Downloading MapSend to my eXplorer 500

[+T&DJay]

Yes, I'll admit it. I'm impatient. I've had an eXplorer 200 for about 6 months. I decided to upgrade and received my new eXplorer 500 and MapSend Topo 3D software on Monday. Tonight is the first I've had a chance to sit down and try to play with it. All I want to do for now is download some areas to the GPSr. Was I wrong in thinking this would do what I want it to do? I would like the GPSr to show all roads, not just the major roads that come preloaded. Instructions are not helpful at all. How big of an area can I download - can I do all of PA? What about all of PA and parts of NY and WV? Can I do all that area in one lump or should it be broken down and most importantly -how the heck do I do it?

I lost and getting confused and frustrated. THanks!

[ossumguywill]

Yes you can do all of that. If you want to be able to get lots of pois and driving instructions, get mapsend directroute. If you want a map that is topo and has streets and pois and trails and camping but won't give you driving directions, get topo 3d usa. How to do it is in the manual that comes with the software.

[+ShutterBug98027]

You might want to play with smaller maps. and see how long they will take to load. Larger map = longer load times.

[+T&DJay]

Thanks, I guess I'll just have to play around with it. The manual isn't much help. It seems to tell me everything I can do but not how to do it.

[+4 Paws And Then Some]

I had a hard time too when I first got my Topo Map. The REAL manual is a .pdf file from the install cd. The book manual only tells you what stupid people can't figure out. When you have the Topo software open, zoom in on the area you want to download. (How big your memory card is defines how many maps you can keep on it, but each map can only be up to 64Mb at a time, if I remember correctly. For example you could save the north half of PA as one map and the south of PA as another, or even the border along 2 different states.) There will be a button in the toolbar that allows you to drag a box around the area you want to save and download. Once you've selected that, save it. If it's too big an area it will tell you. Then plug in your GPS to the USB port (make sure the cable on the GPS runs along the body and not the top) and open the program called Conversion Manager from the install cd. This is a must for your GPS to be able to read the saved map file. Convert the file(s) you want and upload them to the GPS internal or SD card (making sure it's in the File Transfer mode). Once that's done, go to Power only mode or disconnect the GPS and set your Active Map --> Detailed Maps to the one you want. That should be it.

 

(I'm typing this from memory so I may have forgotten to include something, if so just fire me an email if you still can't figure it out.)

[vagabond]

It would be best to get an sd card and load your map regions on it. I'm using a 1 gig card in my 500 the largest map map region I have on it is 153 megs, most are about 100 megs

[+4 Paws And Then Some]

My 512 Mb card holds more than I'll ever need for my area, so unless you plan to travel out of state a lot, you don't need a bigger card.

 

Vagabond, I'm not sure how your maps can be over 100Mb, the limit on each map of mine is 64Mb regardless of the size of my SD card. Perhaps different models or software is the reason.

 

Oh and Shutterbug's post here has a bit more to add, like saving o hard drive and inputting the GPS's serial number:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=148312

Edited November 9, 2006 by 4 Paws And Then Some

[+ShutterBug98027]

I am using a 512Mb card. Most of my files ae around 30-40Mb and load fairly fast on my 500. Whenever I am away from home, my lap top is with me, so now I guess I will load regions and waypoints (cache sites) and hunt for caches as well as good pics!

[+embra]

Can I do all that area in one lump or should it be broken down and most importantly -how the heck do I do it?

If you need some step-by-step directions, there's a section in our Explorist review on gpsinformation.net. (look for the section labeled "uploading maps")

[+T&DJay]

Thank you everyone, I appreciate your help.

I've taken the day off work - I'm determined to learn how to do this!

I have the SD card, a 1G. I know it's more than I'll need but it was about the same price as the smaller ones.

 

Be warned, I will call on you if I need more help! LOL

 

Thanks again.

Edited November 10, 2006 by T&DJay

[Tracker Don]

Vagabond, I'm not sure how your maps can be over 100Mb, the limit on each map of mine is 64Mb regardless of the size of my SD card. Perhaps different models or software is the reason.

 

Simple mod of the mapsend.ini file :

 

[DEVICE_DEFAULTS]

Com_Port=-1

Baud_rate=-1

Memory_Size=8000

Conv_Maximum_Number_of_Regions=1

Maximum_Number_of_Regions=1

Conv_Memory_Size=122880 < change this to what ever you want

Write_Export_Log=0

Write_GPS_Log=0

Write_upload_Log=0

Write_Routing_Log=0

UploadDevice=1

MMC_NAME=detail00.img

SDSpeed=8947

USB_Device=1

Unit_Type=1

 

The largest map I've made is 235MB and the unit works fine

 

[+embra]

Many people make the mapsend.ini edit with satisfactory results, but sometimes odd things appear that you should be aware may be due to the increased size.

• files are more prone to corruption - symptoms may be minor, such as incorrect road names, or more serious such as an inability to load
  
• compile times can increase dramatically...although, as a one-time thing, this may not be a big deal
  
• some people seem to see performance hits on the GPS in redraws or POI search
  

These may have been more problematic for Meridians and SporTracks than Explorists. I figure it doesn't hurt to experiment, but if you see problems be prepared to step back to smaller files.

