What Is Best Free Program For Wayponis

[gtx71]

i have a garmin gpsmap 60 cs,

 

what is the best (user freindly) free program that i can download waypoints to my gps.

 

i am new to the sport and any help or direction would be appreciated.

 

i have a usb connector is that what i would use.

 

thanks for any help.

 

tony

[+Sputnik 57]

If you have MapSource (it should have come with the GPSr), then you can use that. Go onto the Garmin site and dowload the latest version.

 

Also, you can use EasyGPS.

[Neo_Geo]

CLICK HERE for MapSource update.

 

CLICK HERE for EasyGPS.

[+G & E]

If you have MapSource (it should have come with the GPSr), then you can use that. Go onto the Garmin site and dowload the latest version.

 

Also, you can use EasyGPS.

 

Are you saying that Mapsource will accept downloaded caches? I've been using EasyGPS because I didn't think that Mapsource would load a *.loc file. When I use import, it lists all of the file types but *.loc is not one of them. This is the Mapsource that came with my 60C?

[+Klatch]

If you have MapSource (it should have come with the GPSr), then you can use that. Go onto the Garmin site and dowload the latest version.

 

Also, you can use EasyGPS.

 

Are you saying that Mapsource will accept downloaded caches? I've been using EasyGPS because I didn't think that Mapsource would load a *.loc file. When I use import, it lists all of the file types but *.loc is not one of them. This is the Mapsource that came with my 60C?

 

If you download the latest version of MapSource from the Garmin website (it is free) you can download both .loc and .gpx files from the cache pages.

[+Ex nihil]

I know you wanted it free but save yourself a lot of heartache and just get GSAK anyway. Try it awhile; you can actually use it free if you put up with the nag screen after 21 days. If you like it its only $20 to buy. I use it as a database to sort out all my waypoints then from GSAK I can upload to GPS or send waypoints off to mapping aplications such as Oziexplorer or DiscoverAus or write them to a flash card or Excel or whatever I want. It also connects waypoints with their webpages and open them directly in your mapping software if you want. Its really what you need all in one box and it is constantly evolving and getting better all the time. Love it. Go to http://gsak.net/

Edited February 22, 2006 by Ex nihil

[+SriSoKoSu]

CLICK HERE for MapSource update.

 

After installing this update I don't see the option to "Import" waypoints from .mps files anymore Anyone know what might be going on ?

 

My original MapSource product was Trip & Waypoint Manager, which I installed from the CD included with the GPSMap 60CSx. The MapSource version (from Help->About) showed up as 6.0 for this original installation.

 

I then downloaded the above update (ver 6.9.1) and while the installation went fine, afterwards when I launched MapSource, I don't see the "Import" option under the "File" menu anymore.

 

Is this a known issue ? Has the "Import" menu been moved somewhere else or is it completely gone ?

[+SriSoKoSu]

I know you wanted it free but save yourself a lot of heartache and just get GSAK anyway. Try it awhile; you can actually use it free if you put up with the nag screen after 21 days. If you like it its only $20 to buy. I use it as a database to sort out all my waypoints then from GSAK I can upload to GPS or send waypoints off to mapping aplications such as Oziexplorer or DiscoverAus or write them to a flash card or Excel or whatever I want. It also connects waypoints with their webpages and open them directly in your mapping software if you want. Its really what you need all in one box and it is constantly evolving and getting better all the time. Love it. Go to http://gsak.net/

 

I will second this recommendation wholeheartedly ! Download and use it for free for 21 days to see if this meets your needs. I decided to purchase it after using it for just a few days and didn't even wait for the 21 days.

[+Ex nihil]

I just hate to see you guys going to all this trouble fiddling around with maybe-it'll-work base grade software. Uninstall Mapsource and go get GSAK.

[+vaetanone]

Get GSAK. It is a relatively well featured database program, very painless to use. It will accept Pocket Query zip files as a simple drag-and-drop to get data in. You can then manage it in the database. Any subset of the database you select can be sent to your GPS as well as in the form of a PDB file to Cachemate running on your Palm (another good program that costs $8) so you can go paperless.

