BigTinVA

I use Mapsource exclusively to manage a large waypoint database on my PC. Each waypoint has a name, a symbol and an address and phone number in the comment field. When I transfer my waypoints to my Nuvi 760 using Mapsource only the name and symbol are displayed. Do I need to do anything to my Nuvi or Mapsource in order to have the comment field of Mapsource show up on my Nuvi? It is not real useful to only have a name show up with no address or phone number. All of the information shows up just fine on my Nuvi 350 and my StreetPilot 2720.

Thanks in advance for any help or input.

BigTinVA

I spent quite a while yesterday with Garmin support regarding this issue. Basically Mapsource is not able to transfer the data that is in the waypoint's comments field to (at least) the Nuvi 760. I had to save my Mapsource database as a .gpx file and send it to my Nuvi as a custom POI file. All of my data is on the unit now, but getting to it involves a couple more key presses.

I let Garmin know what my work-around was and let them know that this is a huge omission in my opinion and that I hope they fix it in one of their updates.

I can use Google Maps or Mapquest to send waypoints, including addresses and phone numbers to the GPS, but Garmins own software won't transfer it properly.

If this was the only Nuvi model with the problem I would return it for an exchange, but I believe that most of the current ones will have this issue. Can anyone else confirm this?

wexfordalty

I have the same problem with transferring my waypiont data (including phone numbers) from a 660 to a Nuvi 860. The waypoint data transfers OK, but NOT the phone numbers. I have tried using Mapsource and various other freeware like expertgps, but to no avail.

Are you supposed to sit there and manually enter in hundreds of phone numbers after transferring the waypoint data? This seems like an incredible oversight on the part of Garmin.

Any help would be much appreciated

HumVee

I'm hoping that Garmin will do a complete rewrite of MapSource, after viewing their competitor's products out there. I'd like to see it be more intuitive to use, be able to transfer all of the data that MapSource can store (well, as much as the GPS unit is capable of receiving), etc. In the mean time, all we can do is find work arounds. Thanks for the info, BigTinVA!

wexfordalty

Just an update to this. I can not extract the populated comment field (containing the phone numbers) from the Nuvi 660. This of course renders the workaround useless in this case. This despite the blurb for mapsource claiming that it had remedied this (I have the latest version of mapsource).

VERY poor Garmin.

HumVee

BigTinVA & wexfordalty, have you tried just copying your waypoint files directly rather than using MapSource as an intermediary? I have no idea if it would work, but with due caution you can give it a try:

1. Attach your n350 to your PC in mass storage mode. Find the Garmin folder in the root of your GPS device.
2. Find the GPX folder, and copy the "current.gpx" file from that location to a folder or the desktop on your PC.
3. Unplug your n350 and plug in your n760 in mass storage mode.
4. Go to the GPS unit's Garmin\GPX folder and rename "current.gpx" to "current.bkp" or "current.old"
5. Copy the "current.gpx" file from where you saved it on your PC to the Garmin\GPX folder on your GPS device.
6. Unplug and boot up. Look for you waypoints & see if the phone number data is readable.

If you still can't read the numbers - then it's a problem with the firmware design of the n760 rather than a transfer problem with MapSource. If you can't find the waypoints at all (the file can't be read)...well, at least you tried! Plug the GPS back in and reverse the changes and you should be back to square one. Let me know what you find out - and good luck!

BigTinVA

HumVee, Thanks for the reply. That may help wexfordalty. My Nuvi350 was sold a long time ago. I just have the .gdb database on my computer that I used to keep my StreetPilot2720 and Nuvi350 populated with the same data.
As far as I know the Nuvi760 uses a completely different file structure than my StreetPilot2720 and Nuvi350 and that is why I had trouble when I started using my Nuvi760. I could be completely wrong, and I ahve no way to go back and check, but I dont think my Nuvi350 used a current.gpx file (?).

HumVee

I'm assuming that the phone numbers you have are stored in the Comment field of the waypoints? I don't see anywhere else they could be stored. I just saved my Waypoints in MapSource into a sample GPX file, and when I opened the file in a text editor I could see the numbers listed after <cmt>. I then took that GPX file and saved it to the GPX folder on my z660, and when I booted it up it detected the new data and asked me if I wanted to import it. I chose Favorites, and could "Select All" or choose individual waypoints to import. After I touched the Import button & got the "Data imported successfully" notice, I was able to find the waypoints in my Favorites - but the phone numbers were stripped out (as you've already discovered).

That leads me to believe that this is a problem with the new GPS unit's firmware programming or how the Comments field is handled rather than a problem with MapSource. If I select Edit for the waypoint on my z660, I can see that there is clearly a field reserved for phone number. Next, I manually entered some phone numbers into the phone number field of the waypoints in my z660. I reattached my GPS unit and uploaded my waypoints from the z660 into a fresh GDB file in MapSource (so I only had waypoints from the device). I then saved that waypoint file as GPX and looked at it with a text editor. I found that I still had phone numbers after <cmt> listings...but I also had duplicate phone numbers in a new field entry called <desc>!

So I now know what needs to be done in order to get the data you want into your n760. I just need to work out the least time consuming way to make it happen. Rather than take the time to build a big list of waypoints to test with...could you send me a GPX file containing waypoints that do have phone numbers in MapSource, but for which you have not yet taken the time to manually enter phone numbers into your nuvi? I'll work towards converting the file and posting it back to you for you to import and give me feedback. If you want to create a GPX file that has non-personal waypoint data (businesses & such), you can just post it as an attachment to this thread. If you want to send me a GPX file that has info you don't want made public, you can PM me with your e-mail address.