Error receiving waypoints from Magellan GPS

[GLT]

When I try to download waypoints from a Magellan SporTrak GPS receiver, I get a message saying "Topo USA 5.0 has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." It also prompts me to "Please tell Microsoft about this problem" by sending an error report. This is the first time I have encountered this problem and have successfully downloaded GPS waypoints into DeLorme numerous times in the past. At this point, I am still able to upload GPS wayoints to the GPS, just not receive them from it. Can anyone help me understand why I am receiving message? Thank you.

[btp226]

only with a Magellan 315. I'm a new user to this particular software so this isn't exactly a great start.

[woxof]

You may be able to use the free GPs Babel to convert the Magellan files to something readable by DeLorme's arcane system. I have a Map 330 which is far easier to use than the DeLorme PN20 BRICK that i bought. Even though Topo USA 5,6,7 have Magellan listed as one of the available GPSs I can't get mine to hook up more than once in 30 tries. I have no idea what changes when it works. DeLorme techs will spend a lot of time trying to help you but they don't know what is wrong. They don't seem to care that tens of thousands of Magellan users love their GPS and hate the Magellan mapping software, all potential customers.

[TotemLake]

Since you're responding to a post several years old....

The waypoints need to be saved to their respective slots. Then you can pull them with the DeLorme software. You have to keep the names short and without spaces or special characters; that is, as plain jane as possible.

You can't expect DeLorme Tech Support to advise you how to work with a Magellan GPS. The Topo software does conform to NMEA communication standards. You need to get with Magellan regarding their communication protocols. Some things to keep in mind. If you try to make the COM port communicate too fast, you'll end up with failures. You're best off using slower speeds no higher than 9600 bps with NMEA 1.5 or better. Ensure your COM port doesn't have any conflicts with the sound card. If an IRQ is being used by another device, the COM port will fail to communicate. It isn't Topo that's failing. These are communication protocols you need to ensure your PC is working with to make it work right.

As far as DeLorme tech support goes, they do care. You're just looking in the wrong direction for help... with your Magellan. You might try doing a little Googling for more NMEA protocol information and how it works. e.g. http://www.google.com/search?q=nmea+sup ... tartPage=1

[woxof]

You must be an old Win 95 guy. It's not Windows it's the other guy's hardware.
I cannot count all the DeLorme software I have Street, Topo, X Map (for PDA conversion) The phone book (were you even alive when they put that out?) The first piece of software I ever bought other than for a TI-99A was Delorme Streets.
I have hooked up with Topo in the past but it is a once in 30-40 occurrence. I even bought a serial to USB adapter thinking that might make it consistent. I'm not the person who put Magellan with/without waypoints in the available GPSs (and what does THAT mean?) in the program. DeLorme did. If I can hook up to Map Tech maps and Magellan map programs without a hitch I have to believe the problem lies with Topo USA 6,7,8, and probably 9. I think somebody at DeLorme could hook up a Magellan 330 and see if they can get it to work. The purchase 3 or 4 editions of Streets and Topo USA and a PN20 plus the additional purchases might show you that I have supported DeLorme in the past. I am asking your company to support me as well as I have supported it.
Sean Ahern

[TotemLake]

You must be an old Win 95 guy. It's not Windows it's the other guy's hardware.
I cannot count all the DeLorme software I have Street, Topo, X Map (for PDA conversion) The phone book (were you even alive when they put that out?) The first piece of software I ever bought other than for a TI-99A was Delorme Streets.
I have hooked up with Topo in the past but it is a once in 30-40 occurrence. I even bought a serial to USB adapter thinking that might make it consistent. I'm not the person who put Magellan with/without waypoints in the available GPSs (and what does THAT mean?) in the program. DeLorme did. If I can hook up to Map Tech maps and Magellan map programs without a hitch I have to believe the problem lies with Topo USA 6,7,8, and probably 9. I think somebody at DeLorme could hook up a Magellan 330 and see if they can get it to work. The purchase 3 or 4 editions of Streets and Topo USA and a PN20 plus the additional purchases might show you that I have supported DeLorme in the past. I am asking your company to support me as well as I have supported it.
Sean Ahern

First of all. I'm a customer giving you advise about how I made it work with my Magellan. In case you don't get it, that means I'm not employed by DeLorme.

Secondly, I hated Win95. I was working on VMS and Ultrix when Windows 3.0 released, so please quit making assumptions. OK?

