Convert Microsoft Excel data .xls to Garmin Mapsource

Hi I have been trying for quite some time now to convert excel data .xls to Garmin Mapsource. The data is in the form of addresses. I have tried literally 20 different programs and have been unsuccessful so far. Is there a program out there that can perform such a conversion?

Hello Captdolbil7,

If you can give us details of what you are trying to accomplish perhaps we can suggest a way to do it.

There are many ways to convert from an Excel spreadsheet to a file format that Mapsource will accept.

You can Save As the file to CSV. Then you can go online and search for GPSBabel's online site where you can convert the CSV file to the GPX format which Mapsource is able to load.

However, that doesn't mean it will be of any use to you once it is converted. Mapsource has no functions that will use a list of street addresses, if that's what you are trying to load into it.

I could be of more help if I knew what you are trying to accomplish.

...ken...

What I am trying to do is take addresses: Street Address, City, State and convert them from Excel into Map Source that I can then map the address I import accordingly and then using Map Source Export them to a Garmin GPS.

Didn't see any more replies to this. Interested in a follow-up on this topic.

You can't do it, Karen. The only kind of file you can import into Mapsource is GPX. So you need to use something like GPSBabel (google it) to convert.

What I've been able to do was take an Excel spreadsheet that a friend sent me (list of addresses for his snow removal business), save it as CSV, bulk geocode all the addresses online (google it), save the results as CSV, convert CSV to GPX, and then load the GPX file into Mapsource to create a route.

I can't recall if I was able to import a GPX file with just addresses into Mapsource and have Mapsource find them. I'm almost certain that won't work. So you need to do the bulk geocode step first so that you load the addresses AND the location coordinates from the GPX file.

...ken...

Thanks Ken! Just curious. I found BatchGeo. May come in handy.

I always learn new terms from you guys.....Geocode: to take a street address and convert it into latitude and longitude coordinates so that it can be displayed on a map.

I have found this site very useful:
GPS Visualizer

//QRP