Rich Menga is PCMech's video guy, an author and part-time host of PCMech LIVE.There is a way to directly send a Google Maps location to just about any mobile Garmin GPS device (StreetPilot, nuvi, zumo, etc.)
Step 1.
If you haven’t done so, install the latest Garmin USB drivers.
Install the Garmin Communicator Plugin (this is so your web browser can “talk” to Google Maps correctly). Remember to restart your web browser after installing the plugin (just like any other plugin after installation).
Plug in your Garmin GPS to your computer via USB.
Step 2.
Go to maps.google.com, map a location first, then click Send.
Step 3.
Select GPS, select brand as Garmin and click the Send button at the bottom.
Step 4.
You will then be taken to the Garmin web site. If all goes well, your GPS is detected and an orange “Send to GPS” button is present. Click that button.
Important note: If the GPS is not found by your computer, confirm it’s plugged in via USB and that it is detected properly.
Once after sending to your Garmin GPS, you should see this under the map:
Click the “here” link will take you back to Google Maps.
Step 5.
Check to see if the Favorite was sent to your Garmin GPS and…
…ta-da, there it is!
Subscribe To the PCMech Feed for more interesting posts and exclusive feed-only freebies. Our weekly newsletter will keep you up to date each week.
4/28/2008 8:24 pm
Granted, I’m half asleep.. so maybe I’m not reading this right.
But… why go through all the trouble of sending locations/maps to the unit when you can just type it in directly to the GPS unit? Isn’t that the idea of the GPS unit?
So in a nutshell - what’s the point? *confused*
[Reply]
4/28/2008 8:49 pm
Well, here’s three good examples.
Planning:
It’s far faster (and moreover easier) to mark points in Google Maps than it is to do the same on a Garmin GPS. This is because you’ve got a full computer keyboard, monitor and mouse at your disposal.
The largest advantage with Google Maps is that you can literally take your mouse and drop it anywhere you want on the map, then send that as a location directly to the GPS without worrying about latitude/longitude coordinates whatsoever (it’s auto-calculated). Yes, you can do this on Garmin GPS devices as well but you don’t get satellite view, street views or terrain views. Using Google is much easier.
Sending to other Garmin GPS owners:
Basically put, if you don’t know the street address of the location you want to send to another Garmin GPS owner, you’re screwed (unless you know how to make a POI database which is a huge pain - I know this from personal experience).
With Google Maps, you mark a location, link it, and IM or e-mail it to your friend/relative/whatever that has a Garmin GPS. Then they can load in waypoints the same way you do. No fuss, no muss.
Collaborating:
There is no way to have a collaborative map data set between multiple users via the internet - except with Google Maps.
There is the ability to “share” a map with Google Maps where people of your choosing can add/edit/remove locations. For people that band together for road trips (such as motorcyclists often do), having a data set that can be *easily* worked on between users is a godsend. Everyone will get the same data to send to their Garmin GPS receivers.
[Reply]
Drew reply on April 28, 2008 9:19 pm:
OK. Had my Canadian coffee now so all good - the brain is functioning again! LOL
Good points there, Rich. Now that you’ve laid it all out there it makes a lot more sense
Thanks for the great article along with the additional info!
[Reply]