Adios Rand McNally

[quasi]

I think I'm finished with the Rand McNally RVND 7730. I'm looking for a GPS that will allow me to plan my trip with a 3rd party software and import it into the GPS. Rand McNally will only accept imports from their (crappy) software. We travel in places that don't always have cell service so no apps please. Suggestions?

Thanx,

Jim

[timjet]

For those using Garmin's Base Camp for routing correct me if I'm wrong but once a route is created in Base Camp and imported into your Garmin GPS, the GPS only uses the start and end points created in Base Camp then creates a new route using the user defined route settings. The route in Base Camp and the route displayed by the Garmin GPS will likely be different.

[bighatnohorse]

I too use Google Maps with BaseCamp.
First search all the waypoints in Google, then export the waypoint file, then use Basecamp to import all the waypoints. Then inside Basecamp, select all the waypoints and create a "Route". Then open the route and click "Optimize".
From there the map is exported into the Garmin GPS.

[phays]

I'm one of those that believe there is no perfect gps and there is no perfect trip planning software. You have to make a choice and learn to live with the short comings.

I have a Garmin DEZL760. Not a perfect gps but meets my need almost all the time. I use Garmin Base Camp and Google maps to plan my trips. Google because I can search faster and easier plus can use satellite view to check out fuel stops and camp grounds.

Base Camp does take some work to get familiar enough to plan trips easily. I now start my trips with a way point at the start and end of my trip and create a route that I then adjust as needed for overnight stops and for fuel stops.

The following link will take you to a multi-part You Tube tutorial to help you get started with base camp.

PIO Factory tutorial

I've imported into Base Camp about 6 or 7 poi database files from POI Factory that makes it easy to find fuel stops, Walmarts, COE campgrounds, etc.

[Pops]

Well, I’m an old fart that gets used to a system, can’t or don’t want to change.
Was using Streets and Trips 2007, now using Streets and Trips 2011 for 4-5 years now along with Good Sam’s trip planning, to plan the extended trips from home, months before departure. Inputting into the Rand McNally the places we plan to stop or stay into the address directory so it will be easy to pull up while on the road. Printed out S/T, put in my school notebook, making corrections as we go, inputting info into GPS day or two at a time. At the end of the day, I make changes or notes of the days travel, and check the next days itenery. Mornings I input the cities/places we are going for the day or two days into the Rand McNally GPS. My navigator follow the GPS along with the printed material with any changes from last nights notes. Sometimes, if there’s a difference, we will go with the GPS or will go with our printed info. Common sense and feel of direction helps with the choice in choosing. After 35,000 miles, Haven’t been on a bad dead end yet, but have been on the wrong side of town one time.
As long as the old S/Trips works on my computer-now using windows 10, I’m okay. Most roads stay the same, I try to stay away from big cities, don’t like them anyway, where most changes in roads occur.I also like and am use to my Rand McNally and don’t want to change either.
I also know that one day/trip I’m going to have to change my system…Lord help me.

[Chuck_thehammer]

I have a Garmin dezl 770 "Trucker"... it will accept imports...

it also has ON screen reroutes... just using your finger to change roads/routes.

I have not had much luck with using basecamp..

best of luck with your searching.. not many options out there.

[quasi]

Nope. The software starts with a blank sheet and has no import function. It saves the planned trip in some unknown format and then another piece of software (Dock)must be used to effect the transfer. It offers no options to import or export anything other than the original plan.

[bighatnohorse]

quasi wrote:
I think I'm finished with the Rand McNally RVND 7730. I'm looking for a GPS that will allow me to plan my trip with a 3rd party software and import it into the GPS. Rand McNally will only accept imports from their (crappy) software. We travel in places that don't always have cell service so no apps please. Suggestions?

Thanx,

Jim

If the Rand McNally has trip planning software, can that software import gpx or klm files?

[GordonThree]

darsben1 wrote:
I know of no GPS unit that allows you to import from other than their own proprietary trip planning software

In case OP missed this reply.

[quasi]

Some very good information but completely off the mark. I am looking for a GPS unit that will allow importing of data from 3rd party software. I have a planner that I like and a GPS that I hate. I'd like to do my trip planning when I have internet connectivity and download to a GPS unit for when I don't. The Rand GPS will not allow for importing any file extensions other than Rand McNally's proprietary one. I believe that the Garmin units will allow the import of .gpx files. I am curious if any Garmin owners import any other files. Hardware issue not software.

Thanx,

Jim

[GordonThree]

Matt_Colie wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
Google maps can import various formats, which then link to the Android or Apple version.
Aridon wrote back:
It also has an offline mode so it works without cell service if done properly.

And all of this is true, but I can very personally advise great caution here. Your Android phone may have the maps, but many do not actually have GPS. They rely on "Carrier Locations Service" which simply means that the current tower tells the phone where it is with the same system of range and bearing that it uses to decide which cell to hand you off to when needed. If you don't have a tower in range, you are just SOL. (Second On Line)

I discovered this when my good phone took a hit and we needed a replacement on the road. The replacement selected for low price suddenly went out and could not do anything to get us a location. Fortunately, it was not the only GPS on board.

Lesson Learned at small cost.

Matt

Matt has a good point here, it is worth some research by anyone considering using a mobile device for navigation. Another "gotcha"; many low-end tablets also do not have GPS. A nice big 8-10" GPS on the dashboard might sound nice, only to find out the $50 Polaroid tablet from Walmart (just as example) only has fake WiFi based GPS (a Google service).

[Matt_Colie]

GordonThree wrote:
Google maps can import various formats, which then link to the Android or Apple version.
Aridon wrote back:
It also has an offline mode so it works without cell service if done properly.

And all of this is true, but I can very personally advise great caution here. Your Android phone may have the maps, but many do not actually have GPS. They rely on "Carrier Locations Service" which simply means that the current tower tells the phone where it is with the same system of range and bearing that it uses to decide which cell to hand you off to when needed. If you don't have a tower in range, you are just SOL. (Second On Line)

I discovered this when my good phone took a hit and we needed a replacement on the road. The replacement selected for low price suddenly went out and could not do anything to get us a location. Fortunately, it was not the only GPS on board.

Lesson Learned at small cost.

Matt

[Matt_Colie]

I have not used it for this, it is a web app and the learning curve is very steep. But a website called Furkot.com can plan a trip and then export it in a number of different formats. I have only just started using Furkot and some of the features are almost easter eggs, but they are in the help files - Which are real good. It is still a web app and we are often out of web access.

I am still working Street Atlas 2015, and I take the time to reload the drivers GPS with the next day's plan each evening. That may be a monumental PITA, but until something better shows up, that is what I will do.

Matt

[TenOC]

bighatnohorse wrote:
Nothing simple about it.
BaseCamp (free) for Garmin works but has a non-intuitive operating process.

Whichever way you go, it will take some brain power to ascend the learning curve.

After the "learning curve" I love my BaseCamp plus my very old Streetpilot 2720. eBay has SP2720 for a few $. I paid $$$$$ in 2006

Be aware, the memory on the SP2720 will no longer hold all the US and CN maps. I only load about 80% of the USA that I travel in.

[bighatnohorse]

Nothing simple about it.
BaseCamp (free) for Garmin works but has a non-intuitive operating process.

Whichever way you go, it will take some brain power to ascend the learning curve.