GPS devices for MACINTOSH

At 18:28 5/20/2005, you wrote:
>I want to plug something into my iBook's USB port and have it
>Just Work. Am I out of luck?
>
>[There have been some pointers to Mac-and-GPS forums in other threads, but
>I'm curious about the compatibility aspect too. -Adam]

 From my understanding to date, if you want to work with something like a
Garmin, etc., then you need a serial to USB + PC for most serious
functions. If you only want to get a GPS satellite stream into your Mac,
then Rayming makes some very nice units which are fully compatible with OS
X (http://www.rayming.com). I use their TN-200 with a marine navigation
software (www.gpsnavx.com) and it works brilliantly. I know little about
the terrestrial uses and for that the Macmap list is your place of choice
for information. This site is also the mother lode of GPS-related
information and links:
http://www.gpsinformation.net/

On 5/20/05 11:28, "Google Kreme" <gkremegmail.com> wrote:

> Are there any decent GPS things that actually work with a Mac?
>
> I want to plug something into my iBook's USB port and have it Just
> Work. Am I out of luck?

I guess it depends on how you want to use the GPS. In my case, for
some time I have had TOPO! software from National Geographic. The
TOPO! package I have provides seamless USGS mapping for my entire state
(Oregon). My interest in a GPS device was to gather field data while
on hikes and the ability to download that data and layer it on my TOPO!
maps.

After floundering around on many websites and finding none that would
provide specific information regarding Mac OS X compatibility with
various GPS units AND finding many websites making references for the
need to have VPC I decided to take the plunge with the following
parameters:

Compatibility with Mac OS X -- a must
Compatibility with TOPO! Mac version -- a must
GPS includes altimeter -- a must
Color GPS screen -- nice but not necessary
Cable adapter (serial to USB) -- OK but direct USB connector preferable
Use a Windows machine or Virtual PC to download data -- if necessary I
would forget the GPS quest... I already have a good computer
Ability to download maps to GPS -- not a requirement
Ability to use GPS as in-vehicle navigator -- not a requirement

With that in mind, I first purchased a Garmin eTrex Vista C. I decided
on this unit because it was on sale at REI and with a $50 rebate from
Garmin, the unit was selling for $270 instead of the normal $400. This
color unit had some great features and included a decent but not superb
map of western US. However, it wouldn't work out of the box. It had
USB drivers designed only for Windows PCs. So I started trolling
websites for a workable solution. What I was able to gather is that
Garmin is interested in developing proprietary software and is really
focussed on making sure users who by their hardware use their mapping
software as well. There were a number of laments that Garmin was also
stepping away from some universally accepted GPS standards. I could be
wrong about this, but this is an opinion I formed after visiting a
number of sites and forums (including Garmin's). Since this appeared
to be a dead end I returned the eTrex Vista C.

My next choice was a Garmin eTrex Vista. Here, I got what I wanted.
The eTrex Vista is a serial-based unit with no color screen and a very
crude map of the western US installed. It sells for $270 but you can
find them on eBay for much less. I went to the local Mac store and
purchased a Keyspan USB Serial adapter. When I got home I installed
the Keyspan software on my PowerBook G4 (OS 10.3.9) , took some
readings with the GPS, hooked it all up, opened TOPO! and Bingo! It
worked.

I hope this rambling note is of help to someone. I found that the guy
at REI knew a lot about GPS units and new they worked with Macs but not
specifically how. I found that the folks at the Mac store were very
helpful but didn't know too much about GPS except they sold a lot of
the adapters to "GPS guys". I found that Garmin apparently is willing
to turn away from the measly Mac share of the market even to the point
of not be ing willing to discuss workarounds. Garmin's view seems to
be that if you want to use our GPS units go out and buy a PC.

I have had good luck with my Garmin GPS and MacGPS Pro software. You
can find it at http://macgpspro.com/index.html. It does require a
serial-USB adapter, but not a PC. Is isn't bulletproof, but it
supports transferring waypoints to/from the Mac to the GPS device and
other useful functions.

Still not as robust as PC - GPS software, but certainly a good step.
I have also found the developer to be very responsive to questions
and suggestions, the software has been well supported to date.

