Garmin MapSource

[red2kcbr]

Minor rant on Garmin MapSource. Move on if rants don't interest you.

I'm trying to get the hang of this software, I really am. But I find it so frustrating. Take the Find feature, for instance. I am, at this very minute, looking at a recommended seafood restaurant in Galveston. Fisherman's Wharf. Place has good reviews, and we'd like to check it out. Will MapSource find it? No fucking way. Not under Food and Drink, Seafood, not by name. Not by address, 3901 Ave O, Galveston, TX 77550. It can't find the intersection, which, according to Google maps is 37th and Ave O.

At no level of detail will it show the streets of downtown Galveston. This is CityNavigator North America v8. Most streets are simply not visible on the PC. How are you supposed to make a detail route?

I love my Garmin GPS. And it's and older model, a StreetPilot 2610. Great unit on the bike or in the car. But goddamn, MapSource is one piece of shit program.

Is there an alternative? I do routing now with Google maps, then painstakingly create waypoints in MapSource so that I can use those to plot a route. I must be doing it wrong, but I see no other way to get there. Without any map detail on screen, routing is a joke with MapSource.

OK, I'm done now. I'd love a piece of software that would allow routing at a detail level, point and click, and then download to the Garmin GPS. It sure as fuck ain't MapSource.

 

[kaitsdad]

Minor rant on Garmin MapSource. Move on if rants don't interest you.
I'm trying to get the hang of this software, I really am. But I find it so frustrating. Take the Find feature, for instance. I am, at this very minute, looking at a recommended seafood restaurant in Galveston. Fisherman's Wharf. Place has good reviews, and we'd like to check it out. Will MapSource find it? No fucking way. Not under Food and Drink, Seafood, not by name. Not by address, 3901 Ave O, Galveston, TX 77550. It can't find the intersection, which, according to Google maps is 37th and Ave O.

At no level of detail will it show the streets of downtown Galveston. This is CityNavigator North America v8. Most streets are simply not visible on the PC. How are you supposed to make a detail route?

I love my Garmin GPS. And it's and older model, a StreetPilot 2610. Great unit on the bike or in the car. But goddamn, MapSource is one piece of shit program.

Is there an alternative? I do routing now with Google maps, then painstakingly create waypoints in MapSource so that I can use those to plot a route. I must be doing it wrong, but I see no other way to get there. Without any map detail on screen, routing is a joke with MapSource.

OK, I'm done now. I'd love a piece of software that would allow routing at a detail level, point and click, and then download to the Garmin GPS. It sure as fuck ain't MapSource.

red,

The lack of detail maps suggests that they are not unlocked - might this be the case?

 

[AdrianNKY]

Without any map detail on screen, routing is a joke with MapSource.
OK, I'm done now. I'd love a piece of software that would allow routing at a detail level, point and click, and then download to the Garmin GPS. It sure as fuck ain't MapSource.

Confused. I can bring up any level of detail using v8 on the Galveston area just fine. While I don't see Fisherman's Wharf listed at that intersection I do see a "Branches Seafood". However, a quite search on Google shows that the hot spot you mention is fairly new so might not yet be in the database. I do see that intersection you listed just fine.

Make sure your detail level is set appropriately for what you are looking at. For example...

1. Click on "view" from the toolbar then on "Map Detail" then make sure you put it on High or Highest and you will see all the interior roads and other goodies.

2. For Galveston, just click on "Find", then "Find Places" then click on "City" and enter your city. Then just use the zoom in and out feature to get you going.

3. Also, make sure you have the maps unlocked.

Have a whack at it.

 

[rayban]

Without any map detail on screen, routing is a joke with MapSource.
OK, I'm done now. I'd love a piece of software that would allow routing at a detail level, point and click, and then download to the Garmin GPS. It sure as fuck ain't MapSource.

Confused. I can bring up any level of detail using v8 on the Galveston area just fine. While I don't see Fisherman's Wharf listed at that intersection I do see a "Branches Seafood". However, a quite search on Google shows that the hot spot you mention is fairly new so might not yet be in the database. I do see that intersection you listed just fine.

Make sure your detail level is set appropriately for what you are looking at. For example...

1. Click on "view" from the toolbar then on "Map Detail" then make sure you put it on High or Highest and you will see all the interior roads and other goodies.

2. For Galveston, just click on "Find", then "Find Places" then click on "City" and enter your city. Then just use the zoom in and out feature to get you going.

3. Also, make sure you have the maps unlocked.

Have a whack at it.

Sounds like he's in the same boat as me. GPS is unlocked, PC is not. If you can find it, get that gold slip of paper that came in the box and go online to get the unock code for your PC software. If you can ever get through during their business hours, get a customer agent to give you a code by sending them a copy of your receipt and serial #. I'll eventually do that myself, but the PC isn't a big deal to me as I find both Google and Microsoft Streets & Trips to be satisfactory for my needs. The only plus to getting the Garmin software unlocked ot me would be ease of finding and generating waypoints to dump into the gps before a big trip.

