Waypoints won’t load to Magellan GPS

[LDove]

I have a neighbor who is already doing some geocaching, but did not know how to download waypoints onto her Magellan Meridian Gold. We downloaded Easy GPS, changed the baud rate. Can see the waypoints on the left side of the screen in Easy GPS. Click on send to GPS. Got it to go to the bar where it looks like it sending the waypoints to the GPS. It finishes and then there is nothing on the GPS? Not one waypoint listed. Where are they going and why are they not transferring to the GPS.

She is using a cord that is not specific to the Magellan Gold, but does fit, could that be a possible problem?

I would really like to be able to continue to help her, but I am stumped. She does not want to be a premium member at this time so a pocket query is not possible.

Thanks for any help/tips you can give us!

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“ARGH – I know it’s here somewhere…”

[Buy_The_Tie]

It is often easier to load waypoints into an eggplant than a Magellan. Good luck with this. Maybe a Magellan user can pipe in and reveal the secret to us all.

[NSLP1]

Does she have an SD card installed in the unit?

If not, I would suggest getting one, even a small 32MB or 64MB one will be plenty for most geocaching. If there are plans to get some mapping software in the future, get a larger one.

Then with an SD card reader, you should be able to export the waypoints directly to the card as a file, then you can have lots of different files and load/unload them as needed.

I have only twice used my cable to load waypoints… and even only doing a couple dozen would have been faster for me to remove the batteries, take out the SD card, put it in the reader, export the waypoints to a file on the card, put the card back, put the batteries back and turn it on.
sounds like alot doesn’t it? but it can take nearly that long for a small list to copy across that cable.

Though I use GSAK for it instead of easyGPS, so easyGPS may not have the option to save a magellan waypoint file?

[LDove]

I am not sure about the card, I really don’t even know what that is… sorry. The waypoints actually only took seconds to look like they loaded. We had only picked 10 close to home. Thanks for trying to helps us!

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“ARGH – I know it’s here somewhere…”

[Bushwhacking Queen]

quote:

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Originally posted by NSLP#1:
Does she have an SD card installed in the unit?

If not, I would suggest getting one, even a small 32MB or 64MB one will be plenty for most geocaching. If there are plans to get some mapping software in the future, get a larger one.

B]

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I’ve been using a Magellan Meridian Gold for 1 1/2 years and I thought the SD card was only for mapping. The Meridian Gold has the ability to keep 500 waypoints on the GPSr. In speaking to Lonesumdove, the one she is inquiring about is the Meridian Gold.

Anyway, I thought the SD card was only for waypoints and/or routes. Hmm, interesting — I’ll have to check it out.

Thanks!

[Crazy Buzzard]

Did you verify that the baud rate is the same in both Easy GPS and the GPS unit? If they aren’t the data won’t be transmitted to the receiver.

If the baud rate is the same for both and it still doesn’t work check User Waypoints in the Database (Menu > Database > User Waypoints) to see if they were in fact loaded on to the GPS unit. If you find the waypoints you loaded in the “User Waypoints” then you need to set the map up to display them. To do that go to the map screen and do the following: Menu > Map Setup> Enter > Right Arrow Key, and Make sure that the box in front of Waypoints is checked.

If none of the above steps work it could be the cable. Good luck

[NSLP1]

Others are correct about checking your database, user waypoints. and also the baud rates matching.

But yes, you can use the SD card to hold waypoints, one of the card utilites in the menu is to load waypoints/routes (also to save ones you have in the gps to the SD card).

Since the GPSr can only hold 500, and only 200 (or 250) of them can have comments, I try and limit my waypoint downloads to about 200 caches. (easy to do with GSAK, not sure how easy with easyGPS) and make multiple waypoint files.

I have one file with all the caches within 30 miles of home, another 30miles from work, 30 miles from my dads house, and generally 30 miles from anywhere we are going, such as an event more than 30 miles from home.
each file is only about 20k, so you can stuff alot of them onto an SD card. just make sure you replace them with fresh lists before you go hunting to get rid of archived/unavailable caches. Makes it great for caching on a trip where there will be thousands of potential caches between you and the destination (another use for GSAK is to select them based on distance from a plotted route)

I put the same caches into my PDA with the same area names.

[LMcGisme]

After checking your database, user waypoints, and the baud rates matching, if you still have problems check your NMEA setting. Menu>Settings>NMEA. It should be set to 2.1 or off – sorry I can’t remember which setting is right and I don’t have my Meridian with me to check. I have to switch my NMEA back and forth between the two settings, as one works for loading waypoints and the other works for connecting to my notebook pc and Street Atlas. Good luck getting them downloaded.

[hogrod]

if I remember right you have to have NMEA off to be able to transfer anything to the meridian gold. also when we had our meridian gold’s even though baud rate was matching on software and GPS I found that the higher baud rates wouldn’t go. only the lowest speeds worked for me.
I did later find out about turning up the baud rates on the communication ports in the PC’s device manager…..I beleive that in windows xp the setting is 9600 baud by default.

[LDove]

Hey thanks to everybody for your help!!! My friend ended up having the original owner of the GPS come over and they worked at it for a long time and it was the NMEA setting! They got it to work and now hopefully she can get out to have some fun and find some caches!

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“ARGH – I know it’s here somewhere…”

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