1. Connect your GPS to the computer
You will need a PC cable. Connect it to one of your serial ports. Turn
the GPS on, and do NOTHING on the GPS. Everything is done from the computer.
(Default settings are "GARMIN" in the interface area of setup.)
2. Get the GPS route
a) If it was emailed, it will be in your attachments folder. Look for
a file with suffix ".mps" for MapSource, or if compressed,
it may have a ".zip" suffix.
b) If it was "downloaded" from an internet website, it should be in your download folder of your internet browser. If it has a .zip suffix, it needs to be decompressed, or "unzipped". Double click on it and pay attention to where the unzipped file goes.
To locate the file, try using the "find" command from the "START" menu.
3. Open the .mps file by double-clicking on it
You need to have MapSource software from a CD. It comes with MapSource
Roads&Reec, USATopo, WorldMap, Metroguide, City Select, CityNavigator
etc.
You will need at least v4 to open the route. If you don't have V4, go to http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/download.html and get your free update (currently 4.09).
4. You should see.....
1) Under the routes tab, you should see a list of routes.
2) Note the "save to device" button.
3) Poke it.
4. Save TO device dialog box
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1) Choose Serial or USB. Most likely you will be using a serial port. 2) If you are also loading some map zones, check this box. 3) Check the waypoints box 4) Check the Routes box 5) You can try "autodetect..." feature which will search for a GPS connected to your computer. 6) This is the port where the PC cable is connected. You can change it to the appropriate port. Autodetect feature above will do all this automatically. 7) baud rate- Leave it at 115200. If you have problems try slowing it down to the next lower setting. 8) This feature is for saving GPS batteries after loading large map sets. It's there so you can set it up to load (for a few hours if necessary) and then leave the computer loading (at night for example while you sleep). Tiny uploads such as a route will take less than 5 seconds. 9) Poke this. You will see a progress box as your GPS is loaded. Problems? Perhaps the single most common problem we hear of is from customers who are using a device such as a PDA. Any device which has a "button" such as synchronization, or a "one-touch" fax or scanner will cause problems with other serial port devices. You will have to disable the 'other device's software'. |
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5. Look for the "routes" section on your GPS
You should see some routes listed. Now learn how to ACTIVATE or NAVIGATE
a route on your GPS. If you have an autorouting GPS, set the auto-route
to "off-road" or it will keep trying to lead you back to the
highway. That is NOT in our general agenda.
There are more things to learn, which is why we posted the "test route". You can make your own test-routes too.