Brady Johnson

Check out MacGPS Pro

http://macgpspro.com

which I have used only for some small experiments with vegetation mapping in areas where street addresses were useless so I can't really speak to its use for street navigation. A tad toward the geeky end of the spectrum, but browsing their site you'll learn that the ubiquity of serial communications with GPS is a legacy design feature of the GPS protocol which was tied far more closely to actual hardware than current practices of abstraction layers would ever imagine. Remember we're talking cold war NASA designs for those satellites...

Has anyone had any experience with http://deluoelectronics.com/ customer/home.php?

They apparently make a GPS device that will interface with Mac and also another for Bluetooth and all for $100-$150.

I took the plunge and will have some more news to report. It is being shipped to a friend in Massachusetts where I will be at month's end.

Did I just blow $140.?

Stay tuned...

Murray

On 5/24/05 10:26 AM, "Dick Furnas" <techmicrocomputerpower.com> wrote:

> Check out MacGPS Pro
>
> http://macgpspro.com
>
> which I have used only for some small experiments with vegetation mapping in
> areas where street addresses were useless so I can't really speak to its use
> for street navigation. A tad toward the geeky end of the spectrum, but
> browsing their site you'll learn that the ubiquity of serial communications
> with GPS is a legacy design feature of the GPS protocol which was tied far
> more closely to actual hardware than current practices of abstraction layers
> would ever imagine. Remember we're talking cold war NASA designs for those
> satellites...

And some really rather strange NEMA serial protocols for tying nav systems
together on vessels (ca 1980).

  --John

Check out Route 66 http://www.66.com/route66/index.php Although far
from perfect, it is the only packaged system for Macs that I have
found...


Jon R. Vermilye
     vermilyeoswego.edu
http://www.lakeshoreimages.com

On 24 May 2005, at 11:26 , Brady R. Johnson wrote:
> I have had good luck with my Garmin GPS and MacGPS Pro software. You
> can find it at http://macgpspro.com/index.html.

Thanks for the link, that has a lot of useful information.

<http://macgpspro.com/html/newhtml/receivers/usglobalsatbu303.html>

This is the type of thing I am thingking about. Simply a GPS
receiver. No dispaly, no maps, just a dongle that says "You are
here" and that's it.

Of course, this means having maps on the computer. TOPO maps of each
state are rather expensive if you plan to travel to more than one
state (from $40-$80+ each)

And, frankly, i don't need TOPO level maps for the entire country.
What I need is far less, a decent not-too-out-dated street level map
that is compliant with whatever GPS standards for maps there are
(NMEA?) so that my computer can handle the translation from the GPS's
information to a representation on the map. MacGPSPro handles the
translation but the maps seem prohibitive. I think I am missing the
non-TOPO map options somewhere.

Many of the whiz-bang features of a GPS that most people really want,
I couldn't care less about (announcing turns would get on my nerves
in about 14 seconds).

I'm one of those annoying people who never gets lost. I use maps to
plot routes or to see "what's close enough for an interesting detour"
and not for finding my way from Denver to Chicago. I'll stop and
look at a map for a few minutes and then I'll simply drive to where I
am going, so audible directions, color LCDs, and similar features are
not useful for me.

Detour plotting, otoh, would be.

So, this dongle and the MacGPSPro software sounds like a good bet for
me. The next $120 I have ($80 for the dongle and $40 for the
software) I am going to look at this very seriously.

MacGPS Pro doesn't require that you buy the James Associates maps for
the computer. The maps they sell are simply pre-calibrated, but you
can get maps from other sources as well.

You can get more info about this feature at
http://macgpspro.com/html/newhtml/maplibrary.html and provides links
to other map sources at
http://macgpspro.com/html/newhtml/maplibrary.html#NorthAmerica. They
even identify the maps that are already calibrated to work with
MacGPS Pro.

Personally, I'd like a map that downloads to my GPS but the software
doesn't do that. Or if it does, I haven't figured it out yet.
Unlike you, I have a lousy sense of direction. I always know where I
am, but often have no idea where anything else is. ;)

I have a G3 powerbook "wallstreet" with 9.1 and virtural pc so I can use streets and maps 2005. How can I hook up a gps to what I have ?

