cwhlam

MapSend Lite version 2 does see my Explorist. Vista recognises the Explorist as a removable drive, and MapSend Lite can read and write to the Explorist, including saving .gs files directly to the GPS. With this NEMA support, even the GPS logging function works. However, Directroute V2 still does not start.

I have traveled between Montreal and Toronto several times, and I can get GPS signals if I am next to the window. The trains are different though. They do not carry dome cars.

Hope this helps. I used a text editor to delete everything after </loc> and then the file can be read.

I followed the instructions and installed DirectRoute version 2 on a Vista machine. However, it will not start. Are you using DirectRoute V3? I am wondering whether the failure to start is related to the copy protection scheme of V2.

It is possible to have Mapsend Lite 2.0 working with an Explorist 500. There is no need to invoke the GPS setting under preference. You probably should set the GPS type under preference to Explorist, though. As for the saving of geocaching file. First, make sure that the Explorist is recognised as a removable drive under windows. Then if you want to save your downloaded gpx file, you can read it into Mapsend Lite, and then save the gpx file as a gs file to the GPS unit. If the unit is recognized as a removable drive under windows, it should work. Occasionally, even if you have chosen to save to the GPS, the default location is still the hard drive. So, it is worthwhile verifying that you are saving to the correct drive letter. If your explorist is not recognised under windows as a removable drive, then it is a different problem.

Andre is correct. Thanks for the correction. It haven't been copying maps for a while and it shows.

It seems that you are trying to upload the maps directly from MapSend Topo 3D to the GPS. I have the CD version of this software, and it does not support the direct upload to GPS. The DVD version may support this functionality, but I am not sure. I would suggest you store the generated maps on the hard drive, and then copy them over to the GPS using Microsoft's Windows Explorer. If you have install the USB driver for the Explorist 210, it should show up in Windows Explorer as a removable drive. Just copy the maps to the geocaching directory.

It seems that you have placed each cache on a separate file. It is much more efficient to keep a number of caches (up to 200) in one file. To keep it simple for the time being, let me suggest modifying your steps to: 0. Open MapSend Lite. 1. Select a cache (from geocaching.com) 2. Click on the LOC Waypoint File 3. Click SAVE and select your PC Hard Drive 4. Load the file to MapSend. 5. Repeat steps 1 to 4, but answer "no" when it asks you whether to clear the existing geocaches. 6. When you have accumulated enough caches, then save the file to the Explorist 500. 7. On the Explorist side, you need to "activate" the geocache file. Once you have more experience, you may want to experiment with the "Find all nearby caches" option in geocaching.com, the "edit" option in MapSend Lite, and the "save as gpx file to hard disk" option in MapSend Lite. The "edit" option allows you to do copy and paste of the information on the cache page to MapSend. This information are saved to the hard disk, if you select the .gpx option. I hope this will get you started. Clement

Version 1.00e is the version of Topo Canada that I have. Since you can see the s/w under the mapsend directory, may be you can try to start it directly from the directory, instead of going through the Mapsend Manager. Double-click on the file "MapSend.exe" in the directory that you have installed the Topo Canada software, and it should launch the s/w.

I bought a M500 off ebay. The battery seems to last forever. I went on a 3-week trip, with the battery fully charged, but took a chance and did not take along the charger. I cached almost every day, and the battery lasted the whole trip. My son was even playing solitude on it for a while, until I noticed, and asked him to stop. At the end of the trip. the battery meter was reading 25% charged.

If you see the outline of the map, you may be zoom too far out. Try to set the scale to "street" and see whether any details show up.

From the "adding maps" help page of MapSend Lite v2.0: And from the Map Manager help page: I interpret these lines to mean that the manual adding map option is only for detailed and background maps that are ready and authorised for your gps. To add a whole mapsend product, e.g., T3D, you need to perform a full intall of T3D, and then MS Lite v2 will automatically be added. You do not have to use the adding map command. I do not have T3D, but I have Topo Canada and DirectRoute, both fully installed. MS Lite performs as expected. In Map Manager, I can choose which Mapsend product to use as the detailed Map. I believe T3D should behave similarly. I have also manually added some detailed maps and they worked. You may ask why I want to add detailed maps when I have the whole MapSend product. I find that I switch between DR and Topo once in a while. Switching the whole MapSend product takes a while, but switching from a DR .imi file to a Topo .imi file is almost instantaneous. You may also be interested to know that the display of the maps in a .imi file looks different from the MapSend product maps that the .imi files are generated from.

I have both Mapsend Topo Canada and Mapsend Directroute(DR) V2. If you want to buy only one, I would suggest getting DR V2 or V3. In spite of the claims of Magellan's website, both DR V2 and V3 has coverage of all areas of Canada (plus the US, of course). I find that I use DR most of the time. It does routing and is adequate for caching in most cases. I should note that Topo has better coverage of dirt roads and forest roads, if that is important to you. Also, I sometimes do switch to Topo, if I want to know whether I am on the correct side of the river. I believe having detail maps is a must for the XL. You will enjoy it that much more. Clement

Another suggestion would be to turn off the display of topo lines.

Basemap for the Explorist can be found at <http://www.rhamphorhinkx.ecohost.ru/maps/>.

It seems that you have bought the old version of Mapsend Topo. It is not compatible with the explorist. Only the newer Mapsend Topo 3D USA or Mapsend Topo Canada can generate maps for the explorist. Clement

I have been involved in the beta testing of this product and have used it for several months. It has become my Mapsend product of choice. I don't think I have started either Topo Canada or DirectRoute for the last few months. I can do everything inside Mapsend Lite, as long as I do not have to generate maps for the gps. I like the ability to switch back and forth between maps from Topo Canada and from DirectRoute, without having to leave Mapsend Lite. I was planning a trip to Newfoundland, and while DirectRoute can do routing, Topo Canada has a lot more details. For example, most street of Newfoundland has no names in DirectRoute, but has names in Topo Canada. Being able to switch maps, without losing one's position, makes planning much easier. Clement