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Explorist Topo


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OK, you loaded it, now you have to tell the eXplorist that it is there, and to use it.

 

Think the steps are:

 

Menu

Preferences

active setup?

scroll down to detailed map and select (click stick) then find the topo file you loaded. I always name mine with either a state (for normal maps) or topo (for the topos) so I can quickly ID them. Something like MO and MOtopo.

once you click on the file the eXplorist should ask you if you want to make this the active map. Select yes and then back out of the menus.

 

Hope this helps.

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I chose my active map as it was down loaded from my saved region. I even loaded it twice. I see the two region maps. I tried both. And still no topo, just the map send detialed map. I know it loaded because the mapsend map is more detailed then my factory loaded base map.

Looking @ my saved region on the PC. It showed everything i wanted to see on the gps. I dont understand. I have several hours in this project. I will be looking for the highest roof to jump from soon.

On the megellon help site. They had written that u must scroll out to 200 miles or more. Then choose the region then zoom in. No luck there. I wonder if saving the region> it only loaded mapsend not topo.

 

I really hate to call the support line tonite

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That's odd, just noticed that if I check the map set-up before the detail map loads that I don't have a topo lines check box. 10 seconds later, after the load, there it is.

 

One other thought. The map send program needs to have the same serial number entered as your GPSr or the unit will ignore the detail map.

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I do have the serial number in. And i choose the check mark @ loading.. I am confused though. When i checked the box it highlighted the T and P box. The directions are vague. But from what i read was if the t or p is not high lighted then they wont load. i loaded the cut region twice.

two ways. Still no change. I must be dadgum dumb. Because i dont hear anyone else having problems. My experiences w/ Mag. tech was not horrible yet. twice on hold for 15 mins. 3rd time 2 mins. But the tech was not sure of the operations and then placed me on hold while he regrouped. To nite i will have much more time to spend w/ support. That would be w/ several cold ones also beside me. HA HA Thanks for everyone's time.

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No other add ons. I purchased the unit last year. I am just a hobby user. Hunting etc. Really not even touching on all that you guys.gals do. I just added the topo info i purchased last week.

The install guides> small hand books... I thought could have been more informative. I purchased the software un opened from tiger gps. I did not go onto the web like explained in the set up. Is this ok? I took it as if it was necessary in order to purchase direct from Mag. When i spoke to tech support.. (last) he stated to call back as i was not at a PC. He stated that i needed to be @ a PC for a magellon consee. His english was tough to understand. May be i even heard him wrong. Maybe even anorther term.They gave me a case#. The other weird thing was that my GPS was locked on the comunication screen to the PC after the 1st transfer. I had to unhook the battery and start over. No other transfer issues since. EXCEPT i cant see the topo. <_<

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Under display everything is marked w/ a check. A-Z But nothing listed for Topo or lines. It has airports towers etc.

This is telling us that the topo data seems to be lacking in the detail maps, and it is not likely to be a problem with the GPS.

 

Although I don't think it has any particular relevance, could you say what version of T3D you are using?

 

I am confused though. When i checked the box it highlighted the T and P box. The directions are vague. But from what i read was if the t or p is not high lighted then they wont load. i loaded the cut region twice.

The checkmark toggles the region for compiling and downloading. After the region is checkmarked, the grayed-out T and P should become black, and then you can click on either to go back to the gray state, thereby excluding the data from the detail map file. You would want the T to be black, while the P is your choice (it doesn't take much memory to include it).

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Embra> I do remember the T being highlighted after cutting a region. Tuesday evening will be the next time i spend w/ this issue. I also will let u know the version. Support on friday said i had everything loaded correctly except i had to be in a mountian area. Go figure. Of course one mile down the road no differance. I felt like a dumb a-- i knew it was not working. I got the feeling he didnt know why, and neither did his co workers.

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On my 3d disc, it states that the version is 1.. I spent time again on support. This time they walked me thru on the pc saving a waypoint. Then saving it to a file. Then sending it to the gps. Listening to the tech i was getting excited i thought this would work. I then went into poi and viewed it on the hand held, no topo lines. He placed me on hold and then stated that i wont be able to see the topo lines on my unit (500). JUST ON PC> I dont understand that statement. Its the 2nd tech guy two different nites. One note. I can never upload/download to the gps due to a comport error. (?) I dont have anything hooked to the laptop other then the mag. cable. All though the region transfer did take.

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So they're giving up on it? Interesting. Sorta defeats the point of buying the topo product. Well, if they view it as a defective unit, looks like the thing to do would be to send it in to Magellan for a warranty replacement exchange. You've already expended more effort over this than you should have to.

 

Regarding the com port error: if you have 1.0 (which you must if you got it on CD) then the program is not USB aware and can't communicate directly with your 500. You have to do uploads and downloads with something like the Conversion Manager applet.

 

Late-breaking idea: did you ever do the firmware update? I'm thinking that a new firmware install could possibly help, and it doesn't take much in time or effort. It's one more thing to rule out.

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I have done so much BS w/ this unit. I cant remember if i did the firmware or not. I will run it this week end. If i would have come across this web site before i purchased the unit. I would have went to Garmin. I thought i had the pro and cons correct.

I dont see mag. doing an exchange.They dont even think topo SHOULD work w/ the 500. UGH!! I just think that i am ignorant to the process and i am the problem. Although i think i am soon out of options. ThANK YOU all who has been taking time and helping me. What really upsets me the most, is that i have been holding off on buyng the topo feature for a year. Due to cost etc. What put me over the edge, is a have a trip planed for next week. And it was important for me to have the topo feature

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I have done so much BS w/ this unit. I cant remember if i did the firmware or not. I will run it this week end. If i would have come across this web site before i purchased the unit. I would have went to Garmin. I thought i had the pro and cons correct.

