Tricking the Garmin Nuvi 500t to display the AT.

[Wise Old Owl]

Well I have been at it for 4 hours now... I chopped the AT centerline down to just a few local states in Garmins Mapsource software. I packaged it into PNY Micro chip slid the chip in and it remains unrecognised. So then I had the software find the Garmin and export the data into the Nuvi and it accepted it, but on opening it, it had the wrong exstentions. So I have pulled it back out... Apparently naming it to be recognised with the right exstentions are tough to getting the trail to display... I am going back to another unit.... there has to be a better way.

[couscous]

Nuvi 500t .. so it's one of their "On the Road" models? So many models and such limited import options. My Nuvi 775t only supports 1,000 waypoints so it would only support points every 4 miles along the trail to allow room for shelters, hostels and some other key points.
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I contacted Garmin about their waypoint limit on the Oregon series .. "Thank you for contacting Garmin International. The Oregon does not have the ability to hold anymore waypoints and unless a new Oregon is made it will not have the ability to hold more than 2,000 waypoints. There is no type of software updates that will give the device that type of ability. There are too many memory limitations on the device to be able to hold more than 2,000 waypoints."
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The interesting thing is that some of their units will accept 5,000 geocache waypoints downloaded from http://www.geocaching.com/ Perhaps the real trick would be to get 1/2 mile points along the A.T. to appear to the unit as geocaching locations, thus leaving the 2,000 waypoints free for other things.
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As you said ".... there has to be a better way."

[Wise Old Owl]

I still haven't figured out the Nuvi - But I did have a success with the Oregon 400T - the trail is allready on the data, its just hard to see and if there are roads, well its not marked.

So I took data from the GIS and loaded the entire track onto Garmins Map Source. Then cleared the Routes area, started at the state line and built a 40 mile route with points every 1000 feet. Titled it as an easy to remember section and send it to the 400t

Solution! - The 400 T displays the track as a bright purple line and can be turned on or off and I will not need glasses on the trail...

Titles can be Caledonia to Pine Creek

[lilricky]

Yep, and you can change the color of the trail in Mapsource by selecting the track, right click, select track properties and use the color drop down box to choose the color you would like. Makes marking blue blazed trails easy!

[Wise Old Owl]

Recently I added the springs and water holes as waypoints - then discovered they do not show at the same time as a track - more frustration.

[Wise Old Owl]

Nuvi Data success tonight - as I try to import all the parking lots into the Nuvi I
found two tools

1st open the Nuvi Connect it to the computer.
CLICK ON START > MY COMPUTER > GARMIN > GARMIN FOLDER >GPX Folder CURRENT. (Has all the stored waypoints that show on the Map Click on that and it will launch Mapsource now you can modify your saved Waypoints via the computer.
When done you must replace the file by saving it down the same path.

[Wise Old Owl]

Download the AT Parkinglots GPX.ZIP from the conservancy.

A window opens with the unzipped AT Parkinglots - Drag and Drop from the temp window to the Desktop.

Now Launch or click on the data to open Mapsource.

accept the data as is. ( look it over )

Now connect the Garmin Nuvi to the computer - wait.

Now save the data in Mapsource....

File > SAVE AS...> See Save in... Change the top tag bar to Garmin Click on the folder GPX you will see Archive...

Look at the bottom SAVE AS TYPE > GPX EXCHANGE FORMAT.

don't need to change the name ATShelters.GPX

Unconnect after saving.

Turn on the Garmin move the map over to the trail and zoom down to 1.2 miles and the parkinglots will appear.

[Wise Old Owl]

OK VIEWING OR GOING THERE

Go to Favorites lets say you know the parking lot is Blue Ridge 3

Spell Blue...
Enter
Several parking lots appear with Blue Ridge three in red.

Click on it.

wait - then the distance and time pops

Go there.

[Wise Old Owl]

Points as to why to do it this way, if you click on the import button Garmin updates several folders and then should you want to remove it you would be forced to delete each parking lot individually one at a time - my way just remove the file.

[Wise Old Owl]

As I suspected - once you do this you will not be able to add to favorites - Luck would have it I saved copies of favorites so I can reverse it.