Bob R. writes:
Hello, I have the trial version of your software. What I want to do is: 1. Create maps with downloaded images from Google Earth-for 1/4 of the state of Iowa (Approx 100 miles square. 2. Use the laptop in an airplane with a GPS connected. 3. Have Expert GPS show me where I am right now with an Icon, etc overlaid on the Google Earth images. I am doing this on a MacBook Pro running Boot Camp and Windows XP Pro. The software and hardware recognizes the GPS (Garmin 396 Aviation version) I am not sure whether your software is targeted at creating maps and images or at actually tracking position and path in real time. Thanks!

ExpertGPS will be able to handle this. The Tracking feature in ExpertGPS turns your MacBook Pro (or any other laptop) into a huge moving-map display, so you can track your progress across Iowa.

The Retrieve Maps tool in ExpertGPS will let you download all of the topo maps and aerial photos for Iowa and preload them on your hard drive, so they are instantly available when you're flying or driving around without an Internet connection. I've written a tutorial about downloading and preloading maps to your hard drive using ExpertGPS, which explains exactly how to do this.

Once you've got your maps preloaded, you can disconnect your Internet connection and use the Tracking feature to plot your position, current heading, speed, and distance to your destination.

Chris C. asks:
I would like to use ExpertGPS with a Samsung Q1 and a usb gps. Are there any usb gps units that are compatible with this software. I'm trying to use the q1 as a moving map. Thanks!

You can use the Tracking feature in ExpertGPS to create a moving-map display on any laptop or UMPC running Windows XP or Vista. Some UMPCs have internal GPS receivers that output NMEA data. For others, you can add a serial, USB, or Bluetooth GPS antenna.

There are so many GPS mouse antennae on the market - I don't keep track of them. Any GPS that outputs NMEA data to a virtual COM port will work with the Tracking feature in ExpertGPS to create a moving-map display on your Samsung UMPC.

Here's one example of a USB GPS Mouse antenna that lists NMEA output.

Daniel W. asks:
I am heading to the middle of nowhere in Utah, and would love to have a way to save some topo maps for offline use. There is no Internet and no mobile phone reception where I'm going, so the normal ExpertGPS "online map" features won't help much.
Otherwise, no complaints. Love your product.

ExpertGPS only needs an Internet connection the first time you view a new area. Every time you view a map in ExpertGPS, it is downloaded from the Internet map server, and stored in a folder on your hard drive. If you disconnect your computer from the Internet and head out into the field, you won't be able to retrieve maps for any new areas, but you'll definitely be able to see topo maps and aerial photos for areas you've already viewed in ExpertGPS.

ExpertGPS has a special tool, designed specifically for downloading maps for an entire area, so you can queue up all of the maps you'll need when you're out in the wild. The Retrieve Maps tool lets you drag a rectangle over the area in Utah you'll be visiting, and you can specify what map scales (1:24K, 1:100K) and map types (topo maps, B/W aerial photos, USGS urban color imagery) you want to pre-load to your hard drive.

I've written a tutorial on copying the entire map folder from your desktop computer to your laptop, which you can follow to copy maps from your main computer to your laptop for your Utah trip. It also discusses turning off the Automatic Map Retrieval in ExpertGPS when your laptop doesn't have an Internet connection.

Have a great trip!

Related Topics ExpertGPS Help File: the Map Retrieval tool How to copy ExpertGPS maps to your laptop computer

Many ExpertGPS users own more than one computer, and your ExpertGPS license allows you to install and use ExpertGPS on multiple computers. The Tracking feature in ExpertGPS allows you to use your laptop, along with a GPS receiver or GPS "mouse" antenna, to create a moving map display in your vehicle. In this tutorial, I'll show you how you can copy your entire map folder from your desktop computer to your laptop, so you can use all of your topo maps and aerial photos when you're out in the field.

ExpertGPS stores the topo maps and aerial photos that it automatically downloads from the Internet on your hard drive, in a folder called TopoGrafix Image Files. Newer versions of ExpertGPS store this folder in what Windows calls your Local AppData Folder, which is (unfortunately) a hidden folder by default. You can get to this folder by clicking Show Program Data Folder on the Help menu in ExpertGPS.

If you are a long-time ExpertGPS user, your map folder may be located at C: or C:Program FilesExpertGPS. To find out, click Preferences on the Edit menu, and click the Map Folder tab.

Using Windows File Explorer, or the Show Program Data Folder command, locate the TopoGrafix Image Files folder on your desktop computer.

Copying your Map Folder to your Laptop

Copy the TopoGrafix Image Files folder to your laptop computer, making note of the location where you've copied it to. For this example, let's assume you've copied all of the maps to C:TopoGrafix Image Files.

Now run ExpertGPS on your laptop, click Edit, Preferences, Map Folder, and enter the directory where the map folder itself is located. (That's the containing directory - in this case, C:)

ExpertGPS on your laptop will now go to C: and look for the TopoGrafix Image Files folder to be there. It will use the maps in that folder.

There's one last step. Since your laptop won't have Internet access when you're driving around or out in the field, you can speed up ExpertGPS by telling it not to bother trying to retrieve maps from the Internet that it doesn't yet have on your hard drive. On the Map menu, remove the checkmark in front of Enable Internet Map Retrieval. ExpertGPS will display maps for any locations where maps already exist in your map folder, but for new areas, it will just display a plain white background. When you get back home, you can re-enable Internet Map Retrieval.

Related Topics ExpertGPS Help File: the Map Folder ExpertGPS Help File: the Enable Internet Map Retrieval command

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.