New car GPS going from nuvi 350 to 52LM

[+SirKarp]

Ok so heres the deal. We have been doing the in car navigation with a Garmin Nuvi 350 for many years now. We just got a screaming deal on a couple new Garmin Nuvi 52LM units. With the 350 we have always loaded caches into it by pressing the GPX button on the cache page and then loading them into the GPS using garmin POI loader. So that the caches show up under Custom POIs in the GPS. This has worked out very well for us, but now with the new GPS the nuvi 52, I go though the same procedure and the files load into the GPS just fine but, when I go to navigate to one of the caches there is no go button to press in order to be able to navigate to the cache. No it's not that I'm not seeing the go button, it's really not there. Now interestingly enough I was able to figure out that if load the them in manual mode and uncheck the box that says This file contains proximity alert points, then the go button will appear when I attempt to navigate to a cache. That work around is fine for say a 10 or 20 cache day but when we are going out caching on a long weekend loading 150 caches that way could be a real pain. Anybody got a better idea? Is there a setting I'm missing? Do I need to load them another way with this new GPS?

 

Thanks,

 

SirKarp ~ Rob

[+Capt. Bob]

I use EasyGPS (free) to load my 52LM.

Usually I generate a 500 waypoint .gpx file and load both cache and waypoint files into EasyGPS.

Then I:

1) Connect the 52LM using the USB cable and wait for the Garmin directory to pop up.

2) Send the files from EasyGPS.

3) Open the “GPX” folder in the Garmin directory

4) Delete any “Current” and all older “SentTo GPS…” files that maybe there but keep the latest “SentToGPS...”version.

5) Close the directory and disconnect the USB cable.

6) Restart the 52LM but place my thumb over the lower right hand corner until the notice “Erase all user data” shows up. Select “Yes”.

7) Return to the main screen and select “Where To?” then select “Favorites".

 

The only thing I store as a POI is my home address just to get me started heading home when in an unfamiliar location.

[alandb]

Ok so heres the deal. We have been doing the in car navigation with a Garmin Nuvi 350 for many years now. We just got a screaming deal on a couple new Garmin Nuvi 52LM units. With the 350 we have always loaded caches into it by pressing the GPX button on the cache page and then loading them into the GPS using garmin POI loader. So that the caches show up under Custom POIs in the GPS. This has worked out very well for us, but now with the new GPS the nuvi 52, I go though the same procedure and the files load into the GPS just fine but, when I go to navigate to one of the caches there is no go button to press in order to be able to navigate to the cache. No it's not that I'm not seeing the go button, it's really not there. Now interestingly enough I was able to figure out that if load the them in manual mode and uncheck the box that says This file contains proximity alert points, then the go button will appear when I attempt to navigate to a cache. That work around is fine for say a 10 or 20 cache day but when we are going out caching on a long weekend loading 150 caches that way could be a real pain. Anybody got a better idea? Is there a setting I'm missing? Do I need to load them another way with this new GPS?

 

Thanks,

 

SirKarp ~ Rob

This situation can occur if POI Loader is incorrectly loading the GPX file(s) as speed camera alerts instead of Proximity alerts. For some reason, newer nuvi's can't select a custom POI speed camera alert as a destination, so the "GO" button is greyed out on these POI's. There are several ways this can happen ... one is if the GPX file name contains numeric characters (such as "FunkyCache20.gpx"). Numbers in GPX or CSV file names causes POI Loader to load the entries as speed alerts.

 

If you think this may be your problem, the best way to avoid it is to rename any GPX files removing any numeric characters in the name, then run POI Loader in manual mode and manually select and set the proximity distance.

