V8 & V9 compatability question

Well I've tried a search on this but drew a blank. Myself and a few mates are off to the Black Forest this weekend and I've devised a route and some rideouts which I'm sort of ready to go into my 2610. I'm running version 9 but some of my mates aren't. What I want to do is to email them this file but clearly it has to be in a version 8 format for them. Is there a way of me saving the file as version 8 so they can use it to?

any help appreciated.

GPS numpty.

Their GPS units will re-calculate the routes, whatever you do. So, the trick is to use lots of 'soft' waypoints. Ie, 'drag' the route to all the roads you want to ride down. That way, whatever the preferences set on each unit, you have a sporting chance of having the same route as your mates. It is unlikely that any of the roads will have changed betwen V8 & 9.

chasr said:

Their GPS units will re-calculate the routes, whatever you do. So, the trick is to use lots of 'soft' waypoints. Ie, 'drag' the route to all the roads you want to ride down. That way, whatever the preferences set on each unit, you have a sporting chance of having the same route as your mates. It is unlikely that any of the roads will have changed betwen V8 & 9.

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But my problem, I assume, is that if I email a V9 file to a V8 user they won't be able to open it. Can i save as V8? there's nothing obvious I can see that allows me to do just that.

I think you're getting confused between Mapsource, which is the programme on your PC you have used to plan the route, and the map data version - which is present on both the PC (as data, obviously) and installed on the unit. The route file, which you will send your mates, is not dependant on the map data version. Instead, it will be a Mapsource file.

Since Mapsource updates are free, there is no reason why your mates will not be able to upload the route you have planned. However, as the map versions will be different, the GPS units will announce that the route was planned using a different map version, and do you want to re-calculate? Hence my response above.

Confusing, isn't it?

Okay Chas, thanks for that. I'll give it a whirl and see what happens.

And yes, I'm confused. Still very much a beginner with mapsource and find it painfully slow. I am getting quicker though!

Cheers

R

RICH C.

I had some "Routes" sent to me a while back and downloaded onto my Sat Nav. I presume the routes were in a different version, even on a different gps model.

When I wanted to use the route there was a difference in the mapping.
My unit (StreetPilot111) noticed this and I had the message asking if I wanted to re-calculate the route anyways.

HTH

Pat

I had a similar problem recently using routes created by a friend in v9 on the v8 maps loaded in my Quest. If I tried to view the v9 routes on the Quest (route planner, select route, show map) the Quest would come up with a message offering to recalculate, BUT it then hung. This happened with every one of 12 routes.

I could view the v9 routes in Mapsource on my PC, with v8 mapping, so in the end I made a duplicate copy of each route, then R-click to recalculate the copied route in Mapsource v8. If it differed from the original route I just dragged and dropped to make the copy follow the same roads as the v9 original. Load the v8 copies into the Quest and voila! Sounds tedious but in fact it doesn't take long to do.

Hope this makes sense!

TC

Thanks gents for the help. we've now got it sorted. You are correct about the 'do you want to recalculate' question coming up. It all seems to work ok anyway.

Told you i was a numpty.

Cheers

R

My GPS uses V9 and I have V8 and V9 on Mapsource.

Although most of a recent route was planned using Mapsource with V9 there are some issues with V9 in some Eastern Europe countries so for those areas I changed to V8.

All routes transfer to the satnav OK and I don't think Garmin have made any changes to the file formats. The only snag is if the routes use roads that are in one version and not the other. In that case the GPS will offer to recalculate but if you say no it will still try to follow the route but will show straight lines between waypoints.

Thiss a particular problem with some Easern European countries caused by the way Mapsource and the satnav works. The system uses two map files. The first is a basemap which is not street level and is what is shown when you zoom out on an area. The second is the Navteq detail map which is what is seen whe you zoom in and, more important, is the map used to navigate UNLESS a country has no Navteq maps, in which case it navigates on the basemap. This `feature' ca work to your advantage if you have different systems and do not need street level mapping.

I found that for Eastern Europe the basemap was more detailed than the V9 Navteq maps so better routes were possible in V8. On transferring the satnav offered to recalculate which made the routes much longer. Not recalculating resulted in straight line routes but the solution was to not recalculate but disable maps on the satnav. This disables the Navteq map, NOT the basemap so it now uses that to navigate.

Hope this all makes sense. If you have V9 installed you can see the effect by picking an area of Romania and zooming in and out on an area. As you zoom in it should get more detailed but the opposite happens. At one point zooming in results in LESS roads shown. That is the point where the progarm changes from basemap to Navteq map.

