[jarcher]

Is it possible to create waypoints and/or routes for a Garmin GPSMAP device using something like a text editor to create a file, then put that file on to an SD card and have a Garmin GPSMAP just read the routes off the SD card?

I have the lat/lon of a bunch of race course marks, and I want to put the routes for the various pre-defined courses into the GPS ahead of time. The only charting software I have is SeaClear II, which does not seem to export to Garmin, or even handle route creation properly.

Thanks...

 

[jarcher]

Hm, upon more research it seems that Garmin uses an undocumented binary format in a file called UserData.ADM. Very nice of them. There is a shareware utility called, generically enough, "GPS Utility" that allows you to enter waypoints and create routes and export them to the SD card.

GPS Utility - Home

I am still playing with it but it seems that it will do the job. Unfortunately for me, I need a SD card formatted by the Garmin unit to put the test data on, and my laptop can not write an SD card. So I either need to get a portable USB card reader or go to the boat, fetch the card, bring it home, write the date, then go try it out. I think I'll get a portable card writer.