Mac/Windows Software

Basecamp Windows I just want a moving map.........

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

I use nRoute without problems on an HP Slate 500 (8" touchscreen device) running Windows 7 Professional. But really, that software is showing its age. It doesn't seem to use the graphics card the way newer software does and is really slow updating the screen. I use it with my own topo maps, and it just chokes in track up mode, I need to use North up.

OTOH, Garmin MobilePC is very responsive and also works with NT maps. Problem is, it has also been discontinued and I don't know that you can find a copy anymore. I wrote about my experiences here: http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/5090-garmin-mobile-pc-hp-slate-homebrew-car-mount

It's kind of a pain dealing with tablets and gps receivers and power cords... the Nuvi is definitely more convenient. I am now using a 5" Nuvi 3550 in the car, and most of the time it's just a moving map as well. I created some custom dashboards so that the whole screen is devoted to the map itself. If you want a bigger screen, the 7" Dezl 760 also supports custom dashboards. http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=26442&start=0

-Boyd

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

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.
:D

Yeah, I left out the logistics part of this issue as it wasn't germane to my specific problem, but if it helps understand the why here, it's motorhome travel. Her seat is too far away to use the 296 if it's near me, and whether in the passenger seat or wherever, she has pull out work surface, 120v power, etc. Thus the laptop process. She looks ahead, discusses, "advises," or just piddles about. But the laptop in this environment is not at all obtrusive. Cables are routed in a manner as to be unnoticed, nothing in anyone's lap, or even impeding movement. Passenger in this situation can be all chillin' and comfy, get up and go to the restroom, make the driver a sammich, whatever, all with the lap top screen essentially a couple of feet away. Hopefully that helps put in context why we have gotten used to the 17" screen, etc. Same laptop used for other purposes on the road as well, and just min/max the mapping as desired. 5" screen for that passenger would actually entail more screwing around; not as handy if set a couple feet away on the work surface, or else babysit it so is within reasonable reach and visibility.

Does this help give a better picture of why I'm after the pc moving map? The pc is along for the ride regardless......

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

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

Cool. Gonna poke down this road tomorrow and see what I can accomplish.

Thank you for this.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

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.

I'm in the Garmin realm because 9 years ago, if ya wanted a decent aviation unit to quick mount on the yoke and take care of logging each flight, provide terrain awareness, instant access to "nearest airport" and so forth, then you paid the big bucks and got thee into the Garmin camp. In that environment, the 296 is great (even though the 396 followed very shortly thereafter). I dunno what the various nuvi (nuvis?)sell for, but the aviation units were (are) stupid expensive, and I'm quite pleased that I at least I can load up the 2014 North America auto maps as seamlessly as I did the 2004 North America maps. Firmware updates for these continue to be offered as well. In fact, the version I noted in my post is a May 2013 release. So yeah, a lot has changed, but the 296/396/496 series is alive and well in the firmware and software improvements and updating process. I'm just sayin'

Thx much, tho. Old guy here gettin' continuous education.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

I remember that software! I had no idea it was still around.

Man, I'm gettin' all kinds of good scoop here. Which means i shoulda piped up before I ordered the 2014 NA DVD........just had no idea that a continuous moving map wouldn't be part of the choices.

0 TXBobcat over 11 years ago

it's motorhome travel. Her seat is too far away to use the 296 if it's near me, and whether in the passenger seat or wherever, she has pull out work surface, 120v power, etc. Thus the laptop process. She looks ahead, discusses, "advises," or just piddles about. But the laptop in this environment is not at all obtrusive. Cables are routed in a manner as to be unnoticed, nothing in anyone's lap, or even impeding movement. Passenger in this situation can be all chillin' and comfy, get up and go to the restroom, make the driver a sammich, whatever, all with the lap top screen essentially a couple of feet away. Hopefully that helps put in context why we have gotten used to the 17" screen, etc. Same laptop used for other purposes on the road as well, and just min/max the mapping as desired. 5" screen for that passenger would actually entail more screwing around; not as handy if set a couple feet away on the work surface, or else babysit it so is within reasonable reach and visibility.

Have done a similar thing. I use the 465t on the dash and the DW uses the ASUS Slate, windows 7. with MS Streets & Trips 2013 with the GPS Dongle. She can follow the route we are traveling and go move around to see if there is something she wants to go see, take a different route or just guide us through a crowded city streets. Works great for us. We fulltime in a 5th wheel.

BC

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Have done a similar thing. I use the 465t on the dash and the DW uses the ASUS Slate, windows 7. with MS Streets & Trips 2013 with the GPS Dongle. She can follow the route we are traveling and go move around to see if there is something she wants to go see, take a different route or just guide us through a crowded city streets. Works great for us. We fulltime in a 5th wheel.

BC

Exactly! I want the ability to nav on a pc that is there and running anyway. I remain profoundly perplexed at how that basic ability is missing, and even more perplexed that apparently hasn't even been addressed. Even from WAY outside the current circle of apparently very involved Garmin users here on this forum I can pick up on the commentary that I'm not the first person to wonder what happened here.

I poked around more and saw what the nuvi (nuvis?) are. This is NOT meant to be at all inflammatory (I listed my stuff in first post, and would have been clear to readers that my choices were tied to my private pilot activities), but...... every picture of the nuvi I see looks like a cartoon, little car on there, etc. ???? Can the user correct the view to use an actual map, etc.? I can't imagine the level of detail I see on my 296 (air, or land) if it was rendered that way. I can make my 296 look like a kid's cartoon (I think?), but, ummmm, no thanks.

Investigating the streets program last night I see there is a full function 14 day trial, so we'll be doing hat and just pay/unlock if that works out, and rationalize the bucks I blew on 2014.10 which I realize I should have researched better.

Thanks all for he time.

Civdiv99

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

I remain profoundly perplexed at how that basic ability is missing, and even more perplexed that apparently hasn't even been addressed.

I think the problem there is that you're assuming everyone wants to do what you want to do. They don't.

GPS is now a mainstream consumer product--for better or for worse. What that means is that the vast majority of users purchase a small rectangular unit, whether a Garmin nuvi, Tom Tom or whatever, stick it on their dash/windshield and go no further. Now as much as I, you, or whomever don't like that it's the reality.

Now I complain here, often, about how nuvi's are "dumbed down" for the average user. While many come here with issues connecting their nuvi to BaseCamp for trip planning or whatever not many people do that. I'd imagine that the number of people wanting to use a computer in conjunction with a GPS unit for real-time navigation is very very small (perhaps RV users).

Garmin is just trying to cater to their (perceived) market and thus produce products and software to satisfy the majority.

0 Former Member 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.

In the 296 I can select among 11 different input/output protocols as desired (inc sonar???), 10 data transfer modes. Math then tells me I stand a very good chance of getting completely balled up somewhere along the line.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

NMEA is your best bet. That is a standard GPS protocol.