I just want a moving map.........

Former Member over 11 years ago

Maybe this is overly basic, but all I am after is a moving map with current speed, direction, elevation on the screen. Like nRoute or similar used to do. I have spent most of the afternoon trying to achieve this with zero joy, thus my appeal here.

I have the following equipment/software to work with:

City Navigator North America 2014.1
Basecamp 4.2.2
Garmin GPSmap 296 on ver. 6.1
Sony Laptop running Win 8 (64bit), i7 proc, truckloads memory, etc.
Garmin grmnusb.sys 2.3.1.0

Also Mapsource 6.16.3 (in case I should be using that for my purposes), or if Basecamp cannot do this, then I should use.....??

I can communicate back and forth with the 296 with Basecamp and with Mapsource, all good. I have selected and transferred maps back and forth (296's card only holds a certain amount), and can transfer a route from the GPS to pc, etc.

Goal: Upcoming road trip in a few days. We always use the 296 (just switch from aviation mode to automotive mode), and the boss wants her laptop to display moving map (no route, just the map itself) as a moving map with speed, direction, etc. As I said, we always used to do this (maybe with Nroute? I really don't remember). So I dropped $100 on this city navigator 2014 (was previously on 2008 so it was probably time), and otherwise ready to go, but I just cannot figure out how to tell Basecamp to operate as a "moving map in real time."

Am grateful for any suggestions.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Garmin dropped nRoute long ago (and don't admit to its existence anymore on their website) and never produced a replacement. I used to use it before I got a nuvi. In short there's nothing current from Garmin that will do what you want.

Now you can still find a copy of nRoute (last version was 2.7.6) via Google but it doesn't support Garmin maps after 2009 or so (i.e. the new .gmap format) and I found it had issues on Vista (which I was using at the time). It may therefore be iffy on Win7/Win8 even if you use old maps or convert new ones to the old format.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Thank you.

I did indeed try an nRoute download, and it reported no installed maps (or something like that).

So if I understand this, although I have Garmin's maps, they don't offer a way to use those on a portable computer for real time navigation; it's the tiny screen of the GPS itself, or nothing? Wow.

Ok, so while I can (and do) utilize the transferred map detail on the 296's little screen, if we want to have the laptop moving map, and the wife as navigator/tour guide, then I need to figure out a way to use my 2008 software (it won't let me unlock now on this newer computer, and i cannot figure out why not, but since i bought 2014, i quit trying) and therefore perhaps an old version of Nroute.

Do I got that about right?

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

So if I understand this, although I have Garmin's maps, they don't offer a way to use those on a portable computer for real time navigation

Correct. They have a whole bunch of nuvi models for that. 5 years have gone by since 2008 :)

I need to figure out a way to use my 2008 software (it won't let me unlock now on this newer computer, and i cannot figure out why not,...

All you need to do is install your 2008 maps and manually enter the unlock code you have (in your myGarmin account). Just copy'n'paste the code into nRoute/MapSource/BaseCamp. The long since obsolete UnlockWizard doesn't work anymore to my knowledge.

0 JaVaWa over 11 years ago

You can convert .gmap maps to the old format with MapReverseConverter

0 kganshirt over 11 years ago

For what it's worth nRoute works fine on Win7. It's all the other fooling about to get the GPS and new maps working that sucks the fun right out of it. :)

You can make it all work but in the end it might not be worth all the hassle. Better to just buy a copy of ALK Copilot Live. It is modern software designed to work on your laptop with up to date maps from the same supplier as Garmin uses. It's sort of like stuffing a Nuvi into your laptop for moving maps. Of course you can do routing and POI searches. But if you are Mapsource literate you already have all the planning tools with your 2014 Garmin maps. Eg. ALK for the moving maps and the Garmin stuff for the rest.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

For what it's worth nRoute works fine on Win7

Thanks. I have the nRoute installer but haven't tried it on Win7. Frankly using a 5" screen nuvi is much more convenient than a laptop/GPS combo with all the cables etc.

However I do have an image (VHD) of an old Win98SE laptop that has CN 2009 (I think) on it so in theory I could try it out--if I get bored enough :D

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Correct. They have a whole bunch of nuvi models for that. 5 years have gone by since 2008 :)

All you need to do is install your 2008 maps and manually enter the unlock code you have (in your myGarmin account). Just copy'n'paste the code into nRoute/MapSource/BaseCamp. The long since obsolete UnlockWizard doesn't work anymore to my knowledge.

I will try that, and thank you for your time and insights.

And, I do not know what a nuvi is. But if it is for something like vehicle navigation, my 296 aviation unit does that just fine in automotive mode using the 2014 City Nav maps. I also gather that a "nuvi" would not change anything here; functional laptop moving map and navigation.

0 C14_Rider over 11 years ago

About 4 years ago I thought I was going to use my netbook as a gps, so I bought Delorme Earthmate with a gps receiver and it worked fine, does just what you want. Then I tried Microsoft Streets and Trips, and it also worked as an active laptop gps when coupled with the Delorme gps unit if I recall. I'm guessing it's conceivable that a current version of either of these might accept gps location data from the 296 and serve the function you're looking for.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

And, I do not know what a nuvi is.

You might be fortunate in that regard :) That said it's the line that Garmin sells the most of.

And you're correct in that you couldn't use one with nRoute anyway. In fact I'm not sure that many, if any, newer Garmin models would work with nRoute. I know my 76CSx will as I used to do it--about 8 years ago.

0 seilogramp over 11 years ago

Correct. Microsoft Streets & Trips 2013 along with a GPS receiver, either the one in the box or the one you have will work fine.