If there is an easier way to get the exact Google map I build onto my Zumo 550? If you are doing something a hell of alot easier....please share.
Not really. It will send the saved waypoints and connect them as a route, but if you make modifications of the route by dragging the route around, (which is the whole point of using these web sites to create the routes), these will all be lost on transfer to the GPS.With MapQuest now you can load directly to your Garmin.
Good posts, Roller/Fred W. Exactly what I ended up doing. Been through a bunch of file conversion tools for Googlemaps to Mapsource (WinGDB3, GmapToGPX, TakeItWithMe). Spend hours and hours working with these. Very time consuming, in my experience. Then, once I get the route to Mapsource I have to carefully check the route--up close and personal--to ensure there are no funky little 'off route' twists. Even then, once uploaded to GPS unit I have to carefully check to make sure there are no surprises there. My first trip in NC mountains with such a converted route with Zumo 550 ultimately got me where I wanted to go but a couple turns/roads were completely unexpected and confusing. For sure I may not be properly using these tools.You can only send single location points to your GPS directly from Googlemaps: point A to point B. If you want to do full custom routes what I always do is....
1. Set up the routes on Googlemaps first. Check the street views for new roads to make sure their paved
2. Open up Mapsource and copy what I did in Googlemaps to Mapsource then export to my Garmin 660.
I've gotten so used to doing it this way that it doesn't take me long to do it and it gets put into my Garmin the right way with no issues. It would be nice if Googlemaps would let us send complex custom routes direct to our GPS units. I don't like Mapquest because you have to zoom in so far to even pick up the secondary roads that it's a PITA to me to mess with.
I make custom routes in Mapquest "Classic" then send them to my Nuvi 755 with great success. Might be different with a Zumo, I don't know. The key to making this work is make sure when you've altered the route from the Mapquest default route to a route of your own making to hold the little hand over the point you've designated on your choosen route (it will show up as a small red dot) until a dialogue box appears. In the box click on "Make it a Route Stop" and by doing so Mapquest will take you to that location. This will override the default Mapquest route. Just make a series of breadcrumbs like this whenever you alter your route to one of your choosing.
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