Marie C. asks:
I'm having trouble viewing GIS shape files that I had imported into ExpertGPS. I clicked send to GPS and the transfer was said to be made successfully. But, now I can't figure out how this will be viewed on the etrex. Also, I have many way points for all different projects. This is getting a bit confusing when the locations are overlapping. Is there a way, once I'm able to view them, to put the way points in a named file on ExpertGPS>

I'm often asked by Garmin GPS users, "what happened to the waypoints I just sent to my GPS?" The answer is, it's on your GPS, but Garmin's default user interface settings make it difficult to find. The short answer is that your Garmin displays the nearest 15 waypoints on the Find Waypoints screen, and that's why it appears your data isn't in that list. Here's an article I wrote explaining how to get your points to show up on your Garmin GPS.

To keep your GPS from getting cluttered with data from several projects, I always recommend using ExpertGPS Pro to back up your GPS data after each project. Once your data is backed up on your computer, you can then clear the GPS memory using the Reset command on the GPS, usually found on the Trip Odometer page (check your manual). This means you're starting every project with an empty GPS, maximizing the space you have to display GIS data and collect new waypoints and tracks in the field.

Of course, if there are common waypoints you refer to on every job, you can keep these in a seperate file in ExpertGPS, and send them to your GPS after you clear the waypoints and tracklogs from the GPS memory.

Pat S. asks:
I was referred to your site by Garmin. I have a C330 and want to upload my Favorites to a computer file and be able to download back to the GPS after doing a map update. I do not need to upload any maps or other data. Can I do the Favorites only and at what cost?

ExpertGPS Home (see price listed in the upper right of this Web page) makes it easy to back up your GPS data when you're going to be updating your Garmin GPS firmware, installing new map updates, or as part of your regular GPS data backups.

To back up your GPS, simply click Receive from GPS on the GPS menu in ExpertGPS. ExpertGPS will download all of the waypoints (called Favorites or POIs on some GPS receivers), and if you want, your GPS routes and tracks as well. Click Save to back up this data in a GPX file on your computer.

You can now update your GPS firmware, upload a new GPS basemap, or erase the contents of your GPS memory to make room for new data. ExpertGPS Home makes a great tool for creating new Favorites, or adding new waypoints (you can draw right on the maps in ExpertGPS).

If you ever need to restore your backed-up GPS data, simply open the GPX file containing your backup, and click Send to GPS.

Valerie asks:
I own an RV Park in Dillon, Montana. I have been told by several customers that we are not listed on Garmin GPS. How do I be sure that we are listed on GPS systems. I have checked into Google maps etc. This park has been here for at least 10 years. I have owned it since June 2008. Please help as this is a very important issue to my business.

These days, more and more car owners are relying on their dashboard GPS receivers to guide them to your business. If you aren't listed in the GPS POI (Point of Interest) database under the appropriate category (Shopping, Restaurants, RV Parks) or if your address is wrong in the GPS listing, you're going to miss out on business.

Getting a GPS manufacturer to update your business listing can be a real pain - here are some tips to help get you listed correctly.

Start with the Data Providers

NAVTEQ provides POI data to GPS vendors, and you can update your business listing with their Map Reporter.

TeleAtlas lets you send them Map Feedback, including the ability to update or add a business listing.

InfoUSA provides business listings to all sorts of clients, including GPS manufacturers. Visit their Web site and click Update my Listing at the bottom of the home page

Update any Specialty Data Providers

Woodall's RV park database has been used by some GPS and map vendors - make sure your RV park or campground is listed here.

There may be other definitive resources for your particular niche - Fodor's for restaurants, for example. Make sure you're listed, so that any GPS manufacturer that licenses their database will get your listing.

Add your business to downloadable POI files

Start searching for sites that list POI files for your business category: "RV Park POIs", "Antique Shop POIs Garmin", etc. There are plenty of POI trading sites out there that would be happy to have your listing added to their POI database.

Got a favorite POI site? Did I miss an important POI business link in the article above? Add your comments below!