[+Klatch]

CLICK HERE for MapSource update.

 

After installing this update I don't see the option to "Import" waypoints from .mps files anymore Anyone know what might be going on ?

 

My original MapSource product was Trip & Waypoint Manager, which I installed from the CD included with the GPSMap 60CSx. The MapSource version (from Help->About) showed up as 6.0 for this original installation.

 

I then downloaded the above update (ver 6.9.1) and while the installation went fine, afterwards when I launched MapSource, I don't see the "Import" option under the "File" menu anymore.

 

Is this a known issue ? Has the "Import" menu been moved somewhere else or is it completely gone ?

 

File menu/open...or use the "open file" icon on the graphical menu, select .loc or .gpx as the file type. If you set MapSource as the default application to open these file types you can open them directly from a cache page using the download links on the page.

[+Night Stalker]

If all you want to do is upload waypoints to your GPS easy GPS will do it quickly and easily with no learning curve. That is why it is called EASY GPS. If you want it to do more then look at GSAK, but it will have a learning curve to get it to do what you want.

[Neo_Geo]

I just hate to see you guys going to all this trouble fiddling around with maybe-it'll-work base grade software. Uninstall Mapsource and go get GSAK.

 

What planet did you come from? Maybe it'll work??? How 'bout "OF COURSE IT'LL WORK!"

 

MAYBE they'll need GSAK later (maybe not). The point is that for now, the O.P. wants something SIMPLE to open .loc files and send the contents to their GPSr. The MapSource program they already have will do just that. It's actually a very powerful program which the user's gonna need anyway for mapping.

 

Oh - and I believe the user mentioned something about "user friendly". How user friendly would you rate a GSAK installation and setup? Scale of 1 (easy) to 10 (impossible). Be honest...

 

I hate to have a novice here ask a question to do something simple, then be told to do something difficult which will require 20 more questions in the GSAK SUPPORT FORUM. I believe they should get a grasp of the basics, and then possibly grow into needing more advanced stuff. They're already befuddled enough by the download/open/send concept. Throw in a GSAK setup with it's usage learning curve, and they may give up on caching entirely before they even get started!

 

To simply open a .loc file and send the contents to the GPSr, EasyGPS and/or MapSource is all that's required. Those programs don't require a database administrator to run them.

[+SriSoKoSu]

Thanks for all the inputs !

 

Just to clarify, I *do* already use GSAK and absolutely LOVE it !! However, I can't quite use GSAK to upload waypoints directly to my GPS. I have a 60CSx and this is not directly supported by GSAK yet. Hence I have to use the workaround of first exporting the data from GSAK as MapSource files (.mps), and then import those files into MapSource and use that for uploading.

 

I do see now that the older "Import" option (in MapSource v6.0) has been replaced with the newer (and more intuitive ... though I got baffled by it initially ) "Open" option in version 6.9.1. So all is good now and I can continue to use GSAK for my cache management and filtering, and MapSource for uploading.

 

EasyGPS looks like an interesting option for uploading, but 1) I don't know if it supports 60CSx yet and 2) It doesn't show the base map that MapSource does ... so I will stick with MapSource for now.

 

Thanks for all the help guys ! You make this forum great to hang out !!

[+lrentz]

Thanks for all the inputs !

 

Just to clarify, I *do* already use GSAK and absolutely LOVE it !! However, I can't quite use GSAK to upload waypoints directly to my GPS. I have a 60CSx and this is not directly supported by GSAK yet.

 

I will be happy when the GSAK supports the 60Csx as well. Looking forward to it.

 

lrentz

[+G & E]

[if you download the latest version of MapSource from the Garmin website (it is free) you can download both .loc and .gpx files from the cache pages.

 

I'm glad I read this post because I've been struggling with Mapsource and other programs because it wouldn't load *.loc files. Now that I have the new version, it does all that I need. It even loads several caches in one page so I don't have to copy them from one page to another. Very nice.

 

Some day I'm sure I figure out why I would want to use GSAK but since I'm not a premium member, I don't see the need for it. I also find it quite hard to use. Mapsource is the right program for me.