Mapsend Direct Route And Explorist 600

[+Doc-Dean]

I installed the DR software and it does not recognize my explorist 600.

Has anyone else had this problem? 40 minutes on the phone with Tech support was not helpful. The only thing we could come up with is that I don't (yet) have an SD card in the unit but I don't see why that should affect the software from recognizing and connecting to the GPSr.

 

Also BTW, the Explorist series does not have baud settings that are user configurable like with the Meridian series. The tech did not know what the default setting is set at or if its possible for it to be changed.

[robertlipe]

DR predates explorist, so it's not going to recognize it. That's what the Map Converter thing is about.

 

Since explorist doesn't have serial ports, it makes sense that there isn't an option to set baud rate. There's not a setting to control the mixture of fuel and oxygen, either. :-)

[+embra]

...the tragicomedy of this is that tech support didn't recognize this.

[+tr0n]

...the tragicomedy of this is that tech support didn't recognize this.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I can't believe that they didn't give you the simple solution. That makes me wonder.

[+Doc-Dean]

DR predates explorist, so it's not going to recognize it.  That's what the Map Converter thing is about.

 

Since explorist doesn't have serial ports, it makes sense that there isn't  an option to set baud rate.  There's not a setting to control the mixture of fuel and oxygen, either. :-)

Doh! You know if I would get my head out of my *** long enough, I should have realized that myself!!

 

I had looked around in some of the other threads but I didn't find what I'm looking for, so what is the proper workaround to install DR maps...

 

I am guessing that I save the map to the hard drive and then transfer it to the SD card using the Conversion manager?

 

As for the Tech support rep:

[+Marky]

There was a nice little "Using your explorist with MapSend" mini manual in my 600 box that explained the hoops you have to jump through. Reading this manual before I started trying anything was very helpful, and I was able to get a map on the 600 on my first try.

 

Of course, this was with Topo 3D and not DR v1.00, which I have yet to be successful with due to the SN incompatibility. I decided I don't want DR on the 600 anyway, so I didn't even take the time to call tech support and laugh at them as they flailed around.

 

--Marky

[robertlipe]

Yes, as described on pages 87-89 of the explorist 600 user manual.

 

(This is where the support rep gives you a blank stare and swears there are only about two dozen pages...)

[+wifireman]

I tried to do some experiminting last night with waypoint to the 600. Found that I have to convert waypoints using GPSBabel and then it would load to directroute. Now I did forget about the conversion program and tried to connect to the GPS right from directroute and was unsuccessfull. This is very fustrating and hopefully Magellan will fix these issues with a patch.

[+D0T-C0M]

good luck waiting for a patch. magellan usually makes you pay for an another cd

[+D0T-C0M]

actually you can't even find the version number of the software your buying because its only marked on the cd case inside the box, so if the seller is dirty he can refuse you a refund because the box was opened. I ordered mapsend topo canada and it's version 1.00e and on magellan's site they say the explorists is only supported in version 1.00f . So far I can upload the maps to my explorist600 but I'm limited to 64MB which was the limit the meridians had and I don't know what else I'm not able to use as I just got the gps 4 days ago. I contacted my dealer and he is checking to see whats different with the ver1.00f and maybe I can return it and won't know for another couple days. Another thing is don't scratch your original cd or damage it because they won't cover that either whiich is agrevated by the fact that you can't easily back up your CD or use a nocd crack unless your lucky to find it on the net. Can you tell I'm a little pissed off? you should- because I am at their silly policy. They should provide patches for their software to the people who buy their products for free. Now if they added a feature like more detailed maps or special functions not on the original CD that would be worth charging for but to update a piec of software to fix bugs or add compatibility for newer GPSes should be free especially when they don't even mark the version number on the outside of the box. How is someone supposed to buy the right version if its not marked???

 

Good thing Micrososft doesn;t charge for every update or we'd all be broke.

Edited May 11, 2005 by D0T-C0M

[+Hard Oiler]

I checked with Magellan and was assured that there has only ever been one version of Topo Canada released and they couldn't explain why there is, supposedly, an e and an f version. I have yet to hear from anyone who has seen an f version (It did make me wonder if perhaps there is an English and French edition). If you find out what the difference is let me know.

[+D0T-C0M]

sure will, Hard Oiler

 

None the less look at the different versions of direct route their is, you would think magellan could offer online patches to upgrade from v1.00a to what is it now v2.00f?

[+AB4N]

I installed the DR software and it does not recognize my explorist 600. 

Has anyone else had this problem?  40 minutes on the phone with Tech support was not helpful.  The only thing we could come up with is that I don't (yet) have an SD card in the unit but I don't see why that should affect the software from recognizing and connecting to the GPSr.