Riccardo M. asks:
When I send waypoints from PC to my Garmin GPS 38, only 70% of waypoints go inside. We don't have the problem with Garmin GPS 76, thanks.

After looking at Riccardo's GPS data, I was able to find the reason why not all of his waypoints were transferring to his Garmin GPS 38. His other GPS, a Garmin GPS 76, allows up to 10 characters in waypoint names. The older GPS 38 only can handle 6-character waypoints. When Riccardo sent data from his GPS 76 to his GPS 38, the GPS 38 truncated each waypoint after the sixth character.

All Garmin GPS receivers require waypoints to have unique names. If you have a waypoint named HOME in your GPS, and you send a new waypoint named HOME to your GPS using ExpertGPS or any other software, it will overwrite the first waypoint.

The waypoints in Riccardo's GPS 76 all had unique names (they have to) but these were 10-character names. Some of them started with the same 6 characters. When these waypoints were truncated to six characters, they now had the same names, and overwrote each other.

Here's an example of two unique waypoints on a GPS 76 that will produce the same name (PARKIN) on a GPS 38: PARKINGLOT and PARKINREAR.

Confirming the data on your GPS receiver

If you are sending data from one GPS to another, it's a good idea to check the data after you send it to the new GPS to make sure all of your data transferred over correctly. To do this, create a new, blank file in ExpertGPS, and receive all data from the new GPS. Switch to the Waypoint List, and Select All. In the lower left corner of the main window, you'll see the number of waypoints selected. Compare this number to the number of waypoints in your original data file. If it is less, you've lost some waypoints. Check for non-unique waypoint names!

Related Topics What happened to the waypoints I just downloaded to my Garmin GPS?

Les F. asks:
I have been able to make Way Points but I cannot get them to load onto my Garmin 60CSx. When I click on the button to send to DEVICE it shows me that I have my 60CSx configured.
When I try to send the Way Points it looks like they are being sent BUT I do not get them into my Way Points file on the Garmin.
Any HELP you can provide to me to get me going would be GREATLY appreciated.

Many Garmin GPS owners have asked this question. After sending new waypoints to their GPS, they use the Find Waypoint command on the GPS receiver but only see 15 or so waypoints in the list. Where are the new waypoints?

By default, Garmin GPS receivers show the nearest 15 waypoints to your current location. If you've used ExpertGPS to load new waypoints for an upcoming trip, they may not show up in the Find Waypoints dialog on your GPS. To see them, click the menu on that GPS screen, and switch from "Sort by Nearest" to "Sort by Name". Now all of your waypoints will be displayed alphabetically, and you can see that all of the waypoints you sent to your Garmin are actually there.

Confirming the data on your GPS receiver

Here's a tip you can use to confirm that your GPS data is loaded correctly on your GPS receiver, prior to heading out for a trip. Send your waypoints and tracks to your GPS using ExpertGPS. Now create a new, blank file in ExpertGPS. Click Receive from GPS, and upload all of the waypoints, routes, and tracks on your GPS back into the new file in ExpertGPS. That file shows you everything that is currently loaded on your GPS.

Related Topics How to Safely Backup Your GPS Data Complete list of supported GPS receivers in ExpertGPS

Nicole asks:
I'm trying to take info off one gps and put it on another. How do I do that?

Because ExpertGPS supports GPS backup and transfer for almost 500 different GPS receivers from Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, Eagle, and Brunton, you can use ExpertGPS to transfer your GPS data from an older GPS to a newly-purchased GPS. Start by clicking Preferences on the Edit menu, and switch to the My GPS Receivers tab.

Click the Add GPS button, and select your old GPS receiver. ExpertGPS can connect to your GPS over a serial cable, USB cable, or by reading data off a memory card, depending on how your old GPS was designed.

Once you've added your GPS to ExpertGPS, and connected it to your computer (or inserted its memory card), click Receive from GPS on the GPS menu. ExpertGPS will retrieve all of the waypoints, routes, and tracks from your GPS and display them over a map. Click Save on the File menu, so that you have a backup copy of your GPS data.