Andy

Many thanks for that. I think i may need to read that half a dozen times before I understand it!

My satnav knowledge is increasing exponentially

Cheers
R

Rich,

Maybe the following example may help.

I planned a trip on V8 (before V9 came out) and part of it was from a place in the Czech Republic to a place in Poland. The distance was 32 miles. When I installed V9 I found the distance betwen the two waypoints was 176 miles!!

A long conversation with Garmin followed. V8 had no DETAIL map coverage of Czech Republic so my route used the BASEMAP. V9 had limited DETAIL coverage of Czech Republic so the route now used the DETAIL map. Unfortunately the, so called, detail map is so limited it does not include many major roads and 24 hour customs points.

OK so use V8 for the route but a snag. The PC can hold V8 and V9 but the satnav only has room for V9 so when the route was transferred across, the waypoints transfer OK so the format is the same but the satnav cannot find the roads used as it is also trying to use the new DETAIL map. Letting it recalculate results in the 176 mile route but telling it not to results in a route connecting the waypoints but with no roads shown. Then I disabled the Map in the satnav (On my 2720 go to Settings>Map>Detail Maps). This dumped the V9 maps but left the basemap. The software then goes back to the fallback mode of using basemap when there is no detail maps so the roads miraculously reappear and my 32 mile route is valid again.

You can try this at home. Just disable the V9 map on the satnav and you will see all the major roads are still shown but the smaller roads and any recent new major roads are not. Now plan a route from home to somewhere. It works OK but it may be a bit longer if it uses minor roads no longer on the map and if start or end is on a road not shown it will just show a straight line bearing to/from the nearest main road.

I don't know how old the basemap is and have found that doing this in the UK results in some established motorways disappearing. Maybe this is less of a problem in other countries. For example, in Romania the satnav basemap is at least as good as the maps supplied by Romanian Tourist Board and a damned site better than Garmin's, so called, detail maps.

Final note. Before `routing' satnavs that could follow roads I used a Garmin GPS12 in my car. This just enabled entry of waypoints and showed the navigation bearing to the waypoint. I used this `feature' with great success many times, both in UK and Europe, to find places simply by using a road map to reach the general area and then making turns into any decent looking road that took me in the direction of the waypoint. Not always the perfect route but it worked. My 2720 with basemap can replace the road map to get me close, then just follow the bearing using available roads to find the final destination.

He's going to the Black Forest, not r*ddy Croatia. I can't help thinking you've taken a simple problem/request, and turned into into a vehicle for your crusade against V9

Don't you think the idea of the site is to provide information rather than bloody stupid comments.

Try reading the post. I have no crusade against V9. If you read through my posts properly rather than jumping to conclusions and adding a totally pointless post, you will note that my stanav uses V9. It's a big improvement on V8 but, as with most software, it has it's limitations. Having discovered those limitations, discussed them with Garmin and found a work around, it sems reasonable to spread the knowledge. Rich seems happy to receive it and it was his question, and you never know, he may go somewhere where knowledge of the difference between the versions is useful. It is also relevant as with a number of riders who may be using different systems, it offers a way of overcoming potential problems. I only keep V8 on Mapsource as it is a way around V9s limitations until Garmin have a fix (which they tell me they are working on).

Incidentally, I don't remember mentioning Croatia, I used Czech Republic and Romania as examples as these are countries that clearly indicate the problem of navigating with satnavs with different software as they are two of the areas where there are major changes between V8 and V9. It seems reasonable to assume that some changes exist in most countries as new roads are built but would be more difficult to spot as the mapping is pretty good anyway.

If you don't want to learn feel free to get lost. The information is offered in good faith, nobody is forcing you to read it or use it.

Steady boys. The Moderators will get you and you'll be banned like Trippy.

Andy

Thanks for the two detailed replies you've taken the trouble to put together. You're understanding of these things is way greater than mine. I shall endeavour to get my head round it when i get back from the Black Forest, where incidentally I'm heading at lunchtime today. Yippeee.

andyclift said:

Don't you think the idea of the site is to provide information rather than bloody stupid comments..........

If you don't want to learn feel free to get lost.

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Touched a nerve, did I?

Of course you are right - this forum should be about providing information. Perhaps better though, if I might very humbly suggest, without 'blinding one with science?'

Rich - I hope your trip goes well, and the weather is surely going to be better than here