[Tracker Don]

Many people make the mapsend.ini edit with satisfactory results, but sometimes odd things appear that you should be aware may be due to the increased size.

• files are more prone to corruption - symptoms may be minor, such as incorrect road names, or more serious such as an inability to load
  
• compile times can increase dramatically...although, as a one-time thing, this may not be a big deal
  
• some people seem to see performance hits on the GPS in redraws or POI search
  

These may have been more problematic for Meridians and SporTracks than Explorists. I figure it doesn't hurt to experiment, but if you see problems be prepared to step back to smaller files.

 

Current Mapsend DirectRoute NA has a defaut Conv_Memory_Size=122880. I've seen other posts indicating that Mapsend Topo 3D has a Conv_Memory_Size of 256MB, so I set my DR NA to that and it seems to work fine. It is true that sometimes there is a delay in redrawing a map, but I think the convenience of having a bigger map makes up for that. I think the biggest delay occurs if you are creating a big street route across several states, but I don't mind. Also POI searches can wind up taking you more time there are more to look though. I really didn't notice much difference in map compile times on my PC between a 122 MB map of my 235MB map they both took about 15 min. Using a high speed SD card may help speed things up in the explorist, but I currently am using a regular 1GB PNY SD and have everything east of the Mississippi on it.

[ArchRival]

Hey- I hope i'm not in the wrong place but I'm having a terrible time with both my eXplorist 500 and the MapSend topo 3D USA software. I can't get my 500 to connect with the computer but I think I figured out (thanks to other postings) that I had the cable upside down. I swear I read somewhere that the cable could be either way.......anyway.. My real problem now is that I can't install the Mapsend software. I insert disk 1, run it, then it asks for disc 2 at about 16% completion. Disc 2 takes me to 57% and then an error pops up stating that I have the wrong volume? The message says that I should have disk MS3DUS_100_1 (disc 1) in the drive. I switch it out and then I get something like a fatal error from microsoft. After that the installer appears to be running but my only option is "cancel". I do that and I get the hourglass forever and have to quit the app. Then I call support at 15 mins. before they close and find that they closed early tonight? I guess I won't be out with the GPS in the AM.

I've learned alot from the dozens of posts that I've read so far. Unfortunately I can't get anything working. At all.

I'm past frustrated and am bordering on depression.

Please help.

--I should also mention that I'm running IE explorer 7. and windowns XP.....

 

 

 

Many people make the mapsend.ini edit with satisfactory results, but sometimes odd things appear that you should be aware may be due to the increased size.

• files are more prone to corruption - symptoms may be minor, such as incorrect road names, or more serious such as an inability to load
  
• compile times can increase dramatically...although, as a one-time thing, this may not be a big deal
  
• some people seem to see performance hits on the GPS in redraws or POI search
  

These may have been more problematic for Meridians and SporTracks than Explorists. I figure it doesn't hurt to experiment, but if you see problems be prepared to step back to smaller files.

 

Current Mapsend DirectRoute NA has a defaut Conv_Memory_Size=122880. I've seen other posts indicating that Mapsend Topo 3D has a Conv_Memory_Size of 256MB, so I set my DR NA to that and it seems to work fine. It is true that sometimes there is a delay in redrawing a map, but I think the convenience of having a bigger map makes up for that. I think the biggest delay occurs if you are creating a big street route across several states, but I don't mind. Also POI searches can wind up taking you more time there are more to look though. I really didn't notice much difference in map compile times on my PC between a 122 MB map of my 235MB map they both took about 15 min. Using a high speed SD card may help speed things up in the explorist, but I currently am using a regular 1GB PNY SD and have everything east of the Mississippi on it.

[+embra]

Hey- I hope i'm not in the wrong place but I'm having a terrible time with both my eXplorist 500 and the MapSend topo 3D USA software. I can't get my 500 to connect with the computer but I think I figured out (thanks to other postings) that I had the cable upside down. I swear I read somewhere that the cable could be either way.......anyway.. My real problem now is that I can't install the Mapsend software. I insert disk 1, run it, then it asks for disc 2 at about 16% completion. Disc 2 takes me to 57% and then an error pops up stating that I have the wrong volume? The message says that I should have disk MS3DUS_100_1 (disc 1) in the drive. I switch it out and then I get something like a fatal error from microsoft. After that the installer appears to be running but my only option is "cancel". I do that and I get the hourglass forever and have to quit the app. Then I call support at 15 mins. before they close and find that they closed early tonight? I guess I won't be out with the GPS in the AM.

I've learned alot from the dozens of posts that I've read so far. Unfortunately I can't get anything working. At all.

I'm past frustrated and am bordering on depression.

Please help.

--I should also mention that I'm running IE explorer 7. and windowns XP.....

 

A while back there seemed to be a bad batch of Mapsend programs that were released from the publisher--can't remember for sure if it was T3D or DirectRoute, but I think it was T3D--that pretty much required people exchange them with Magellan or the retailer. You may be a late-blooming victim of that. I have heard that some people solved installation problems (that may have been due to something else) by copying the CDs to hard drive and using the images instead of the CD. You might try that with just Disk 2 or some combination of drive images and CDs. But I fear you will need new disks...I could well be wrong, though.