Adding your New GPS Receiver

Click Edit, Preferences, My GPS Receivers again, and now add your new GPS receiver. You can add as many GPS receivers as you own to the list in My GPS Receivers, and ExpertGPS will let you switch between them when you Send or Receive GPS data to and from your computer.

If you are tranferring GPS waypoints between GPS receivers from two different manufacturers, you should edit your waypoints in ExpertGPS to change the waypoint symbols (icons) to match the ones available on your new GPS. Just select a waypoint, click Edit on the Edit menu, and choose a new waypoint symbol from the list displayed.

Once you've made changes to your data, click Send to GPS, and make sure your new GPS receiver is shown as the GPS to which data will be sent. Click OK, and ExpertGPS will transfer your GPS waypoints and tracks to your new GPS.

Related Topics How to Safely Backup Your GPS Data Complete list of supported GPS receivers in ExpertGPS

Mary B. asks:
I am trying to research a hand held GPS for my adult son who often hikes alone. The product reviews on one model on Amazon pointed me toward your topographical maps. Could you offer any suggestions about what model GPS you would recommend? There are so many out there and I haven't found anyone who is using one to give me advice. He is hiking in all seasons here in New Hampshire and has for years.
The cold would be a factor with batteries and reception should be top notch. He always researches and purchases quality equipment, but I would prefer to surprise him rather than ask his advice.
Thank you for any help you could offer.

Like your son, I spend a lot of time hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and I rely on the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx for all of my hiking and snowshoeing trips. This is an outstanding GPS for anyone who loves hiking, geocaching, backpacking, or winter sports. It fits comfortably in a pack pocket or you can attach it to your belt or sternum strap with its belt clip. (Just be very careful and check that it's still attached every few minutes.)

More importantly, it's a joy to use. It fits well in your hand, has buttons that you can use without removing your gloves, and the Garmin user interface is superb. I only recommend Garmin GPS receivers, based solely on the user interface.

There are at least three models in the Garmin GPSMAP 60 family. The GPSMAP 60CSx is the high end, with a color screen and an electronic compass and barometer. I'd pay the extra to get these two sensors - most serious hikers will appreciate them.

I'll throw out three other low-cost alternatives: the Garmin eTrex H, the Garmin Foretrex 201, and the Garmin eTrex Legend HCx. The two eTrex models are smaller, and use a little joystick button thing. That click stick is fine in the summer, but can be a real pain in the winter when you'd rather keep your gloves on. If your son will be leaving the GPS in his pack and only using it occasionally to confirm his location (which, honestly, is likely - trails in New England are well-marked), this wouldn't be a bad choice.

Taking that to the extreme, there's the Garmin Foretrex 201, which is ridiculously light and straps to your arm. I wear one of these for summer hiking or paddling. It does come with a extension arm strap, but I find it difficult to wear over a winter parka.

The GPSMAP 60CSx and Legend HCx have color screens and can display contour lines if you purchase additional software from Garmin. I find it very difficult to get a big-picture of the surrounding terrain on the little screen on the GPS receiver, and prefer to print out and carry a paper topo map with UTM grid lines created using ExpertGPS. All of the GPS receivers can display UTM coordinates, which makes it easy to plot your GPS location on the paper map.

The Foretrex has a non-removable, rechargable battery, but the other three Garmin receivers take two AA batteries. I usually use rechargable NiMH batteries with my GPS receivers, but a great gift for anyone who uses their GPS in the winter would be a pair of lithium AA batteries. Lithium batteries work much better at temperatures below freezing.

A GPS receiver is a great Christmas gift that your son will use for many years. Merry Christmas!

Maxwell asks:
I'm trying to use my Garmin NUVI 350 along with your software. Here is my intention: 1. able to punch in multiple locations like 60-80++ addresses in the US at a time and be able to see those locations on my computer. 2. those 60-80++ addresses need to be transferred to my NUVI 350 that way I can triangulate the locations and go to those locations with the route already set from computer. Questions for you: 1. Is your software capable to do those 2 things I would like to do? 2. If yes, where can I find the user guide how to do it on your software?

