Garmin Units
First use:
You will need to get yourself a copy of Garmins programme “Mapsource”; Any of the early mapping systems will do.
The cheapest is usually Mapsource “WorldMap” which can often be obtained for a few pounds on Ebay.
You can find out if your GPS is compatible with Mapsource on the Garmin web site
1. Install Mapsource on your PC and check you can import the basic worldmaps onto your Garmin.
2. Down load the files on this site and unzip them.
3. Put them in location C:/Garmin/Airspace/
4. Make sure the Mapsource programme is not running.
5. Double click the file called “Sample_map” file (this will update the computer registry)
Once this is complete launch Mapsource and you should now have an additional map set called “Airspace” available from the menu. This can now be down loaded to the GPS in the same way as you previously down loaded world map.
Previous versions of the map where not Transparent. To move from one to the other change the selected option in the Mapsource menu on your GPS.
Since Oct 2007, a transparent version has been obtainable. Yet to be tested.
Updating.
1. Unzip all the downloaded files
2. Ensure Mapsource is not running
3. Clear out all the old files and substitute with the new being careful to place them in the same directory location.
(DO NOT TRY TO RUN THE “Sample_Map” file again, this is not necessary and can cause problems with Mapsource.)
4. Run up Mapsource and check the file.
Alternative free methods:
Sendmap
Although I have not used this application myself, I have been told it works well. The Freeware application “SendMap” will do the same job for free the only disadvantage being you cannot see the maps on your PC before downloading them to your GPS.
Another option which lets you see your maps on your PC is "GPSmapedit".
Other Units
MLR
Are there any in use?
Other Useful Stuff
Oziexplorer
- A lot of the usual stuff but can also convert to and from Google Earth formats. For example, can load Google Earth placemarks in and save them as waypoints.
G7ToWin
- Does data transfer between GPS and PC
IGC2KML
- Tool to collate igc traces, analyse and extract some statistics, and generate a kml and kmz file for viewing in Google Earth. Originally Designed for Club use.
gps bable
- Handy tool for converting alsorts of different files including .gbd :-)
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