NUVI 3790

[+patandkat]

So, I have a Garmin Dakota as my main handheld unit, but I recently bought a NUVI 3790 for my car. What I am trying to figure out is how I put caches into the NUVI so I can take advantage of the turn by turn as well as seeing caches coming along on the map as I drive.

 

1. So I copied PQs straight into the GPX file on the unit, just like I do with my Dakota, but I only got about half of the caches from the query. I am assuming that this is because the NUVI has to take them as POI instead of GPX files.

 

2. I have not used POI loader or GSAK at all to date.

 

What I am looking for is a step by step direction on how to put a large quantity of caches on my Garmin Nuvi with relatively limited tech experience. If someone could explain, that would be fantastic!

[+Artemis&Apollo]

I load caches to my nuvi’s favorites using GSAK. I simply load the PQ into GSAK then set the device to GARMIN NUVI (Generic) and GPS SEND WAYPOINTS. This works with the 260w and our new 54LM.

 

This does not provide the description information that you would get via POIs but you can delete each cache individually; which you can’t with POIs. We delete the waypoint after we have found it so the NUVI’s map is our master view of unfound caches.

[+Don_J]

I load caches to my nuvi’s favorites using GSAK. I simply load the PQ into GSAK then set the device to GARMIN NUVI (Generic) and GPS SEND WAYPOINTS. This works with the 260w and our new 54LM.

 

This does not provide the description information that you would get via POIs but you can delete each cache individually; which you can’t with POIs. We delete the waypoint after we have found it so the NUVI’s map is our master view of unfound caches.

 

Pro and cons

 

Except for a few "Geocaching Friendly" Nuvis, dropping a GPX into the GPX folder loads the waypoint as Favorite.

Amount of Favorites are limited, some Nuvis only allow 50.

They contain the coordinates only.

They can be individually deleted.

They have to be individually deleted - Deleting 50-100 can be time consuming and very frustrating. You can bulk delete all Favorites, but you'll lose "Aunt Rose's House" as well.

 

Loading POIs

Full information.

If using the GSAK macro, you get full information, hints and previous logs.

Amount of POIs is limited by available storage memory, a basic Nuvi can hold tens of thousands.

Change one file every couple of days and you have relatively fresh data.

Proximity alerts.

Learning curve and setup may be difficult for some, but once it's done, it's simple to reload your POI data.

 

IMO, unless you have a Geocaching Friendly Nuvi, POIs is the only way to go, even if you skip GSAK and just use the POILoader to process and load the GPX that you get with you PQ.

[+Lieblweb]

You don't necessarily need a macro or POI loader.

 

My husband has been using GSAK Export function. Export Garmin POI. A window pops up and you can add details from the caches, like hints, D/T, etc. It's a gpi file

 

He puts it onto the desktop of his computer and drags it into the Nuvi after deleting the original files. I can't fully explain....and its something he just stumbled upon, played with it for a while...and it's been working. POI loader has been somewhat of a PITA for us...and glad we can bypass it.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Lieblweb

[+Artemis&Apollo]

I load caches to my nuvi’s favorites using GSAK. I simply load the PQ into GSAK then set the device to GARMIN NUVI (Generic) and GPS SEND WAYPOINTS. This works with the 260w and our new 54LM.

 

This does not provide the description information that you would get via POIs but you can delete each cache individually; which you can’t with POIs. We delete the waypoint after we have found it so the NUVI’s map is our master view of unfound caches.

 

They have to be individually deleted - Deleting 50-100 can be time consuming and very frustrating. You can bulk delete all Favorites, but you'll lose "Aunt Rose's House" as well.

 

 

You CAN delete all waypoints in a NUVI by reseting the device (hold lower right of screen while powering on). With newere devices you have to first delete the file containing the waypoints. The 3790 will hold 1000 waypoints; even the essential models (40s 50s) hold 1000.

[+Don_J]

I load caches to my nuvi’s favorites using GSAK. I simply load the PQ into GSAK then set the device to GARMIN NUVI (Generic) and GPS SEND WAYPOINTS. This works with the 260w and our new 54LM.

 

This does not provide the description information that you would get via POIs but you can delete each cache individually; which you can’t with POIs. We delete the waypoint after we have found it so the NUVI’s map is our master view of unfound caches.

 

They have to be individually deleted - Deleting 50-100 can be time consuming and very frustrating. You can bulk delete all Favorites, but you'll lose "Aunt Rose's House" as well.

 

 

You CAN delete all waypoints in a NUVI by reseting the device (hold lower right of screen while powering on). With newere devices you have to first delete the file containing the waypoints. The 3790 will hold 1000 waypoints; even the essential models (40s 50s) hold 1000.

 

Like I said, you can bulk delete but then you lose all of your user created Favorites. I didn't buy my Nuvi just to geocache.

[+Great Scott!]

I have a Nuvi 3597 and I use it to route between caches, but not for cache info.

GSAK won't export directly to the 3597. So I export and open the caches in Mapsource as a gdb file.

I have the GSAK mapsource export set up to rename the waypoints using special tag %code %Name and the Max characters set to 30 ( the waypoint name limit for my nuvi)

I also select a Mapsource category (I use #16) to be applied to each cache. In Mapsource I have category 16 set as "Geocache"

After the GSAK export opens up in Mapsource, I save it as a gpx file and copy it to the micro sd card. The Geocache category gets saved to the gpx files. When I view the caches in my nuvi, I now have a Geocache category in my saved favorites. That makes it easy to see only the geocaches and whatever other child waypoints I also export from GSAK.

 

Deleting the geocaches from the 3597 is also pretty easy. Search the saved favorites for waypoints starting with GC. (because I exported them by gc #, then the cache name) You can then select all to delete them. Then I look in the Geocache category and manually delete the few parking waypoints leftover.

 

I don't get the fancy geocaching icons on my nuvi. But I don't need them. I am usually creating a route beforehand of the caches I plan to do. Nuvi jst gets me to the cache or parking area. Handheld gps does the actual geocaching part.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Great Scott!

[+kunarion]

What I am trying to figure out is how I put caches into the NUVI so I can take advantage of the turn by turn as well as seeing caches coming along on the map as I drive.

I'm cheating a little by having street-routing maps on my handheld (Garmin Oregon), so the Nuvi isn't all that necessary for routing (but it's a more convenient). But I never "route" to every cache. They tend to be in groups, where you can park and walk to several caches. I place my handheld in the dash (there's a Geocaching compartment built into my car ), so I can see caches approaching without needing any loaded into the car nav. If a cache is on an especially tricky route, I load that one into the Nuvi. You could load everything into the handheld, and just a couple into the Nuvi, and maybe that would work just fine.

 

I did some kind of mojo magic one time, loading a bunch of POIs with proximity alerts. As mentioned, they can't be easily removed later (and a PQ of 1000 might have quite a few with coord corrections). Plus it wasn't as cool or useful as I thought it would be.

Edited October 13, 2013 by kunarion