 

[LDRydr]

My version, City NAV v8, shows a restaurant there called Shrimp & Stuff. It's actually listed twice, once by restaurant, and also by entertainment bar/nightclub. I couldn't' find anything when I put the street in as "Ave O" but as "Avenue O" it did work. FWIW, I don't like Mapsource either.

 

[bramfrank]

You must have unlocked your maps, because you downloaded them to your 2610. Have you selected your CNNA map in Mapsource? That's the drop box on the second line at the left side of the screen.

I also see Branch's Seafood at the specified intersection - and I see something called "Shrimp & Stuff" close by 3901 Avenue O - if the restaurant is new it won't likely be in the database, but you can route to the address.

It shows up when the address fields are:

Number: 3901

Street: Avenue o

City: Galveston

State/Province: TX

Mapsource works well enough. However Garmin's search functions are frustratingly literal - street names that differ from local use; Spelling that is unpredictable - Saint, can be Saint, St. Ste. then there is, or without a hyphen and so on. It doesn't compensate. It would be nice if it did. Then again, neither do Microsoft S&T or anyone else.

 

[Dwavey]

Without any map detail on screen, routing is a joke with MapSource.
OK, I'm done now. I'd love a piece of software that would allow routing at a detail level, point and click, and then download to the Garmin GPS. It sure as fuck ain't MapSource.

Confused. I can bring up any level of detail using v8 on the Galveston area just fine. While I don't see Fisherman's Wharf listed at that intersection I do see a "Branches Seafood". However, a quite search on Google shows that the hot spot you mention is fairly new so might not yet be in the database. I do see that intersection you listed just fine.

Make sure your detail level is set appropriately for what you are looking at. For example...

1. Click on "view" from the toolbar then on "Map Detail" then make sure you put it on High or Highest and you will see all the interior roads and other goodies.

2. For Galveston, just click on "Find", then "Find Places" then click on "City" and enter your city. Then just use the zoom in and out feature to get you going.

3. Also, make sure you have the maps unlocked.

Have a whack at it.

Sounds like he's in the same boat as me. GPS is unlocked, PC is not. If you can find it, get that gold slip of paper that came in the box and go online to get the unock code for your PC software. If you can ever get through during their business hours, get a customer agent to give you a code by sending them a copy of your receipt and serial #. I'll eventually do that myself, but the PC isn't a big deal to me as I find both Google and Microsoft Streets & Trips to be satisfactory for my needs. The only plus to getting the Garmin software unlocked ot me would be ease of finding and generating waypoints to dump into the gps before a big trip.

Sorry for the hijack: I like MS Streets & Trips too; is there a way to download routes planned on S&T to a Garmin GPS? If so, would there even be a need for Mapsource?

 

[raclow]

First, you must have your program unlocked in your computer. I'm not saying this is your case but I don't understand those folks that try to use a the MapSource program without using it to its fullest and that means both on the PC and the unit.

Now that I'm over that, Garmin isn't always the easiest and isn't always up to date on their addresses and locations. I've never understood this but do think about it....look at how MANY businesses come and go in the course of a year. I believe it would be hard for any company to stay on top of everything in the world. For the most part Garmin does a great job.

This location might be new and hasn't hit any navigation program in any company or program producer. I have Goggled Fisherman's Wharf in Galveston, TX and found a few locations but not the one you wanted for 3901 Avenue O. So, the next thing I did was look for the intersection of Ave O and 39th Street (Mike Gaido Blvd). Well your right, NO such thing. Then I started looking for another intersection around that area. I entered the intersection of 39th Street and Broadway Street and there it was. Once I found this, I was able to find 39th and Avenue O. I know it is a pain in the ass but with a little patience you can do this.

I hope Garmin is listening to these complaints and hope they make their next version of MapSource a little easier to use.

I hope this helps and I know it doesn't make it too much easier but you can get there with this program and unit.

Take care.....now go have a beer or something and get your butt to Fisherman's Wharf. I like Crab Legs...send me some???

 

[David Morrow]

I also have City Nav. NA 8. I often suspect that unless restaurants and some other businesses pay to be listed on the Garmin maps, they just don't show up. Your problem isn't that unusual. Same for Streets & Trips. Like someone else said, it may be too new. I've long found with the GPS - both using it on the PC with mapsource and one the bike, use it as a guide only, not gospel.

As for detailed routing, I've never had that problem with Mapsource.

Mapsource is fine for planning; I generally use it in conjunction with S&T - both have strengths & weaknesses.

I'd say the program if fine and you just have a temporary user problem.

 

[raclow]

I also have City Nav. NA 8. I often suspect that unless restaurants and some other businesses pay to be listed on the Garmin maps, they just don't show up. Your problem isn't that unusual. Same for Streets & Trips. Like someone else said, it may be too new. I've long found with the GPS - both using it on the PC with mapsource and one the bike, use it as a guide only, not gospel.
As for detailed routing, I've never had that problem with Mapsource.

