Problem using MapManager (Macintosh)

[Engine33]

First time user so excuse the stupid question....

I've down loaded a map from this site and tried to run MapInstall, but it seems that MapInstall cannot find the down loaded map.  Where do I need to place the map for MapInstall to find it.  The specific error message is "No unlocked maps were found for this device."  Any thoughts?  Thanks for the help.


Edited: thread title

[Seldom]

Try these:
http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-open-maps-in-garmin-basecamp/
http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-load-maps-on-my-garmin-gps-unit/

Most maps here come with an installer, the installer will see that everything goes to the right places.

[Engine33]

Thanks for the reply,  maybe I'm not getting it or maybe I asked the question poorly....

It is my understanding from the tutorials I looked at that maps have to be run through MapInstall prior to BaseCamp seeing the map.

I downloaded wytopo11.gmapi.  It is in my downloads folder.  I open MapInstall.  MapInstall does not see the wytopo11/gmapi file.  I thought I had the map  in  the wrong place.  From your response I think that maybe I do not have to run MapInstall?

I went to "How To Open Maps In Garmin BaseCamp"

Author: Dan Blomberg | Last updated October 1st, 2011 at 07:14pm

Many of the maps downloaded from this site or purchased from Garmin or other websites can be viewed on your computer via Garmin Mapsource or Garmin BaseCamp.  Garmin BaseCamp (Mac & Windows)  is the current mapping program for use with all Garmin GPS units.  It has replaced Garmin MapSource in recent time.  In this tutorial we will help you decide if the map is easily loaded into BaseCamp and then how to open the map and see it in BaseCamp.

Seeing If The Map Is Loaded In BaseCamp

    Download a map from here or another website.
    Make sure Garmin BaseCamp is closed during map installation.

How do I install is not install and download two different things?

[Indrid Cold]

The .gmapi file is for Macintosh which does not run MapSource. You are going to want the .exe version for Windows. I have to assume you are on a Windows OS as your thread title mentions MapSource, might want to present all the facts next time if you expect detailed help.

[Engine33]

Ingrid Cold,

First I'm using MAC.  I only reference MapSource only when quoting the "How To Open Maps In Garmin BaseCamp"

I'm using MapInstall.  Where does MapInstall look for files?  MapInstall does not seem to be running properly.  Does MapInstall run on MAC? 

If I understand the process:
download  xxx.gmapi
run MapInstall to convert the xxx.gmapi file
open BaseCamp
select map copy onto memory on etrex20 - will not overwrite existing maps on etrex20

My issue is  MapInstall is not seeing xxx.gmapi file.  Thanks again.

[Boyd]

If I understand the process:
download  xxx.gmapi
run MapInstall to convert the xxx.gmapi file

That is not correct. FIRST: make sure that Basecamp is installed on your Mac. The Basecamp install will also place MapManager and MapInstall in your Applications folder.

Now, after downloading the .gmapi file, simply double-click it. This should start the MapManager program, which will ask if you want to install the map. If this doesn't happen, something is wrong with your Basecamp installation and some troubleshooting is needed.

But if it works, open Basecamp and confirm that the map is visible, as per the tutorial you mentioned. If not, then it hasn't been properly installed. But if you can see the map, you can then start the MapInstall program. It will have a dropdown menu like basecamp that lets you choose which map you want to send. You can zoom in and out to see details. Select the portion of the map that you want to transfer and click the Send Maps button.

That's all there is to it. Most likely, you have not properly installed either the map or Basecamp. Think of the .gmapi file as an "installer". You cannot directly access any information in the .gmapi, it is used by MapManager to install the map on your computer. Until you do this, nothing will work.

[Engine33]

Boyd,

Thanks for the reply. 

It was very helpful.  I was able to view the map in BaseCamp.  I ran out of time lastnight and was not able to try to move it to the etrex. 

I have the Garmin 100k topo card.  Can I safely move the new map on to the card in the extex with MapInstall?  I think the answer is yes.  Please correct me if I misunderstand.  Does MapInstall combine the two files so info from both can be viewed?  Thanks in advance.

[Boyd]

Happy to help. I would strongly advise against adding anything to a pre-loaded Garmin card. For starters, there is usually very little free space on these cards. The Garmin topo map is permanently locked to that specific card with a copy protection scheme that checks the card serial number. If you somehow corrupt the data on the card you're just out of luck and Garmin won't replace it. If you try to send another map to that card, I believe that MapInstall will put up an alert with a warning advising you not to do it in fact.

If you *must* add something to the card, make sure you back it up before making any changes. The files won't work if you add them to a different card, but at least you could restore the original card if there's a problem. On an older device you would have to combine both maps into a single file and that is just not possible with a pre-loaded card. But your eTrex 20 supports multiple map files, so there is no technical reason that you can't add a map to the card.

Really, it makes more sense to just install your other maps in the eTrex internal memory. The preloaded cards are convenient but not a particularly good idea in most cases. But there are some complex trade-offs involved with all of Garmin's different map distribution formats.

[Engine33]

Boyd,

Thanks for all the great help.  I managed to get the to maps on the device.  I think they are on the device and not the SDcard.

[Boyd]

Great, glad it worked. I think the files will be on the device since MapInstall would have complained about installing them on a Garmin data card. 

[Engine33]

Boyd,

I have a new problem.  My hardrive crashed.  I have the Garmin 100k topo and the Wy map from this site on the  etrex 20.   They no longer appear on the BaseCamp unless the extrex 20 is the is plugged in.  How do I get the maps back on to BaseCamp? 

Thanks for all your help!

[Boyd]

Sounds like basecamp is reading the maps from the GPS instead of the hard drive. And that is a little odd because it wouldn't normally do that unless you had taken some steps to set it up that way.

Run MapManager and see if it lists the maps as being installed. If not, then you will need to restore them from your Time Machine backup. You do have a backup of your Mac... right? The maps are usually stored in /Users/{you}/Library/Application Support/Garmin/Maps/ where {you} is your user account name on the Mac. But in some cases they might be stored in /Library/Application Support/Garmin/Maps/

You can't copy the map files from the GPS to your computer because they will not be in the correct format.

[Engine33]

Boyd,

I was not using Time Machine, but now I am.

Yes, BaseCamp is reading the maps off of the etrex20.  Can I just run MapManager and reinstall the two maps on the computer?  Will that cause the maps to appear twice on the extrex20?

Your answers are clear and understandable.  Thanks!

[Boyd]

You can download the gpsfiledepot maps again and install. I don't know where you got the 100k topo. If it was a Garmin download, you should be able to download again for 12 months after purchasing. If it was a DVD, you can re-install.

None of this will affect your eTrex unless you specifically send maps to it from your Mac using MapInstall.