 

Also BTW, the Explorist series does not have baud settings that are user configurable like with the Meridian series.  The tech did not know what the default setting is set at or if its possible for it to be changed.

Yes, I think I had the same problem that you mention.

 

There are actually two versions of the serial number. The one on the sticker inside the battery compartment is not the one you want to use. You want to use the one that is in software by pressing the <menu key> and then selecting About

 

This one should be 11 numbers, and does not start with a 0 (it should be a 1) like the one in the battery compartment, and has one less number at the end in my case.

 

This is what you need when exporting DR maps for use in the 400, 500, & 600. The exported file MUST be a .imi file, and will be in this folder:

C:\Program Files\Magellan\MapSend DirectRoute NA\Export\Images

 

Also, if you want to communicate serially with the GPS comm function in DR or Topo 3D you can!

 

When you install the Explorist software it loads drivers that convert the USB to a virtual Com port, in my case it selected Com 6. This port will automatically set up once you connect your GPS to the PC that you loaded the drivers on and then turn NMEA 2.1 on. You should then be able to use DR, Topo 3D, MS S&T, or other software that uses NMEA to provide live tracking.

Edited May 11, 2005 by AB4N

[+AB4N]

Also BTW, the Explorist series does not have baud settings that are user configurable like with the Meridian series. The tech did not know what the default setting is set at or if its possible for it to be changed.

When I connected to DR I used 9600 Baud in the DR GPS settings and it worked fine.

[+Marky]

Follow up: eXplorist 600 and MapSend DirectRoute 1.00.

 

Well, my first attempt must have been operator error. Yesterday, I tried again and using the serial# on the about screen (not the one in the battery compartment), I was able to generate a DR map and then send it to the 600. I was able to fit all of California and NV into one 64mb image.

 

When I had generated the Topo 3D image, I had used the serial# in the battery compartment. My first attempt with DR, I had tried both serial#s, but apparently I had typoed something. Anyway, all is well now.

 

--Marky

[+ADKcachers]

OK, I think I'm missing something. When I save a region from Mapsend Topo 3d, it's saved as an img file. If I rename it to imi & upload it to my 500, it tells me that I have an invalid map file and proceeds to lock up.

 

Is there a way to get Mapsend to save as an imi file? I saw no mention in the instructions for the conversion program.

[+Marky]

You need to use the Magellan Conversion manager to send the .img file to your gps (it converts it to a .imi file). Just renaming it, as you found out, does nothing more than lock up your device.

 

--Marky

[+ADKcachers]

The conversion manager will only look for imi files, I managed to generate an imi file with mapsend once I entered the serial number from the help screen.

[flir67]

OK, I think I'm missing something. When I save a region from Mapsend Topo 3d, it's saved as an img file. If I rename it to imi & upload it to my 500, it tells me that I have an invalid map file and proceeds to lock up.

 

Is there a way to get Mapsend to save as an imi file? I saw no mention in the instructions for the conversion program.

so map topo3d generates a *.img file? did I see that correctly typed. then use the conversion manager to convert to a imi file? so what is technicallogical answer again as to why the older mapsends don't work?

 

re-edited

well I re-read some forum post and see that its the communications software built into the older software that can't communicate with the explorist.

 

it would seem that since you can create a virtual cdrom on your pc to play games that have been copied to your pc. there there must be a way to create a virtual com port to send this map data to so we could use the older mapsend software. I'll have to do some more googling into it but it sounds feasible.

 

anybody want to add to this.

 

Edited May 26, 2005 by flir67

[+GOT GPS?]

OK, I think I'm missing something. When I save a region from Mapsend Topo 3d, it's saved as an img file. If I rename it to imi & upload it to my 500, it tells me that I have an invalid map file and proceeds to lock up.

 

Is there a way to get Mapsend to save as an imi file? I saw no mention in the instructions for the conversion program.

so map topo3d generates a *.img file? did I see that correctly typed. then use the conversion manager to convert to a imi file? so what is technicallogical answer again as to why the older mapsends don't work?

 

re-edited

well I re-read some forum post and see that its the communications software built into the older software that can't communicate with the explorist.

 

it would seem that since you can create a virtual cdrom on your pc to play games that have been copied to your pc. there there must be a way to create a virtual com port to send this map data to so we could use the older mapsend software. I'll have to do some more googling into it but it sounds feasible.

 

anybody want to add to this.

 

It has something to do with the new Processors and Firmware used in the new Explorist GPS units.

[flir67]

i guess theres no hope but to get newsoftware, thanks

 

 

[+Marky]

The conversion manager will only look for imi files, I managed to generate an imi file with mapsend once I entered the serial number from the help screen.

See how dumb I am? I got it only half wrong. I think you have the correct answer now. You definitely need to use the SN# from the about screen on the GPS, not the one in the battery compartment.

 

--Marky