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[ultrafxr]

Even though Garmin has abandoned its Mapsource program in favor of Base Camp I and most everyone I know still favor and use Mapsource.  But I am wondering if Garmin is weaning us off Mapsource by making it incompatible with new releases of map databases.  Here is what I have encountered.

During the recent TN HOG rally in Maryville, TN, several of us were planning a ride through Smokey Mountain National Park and on to Maggie Valley.  While building the route every time I added a particular way point when Mapsource calculated the route it would 'blow up.'  By that I mean I got an error message saying that Mapsource had encountered an error and was shutting down.  No matter what I tried I could not get the route to run as I wanted due to this 'glitch.'  Several of my friends had the same problem so it was not unique to my computer.

And while in Michigan recently I tried to build a route to come home with the same result - Mapsource blew up.  I tried various other destinations within a 200 mile radius of my home and could not get it to work. 

I have never had this problem until the last couple of months.  Garmin tech support could not help but they did tell me that Mapsource is no longer compatible with some of their newer GPS units - Nuvi models I think. 

I really don't want to have to migrate to Base Camp.  I don't care for its all inclusive data base concept.  I much prefer the 'old style' files and folders as I can organize and retrieve what I want much easier.  And you can't drag and drop the route in Base Camp as you can in Mapsource.

I may have to investigate Microsoft Streets and Trips as an alternative.

[chaos901]

I have not had that problem with Mapsource and I too do not use Base Camp.

You can convert Streets and Trips to the proper format for a Garmin, I believe that Babble will do the trick.

Just one clarification, I am still using my Zumo 550 in case that matters.

[ultrafxr]

I don't think the GPS unit matters, Mac, as the problem I encountered was using Mapsource on my computer.  The Zumo was not connected.  I suspect that the map updates are beginning to have some sort of compatibility problem with Mapsource and eventually Mapsource just will not work at all.

Sure hate it because when I revisited Base Camp a couple months ago I did find it greatly improved over what it was a couple years ago I still do not like it.  Cannot understand why Garmin does not allow for routes to be dragged as they do in Mapsource.  Sure is a big time saver.

[Hawg]

I was wondering what was happing, had the same problem, gave up and decided to just enter the destination on the 660 instead.

[ultrafxr]

I was wondering what was happing, had the same problem, gave up and decided to just enter the destination on the 660 instead.

Yeah, that is what I had to do also.  That's OK when you just want to 'get there' but I like to build my routes to my specifications taking the roads I select, not what the GPS decides / redecides / can't figure out.

If this (Base Camp) is progress, well just leave me back in the Stone Age thank you very much.

[Hawg]

Butler Maps  http://www.butlermaps.com/ works for me too!

[chaos901]

On the computer I have not had that problem.  

My current map is 2013.4, but I do suspect that you are correct about weening people off of Mapsource.  

I might refraim from updating for a while.

  

[Ghost__Rider]

Yeah, I thought it was me but basecamp sucks...

[BigLew55]

Folks, I would invite you to visit the Garmin forum and directly voice your concerns there.  They seem to be under the impression that I'm the only one in the world that doesn't like it, and that I must just be change averse.

Please take some time to itemize your issues and mention what you would like to see in the way of improvement.

https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?179-BaseCamp

[blacktop]

I've used Mapsource in the past but doesn't the HD Trip Planner work with these Garmins (as an alternative)?

[iski]

I also encountered Mapsource crashes on a route I was planning last week. No matter what I did, it crashed.  

Ended up using the HD Ride Planner and it appeared to load ok on my 660.

Will probably invest in Streets & Trips.  Appears they are phasing out Mapsource & Basecamp sucks hind teat.

From my past experience with Garmin, they do not give a zchit about HD Garmin users, and HD customer service agreed with me when I contacted them to eventually resolve my issue (not related to the above - my past issue was hardware).

[ultrafxr]

Even though I do not like BaseCamp I prefer it over Harley's Ride Planner.  I find Ride Planner very slow and difficult to use, even more so than BaseCamp.  I have downloaded some routes from Ride Planner that other's have posted and found that many of the way points were 'off' when running the route from my Garmin Zumo.  I suspect that the map data bases are not the same and something gets lost in translation.  Not huge errors but if not careful you can be told to make a turn and then after a very short while to make a u-turn and get back to the road you were just on - this because the way point was slightly off.

And I've always used Map Source to open the .gpx file I downloaded from Ride Planner.  You're going to have to use Map Source or BaseCamp to 'send' the route to the Garmin GPS anyway, aren't you?   

And the more I think about Streets & Trips the less I like that idea for two reasons:

1.  The map data sets most likely are not idential to what is in the Garmin GPS so there may be errors like from Ride Planner.

2.  I would have to buy a new version of Streets & Trips each year to stay current.  Already paid Garmin for lifetime map updates.

Much as I don't like it I may have to struggle through BaseCamp.

[hdbrad03]

I used BaseCamp to load trip to Santa Fe and it never showed any lane assist information.
Then I used 660 to get home WALLA the lane assists came back.


 

    Brad

 

[ultrafxr]

I used BaseCamp to load trip to Santa Fe and it never showed any lane assist information.
Then I used 660 to get home WALLA the lane assists came back.

 

    Brad

Well isn't that special!

[kraut]

before investing in alternative software try tyre. Easy to use and for free.