I dont see mag. doing an exchange.They dont even think topo SHOULD work w/ the 500. UGH!! I just think that i am ignorant to the process and i am the problem. Although i think i am soon out of options. ThANK YOU all who has been taking time and helping me. What really upsets me the most, is that i have been holding off on buyng the topo feature for a year. Due to cost etc. What put me over the edge, is a have a trip planed for next week. And it was important for me to have the topo feature

I understand your frustration after following this thread for a few days. I am surprised by the answer from Magellan's tech support. I don't think the firmware is the problem. Showing topo lines is so basic that it has to work. Let me make two suggestions:

 

1. Turn on the 500 and try it one more time. Make sure you have the correct active map, and wait until you get a good initial satellite lock. I have noticed that, sometimes, without an initial lock, neither the topo lines nor the check box for the topo line show up.

 

2. If step 1 still fails, then my suggestion is to recreate the map on the PC. There is an off chance that one may have forgotten to check the "T" when creating the map. This is just to rule out that possibility.

 

For the record, I do not have Topo 3D US. I have Topo Canada, which works perfectly on my E500 with both the old and new firmware. I believe Topo 3D US should work the same way.

 

Clement

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Topo 3D v 1.01 works on my 500 both before and after the firmware update (same map file.) You do not have to be in a mountain area, it shows the topo lines in all areas out to .80 miles. Its been a year since I loaded the files so I cannot really add anything more helpful.

Edited by EScout
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The new firmware is 5.2.03. The one that came on the 500 was something like 5.1.61. Your installed version should display at the top of the screen inviting you to press the clickstick when powering up.

 

This will take you to the page where you can obtain the firmware for the 500. Follow the directions exactly, and do an extra clear memory/all at the end.

 

Like eScout, T3D works fine on my 500 both with 1.61 and 2.03 firmwares.

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clement>i never get the topo area check box u speak of. I will try to get some more time to redo the region and make sure the T is highlighted. Embra how do i save the data or my entire memory to the sd card. Then can i transfer it back to the gps. I dont have any spare sd cards. This question is regarding the firmware update.

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clement>i never get the topo area check box u speak of.

 

But April 24 you said:

Embra> I do remember the T being highlighted after cutting a region.

If you can't get the checkbox the problem isn't your GPS or its firmware, something is not working right with T3D on your PC.

 

If you can, it might be something to do with the GPS. And a firmware re-install might help. If you have saved any tracks or POIs to the SD card, they will be preserved and available after the firmware upgrade. If they are saved to internal memory, then the easiest thing to do is hook up the GPS to your PC using internal memory, and copy the files onto your hard drive. Then at some point, hook up using SD memory and copy the files from hard drive to it. If you have data in active memory that hasn't been saved, then save to the SD card.

 

I just thought of another possibility (assuming you *can* toggle the "T" and it wsn't checked the first time)...if you are working with the same region, the program may not compile a new file...it just uses the existing file on the hard drive and sorta pretends that it's made a new one. Merely toggling the "T" on or not may not force a new compile of the file. Are you creating new regions and/or seeing the program churn through the progress bar over a period of minutes? Another check would be to look at the timestamp on the detail map file to make sure it is fresh. We want to rule out the possibility that you keep copying the same contourless map file (if you didn't have the "T" checked the first time) to your GPS over and over again.

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Sorry, I am getting the option on the PC.. To chose a check T and a P

I thought i read somewhere. That users where getting propmt by a box or triangle to go into topo on the gps handheld.

I believe in my poi's that is where i also had a list of veiws on the gps maps towers,services etc. All checked.

 

I am from PA and when i first started this project. I loaded the entire state of PA on a region. When there was no topo. I asked for help here. Feeling that i may have never checked the T in the PC i loaded PA again.

Still no topo features. I know it took because i have the option of two pa regions on my sd card. I will re do the region again, To rule out usser error.

I asked the questions of how to save my current memory. I was unsure due to i cant transfer wayponts from pc to gps. I thought that i would also have a error uploading from gps to pc for a memory save. Remember i have a com port issue. Why i dont know. The error says the port is tied up. There is nothing else pluged to the laptop. other then the gps in file transfer mode. Looks like i have some more work to do. Embra i will do as per youre last post.

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Another possibility,if your inside and receiving no Sat's, that may lock out the topo lines and topo check box on the gps. I found if I'm not receiving any Sat's my P.O.I.s will only show alphabetical and not by closeness.

I tried to check this morning when we went to my daughters house I turned my 500 on in her bathroom which is the middle of the ground floor of a two story house, and thought I wouldn't receive any Sat's.To my surprise it picked up 4 Sat's, none of them good signals but enough to show where it currently was with a epe of 279 feet instead of our place 26 miles away.

Since the firmware upgrade the receiver is a lot more sensitive.

Anything is worth a try at this stage.

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Another possibility,if your inside and receiving no Sat's, that may lock out the topo lines and topo check box on the gps. I found if I'm not receiving any Sat's my P.O.I.s will only show alphabetical and not by closeness.

I tried to check this morning when we went to my daughters house I turned my 500 on in her bathroom which is the middle of the ground floor of a two story house, and thought I wouldn't receive any Sat's.To my surprise it picked up 4 Sat's, none of them good signals but enough to show where it currently was with a epe of 279 feet instead of our place 26 miles away.

Since the firmware upgrade the receiver is a lot more sensitive.

Anything is worth a try at this stage.

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