Edited February 21, 2015 by alandb

[+SirKarp]

Ok so heres the deal. We have been doing the in car navigation with a Garmin Nuvi 350 for many years now. We just got a screaming deal on a couple new Garmin Nuvi 52LM units. With the 350 we have always loaded caches into it by pressing the GPX button on the cache page and then loading them into the GPS using garmin POI loader. So that the caches show up under Custom POIs in the GPS. This has worked out very well for us, but now with the new GPS the nuvi 52, I go though the same procedure and the files load into the GPS just fine but, when I go to navigate to one of the caches there is no go button to press in order to be able to navigate to the cache. No it's not that I'm not seeing the go button, it's really not there. Now interestingly enough I was able to figure out that if load the them in manual mode and uncheck the box that says This file contains proximity alert points, then the go button will appear when I attempt to navigate to a cache. That work around is fine for say a 10 or 20 cache day but when we are going out caching on a long weekend loading 150 caches that way could be a real pain. Anybody got a better idea? Is there a setting I'm missing? Do I need to load them another way with this new GPS?

 

Thanks,

 

SirKarp ~ Rob

This situation can occur if POI Loader is incorrectly loading the GPX file(s) as speed camera alerts instead of Proximity alerts. For some reason, newer nuvi's can't select a custom POI speed camera alert as a destination, so the "GO" button is greyed out on these POI's. There are several ways this can happen ... one is if the GPX file name contains numeric characters (such as "FunkyCache20.gpx"). Numbers in GPX or CSV file names causes POI Loader to load the entries as speed alerts.

 

If you think this may be your problem, the best way to avoid it is to rename any GPX files removing any numeric characters in the name, then run POI Loader in manual mode and manually select and set the proximity distance.

 

Thanks, This is exactly what the problem is I just haven't figured out a way around it yet. I have always loaded my caches using the GC code for the name which almost always results in a number being in the name. Kind of hard to rename the GC code and still have it line up with my hand held then. I'm still not sure what the best solution is but it is nice to see that someone tuned into it.

 

I'm still open to ideas, but yes this is definitely the issue I've got.

 

Thanks,

Rob

[alandb]

You could try the solution sussamb suggested, using the "i" information link on the nuvi to get it to display the "Go" button. I tested this on my 3597. It was awkward, but I did get it to work. Maybe the same method will work on your nuvi 52.

 

Since you are a premium member, it seems to me like the best solution is to use a Pocket Query to download your caches instead of sending them individualy. That way you will get 1 GPX file containing all the caches, and it is easy to rename the file before you run POI Loader.

Edited February 22, 2015 by alandb

[+SirKarp]

You could try the solution sussamb suggested, using the "i" information link on the nuvi to get it to display the "Go" button. I tested this on my 3597. It was awkward, but I did get it to work. Maybe the same method will work on your nuvi 52.

 

Since you are a premium member, it seems to me like the best solution is to use a Pocket Query to download your caches instead of sending them individualy. That way you will get 1 GPX file containing all the caches, and it is easy to rename the file before you run POI Loader.

 

On the 52 the "I" information link only appears for favorites not for POI's.

 

I will try loading a pocket Query and see if that helps at all, the problem is we often hand pick the caches that we are going to go after on a given route, which is why I have never gotten into doing the pocket query thing, but I'll try playing with that method and see. Ideally I'd like to do what I use to be able to do, but it seems this GPS can't.

 

Thanks,

Rob

[+SirKarp]

So I just tried loading a pocket query as suggested I changed the name of the file to something else without numbers and it went in just fine and works properly with the GO button available. However this method is not the best for me because we like to hand pick the caches we are going after ahead of time. I'm still open to advice of ideas on how to make this a little bit easier.

 

Thanks,

Rob

[+SirKarp]

If someone comes up with a better solution that I have please let me know, but encase there is someone out there wondering. I have, using some of my own thinking and the advice on the thread here come up with a solution.

 

#1. Press the GPX button on the cache page for all of the caches I want to look for just like I always have.

#2. Load them into EasyGPS.

#3. From easy GPS save the file as a GPX with a name that has no numbers in it. This creates just one file similar to what I would get from a pocket quarry.

#4. Load that into the GPS unit with the POI loader and everything works just like it should.

 

YEA!!!! Problem Solved!!!!

 

Thanks for all the input.