Mapsource is fine for planning; I generally use it in conjunction with S&T - both have strengths & weaknesses.

I'd say the program if fine and you just have a temporary user problem.

I have also thought that businesses pay to be on Garmin. I have asked many business owners, I have found by the Garmin unit, if they paid Garmin to be in their database. They usually respond with "they didn't know they were on Garmin's database and no they didn't pay to be there." I hope it is just a great service Garmin provides at no charge.

Sure has helped me many times while traveling.

 

[rayban]

If someone wants to take a cash bet, come to my house and let me prove that you don't have to have your PC unlocked to update your GPS. Just did it Friday on mine. I never unlocked my PC (says 08 maps locked every time I launch MapSource) and yet I updated the map data on both the PC from 7 to 8 and the maps on my 2820 to 8. $100 per visit/bet, please, I wanna clean up on this...

 

[raclow]

If someone wants to take a cash bet, come to my house and let me prove that you don't have to have your PC unlocked to update your GPS. Just did it Friday on mine. I never unlocked my PC (says 08 maps locked every time I launch MapSource) and yet I updated the map data on both the PC from 7 to 8 and the maps on my 2820 to 8. $100 per visit/bet, please, I wanna clean up on this...

Without being at your house and seeing exactly what you are doing with your program verses what I do with the program, I couldn't tell you if NOT having your maps unlocked effect your abilities to work with your program or NOT.

If you are getting what you need from the program, then my hat is off to you.

Different strokes for different folks. I don't just use the Garmin unit to see where I am in the world. I use MapSource to do many things before I just get on the bike or in the car and go.

Hope it works out for you and I hope you make some money on this....not likely.

 

[antvq]

As far as I know, Garmin gets their map data from a company called NavTeq. When I Googled NavTeq I got...

"NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world including automotive navigation"

Seems they provide the maps and POI for Garmin, Magellan, Mapquest, Microsoft, Jeep, BMW, etc, etc

So I'm guessing that if Garmin doesn't have it, most other GPS won't either.

 

[red2kcbr]

Thanks for the replys. Maps are unlocked. Just no street detail. I'll have to get a screen capture utility to take a picture. Or maybe I can insert one, let me see. No luck.

Anyway, no street details. I mean, I see some of the main roads, but nothing like Google Maps shows, for instance.

MapSource says it is unlocked. Used the UnLock Wizard, 25 byte unlock code, all that. I have a 1 GB flash with 3/4 GB worth of maps on it. They are all in the 2610. I use the PC to create waypoints, they all download to the GPS unit without a problem. I can create routes and they will also download successfully.

I'll go back and check everything in this thread when I ain't so pissed. As an old green-screen coder (RPG on the AS/400) I have a low tolerance for fucked up software. And cryptic error messages. Or no error message at all.

 

[Bounce]

Sorry for the hijack: I like MS Streets & Trips too; is there a way to download routes planned on S&T to a Garmin GPS? If so, would there even be a need for Mapsource?

nope. we've been after MicroSloth to talk to GPSs for years and they refuse. Back when endurance riders had a kindred soul in their corporate HQ, he hand-carried the request to the development team. they were completely disinterested and reamain so all these years later.

as for street level detail, check the View/Map Detail/Highest setting and then zoom in until the local roads show up.

 

[Toecutter]

I like MS Streets & Trips too; is there a way to download routes planned on S&T to a Garmin GPS? If so, would there even be a need for Mapsource?

I recently found a source that says you can take routes from Google Maps to your GPS, but I haven't tried it yet.

Click

I have had some pretty high levels of frustration with MapSource as well....

 

[bramfrank]

You don't need the mapping unlocked to create waypoints and such on the basemap and send them to your navigator - you DO need the maps unlocked in order to send MAPS to the navigator, hence my previous comment about having to have the maps unlocked assuming you used the same PC to load your CF card.

Even with map detail on lowest, you get full street details if you zoom in to 100 meters unless you are operating solely on the base map.

I am intrigued by your problem. If you like (and are configured for it) we might set up an online session and connect my computer to yours over the net using RealVNC (or remote desktop if you have XP Pro). It isn't hard to do if you don't have a firewall or if you configure it properly (RealVNC has a free version) -

Or, if you have an hour to kill during business hours, you can always just phone Garmin.

 

[dbvolfan]

NavTek is supposedly making the majority of the maps that go into most GPS units, however I read something about Tom Tom just purchasing an outfit that is growing rapidly and could bump NavTek off it's throne....only issue is this company purchased by Tom Tom has a very strong presence in Europe, little in the US....so far.

 

[bramfrank]

NavTek is supposedly making the majority of the maps that go into most GPS units, however I read something about Tom Tom just purchasing an outfit that is growing rapidly and could bump NavTek off it's throne....only issue is this company purchased by Tom Tom has a very strong presence in Europe, little in the US....so far.

Just like Tomtom itself . . .