HarryD

Hello, a total newby to GPS. Have a Garmin Oregon 200...trying to get my PC to communicate with it...it won't. Directions say to hook-up the USB cable to the GPS unit, then turn-on power to GPS...can't turn-on power after the cable is attached. Tried turning-on the GPS first, then the cable..."test" shows it recognizes the GPS but there is a communications problem. Troubleshooting instruction options include ensuring GPS is set to "Garmin" mode...unable to find this addressed in manual. Would appreciate any help you could offer. Thx. Harry

HumVee

HarryD, I don't own an Garmin Oregon 200, but can try to help with basic troubleshooting. What operating system are you using on your PC? Does the OS see the device attached, but can't communicate with it ("There was a problem with...." messages)? What shows on the Oregon when it is attached to the PC?

HarryD

Hi HumVee,

Appreciate the help!!

What operating system are you using on your PC? Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004
Does the OS see the device attached, but can't communicate with it ("There was a problem with...." messages)? I can see the Garmin and the MicroSD card from Windows Explorer. And a window pops-up (copy, open, etc) when I attach the Garmin.
What shows on the Oregon when it is attached to the PC? The word "Garmin" in the middle of the screen and a picture of a PC hooked to a Garmin at the bottom. The "on" button doesn't do anything.

Harry

HumVee

Thanks, Harry. It seems to me that your Oregon 200 is working perfectly normally! Let's attack this from a different angle...what are you hoping to do with your Oregon 200 when it's connected to a computer?

Are you trying to use your Oregon as a GPS receiver, to give you positioning data on your PC software's map? Are you trying to load additional maps onto it? Perhaps knowing what you're trying to accomplish and having problems with will help. From the title of this discussion thread, I'm fearing that you're trying to load National Geographic maps onto the device. It won't work as a GPS receiver for computers either - you have to step up to the 300 in the Oregon series to start getting that functionality....

HarryD

Hi HumVee, I was trying to load NatGeo Trails Illustrated Explorer for Yellowstone. Want the detailed maps for an upcoming trip. Also bought NatGeo TOPO! Outdoor Recreation Mapping Software and having problems with it too.

HumVee

Okay, Harry - that's the crux of the problem. Unless a digital map specifically states that it's designed to work with your brand of GPS device - it probably won't. Most commercial products are not designed to work with another mapping or GPS company's products. That's partially true in NatGeo Maps case as well. I took a look at your Yellowstone National Parks Explorer 3D application. It can send routes to your Garmin GPS, but you wouldn't be able to load the NatGeo maps themselves. If your Oregon 200's basemap doesn't have the level of detail you want, then you'll either have to pony up extra money and purchase a Garmin topographical map (they have 100K and 24K versions - the 24K is the more detailed) or else look for a free enthusiast map for the region you're wanting. Try GPSFile Depot, Maps 'n Trails or searching with Google or your favorite search engine.

Is your problem is with getting routes sent to your GPS unit from the NatGeo software? I took a look at the software manual. Page 42 begins the segment on using GPS. If those steps aren't working for you, then I think you'll need to contact National Geographic support....

HarryD

HumVee, thanks so much for the detailed info! But "yuck" on the situation. It sounds like I wasted my money on the NatGeo CD's!

My immediate need now is for a GPS that contains a detailed trail-type map of Yellowstone, along with the capability to download multiple planned routes. Sure wish I knew more about the process. Or the process was simplier.

I'll take a look at the Garmin software (pricey) and the enthusiast maps. Thanks for all your help!

HumVee

My pleasure, Harry! Sorry I took so long to narrow down the actual issue - and it's too bad you purchased that software thinking that it would allow you to load topo maps onto your Garmin. It's a common belief with new GPS users, but sadly the GPS world is mostly proprietary, and you've got to buy from the maker of your GPS unit (for the most part). BTW...just because that NatGeo software doesn't work they way you thought doesn't mean that it's necessarily a bad purchase. It might be a very nice tool to plan your treks in Yellowstone and download routes to your Oregon 200. If you end up doing that, please post back what you think of the software!

As for Garmin 24K National Park maps, they sell 3 different versions - West, Central & East. West is what you want (for Yellowstone) but the cost will make you cringe. CD/DVD is my preferred purchase method whenever possible - that format comes with MapSource software that allows you to load the map onto your PC as well as your GPS unit, so you can plan your treks on your PC. The download and preloaded memory card options do not give you this. You can search for a seller that is selling the map for less than MSRP (Amazon, ebay, Craigslist, Google, etc.). Good luck!

mpyusko

Honestly, I do not believe you "wasted" your money on the NatGeo TI CD. I own one for the Adirondack park and I find it very useful even when used with Mapsource, Delorme's Topo 7, and whatever else I use. Mapsouce, Topo, and even the USGS are very limited on trail knowledge and even then accuracy is questionable. I know of several trails in the Adirondacks that are official but don't appear anywhere except in guidebooks (described) and on the NatGeo maps (paper and CD). Here is my suggestion on how to get the most out of your GPS by using NatGeo.

