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Connecting my Mac to my Garmin GPS60


Primula.Foxburr

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Hi guys and gals :D

 

So, I've had my Garmin GPS 60 for longer than what I would like to acknowledge, and have done a bit of geocaching.

 

Have been thinking that I would like to have my computer (an iMac OS X (10.4.10)) talk to my GPS 60.

 

Pulled out the packet of 'stuff' that I got with my Garmin (prior to getting my Mac) and thought I'll just install this and play around - ack, my CD for Trip & Waypoint Manager is "P.C. only, not MAC compatible". Bugger. :D

 

Ok, so I'm in the South Pacific, should I go back to where I got my Garmin and ask for a Mac compatible CD (are they available?), or what???

 

Please be nice :D

 

TIA :)

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You might find this fun...

 

Download the Garmin Communicator Plug in for a start.

 

Then you can use GPS Babel do extract saved routes or tracks for your Garmin and export it as a gpx file. Then you can...you might need to sit down for this...drag the gpx file straight into Google Earth and all your track and routes are imported. Not sure if you need a Google Earth premium for this if you do it's $20.

 

Also you can use maps.google to create a route and then load that into your Garmin, it's all explained on this page with a demo video tutorial

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Unbelieveable - Garmin - good on ya for not meeting the needs of us Mac users :P

 

I'll have a poke around and see what else I can see, and anyone else with points and/or tips they would be appreciated.

 

Well, at least Garmin offers some support for Mac users, unlike other GPSr manufacturers.

 

I have been using MacCaching with my Garmin eTrex Vista HCx and my PowerPC G5 Mac. I even figured out how to export cache information to my iPod with this software. :)

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Download the Garmin Communicator Plug in for a start.

 

Ok. This is bugging the begeebers out of me.

 

I have a basic Garmin GPS 60. It does all that I need it to do for now. I have no idea if it does maps or anything. Don't really need it too. I just need it to point me in the right direction of GZ.

 

So, the cable that came with that has one USB end (computer end) and a smaller end to it (GPS end). Does that a serial end??? I think so ... (it's not a great big thing like a parallel port or anything like that).

 

I've got that cable in my hand, and it's that cable which says "Attention: Before connecting this cable, first install the software on the CD so that the necessary drivers will be available" - except it's not Mac compatible.

 

If I use MacCaching or GeoJournal, do either or both do away with the need for the driver??? :)

 

If I still need a driver, where the heck do I get *that* from? Or, gallet, is this what the download is that you've suggested above?

 

It would be *so* much easier if I could just plug in my GPS and hit download (even if I then have to go to MacCaching or GeoJournal and then send the waypoint/s to my GPS from there), rather than hand entering everything. I don't need to do big numbers (heck, I've only found 10 caches in nearly 2 years :P ), I just would like to eliminate that potential for error that hand entering can create.

 

ARGH!!! :P

 

Can someone talk a total dummie through this, please? Thank you :)

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unclejimbo

 

Good for power pc or intel. I'm using it on an emac.

 

Primula.Foxburr

 

Just had a quick look and yes it does do full mapping with 24mb of internal memroy. should have a basemap too.

 

Yep, it does usb. The small end goes in the gps and the usb end goes in the computer. So that's all good.

 

The communicator plug in works for transferring files from geocaching straight to the gps. It's a plug in for the web browser to enable communication to your gps using a browser.

 

Don't bother about the drivers on the CD, download the webupdater and connect your gps and run the updater, it will find any unit software and should find any driver software as well.

 

The drivers are just to run USB they aren't anything to do with the software you run.

 

Once you run the webupdater (maybe do it twice) it should all be sweet. Then download the communicator plug in, linked to above.

 

Then really you should have a look a the video tutoria on takitwithme.com where they show you how to make a route in maps.google and then open it on their page. You can then transfer that route to your gps. Once it's in your gps you can then use gps babel to save it from your gps to a .gpx file on your desktop. You can then drag that .gpx file straight into a googleearth window and you will see your route you made in googlemaps in google earth. It's pretty cool.

 

UPDATE: you don't actually need gps babel as you can export the gpx file of the map directly from takitwithme.

Edited by gallet
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Primula.Foxburr

Just had a quick look and yes it does do full mapping with 24mb of internal memroy. Should have a basemap too.

 

Well, ok, yes I guess it does have maps. Thanks. I think!!! :D

 

Yep, it does usb. The small end goes in the gps and the usb end goes in the computer. So that's all good.

 

Thanks :D

 

The communicator plug in works for transferring files from geocaching straight to the gps. It's a plug in for the web browser to enable communication to your gps using a browser.

 

Don't bother about the drivers on the CD, download the webupdater and connect your gps and run the updater, it will find any unit software and should find any driver software as well.

 

Huh? :laughing: Will this work for me - I'm running a Mac remember??? It says down the bottom of the page under System requirements "IBM-compatible PC running Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system ... "

 

I need to think about routes - I'm just a basic type of gal, and like I've said, newish at this. I just like to have the waypoints in and then the GPS points out the direction to go in and I end up in the right area. A number of my local waypoints I can guess at their locations (cache names, descriptions, etc). Perhaps it's different in different places?

 

Actually, I can see the benefit of having routes when you're away from home (perhaps on a trip?), but most of my/our geocaching is from home type of thing.

 

Hmmm, I need to think on this. :D

 

Will check out the video and hope like heck it doesn't confuse me even more :wacko: Easily done!

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The communicator plug in works for transferring files from geocaching straight to the gps. It's a plug in for the web browser to enable communication to your gps using a browser.

 

Don't bother about the drivers on the CD, download the webupdater and connect your gps and run the updater, it will find any unit software and should find any driver software as well.