How to Convert Street Addresses to Waypoints for my GPS?

The process of converting street addresses (1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC) into GPS waypoints with latitude and longitude (38.89859, -77.035971) is called geocoding. ExpertGPS has a built-in geocoder, the Go to Address command on the Help menu, which can geocode addresses in the United States, Canada, and dozens of other countries throughout Europe and Asia. Just click Go to Address on the Go menu, type in the address, and press the Find button. ExpertGPS will convert the address into a latitude and longitude that your GPS can understand, and the map in ExpertGPS will jump to show the address you entered. Then press Waypoint to create a GPS waypoint at this location.

The second part of your question asked if it was possible for ExpertGPS to create routes to these addresses that your Garmin nuvi 350 could follow. ExpertGPS can create routes and send them to Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, and Eagle GPS receivers. Unfortunately, Garmin has removed the routing capabilities from its low-end nuvi GPS receivers. The Garmin nuvi 350 and other 200 and 300-series nuvis can't record GPS tracklogs, and they can't follow a route sent from the PC. For this, you'd need something like the Garmin nuvi 750.

Batch Geocoding

If you really have more than a few addresses to convert to GPS coordinates, you might be better off using a free batch geocoder. Paste in a list of addresses, geocode them, and then paste the result into the Waypoint List in ExpertGPS.

Related Topics
Ask the GPS Expert: How do I make a map showing all these addresses I have in my Excel spreadsheet?

An ExpertGPS user asks:
I have an older GPS that uses a serial cable, but my new laptop only has USB ports. How can I connect my GPS to my computer?

How do I Use a USB to Serial Adapter with ExpertGPS?

If you have an older GPS receiver with a serial cable interface, and a newer Windows desktop or laptop computer that only has USB ports, you will need to use a USB to Serial Adapter to connect your GPS to ExpertGPS. A USB to Serial Adapter is a small piece of hardware, usually just an inline cable, with a USB plug on one end, and a 9-pin serial plug on the other. The USB to Serial Adapter that I use, the U209-000-R from TrippLite, is shown below. Many companies sell identical products - I have a feeling they all come from the same overseas source and differ only in the model name sticker and the name on the little CD driver that comes with the package.

The first thing you need to do is to install the driver software that comes with the USB to Serial Adapter. If you don't have the driver, you can go to the manufacturer's Web site to download and install it. Without the driver software, the cable won't do anything. Here's a picture of a successful driver install on Windows Vista. Very Important: Notice that the driver has assigned COM4 to the USB to Serial Adapter!!!

Once the driver is installed successfully, you can plug the USB to Serial Adapter into your USB port, and Windows should display a pop-up message saying that a new Plug and Play device was found and recognized. If this doesn't happen, you need to address this problem before proceeding. Contact tech support at the USB to Serial Adapter's manufacturer (not me) for assistance.

Now connect your GPS receiver to the adapter and turn on the GPS. Don't launch ExpertGPS until the GPS is connected to the adapter, and the adapter is connected to your computer.

Waypoint, route, and track transfer

If you have a Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, or Eagle GPS and want to transfer waypoints, routes, or tracks, run ExpertGPS, and click Preferences on the Edit menu. Click My GPS Receivers, click Add, and select your GPS from the list. When asked for the COM port, select the same COM number that Windows assigned to your USB to Serial Adapter when you installed the driver.

Real-time tracking on a laptop

To track your location in real-time while outdoors with a laptop, run ExpertGPS, and click Preferences on the Edit menu. Click Tracking, and select NMEA as the Protocol. When asked for the COM port, select the same COM number that Windows assigned to your USB to Serial Adapter when you installed the driver.

Click Enable Tracking on the Tracking menu, and ExpertGPS will begin listening to the NMEA data being sent from your GPS receiver, and updating your position on the map every second or two.