Install NatGeo to your hard drive. ( You can run it off the CD, but you lose your preferences everytime you close it.) I always leave my GPS in Garmin mode and NatGeo does support it. You will not be able to transfer maps from NatGeo, only routes and waypoints. Honestly that is all you need. Now I personally own 2 GPSr's. One is a Garmin GPS80 MIL, and the other is a Garmin etrex Legend (not Hcx, just a basic 8MB, serial DB-9 Legend). The GPS80 does not contain, or have the ability to contain, any maps of any kind. This is not an issue for me since I am quite proficient at transposing to a paper map. The Legend has 8MB of memory to hold additional custom maps loaded by Mapsource. Make sure you follow the directions shown above to get Mapsource up and running on your PC.

In NatGeo it will show you all sorts of trails and roads. It allows you to select trails and roads to create your own custom routes. It also (in your preferences) allows you to create freehand routes for "bushwhacking" or possibly a trail you know of but NatGeo doesn't. NatGeo's help file explains creating routes quite well so there is little need for me to instruct you. Once you have selected your route, you can tell it the maximum number of waypoints to use. It will divide the route up automatically into that number to create a route that follows the freehand display as closely as possible. ( For longer trips/routes, I break them into legs. I'll create a route that gets me to a certain point then I'll create another rote from that point on. When I reach the point, I'll clear the active route, select the second leg as active, then continue on. I do this for my GPS80 when I go on road trips. I'll make a route that is only one tank of gas long. I'll use Topo's POI database to predetermine a gas station as the final waypoint for each leg. When I stop for gas, I select the next leg and continue on. I didn't need a map, the goto arrows always pointed me where I needed to go and told me how far away I was from the next one - .05 miles was about the right time to hit the blinker). Once you have your routes laid out, you can use NatGeo to transfer them to your GPS. When the time comes for you to follow that route, it will appear like a trail on your GPS even if there really isn't one shown.... mapping GPSr or not. When you reach the end of your route, most GPSr's will allow you to invert the route so you can follow it back (ex, if you didn't make your route a loop).

Now most basemaps are not sufficient for hiking, or even driving village side streets for that matter. Using Mapsource, you can transfer "enthusiest" maps to your GPSr that are much more detailed. I have two in particular that I use. One is for hiking and Geogaching, the other is for driving. Both are too big to completely load on my little Legend, but using Mapsource, I can select how much of each I want to load.

• Ibycus USA Garmin Compatible Map - GPSFileDepot - is great for driving and covers the whole USA including sidestreets, backroads, Railroads,etc
• New York Topo Garmin Compatible Map - GPSFileDepot - is a complete highly detailed 1:24,000 topo map of New York State. It includes roads and topo data. Even though it does contain roads same as the other, the topo information makes it slow to draw and my Legend has difficulty keeping up at highway speed. Hiking I have no issues.

You should be able to find similar maps for Montana, Wyoming, & Idaho where you can select relevant sections of the maps and transfer them to your GPSr with Mapsource. Search GPSFileDepot - Custom Maps, Ximage hosting, tutorials, articles and more for your GPSr and google and see what you can come up with.

I hope this was helpful to you. With your fancy Colorado, you should be able to do all this and more.

HumVee

mpyusko, thanks for the write-up on the benefits of NatGeo Trails Illustrated!

mpyusko

No problem. It seemed rather inappropriate to call NatGeo a "waste" of money since it will in effect provide him with what he needs. If you notice the list of GPS software I mentioned above, I do use all those programs for different purposes.

Mapsource is great for loading maps onto my Garmin, but it doesn't do anything else very well. Delorme's Topo 7.0 is what I primarily use for my amateur cartography and geocaching. It is a great program since it incorporates Satellite, Aerial, and USGS imagery and information along with it's own topo information. However when it comes to trails, it is hit but mostly miss. That is where NatGeo shines.

NatGeo has extremely explicit trail, road and topo information. It also has the ability to import tracks, route and waypoints either directly from your GPSr or through a gpx file. It is also designed to be geocaching friendly so load up your pocket query in NatGeo and create your routes to find them. Since NatGeo only covers major parks, I can use Topo 7 to draw and print my own maps, or GPS TrackMaker to create trail maps to load on the GPSr.

Each of those programs have strengths that make them IMHO the best choices for each task. Unfortunately, to my knowledge there isn't a program that does everything to those levels.

All of that being said, you can still bet that I still carry a paper map, compass and map ruler just in case technology fails (batteries only last so long and they always die when you need them most)..... Especially when I'm in unfamiliar territory.

__________________
Me: "How do I load maps on my GPS80?"
Garmin Tech Support: "The GPS80 MIL is not capable of displaying maps."
Me: "Well that sucks. What good is that? I already know where I am, I just want to know where that is!"