Finally, the Meridian was based on the 330 model series and I made it work with some basic understanding of how NMEA works and the limitations COM ports have even when virtual.

Now, you either want help, or you just want to rant. You choose. I'll be here when you ask.

[woxof]

Gee what do you think I was doing?
If you had a fix maybe you could have said so instead of this run around. Instead you are playing the Control Freak Card. If you have a suggested fix - put up or shut up. I doubt that you do. I don't have time to be jerked around by children like you.

[TotemLake]

You might want to re-read my first post. There was no control freak about it. I answered your questions and went on to explain you were expecting too much for DeLorme Tech to go get a 330 and test it.

Its been a couple of years since I did it and I'll have to crank up the old Meridian to work out the exact steps again. I recall to me it was able to download the active waypoints and the stored waypoints started with 0 and not 1. I had to reduce my baud rate to 4800 bps to gain reliable communication, but most important was to make sure the COM port was not being used by any resources. This included the IRQ that was being used. This part was the most painful but once it was done, it was reliable. You probably were tripping across this. You might want to see what's using the COM port at the same time you have a failure.

Since you asked ever so so politely...

[woxof]

Thank you, for the information.
I'm nothing if not gracious.
Sean

[TotemLake]

Good luck If you still run into issues let me know and I'll crank up the Meridian and see if i can recall the exact settings... right after I find my USB to COM converter.

[woxof]

Thanks again, I even found out what an IRQ was.

[Vic L]

Gee what do you think I was doing?
If you had a fix maybe you could have said so instead of this run around. Instead you are playing the Control Freak Card. If you have a suggested fix - put up or shut up. I doubt that you do. I don't have time to be jerked around by children like you.

Woxof, after reading a number of your posts that I think you may be tainted by experiences on other forums. I have found that in the few years I have frequented this forum, the members by and large are quite helpful, and do their best not to get into personal attacks. Perhaps if you will give the posters on this board a chance to prove they are unlike some other boards you will find it easier to get even more answers. The trend I have found here is that rather than get into personal arguments with new posters, old posters just don't respond, and believe me some of those old posters, I mean long term users, are quite knowledgeable. A number of new posters make the easy mistake of assuming this forum is a direct link to Delorme, but it is a Delorme product users forum. The users have no obligation to help others, they just do it because they like to help, and with very few exceptions, I don't see any of them playing the CF or any other card.

[woxof]

You are correct - I did not know that this was a users group.
But if you look at the totality of the thread I could have been informed of the IRQ issue at first post or the fact that it is necessary in 2 places (navigation and exchange) to set up the program for the magellan or what w/waypoints / without wayoints means (have tried both). Also the Magellan 330 DOES connect with 2 other programs and it connects as a GPS reciever with Topo USA. It just won't transfer the data. Not maps or layers just waypoints and/or tracks and/or routes. The strangest thing is that once in a blue moon it WILL work. I try to duplicate it 1 minute later and it doesn't work. DeLorme Topo has a long list of GPS units that it will work with. I feel they have an obligation to try determine why a unit won't work. It is bait and switch to put this in the program and then say contact your device manufacturer.

I do admit that i am pretty frustrated when i resort to online help but I felt the original response was rather dismissive and presumptive. If this was a shootout on the street the other guy did win because he was the bigger man. Thank you for your input. I feel you were quite diplomatic in you corrective criticism of my posts. And thanks again to the original respondent (can't see the name while writing).
Sean

[HorseTrailRider]

Also the Magellan 330 DOES connect with 2 other programs and it connects as a GPS reciever with Topo USA. It just won't transfer the data. Not maps or layers just waypoints and/or tracks and/or routes.

TP8 can product two types of map files, one for the Earthmate GPS's (PN-20/30/40 and now the 60), or any device that can display maps using the Palm OS/Pocket PC format. So, unless the 330 can accept Palm OS/Pocket PC map files, then there is no way to transfer map files from TP8 to the 330.

[woxof]

Thanks, Rick but as you can see in my last post I'm not trying to load maps into anything. I simply wanted to walk around (actually ride my CRF20X) the woods and be able to download (I don't even need to upload things) the route I create on my 330 to Topo USA 7 or failing that just transfer the waypoints. I have a pocket PC and have been transfering maps to it for years using the olds DeLorme XMap program that at that time you had to buy to encode the maps for a PPC. I now use Just the Topo program. As you see Topo does say in the Exchange box it will connect to multiple GPSs.