Brian G. asks:
I have a Magellan GPS315. I have successfully imported landmarks to EGPS but after I edit the name of one landmark, then try to send it to my GPS, my GPS does not show the change. No error is given. Just no change after I have changed it. Please advise if it is possible for me to send data back to my GPS.

The Magellan data transfer protocol doesn't offer a way to update the name of a waypoint or landmark. Instead, you can use this workflow:

1. Retrieve all of the data from your Magellan. Save it using ExpertGPS, so you have a backup copy.

2. Edit your waypoint data in ExpertGPS, changing names, symbols, and adding descriptions.

3. Use the Delete GPS Waypoints command on the GPS menu to clear all of the waypoints in your Magellan GPS.

4. Click Send to GPS to send the updated data back to your GPS receiver.

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

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.