Hi I'm new to this web site and GPS. I bought National Geographics State verison 4 and the GlobalSat Bu353. I was told they would work together but per NatGeo they won't. Since I bought the GlobalSat Bu353 through Ebay, I'm stuck. I was told there are free programs to download and will make the adjustment to make it all work together. I tried Xport but it doesn't open after downloading. Any suggestions? Thanks for your time.
I don't think National Geographic products are GPS aware. The ad copy says you can transfer tracks, etc from your GPS but does not say it works live with a GPS. I don't think your problem is with the BU-353 but the software as it is not for navigation.
Terry
Terry
Ok. I was told I could find my gps location using the natgeo program abd a gps unit. They do show listings for gps units that will work for their states 4.0 software but globalstat isn't compatible. I'm hoping to make my unit compatible rather than buy a whole another unit spending more money.
National Geographic Maps | GPS Compatibility Chart
National Geographic Maps | GPS Compatibility Chart
I tried this free program XPORT138: XPort
Jammerjonn, welcome to the forums. Read post #3 in the following thread: http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/2137-warning-national-geographic-topo#post15825
I don't think compatibility is the issue. I think the GPS units they list are self contained (they have a built in map display) and can output tracks and waypoints to use with NG.
Terry
Terry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac
Jammerjonn, welcome to the forums. Read post #3 in the following thread: http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/2137-warning-national-geographic-topo#post15825
Hi thanks for the info. So I should buy the express version of this software?
Before buying I would first download the 14-day trial version to make sure it works for you. If it does, then you may buy the Express version (of the "standard" version, which ever you want).
Terry (tcassidy) is correct. ALL of the GPS models listed are standalone GPS navigation devices, either handheld or for use in automobiles. They ALL have their own builtin GPS features and functions.
The only interaction between the GPS devices listed and National Geographic's Topo is to transfer the data from a trip AFTER it was taken so you can see it on the topo maps. Many of those devices listed do not output the realtime satellite data that is needed for GPS navigation. They will only allow you to upload track and route data that is already captured. (Some models will also allow you to download the topo maps into them.)
It does not appear that National Geographic's Topo has any realtime navigation capabilities at all.
You can go ahead and try using something like GPSGate or Xport but please don't expect anything to work if the software is not designed to work with realtime satellite data.
...ken...
The only interaction between the GPS devices listed and National Geographic's Topo is to transfer the data from a trip AFTER it was taken so you can see it on the topo maps. Many of those devices listed do not output the realtime satellite data that is needed for GPS navigation. They will only allow you to upload track and route data that is already captured. (Some models will also allow you to download the topo maps into them.)
It does not appear that National Geographic's Topo has any realtime navigation capabilities at all.
You can go ahead and try using something like GPSGate or Xport but please don't expect anything to work if the software is not designed to work with realtime satellite data.
...ken...
That is certainly what I read in the advertising for this product. Nowhere does it state it will work live with any GPS. I think the other linked thread comment is misleading.
However Jammerjonn, please let us know how you make out with the trial version of GPS Gate. We are all willing to learn from the experience of others.
Terry
However Jammerjonn, please let us know how you make out with the trial version of GPS Gate. We are all willing to learn from the experience of others.
Terry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac
Before buying I would first download the 14-day trial version to make sure it works for you. If it does, then you may buy the Express version (of the "standard" version, which ever you want).
Ok thanks will it tell me how to use the program so natgeo will find my gps unit?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jammerjonn
Ok thanks will it tell me how to use the program so natgeo will find my gps unit?
I don't have it so I could be wrong, but I saw nothing on the web site that would indicate it has any realtime nav functions. Everything I saw on the web site points to the fact that it only will transfer waypoints, tracks and routes from a GPS navigation device. It can't get that data from your BU353 because it's not a navigation device and does not have the functions to save and store that stuff. It's simply a GPS receiver that passes realtime satellite data to a nav program so it can navigate and save and store that stuff.
Before you waste a lot more time you should probably contact National Geographic support and confirm whether Topo has any realtime nav functions or not. If it does, there should be a menu item somewhere for you to tell it where (what COM port, etc) to look for the realtime satellite data feed. Every nav program has a configuration capability somewhere in it that lets you do that. Each one is different.
