Garmin 595 GPS question

[Desperado7]

Garmin 595 GPS only see the device in MapSource software as a drive letter "I:" as if it is a USB or Microchip instead of the actual GPS. Thanks for any ideas. It works fine using Basecamp, but I love doing my routes using MapSource. It only thinks the GPS is a removable device, not the GPS itself.

 

[jfheilman]

Garmin 595 GPS only see the device in MapSource software as a drive letter "I:" as if it is a USB or Microchip instead of the actual GPS. Thanks for any ideas. It works fine using Basecamp, but I love doing my routes using MapSource. It only thinks the GPS is a removable device, not the GPS itself.

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Zumo Users Forum

 

[Andrew Shadow]

The 595 does not work with Mapsource as far as I know. Mine doesn't.

Easy work-around if you want to continue using Mapsource.
- Create your route in Mapsource as you always have.
- Save the route on your computer as a Garmin .GDB file. Mapsource does this by default if you do not change the file format when saving the route.
- Open the saved route with Basecamp.
- Use Basecamp to send the route to the 595.

You don't need to use Basecamp for anything else but a tool to transfer the route to the 595 if you don't want to.
Thsi is how I transfer all of my routes that were cretaed in Mapsource to my 595.

 

[Desperado7]

The 595 does not work with Mapsource as far as I know. Mine doesn't.

Easy work-around if you want to continue using Mapsource.
- Create your route in Mapsource as you always have.
- Save the route on your computer as a Garmin .GDB file. Mapsource does this by default if you do not change the file format when saving the route.
- Open the saved route with Basecamp.
- Use Basecamp to send the route to the 595.

You don't need to use Basecamp for anything else but a tool to transfer the route to the 595 if you don't want to.
Thsi is how I transfer all of my routes that were cretaed in Mapsource to my 595.

The 595 does not work with Mapsource as far as I know. Mine doesn't.

Easy work-around if you want to continue using Mapsource.
- Create your route in Mapsource as you always have.
- Save the route on your computer as a Garmin .GDB file. Mapsource does this by default if you do not change the file format when saving the route.
- Open the saved route with Basecamp.
- Use Basecamp to send the route to the 595.

You don't need to use Basecamp for anything else but a tool to transfer the route to the 595 if you don't want to.
Thsi is how I transfer all of my routes that were cretaed in Mapsource to my 595.

Thank you for your response. That is exactly what I've been doing the last few years. A fellow friend has a Garmin 660 and has no issues at all using MapSource as he has always done and avoids Basecamp like the plaque. I'd personally like to ditch Basecamp myself. It's a pain in the butt to make a route, especially if you've been using MapSource for years. I've been unable to find anything that says it won't work with a 595. Going to try and call tech support.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I'd personally like to ditch Basecamp myself. It's a pain in the butt to make a route, especially if you've been using MapSource for years.

You're not alone if what repeatedly gets posted about it is any indication of reality. I haven't read of to many people who were Mapsource users, and have tried Basecamp for motorcycle routes, who are enamored with Basecamp to say the least.
How a company that supposedly has a large development budget can take what was a well functioning and well liked product and improve it to the point where everyone who was using the previous product seemingly despises the new product has always amazed me. Regardless of how many advantages it may have over its predecessor, something was obviously screwed up to make so many people go out of their way to avoid it, and to make so many people look for something else to use instead of it.

 

[jfheath]

Basecamp and the 590 use different features in the gpx file than the format used by the 660 and Mapsource.

eg The 590 uses Via points and shaping points to form a route. The 660 does not.

However a mapsource route can be transferred and run in the 590, but under certain circumstances the route will fail during navigation. Garmin doesn't specify what those circumstances may be.

In order to get mapsource to talk to the 590, the 590 has to be switched into using Drive letters rather than appearing as a separate device. By default it is set to use Media Transfer Protocol. - MTP.

For use with Mapsource the 590 has to use Mass Storage. In this mode you have to formally 'eject' the device at the computer before unplugging the USB cable, otherwise the last part if the data that was sent, will not actually be transmitted to the Zumo. Just as you have to with the 660.

But even if you do that, you still have a route which may not work when navigating.

I don't see the issue with Basecamp. In the early days it seemed to be full of bugs and kept crashing or simply closing down on me - losing unsaved routes. It was improved dramatically and it now behaves itself. It does everything that Mapsource does and in a very similar way. You need to know how to create a folder and a list. For most everything else you use the same commands as in mapsource. Except Basecamp has better access to the insert tool, and you can set the route points to get the best from the 590.