Gps

[CAJUNCUMMIN]

GPS - Laptop

Ok guys I have the Garmin III and recently got the laptop and thougt about mating the two, what do I need ? Does the map display on the laptop ?

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Re: GPS - Laptop

Originally posted by CAJUNCUMMIN

Ok guys I have the Garmin III and recently got the laptop and thougt about mating the two, what do I need ? Does the map display on the laptop ?

If you check out the << Garmin website >>, you should get all the background information you want. You should trawl the TDR web archives also, as well as the quarterly TDR magazine, a few issues back, which had an indepth report and analysis.

Basically, you'll need a PC serial cable which comes with the Garmin unit itself, to connect to your laptop. Then you'll need to buy one of their CD-ROMs - several types available, (DVD-ROM not yet available!)which has detailed mapping information at a more granular level for the whole continental USA, subsets of which, you can then upload from your laptop to the GPS device, assuming it has sufficient memory of course. They also do equivalent maps for Europe , which is one of the reason why I went with Garmin.

Not much sense having a worldwide system (GPS) if the mapping does not have similar coverage - okay not of the highest importance to most people, unless you're travelling to/around Europe perhaps.

Another good thing about the Laptop is that you can work on a bigger screen, prepping differnt map/screen sets for uploading later to the GPS unit. Handy when you're on the road, to switch in/out different mapsets.

 

[CAJUNCUMMIN]

Ok John I went to the Garmin home page found a pc interface cable . is this what I need ? Also I saw the Map source soft ware but it seems a bit expensive,does anyone have experience with Map source and how does it compare to Delorme?



Thanks Les Ewen

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Garmin MapSource CD-ROM

Les, I can only speak from my own experience. The MapSource stuff is good and as you point out, not cheap. The PC interface cable came with my Garmin III+ unit, so the only other additional item was the CD-ROM. I'm not going to be back in the USA for some time and my own copy is therefore almost virginal.



Tell you what, I'm back in England this weekend, so send me a private email before then and I will reply with the details of the Garmin Map Source CD-ROM that I have. If it's compatible with what you need, make me a fair offer and its yours plus packaging and airmail shipping.

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

Cajuncummin

Originally posted by CAJUNCUMMIN

Ok John I went to the Garmin home page found a pc interface cable . is this what I need?

Les, the CD-ROM I have from Garmin is their MAPSource U. S. Roads & Recreation Disc version 3. 0 and there is probably an on-line update, downloadable from the Garmin website. It is an official Garmin version complete with the User's manual and reference guide, all in mint condition. Note especially that not all Garmin products, especially the entry level GPS units support downloadable maps. My unit is the III+, so check which one you have and its compatibility with the guys at Garmin first.



Email me if still interested.