Laptop GPS World

Hi Ken, I'm a little unclear about this planning issue. If I already have Mapsource and a number of Garmin maps (Canadian TOPO, etc.) and decide to purchase Mobile PC (Garmin Mobile® PC with GPS 20x, North America), will I be able to do my planning in Mapsource and then somehow dump the resulting trip into Mobile PC to use on the actual trip?

Does this question even make sense?

Yes, the question makes lots of sense. It's a definite "Maybe..." whether you can do all that you described.

You can definitely create routes in MapSource and transfer them to Mobile PC. I wrote an instruction in the Tips & Tricks thread on how to transfer stuff from MapSource to Mobile PC. You can transfer everything: routes, tracks, waypoints and maps. (Actually you can transfer them both directions. I just tested going from Mobile PC to MapSource and it works fine, so I'll have to update that instruction to include that information.)

But there is a catch or two.

Waypoints become Favorites in Mobile PC. No big thing, but there are a couple of things to be aware of. I personally find it a nuisance maintaining Favorites in Mobile PC. But that's just my personal impatience with everything about the Mobile PC interface. I find it much easier to manage waypoints in MapSource. So if I was using my laptop as my primary nav device and maintaining my current 200 waypoints on it, I would make it a point to do all the maintenance in MapSource.

You can transfer waypoints/favorites both directions so if you ever have to make a change in the Favorites on Mobile PC you can transfer back to MapSource.

You can transfer maps that don't require unlocking. Topo Canada and Metroguide Canada are good examples. I have both for my iQue 3600 and I have no problem transfering and using them in Mobile PC. I also have some freeware Garmin-compatible topo maps that I downloaded from the internet and they transfer and work fine, too.

The difficulty with maps is if they are locked, like City Select North America or City Navigator North America. You can transfer maps that have been unlocked for some other Garmin device but Mobile PC won't use them because they are not unlocked to it. With the software-only version of Mobile PC there is no device serial number to create an unlock code from so I don't believe you can even buy another unlock code and use it to unlock the maps to the software-only version of Mobile PC. With the Garmin GPS20 version you should be able to buy an unlock code for Mobile PC to unlock to the GPS20.

Both versions of Mobile PC have the latest version of City Navigator North America so this would only be an issue if you want, say, European or other country maps.

I hope that helps clarify things.

...ken...

Is there a link to this "Tips & Tricks" thread? Seems like it should be in a sticky or something. I'm not finding it.

It's actually titled "FAQ", but perhaps "Tips & Tricks" would be more appropriate.


Sticky: Garmin Mobile PC - FAQ
Garmin Mobile PC - FAQ

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Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

Sorry, Ken. I mistyped. As Marvin already said, it's the FAQ and it is a sticky, right at the top of the list in this forum. I hope you find it helpful. If there's anything else that could be added or changed, please don't hesitate to comment.

...ken...