I have a Aera 500 GPS. Mapsource is installed on the Mac and using it via Parallels Desktop. The problem is that my gps won't connect with mapsource. BootCamp under mac works perfectly but the quality of the maps are terrible.
What should I do to have good detailled map installed on my GPS via my Mac.....???
To show the difference between both.
Map quality with BootCamp working with my ''track'' shown:
Much better with MapSource but cannot connect with Aera 500:
It appears you have a detail map installed under parallels and you are using the basemaps on the mac side. I am not familiar with your GPS but when you connect your GPS to your Mac and open BaseCamp, the first time it will take several minutes to index the maps on your GPS. After the first indexing, you can select the map on the GPS from the drop down at the top middle of the screen.
I much prefer to install the maps on the mac such the detail is always available weather or not you have the GPS plugged into your Mac.
After reviewing you screen shot I don't think you have added the map selection option to BaseCamp tool bar. You can use the Map menu to select the map.
The problem is that the maps from BaseCamp and the ones from my gps have approximatly the same quality. I did put the map settings in basecamp in the most detailed position.
Mapsource's maps are amazing. I can see every little lake and power lines. But I cannot get Mapsource to communicate with my GPS. Didn't found a way yet.... I should be able to have the same quality uploaded to my GPS.
MapSource is only a map presentation program and contains no detailed maps; only a basemap.
You apparently have installed a detailed map product into your version of MapSource. You need to install a detailed map product, e.g. City Nav North America NT, onto your copy of BaseCamp. There are at least two ways to do this.
1. If you have the original detailed map product disks and they are recent they will have a version of the maps which can be directly installed onto your Mac.
2. The second way would be to install mapsource on a PC along with the detailed map product maps and then use Garmin's conversion program to convert the detailed map product files to their Mac compatible version.
A third way to install City Navigator on your mac is by downloading the maps. When you buy a new GPS that has City Navigator installed, Garmin gives you a free upgrade that can be installed.
With 1.5 mile scale is difficult to say if you have a detailed map ;)
Anyway, I assume, that you simply have better map in Mapsource. You can transfer it to BaseCamp. Use Mapconverter on Windows/Parallels to create Mac version of your map:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3897
Mapconverter tells me: Can not convert map topo canada v2 because the map is not installed completely... I'll try reintalling the maps later.
You need to have the full Canada Topo installed, not just some of the regions. No, I've no idea why. :)
???How can I make Parallels Desktop to ''see'' my GPS?? Parallels see my printer, my phone, etc..... but not the Aera 500.... Kinda weird.
Have you checked the connected USB devices under the drive icon in Parallels? Sometimes you have to instruct Parallels to connect to a device, depending on how you have the connection preferences set up.
I tried both and it don't work. When I connect it to the Mac, the gps stays in ''connection mode''.
But when I choose Virtual Machine, the GPS starts normally, without entering in ''connection mode''......
Real PITA
One last thing to try. I've got a Chartplotter that will only connect to Parallels through one specific usb port, the one from my keyboard. If I connect it directly to the Mac using a port at the back of the computer it behaves as you describe. It make absolutely no sense to me. Try a few different ports..... who knows.
I just tried all of the 3 USB port of my Mac without any success. I also deleted and reinstalled ''Usb drivers'', ''garmin Connect'' and ''WebUpdater'' from garmin's web site.
Still not working.......
Parallels Desktop can see that the GPS is connected to the Mac but cannot communicate with it........ Communications problems are not only bettween me and my girl friend........
