those back roads we motorcycle riders like to explore. Even then my Zumo 660 sometimes tries to recalculate the route so it requires the use of extra "shaping" points to force the 660 into following the desired route.

Your tip on using MS Streets and Trips is interesting. Are you finding that you can drag and drop routes in Streets and Trips, transfer them to the Garmin GPS, and the GPS won't recalculate the route?

Which Garmin are you using?

Lee
 
I turned recalculating from automatic to prompt after my Garmin led me to a few "shortcuts" on unpaved logging roads.
 
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