Which gps?

I downloaded Base Camp for FREE but it appears Map Source for North America could run about $80 - or is that the maps already in the Garmin. Not sure how to use it. Says these are not the correct maps. Any ideas on how to do this - how it works?

briansue wrote:
The Garmin planned routes are saved in the Garmin for future use but so far not to send to the PC. Has anyone been able to move a Garmin planned route to a PC - and if so how is it done? Thanks....

I think you should be able to transfer everything back and forth between Garmin and PC if you download and install Garmin Base Camp and Garmin Map Source software in your PC. Then connect the interface cable that came with your Garmin and click on Transfer icons on the top.

briansue wrote:
Question about the free Google map download. Our Streets & Trips takes up about 2Gb of hard drive space for all the North America maps. Does your phone or whatever have 2Gb of space for all the roads and maps of North America? Can you load all of North America at one time and not have need for any further internet connection to use it and get clear and accurate maps? I will check online to try to learn more. Can it be downloaded to any computer?

It's not free Google map. It is Nav Free application for Android from Google Play Store. My Android HTC 1V has 2GB on-board memory, about half of that is already taken by pre-loaded crapware, Spanish dictionary (also free), and some documents and pictures, so only about 1.2 GB is available. This is enough to load 3-4 US state maps OR 1-2 state maps and a Mexico map.

There are optional 8GB (?) memory cards for $10 on Ebay, but I am cheap so I haven't got it. With that card I believe all the North America OR all the South America can be loaded. The card would also allow for a better mapping software than NavFree that I'm currently using, but I can't justify extra $10 when there is only one highway in both Mexican Baja states. I don't travel in more than 2 countries in one trip, and you can always remove one map to make room for another one.

If you are traveling through the streets of unfamiliar big cities - not just highways - then I suggest adding a memory card and downloading a better free app than Nav Free, or even (gasp) paying for some app from Google store. NF works, but can direct you onto a dirt road instead of a paved road - because it's "shorter" - and making it find an exact building number is often a 50/50 chance even in the US or Canada. In Mexico I wouldn't even try making it find the building number, such a task is beyond capabilities of any gadget created by human brain, even almighty Google Maps with internet connection will fail. POI base in NF app is funny, with schools and golf courts shown but not major big box stores.

Still, NF works, needs no internet connection, and with a voice guidance it saved my bacon a few times when I've managed to take a wrong exit and got lost in the city. It promptly guided me through the turns until I was back on the highway. A female robotic voice.

I am not techie but I don't think that Google/Android apps designed for mobile can be loaded to any computer unless it works on Google OS rather than Windows. Only few apps are made to work in both Windows and Google OS.

Sometimes I also used 7-years old waterproof Garmin with a sketchy base map, where I loaded few campsites coordinates before the trip and made it beep half a mile before the turn-off, and this worked too.

I have been doing more experimenting with the new Garmin and so far cannot find a way to create a route (plan a route) in the Garmin and then move it to my PC as a .gpx. Plans from S&T converted to .gpx and sent to the Garmin can be seen in the Garmin as .gpx files but not the routes planned in the Garmin. The routes planned in the Garmin are saved in the Garmin but I do not know how to access them - yet. They can be seen to use in the Garmin but not as files that can be transferred. The Garmin planned routes are saved in the Garmin for future use but so far not to send to the PC. Has anyone been able to move a Garmin planned route to a PC - and if so how is it done? Thanks....

I think I may have figured out why I could not Export .gpx from Data when my S&T was still running. I have to do more research and more investigating. Today we drove a planned route with tracking turned on. When we got to our final stop I saved the route with the tracking. I then went to Data and the Export .gpx option was turned off. So it could have something to do with tracking. I closed out of S&T and then reopened it using the saved route file and I was then able to Export .gpx? More experimenting may be needed to reach a conclusion. One way or another it is possible to create a .gpx file to use in a Garmin and even to email that route to someone else with a Garmin. Now can we save a route created in a Garmin if we do not have S&T and then email that route to someone else? More time needed to play with it to see what can be done.

Question about the free Google map download. Our Streets & Trips takes up about 2Gb of hard drive space for all the North America maps. Does your phone or whatever have 2Gb of space for all the roads and maps of North America? Can you load all of North America at one time and not have need for any further internet connection to use it and get clear and accurate maps? I will check online to try to learn more. Can it be downloaded to any computer? Sounds interesting if it works everywhere without internet. Our S&T does not need internet nor does our Garmin but many phone based maps do require internet connection - if not always at least frequently. I will try fooling around with this to see how it works.

iowabob4 wrote:

What is a good, reliable and inexpensive GPS for MX and Central America, and where should you get it?

This is not what most people usually mean when saying "GPS", but you can get a good GPS for free. Only a GPS, not a mapping software. In Google Play Store you can download free app called GPS Test. It needs no network of any kind - no data connection or cell phone connection. Only a piece of open sky - this how any GPS works, from free satellites in the sky, obtaining the Lat/Lon coordinates. Mapping software can be either pre-loaded (and then it doesn't need data connection to work), or web-based, and then it needs data connection. But GPS, by definition, doesn't need any connection other than satellites in the sky, and those are free.

The hardware, i.e. Android phone, was free as well. My provider allows a free phone every 3 years, so I got this one - even though didn't need a second phone and don't plan on activating it, as I am happy with my current phone.

So, - it is a functional GPS, it is reliable - needs no connection of any kind - and it is very, very inexpensive ;)

Oh yeah, there is a free mapping software at the same Google Play Store as well, including Mexico. Also needs no connection. Not same good as web-based Google Maps, but it works and it is free.

As with all things computer - I continue to be confused.

My S&T will now convert the .gpx without closing and reopening. I tried it several times yesterday and it would not work.

John sent me a route and I was able to first save it and then move it to S&T. Moving it to Google Earth was much easier as I just did a Drag & Drop directly from the email to the globe on GE and the route showed up. There is a check box window that will change how the .gpx appears in GE. I did try to Drag & Drop to S&T but could not get it to work.

John said the route I sent him did not work??

I saved the emailed .gpx route to my Streets & Trips Routes Folder. I then opened S&T and Imported the .gpx in the Data Tab. The waypoints showed up and I then clicked Get Direction in the Route Planner and the route appeared on the map.

Working with S&T for about 7 years we continue to learn more and more things can be done with it on a regular basis.

briansue wrote:

Here are the simple steps to use MS S & T to plan a route.
1. After you save your file in S & T, click DATA and Export to GPX file

Yep, I get it - with one slight modification.....

Here are the simple steps to use MS S & T to plan a route.
1. After you save your file in S & T,

You must close the open S&T and then open it again using the save file . . . Then.......

click DATA and Export to GPX file

Maybe opening S&T again any way will work but using the open version used to save the file does not show me an option in Data to Export to .gpx.........

No problem saving the gpx file in 2013 w/o reopening.

The .GPX file can be dragged into Google Earth a free program that everyone can use.
So yes, attach your GPX program and send to a friend.