GPS File conversion

[dicktheleg]

At work we have just managed to produce a file of all our HGV fuelling sites around the uk and successfully download it to a Tom Tom GO300 unit - the file was just comma separated with latitude, longditude and site name. Apparently Tom Tom provide a utility to convert files of this type to downloadable files. Does anyone have any experience of doing somthing similar for a Garmin unit? I have a Gpsmap 276C.
Thanks in advance
Richard

 

[DodgyGeeSer]

MapSource accepts tab delimeted text files, instead of comma delimeted.
So if you take your existing file and play around with it, you should be able to get it to work with MapSource, and then upload it to your GPS unit...

Attached is a simple tab-delimeted file I exported from MapSource (you'd probably be able to see the format better if you rename the extension to .csv and open it using Microsoft Excel (selecting [Tab Delimeted] during the import wizard).

Note: Even though I exported two waypoints using MapSource to a text file, I cannot re-import them using mapsource as it is complaining about one of the lines (MapSource bug methinks )...

You might have more joy exporting them from TomTom as *.GPX (GPS Exchange format, if TomTom supports it, and then it might open in MapSource without problems (assuming there are no other MapSource bugs).

 

[dicktheleg]

Thanks for that, I'll see if we can export from Tom Tom and do it that way.

Could mapsource be complaining about your header line, try deleting that and reimporting - I'm only guessing but it might be worth a try.

Richard

 

[dicktheleg]

One of my coleagues just found this site which has some wonderful utilities for GPS file conversion - I'll report progress later.

http://rjdavies.users.btopenworld.com/


Cheers
Richard

 

[DodgyGeeSer]

That POICoverter looks like it should do the trick...
Post up a sample file if you like, and I can verify if I can open it in MapSource if you don't have it handy...

 

[Mouse]

Also try GPS Utility - http://www.gpsu.co.uk/

I can confirm that MapSource will import GPX files without problems (none I have noticed anyway).

 

[dicktheleg]

Just tried to import a .gpx file and all it will let me do is this:-

Select the type of file you want to import (.mps, .wpt, .rte, .trk, .grm., or "All PCX5 Files").

No option for .gpx Any ideas folks??

 

[Mouse]

Have you got MapSource version 6.5, available free from Garmin's website?

 

[dicktheleg]

Hi Mouse - I have V7.

Cheers
Richard

 

[PanEuropean]

Have you got MapSource version 6.5, available free from Garmin's website?

The latest version of MapSource is 6.8, this was posted on the Garmin website on August 12.

Dick, I would really appreciate a copy of that HGV fuel site list (in tab or comma delimited form, it doesn't matter) so I can use it to test out the new 'proximity warning' function of the 2720. I have been trying to find a tab or comma delimited list of speed cameras in the UK, but with no luck. But, a list of HGV fuel sites would be just as good for testing purposes.

You can email me the list - moore99 at rogers dot com.

Michael

 

[BurnieM]

The POI loader is great on a SP c320
Particuarly the way that you do not get an alarm unless you are over the nominated speed

I still believe that technically it would not be difficult to add this to the SP2610 and GPSmap 276C but I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[Gramps]

Garmin V7?

I notice, and have installed V6.5. Pan Man says that a later(est) version was released August 12. Is there such a version as V7 and where does one get it from?

 

[dicktheleg]

My mistake - I was looking at the version of City Select - 6.8 is the latest Mapsource - see previous posts on this board for the Garmin web address - very easy to download

 

[PanEuropean]

I still believe that technically it would not be difficult to add this to the SP2610 and GPSmap 276C ...

Burnie, the reason I don't think it can be done is because the memory that the processor uses (not the memory used to store maps or user waypoints) is allocated differently between the two units. I can't explain more about this due to confidentiality reasons. It would be wonderful if they could do it, but I don't hold out a lot of hope for it.

The main point that I was trying to make, though, is that the Garmin software engineers have never withheld an improvement from an existing GPSR when such an improvement was technically possible. In other words, if a new feature can be 'retrofitted' to what is already out there, the engineers will do it - the marketing people do not control this, Garmin is very much an engineering driven company.

Michael

 

[BurnieM]

..., is that the Garmin software engineers have never withheld an improvement from an existing GPSR when such an improvement was technically possible. In other words, if a new feature can be 'retrofitted' to what is already out there, the engineers will do it - the marketing people do not control this, Garmin is very much an engineering driven company.

Not meaning to start a fight but it looks like, from the outside, that marketing have a much bigger influence than this.

Example; GPSmap 176/196 cannot use 256 MB data cards
I believe that this is likely to be done shortly but it could have been done a year ago and wasn't