 

Huh? :laughing: Will this work for me - I'm running a Mac remember??? It says down the bottom of the page under System requirements "IBM-compatible PC running Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system ... "

 

I was confused by this advice, too, since I thought the web updater only worked with Windows. However, I looked around at the Garmin website, and found this page:

 

http://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater/

 

It says the web updater has a Mac version, too. I think I will try it.

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Btw, I downloaded the Mac Web Updater last night and got my Vista HCx updated from 2.20/2.10 to 2.40/2.30. Seems to be working fine, and I did not lose any waypoints in the process. I was not experiencing any problems with the other versions that I was aware of, but it is good to be up to date.

 

Thanks

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Hello, here's an edit of a post I made on a related thread. I hope this works for you.

 

I have a Garmin eTrex Vista and a Mac iBook G3 running OSX 10.4.10. I bought a USB-serial adapter from Radio Shack and use it together with the cable that came with the GPSr.

 

Here's the problem: the Radio Shack USB to Serial cable that I bought comes with a driver for Windows on a CD, but no driver for MacOSX.

 

I found a Mac driver for the cable here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/osx-pl2303/

 

I use the program MacSimpleGPS:

 

http://www.macsimplegps.com

 

MacSimpleGPS sends/receives .gpx and .loc files to/from the GPSr. Here's the detail that I had to figure out for myself: After you connect the GPSr and launch MacSimpleGPS, go to MacSimpleGPS>Preferences...>GPS Unit and select Port PL2303-181 or some number like that, not the modem port. After that I had no trouble. Also, make sure that on your GPSr, under Main Menu>Setup>Interface, you choose Serial Data Format=GARMIN. None of the other data formats worked for me.

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O-ka-saz, things are looking up.

 

I've downloaded the webupdater (successful! Yay!!!) and I've downloaded the communicator (successful! Yay!!!). I've even {gasp} downloaded a waypoint ... for ONE cache location. I did that by:

 

* going into the information page for the cache I wanted to download;

* clicking 'Send to GPS';

* clicking 'Send to GPS' in the communicator pop-up window;

* it goes away and looks for devices and then comes back with a message 'asdf saved to GPS successfully'.

 

However, when I did that to two subsequent cache waypoints, although it told me that they were 'saved to GPS successfully' I can't find them on there. Hmmmmm. I can find the first one I did, but not the subsequent two.

 

What am I doing wrong NOW???

 

Thanks :laughing:

 

ETA - Unless I'm doing s/thing wrong, don't stress too much abt this. It seems to be working ok now - if I keep sending it to the GPS it seems to eventually save :wacko:

Edited by Primula.Foxburr
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Oh, annnnnnd, when I downloaded my ONE waypoint to my GPS (!), it comes up under the GC number. Is there any way, doing what I'm doing (as outlined above) to have the cache come up on my GPS under the cache name, rather than the number???

 

Just thinking perhaps there's a preference setting somewhere I can change to do this, that's all.

 

TIA.

 

(And yes, I could have edited my post above but for some reason it wldn't let me)

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When I download the .LOC file to my GPS I get the GC #, cache name, and co-ordinates.

 

Can I get my GPS to 'file' the information under the cache name, rather than the GC#? If yes, how, pls?

 

You can do this with MacCaching. I am not familiar with any other software.

 

I downloaded MacCaching last evening, webupdater this morning and also the web communicator plugin.

Now all I need are my maps, chip and above all else, the Garmin to put it on! Should be here tomorrow.

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I'm using a Mac with 10.4.9. I've tried MacCaching and MacSimpleGPS not much luck with either.

 

I use GPSBabel+1.3.3a to move info to the GPS from the mac. DL as a pocket query (premium membership required).

 

I use the following settings --- Operating mode = waypoints. Input mode = use file > Type = GPX XML. Output options = use GPS, type garmin port USB. Filters = Generate smart shortnames. This set up sends to the GPS with no problems and gives me the option of GCXXXX as to file name OR the cache name.

 

Hope this helps....

 

?'s

 

good luck

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I e-mail Garmin to ask when will MapSource be out

 

And got this today

 

From: productsupport@garmin.com

Subject: Garmin Europe (KMM1437659I10971L0KM)

Date: 19 November 2007 08:47:49 GMT

 

Good Morning,

 

Thank you for contacting Garmin Europe.

 

In regard to your email, to my understanding the City Navigator 2008 DVD

will be Mac compatible.

 

For other Mac SW please see the following link:

 

http://www8.garmin.com/support/mappingsw.jsp

 

Best Regards,

Product Support Associate Garmin (Europe) Ltd

_____________________________________________________________

Liberty House | Hounsdown Business Park | Southampton | SO40 9RB | UK

T: + 44(0)808 2380000 | F: +44 (0)23 8052 4004 | www.garmin.co.uk

 

Registered office: Liberty House, Hounsdown Business Park, Southampton,

SO40 9RB, UK. Registration no. 2724437 VAT Reg. No. GB568 6978 58

 

This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential material for the sole use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, please be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of this e-mail or any attachment is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender and delete all copies.

Thank you for your cooperation

 

I have sent them this

 

Well that ok if you live in the USA! and you have a PC!

 

You have been saying that Mapsource will be MAC compatible.

 

So your last e-mail was NO HELP.

Edited by waz1642
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Just bumping this thread up. This is the answer to the other post I just left. Thank God, something that works!!! Only took downloaded three other mac programs to find this one.

 

Mac people, rejoice! Just plug it in the usb and click the button that says "to GPS."

:blink:

 

The mac thread in the FAQ should be updated to include this MacCaching software.

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