GPSGate is flexible. It will automatically assign COM ports for the navigation program(s) to use. Then you can configure the nav program to use one of those COM ports. Or if the nav program insists on a particular COM port you can configure GPSGate to make that COM port available. But it will not tell you how to configure your nav program because each one is very different.
...ken...
Thanks I'll do that. As you can see I'm new to GPS and it was suggested I use these two products together. Thanks again very much.
Hey Jammerjohn,
That's what we're here for. Part of the problem is helping folks sort through the terminology. I learned something very important a long time ago:
If you don't ask the right question you won't get a useful answer. That's where understanding the basic terminology and concepts helps. You won't always be able to get direct yes/no answers here. Hopefully the forum can help you discover the right questions to ask and where to get the answers from. (And then you can share them with the forum when you get them, to add to the knowledge here.)
Ultimately, I hope the forum can help you find something that works for what you want to do. By the way, you haven't shared with us what you eventually hope to accomplish with your GPS technology.
...ken...
That's what we're here for. Part of the problem is helping folks sort through the terminology. I learned something very important a long time ago:
Quote:
The answer you get depends on the question you ask.
Ultimately, I hope the forum can help you find something that works for what you want to do. By the way, you haven't shared with us what you eventually hope to accomplish with your GPS technology.
...ken...
Soory. I'm with a search and rescue unit and we are getting lost people that call in to our sheriffs office looking for help. They either give us there gps location (if they have a unit in their vehicle) or we get it from the cell phone companies that "ping their phone" so I wanted a way to enter their gps data into the natgeo map to get a close fix on their location.
Okay, that helps. A bunch!!
To start with, you don't need a GPS to do that. You just need a way to type in the latitude/longitude coordinates that you are given.
Check the help file and the documentation. If you can't find it there, email National Geographics support and ask them how to do it. Just tell them you want to enter the latitude and longitude coordinates so you can see where it is on the map and ask them how you enter them.
You will need to know the right menu selections or tool to click on to do it. You will also need to know what format you need to use to enter the coordinates.
Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd
Lat/Lon hddd mm.mmm
Lat/Lon hddd mm ss.s
That means Latitude then Longitude (not the other way around) and one of three different coordinate formats: decimal degrees or degrees plus decimal minutes or degrees plus minutes plus seconds.
Some programs don't care what format you use. They'll figure it out from the way you type it in. Others allow you to select the format that you want to use. Some insist that you use one specific format.
If Topo State has a place that allows you to enter text to find places, you could just try typing in a set of coordinates to see what it does.
If you can't enter coordinates into NatGeo's Topo, there's not much more to talk about with that particular program but we can talk about other possible solutions.
If you can enter coordinates so you can see the location displayed on the map, is that all you need?
Or do you also need to be able to navigate to that location?
If you need some way to navigate to the location using a GPS, I'm pretty sure that National Geographics Topo is not the way to go. But since you already own it you need to be satisfied whether it will do what you need or not. I hope we've given you some good questions to ask National Geographics to determine whether it's what you need.
...ken...
To start with, you don't need a GPS to do that. You just need a way to type in the latitude/longitude coordinates that you are given.
Check the help file and the documentation. If you can't find it there, email National Geographics support and ask them how to do it. Just tell them you want to enter the latitude and longitude coordinates so you can see where it is on the map and ask them how you enter them.
You will need to know the right menu selections or tool to click on to do it. You will also need to know what format you need to use to enter the coordinates.
Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd
Lat/Lon hddd mm.mmm
Lat/Lon hddd mm ss.s
That means Latitude then Longitude (not the other way around) and one of three different coordinate formats: decimal degrees or degrees plus decimal minutes or degrees plus minutes plus seconds.
Some programs don't care what format you use. They'll figure it out from the way you type it in. Others allow you to select the format that you want to use. Some insist that you use one specific format.
If Topo State has a place that allows you to enter text to find places, you could just try typing in a set of coordinates to see what it does.
If you can't enter coordinates into NatGeo's Topo, there's not much more to talk about with that particular program but we can talk about other possible solutions.
If you can enter coordinates so you can see the location displayed on the map, is that all you need?
Or do you also need to be able to navigate to that location?
If you need some way to navigate to the location using a GPS, I'm pretty sure that National Geographics Topo is not the way to go. But since you already own it you need to be satisfied whether it will do what you need or not. I hope we've given you some good questions to ask National Geographics to determine whether it's what you need.
...ken...