I found a nice article on using all kinds of Garmin GPS units on any modern Macintosh.

http://lancej.blogspot.com/

This above link helped me get what I need: hooking up my Garmin GPS to my USB-only PowerBook running OS X.

Garmin today announced that "it will immediately begin to make" its
products compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.
        http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/011006.html

--
Andrew Laurence atlaurenes.nacs.uci.edu
Network & Academic Computing Svcs. http://www.nacs.uci.edu/~atlauren/
UC Irvine

On 1/10/06 11:24 AM, "Jittery Jimmy" <standardsexcite.com> cleverly wrote:

I found a nice article on using all kinds of Garmin GPS units on any modern Macintosh.

http://lancej.blogspot.com/   

This above link helped me get what I need: hooking up my Garmin GPS to my USB-only PowerBook running OS X. -- If you want to unsubscribe or change your address, use this link: http://emperor.tidbits.com/webx?unsub.3c3f6899!u=3062da38

There is a fairly active group on yahoo groups that deals with Macs and GPS units. <macmapyahoogroups.com>

Give it a try for more GPS/Mac info.

Bruce

Most software that comes with GPSs, most of my experience is with Garmin, is for PCs not Macs.

The RS-232 GPSs would work with PC emulation software, like Virtual PC and Guest PC, but the newer ones with USB would not since the emulation software would not work with USB devices unless the host Mac recognized the device.

Help is on the way with Guest PC from Lismore systems. They are completing Beta testing version 1.8 with their USB controller software. It works with my USB Garmin Vista C! This is the only way I know to download Garmin software and detail maps to the USB devices.

http://www.lismoresystems.com

Other GPS software, such as MacGPS Pro do talk to the device to track your position on maps and transfer tracks and routes on a Mac, but you can not download maps to the GPS.

Guest PC works with Garmin Mapsource software and Garmin USB GPSs (I have an eTrex Vista C). Well, sort of. You can get position data from the GPS, and transfer waypoints/routes/tracks to/from the GPS. BUT - it won't upload maps or software updates to the GPS unit. I told Lismore Systems about this and they claim it's not a USB problem but rather a FPU (Floating Point Unit) math processor emulation problem. They say they're aware of the problem and are working on it.

With Parallels Desktop I can run Mapsource software but I can't communicate at all with the GPS unit.

So you need a "real" PC (or an Intel Mac with Bootcamp, apparently that works though I have no personal experience) for loading maps and unit software updates.

phillman5: I have a Garmin Vista C also. I can get position data and transfer waypoints/routes/tracks to/from my Powerbook running Guest PC and the Mapsource software. BUT - no way can I transfer detail maps or unit software updates to the Vista C. Are you saying that you were able to do that? If so, what's your secret?

I missed the original post but if someone asked about GPS devices, the Tom Tom is Mac compatible.

On 7/30/06 1:37 PM, "Annette Stollman" <annettestollmanmac.com> wrote:

> I missed the original post but if someone asked about GPS devices, the Tom Tom
> is Mac compatible.

And there's a UK Based company that is coming out with a device that
interfaces with the Garmin units and the Mac. It's in Beta right now.
--
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclife.com

Update: I'm happy to report that there is FINALLY a real solution to the problems of PPC Macs + Garmin + USB...

Guest PC version 1.9.7 beta works PERFECTLY with MapSource for transferring map files, tracks, waypoints, routes and unit software updates to/from an eTrex Vista C (which has a USB connection, so the serial-to-USB methods are not applicable.) No previous versions of Virtual PC or Guest PC would work for me (or anyone else as far as I can tell).

1.9.6 is the current release version, but the developer may give you 1.9.7 beta if you ask.

(I'm using OS 10.4 and Windows 2000, but I would imagine most other combinations of Windows 2000 or XP and OS 10.3 or 10.4 would work too.)

For those of you not familiar with Guest PC, here's the link: http://www.lismoresystems.com/

On 9/5/06 12:07 PM, "bobodobo" <bobodobo1yahoo.com> wrote:

> Update: I'm happy to report that there is FINALLY a real solution to the
> problems of PPC Macs + Garmin + USB...

There's also this Mac solution:
<http://www.routebuddy.com/routebuddy/index.html>

--
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclife.com