+EspritBiker Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hello, Just getting started here. I'm using my old Garmin Land and Sea GPSMAP 176C, but I would like to geocache on the road with my MacBook Pro. After many painful days of failure, I have come to find out the USB connections to the MAC do not work in a native environment. The MAC software runs great, but there seems to be issues with USB connections on the MAC. The only way to make the connection to the device is with a Virtual PC which is running windows on a MAC. When trying to find a new GPS it is never clear which ones work well with a MAC. Has anyone out there had an idiot easy (non iPhone) GPS device connection to their MacBookPro? I have not been able to find product information on line which says "GPS comes with MAC software". Thanks, EspritBiker p.s. I tried to search the forums but "MAC" and "USB" are both less than the 5 characters required! Quote Link to comment
+cycler48 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 (edited) Hello, Just getting started here. I'm using my old Garmin Land and Sea GPSMAP 176C, but I would like to geocache on the road with my MacBook Pro. After many painful days of failure, I have come to find out the USB connections to the MAC do not work in a native environment. The MAC software runs great, but there seems to be issues with USB connections on the MAC. The only way to make the connection to the device is with a Virtual PC which is running windows on a MAC. When trying to find a new GPS it is never clear which ones work well with a MAC. Has anyone out there had an idiot easy (non iPhone) GPS device connection to their MacBookPro? I have not been able to find product information on line which says "GPS comes with MAC software". Thanks, EspritBiker p.s. I tried to search the forums but "MAC" and "USB" are both less than the 5 characters required! I'm not sure why you'd be having usb problems with your MacBook and your Garmin. Do you have the Garmin communicator installed? I also use a MacBook Pro and have no usb problems in connecting my Garmin Oregon. I use Garmin's BaseCamp and find it easy to use with no connectivity problems. I also use RouteBuddy and MacGPSPro but don't care for them nearly as much as BaseCamp. Link to communicator plugin for Mac: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3607 I'll also add that the Safari web browser and communicator don't play well together if you have flip4mac plugin installed. Edited January 3, 2010 by cycler48 Quote Link to comment
+coggins Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 (edited) p.s. I tried to search the forums but "MAC" and "USB" are both less than the 5 characters required! Try searching here: LINK. Plenty of free, native Garmin Mac software that works with USB. I would venture to say that maybe your problem starts with the GPSMAP-176C not having a USB port, but an RS-232 serial port. Edited January 4, 2010 by coggins Quote Link to comment
MysticTutor Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Just getting started here. I'm using my old Garmin Land and Sea GPSMAP 176C, but I would like to geocache on the road with my MacBook Pro. After many painful days of failure, I have come to find out the USB connections to the MAC do not work in a native environment. The MAC software runs great, but there seems to be issues with USB connections on the MAC. The only way to make the connection to the device is with a Virtual PC which is running windows on a MAC. When trying to find a new GPS it is never clear which ones work well with a MAC. Has anyone out there had an idiot easy (non iPhone) GPS device connection to their MacBookPro? I have not been able to find product information on line which says "GPS comes with MAC software". I'm not sure why you'd be having usb problems with your MacBook and your Garmin. Do you have the Garmin communicator installed? I also use a MacBook Pro and have no usb problems in connecting my Garmin Oregon. I use Garmin's BaseCamp and find it easy to use with no connectivity problems. I also use RouteBuddy and MacGPSPro but don't care for them nearly as much as BaseCamp. I feel Bikers pain. As a Mac fan also using a Garmin I've been unable to go paperless. Are you having trouble connecting the GPS to the Mac or getting one of the many geocaching apps connect to the GPS? Connecting to the Mac should be easy. Cycler is right. Just load the communicator and plug it in. However Cycler, if you have found a way to go paperless I want to hear it. I'm tried MacCaching, MacSimpleGPS, GeObsession, GPSBabel and GeoJournal. Not one will connect to the Nuvi. I haven't tried MacGPSPro. I'll try that today. But I'm sure that result will be the same. Any time would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment
+cycler48 Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 (edited) Just getting started here. I'm using my old Garmin Land and Sea GPSMAP 176C, but I would like to geocache on the road with my MacBook Pro. After many painful days of failure, I have come to find out the USB connections to the MAC do not work in a native environment. The MAC software runs great, but there seems to be issues with USB connections on the MAC. The only way to make the connection to the device is with a Virtual PC which is running windows on a MAC. When trying to find a new GPS it is never clear which ones work well with a MAC. Has anyone out there had an idiot easy (non iPhone) GPS device connection to their MacBookPro? I have not been able to find product information on line which says "GPS comes with MAC software". I'm not sure why you'd be having usb problems with your MacBook and your Garmin. Do you have the Garmin communicator installed? I also use a MacBook Pro and have no usb problems in connecting my Garmin Oregon. I use Garmin's BaseCamp and find it easy to use with no connectivity problems. I also use RouteBuddy and MacGPSPro but don't care for them nearly as much as BaseCamp. I feel Bikers pain. As a Mac fan also using a Garmin I've been unable to go paperless. Are you having trouble connecting the GPS to the Mac or getting one of the many geocaching apps connect to the GPS? Connecting to the Mac should be easy. Cycler is right. Just load the communicator and plug it in. However Cycler, if you have found a way to go paperless I want to hear it. I'm tried MacCaching, MacSimpleGPS, GeObsession, GPSBabel and GeoJournal. Not one will connect to the Nuvi. I haven't tried MacGPSPro. I'll try that today. But I'm sure that result will be the same. Any time would be appreciated. Hmmmm ... I'm completely paperless using my Oregon and my Mac. MacGPSPro doesn't have a free trial that I know of. I don't send geocaches to my Oregon in any way other than through PQ's or individual downloads. Unfortunately, there's no GSAK for the Mac and any other programs for the Mac don't get updated and won't connect to my Oregon. It would definitely be nice to have GSAK come in a Mac version but I'm quite happy with the setup I'm using now. Could it be the Nuvi that's the problem? Just wondering. Edited January 5, 2010 by cycler48 Quote Link to comment
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