Magellan Meridian Cable

[+Happy & Skippy]

OK, I just got a Meridian (Green) which came with a Data Cable and I've read the manual cover-to-cover. I can't find a single word inn there about how to access data. Once I attach it to a Com port what do I do? Do I need to buy software in order to upload/download info?

[+Cachetrotters]

Kind of like a new car manual telling you right where the gas tank cap is, but not a clue as to how to find a gas station and use a pump...is that the idea here?

 

There are several Magellan map programs, dozens of 3rd party map programs, ooogles of waypoint, route, and track database programs, and several web sites that allow you to transfer data to and from the GPSr.

A good place to start would be to do a search on EasyGPS, provided here on Geocaching.com. EasyGPS allows you to directly download coordinates of caches from this site to the program, where you can manipulate the cache, waypoints, create routes, etc., then put it into the Meridian with the cable.

 

don

[H2o_Yeah]

quote:

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Originally posted by Happy & Skippy:

OK, I just got a Meridian (Green) which came with a Data Cable and I've read the manual cover-to-cover. I can't find a single word inn there about how to access data. Once I attach it to a Com port what do I do? Do I need to buy software in order to upload/download info?

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[+Dersu]

I have a Merigreen also and I got/get the most out of it by:

visiting the Magellan

website and downloading the 90+ page manual

and joining the MapSend Yahoo group after purchasing MapSendTopo and playing with it for awhile.

 

There is also a Yahoo Meridian group that you will find helpful. You have to join the groups to post questions.

The manual that came with my unit is not the full manual, the one I downloaded and printed out is the real deal. Took alot of paper, but it was worth it. There is a good size learning curve with the Magellans, (at least for me) but with the available help and the manual I have a good GPSr.

 

I could not get along without ExpertGPS

good Luck.

 

I have flouted the wild, I have followed its lure, fearless. familar, alone; yet the wild must win, and a day will come when I shall be overthrown. By: Robert Servic

[+Happy & Skippy]

Thanks for the help. Since we've downloaded EasyGPS and updated the firmware from MagellanGPS I have a better understanding of how it works.

We still feel like we're flyhing a little blind though. The urban caches are easey enough to find, but I guess we should look into a topo program--any suggestions for a MeriGreen?

[+Cachetrotters]

Unfortunately, the only one you can install into the Meridian is the one made by Magellan, called Mapsend Topo for the US. Look for the best price anywhere BUT Magellan.

There are several other free-to-expensive topo programs and websites out there where you can print out a paper map and take it with you.

 

don

[+Kordite]

You will also need to get an SD card.

 

You see, your Meridian has 4 meg (I think) which is sufficent for the waypoints and the basemap. The basemap consists of state borders, major highways, cities and towns. But there's not enough space for anything else like MapSend Streets or MapSend Topo.

 

To use that, you will need to get an SD RAM card available from many electronics stores; CompUSA, Best Buy, etc. Once you've installed that extra memory, You'll be able to upload maps from the MapSend applications.

 

Don't feel bad, I needed to call Magellan to understand that I needed to have a card to install the maps. The documentation is not very clear on that point.

 

Now, that's for maps. If you're just talking about waypoints such as those you can download from the cache websites, you need only to get EasyGPS from http://www.easygps.com/download.asp

 

That application will allow you to upload and download waypoints.

 

The SD memory will also allow you to save those waypoints. For example, my Meridian Platinum can hold 200 waypoints. I'm going to be going on a biking trip and have cashes and benchmarks along the way. I don't expect to visit them all but it's over 180 waypoints. I would quickly run out of waypoints if I wanted to add any but what I can do is break the 180 down into small blocks. Load one block and then copy it to the card. That way, I can just load each block as necessary.

 

This can also be done with maps. A large map (half a state) can take a long time to load. And, if you're going to traveling you can quickly run off the edge of the detail map you've loaded. Copying those maps to the SD card allows you to upload the regional map as needed without having your computer and cable.

 

I have MapSend Topo and am moderately pleased with it. While it's topo maps are useful when searching for a cache, I am very disappointed with the topographical accuracy. They simply aren't as detailed as the USGS maps. I would guess they used the larger scale 1:100,000 maps to pull their data from instead of the good 1:25,000 maps. Having the detailed street information tends to be more useful.

 

Kordite