Mac Book Air

[+sleepysnails]

I was wondering if anyone has a Mac Book Air? I have one for work. I use my PC at home to do the GSAK, but I would like to use my Mac Book Air, too.

 

I did the necessary thing, I downloaded the Garmin plug-ins and installed it correctly, or so my Mac Air says.

 

So the problem:

 

I'll plug in my Garmin 60csx via USB. I'll go to Geocahing.com and find a cache. I'll click the upload to my GPS button. The Geocaching site recognizes that my Garmin is attached. Then when I click write it, the Geosite does its magic and says it was written correctly. All seems fine, right? I've been doing that with my PC at home and my old Mac notebook. It always worked.

 

After I uploaded it into my GPS, I'll search for it and it's not there. It's not in my Garmin. I've checked my POI folder, It's not under the Geocaching tab under either category: Caches found or Caches not found. I've checked the USB Mass Storage folder and I can't find it?

 

Well, my question is, what am I doing wrong? I can survive not using my Mac Book Air, but it'd be nice to upload at work and plan a Geocaching route.

 

SIDE QUESTION: I've heard some ups and downs with GSAK and the MAC? I don't mind getting another subscription for my MAC only if it works? If it does, maybe that is the route to go?

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[+Two Ton Whale]

Mac OS doesn't support GSAK. Here is a short GPX file download guide. The steps should be the same for your GPS.

 

Here is a short guide to download a GPX file from a cache page to a Garmin Oregon (450) on a Mac. If doing a PQ, just download the PQ instead of the single cache and follow the same steps.

 

1.

Go to the cache page required, and click GPX File (highlighted. It should then download and is visible in the Downloads dialog box if using Safari.

 

 

2.

Go to Finder, select 'Today' from the left hand panel and find the GPX file. Select it, then press Cmd+C to copy it.

 

 

3.

Select your Garmin from the Desktop.

 

 

4.

Once the Garmin is open in finder, go Garmin -->GPX --> and then press Cmd+V to copy it.

 

 

Eject your Garmin by dragging it to the recycle bin, and now the GPX file should be on your GPS.

[+chuck4564]

Note that version 4.0.1 of the Garmin plugin doesn't work on a Mac. Use the 3.0.X version or use the most recent Beta version.

[+Hynr]

sleepysnails, the comments by Two Ton Whale won't work for you because your 60CSx does not take gpx files directly. You need to use some other software to take the gpx files and then transmit the relevant info to the gps. Garmin probably has software for the Mac that would work, but I use GSAK on my Mac within Virtual Machine software (Parallels) - (link to more info on that).

[+Gob-ler]

If your MacAir has the Intel chip in it I would consider BootCamping the Drive and install Windows. That is what I have done and have no problems running GSAK.

 

Recently I installed VMWare Fusion and am Running it all with no problems. So there are options for you, just decide how you want to do it.

 

Hope it works out for you.

[+New Jersey TJ]

I have never used THIS PROGRAM, but it appears to be a program like EasyGPS that will run on OSX. It supports waypoint tranfer, which I would hope includes caches. The 60CSx is supported.

Edited June 9, 2012 by New Jersey TJ

[+Waldo-Otto]

I use a Mac Book Air with a Garmin Montana. The problem you describe is almost certainly the plug-in...get a copy of version 3.x.

 

I sometimes use a program called icaching that can be obtained from the apple app store for $15. It works ok, but it's not as fully featured as GSAK. It does allow you to download a PQ and directly upload caches to the GPS via USB.

 

I most often use GSAK via a VMWARE PC emulator. That works very well.

[+sleepysnails]

I want to thank all of you who helped.

It seems that I can't use GSAK with my MAC.... oh well....

I also don't feel like paying more for a software that would seemingly frustrate me because of it's limitations....

It also seems like I can't use the current plug in, I need to download an older version for my Garmin 60csx.

All of this I understand, but...

 

I am still having a slight problem... I really can't find a link to upload an older version of the plug in...?

I would not in any way consider myself a 'techie' and I do have very simple understandings when it comes to computers and it's applied technology.

 

If someone could assist me with sending me a link, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks for all your help!

[+sleepysnails]

I have no idea what BootCamping my mac is... if it works for you, then it should work on my MacBook Air...? Could you send me link?

[+Waldo-Otto]

Bootcamp is an official Apple way to run Windows on your Macbook Air. There should be a utility on you Mac called bootcamp assistant. You will need a full (not upgrade) copy of Windows to install ($$$). Then you can boot into either Windows or OS X, but not both at the same time. Windows XP is no longer supported by Apple, so you'll probably need Windows 7.

Edited June 10, 2012 by Waldo-Otto

[Wintertime]

sleepysnails, the comments by Two Ton Whale won't work for you because your 60CSx does not take gpx files directly. You need to use some other software to take the gpx files and then transmit the relevant info to the gps.

Will a 60CSx show up as a USB device on the desktop? If so, then "sleepysnails" could just draft the GPX files over to the GPSr, no program required.

 

Patty

[+New Jersey TJ]

sleepysnails, the comments by Two Ton Whale won't work for you because your 60CSx does not take gpx files directly. You need to use some other software to take the gpx files and then transmit the relevant info to the gps.

Will a 60CSx show up as a USB device on the desktop? If so, then "sleepysnails" could just draft the GPX files over to the GPSr, no program required.

 

Patty

 

Nope. It's a generation old.

[+Hynr]

sleepysnails, the comments by Two Ton Whale won't work for you because your 60CSx does not take gpx files directly. You need to use some other software to take the gpx files and then transmit the relevant info to the gps.

Will a 60CSx show up as a USB device on the desktop? If so, then "sleepysnails" could just draft the GPX files over to the GPSr, no program required.

 

Patty

There is a way to set the 60CSx up so your computer sees it as a removable drive, but that GPSr's firmware has no code for dealing with gpx waypoint files that you might load to that drive. That innovation came with later Garmin models.

[+Dersachensucher]

Mac OS doesn't support GSAK. Here is a short GPX file download guide. The steps should be the same for your GPS.

 

Here is a short guide to download a GPX file from a cache page to a Garmin Oregon (450) on a Mac. If doing a PQ, just download the PQ instead of the single cache and follow the same steps.

 

1.

Go to the cache page required, and click GPX File (highlighted. It should then download and is visible in the Downloads dialog box if using Safari.

 

 

2.

Go to Finder, select 'Today' from the left hand panel and find the GPX file. Select it, then press Cmd+C to copy it.

 

 

3.

Select your Garmin from the Desktop.

 

 

4.

Once the Garmin is open in finder, go Garmin -->GPX --> and then press Cmd+V to copy it.

 

 

Eject your Garmin by dragging it to the recycle bin, and now the GPX file should be on your GPS.

There is mac program called Wine which is able to run .exe on a mac.

 

Happy Hunting

Dersachensucher