etrex to mac connection

[Wyliex1]

Can anyone help me? I have owned a etrex legend for some time now but I have only recently purchased a USB connector to connect to the computer so that I can download cache info etc.

The problem is that I have a mac computer which doesn't normally have a problem recognising equipment connected via USB, but it doesn't see this one at all.

[gojkgo]

It doesn't show up like a device for us either - no icon on the desktop if that's what you're looking for. It's ok. Plug the GPS in to the computer, go to GC.com, and pull up a cache page. Make sure the GPS is on. Click the gray "Send to GPS" button. A pop-up window will appear. The first time, it will probably instruct you to download and install a little program that allows the computer and GPS to communicate. Go ahead and do this. Then click the "Send to GPS" button again. It will say something like Found Garmin eTrex Legend (blah blah blah) and will give you a button that says "write." Click that to send the info to your GPS. HTH

[Wyliex1]

Can anyone help me? I have owned a etrex legend for some time now but I have only recently purchased a USB connector to connect to the computer so that I can download cache info etc.

The problem is that I have a mac computer which doesn't normally have a problem recognising equipment connected via USB, but it doesn't see this one at all.

[Wyliex1]

It doesn't show up like a device for us either - no icon on the desktop if that's what you're looking for. It's ok. Plug the GPS in to the computer, go to GC.com, and pull up a cache page. Make sure the GPS is on. Click the gray "Send to GPS" button. A pop-up window will appear. The first time, it will probably instruct you to download and install a little program that allows the computer and GPS to communicate. Go ahead and do this. Then click the "Send to GPS" button again. It will say something like Found Garmin eTrex Legend (blah blah blah) and will give you a button that says "write." Click that to send the info to your GPS. HTH

[Wyliex1]

It doesn't show up like a device for us either - no icon on the desktop if that's what you're looking for. It's ok. Plug the GPS in to the computer, go to GC.com, and pull up a cache page. Make sure the GPS is on. Click the gray "Send to GPS" button. A pop-up window will appear. The first time, it will probably instruct you to download and install a little program that allows the computer and GPS to communicate. Go ahead and do this. Then click the "Send to GPS" button again. It will say something like Found Garmin eTrex Legend (blah blah blah) and will give you a button that says "write." Click that to send the info to your GPS. HTH

Thanks for getting back to me. unfortunately All that shows up is my idisk, i can write to that but can,t get it from there onto my GPS. Anyother ideas?

Chris

[gojkgo]

I think you may need to disconnect all other devices. I vaguely recall running into a problem when an ipod was already connected to the computer. Give it a shot, anyway.

[Chiroptera lover]

It doesn't show up like a device for us either - no icon on the desktop if that's what you're looking for. It's ok. Plug the GPS in to the computer, go to GC.com, and pull up a cache page. Make sure the GPS is on. Click the gray "Send to GPS" button. A pop-up window will appear. The first time, it will probably instruct you to download and install a little program that allows the computer and GPS to communicate. Go ahead and do this. Then click the "Send to GPS" button again. It will say something like Found Garmin eTrex Legend (blah blah blah) and will give you a button that says "write." Click that to send the info to your GPS. HTH

Thanks for getting back to me. unfortunately All that shows up is my idisk, i can write to that but can,t get it from there onto my GPS. Anyother ideas?

Chris

 

Chris, all that shows up after you install the plug in and hit "send to GPS" is the iDisk? Gojkgo's directions are wonderful. I wish I'd seen them before I spent a lot of time getting my Garmin to work with my Mac. Make sure you're following them absolutely. (I'm not trying to be condescending. I spent more time than I care to admit wondering why I couldn't get this to work before I realized I had plugged the USB into my Mac but hadn't plugged the cable into my GPSr. *blush*)

[+mwff]

I also can't seem to get the Mac to see my Etrex Legend.

 

I've done as gojkgo suggested and I have the latest version of the Garmin Communicator plug-in. Unfortunately, it never finds the GPSr and, therefore, never ungrays the Write button.

 

It feels like what's missing is Garmin drivers for mac...?

[+mwff]

Interestingly, the Mac sees that there is a new "device"...

 

When I go in System Prefs>Network, a new "USB-Serial Controller" appears. That sounds good, except the computer thinks its a modem and can't connect to it.

[+coggins]

From the Garmin Communicator Plugin for Macintosh download page:

RS232 serial devices are not supported on the Mac.

Try MacCaching, set it up for serial and you might have better luck.

[+mwff]

Thanks...that quote seems pretty unambiguous.

 

So I wonder, gojkgo and chiroptera lover, are you actually connecting a newish mac (e.g. MacBook Pro, osx 10.5) to an OLD etrx legend with the serial connection and a serial-to-usb cable? If so, how?

[gojkgo]

Our macs are a few years old but the eTrex is brand new. Ours is actually a Summit and we connect via USB. Which means I won't be much help figuring out a serial connection, sorry!

[+Bear and Ragged]

Mac PPC works with a serial to USB adaptor.

I used to send GPX files to an old yellow etrex, so don't see why you can't do the same.

It doesn't show on the desktop, but is connected.

I used MacSimpleGPS to send the GPX files to the etrex, but that is a little old these days...

 

(Have to admit I use a windoze machine, so I can use GSAK)

 

Try Mac Caching linky

 

(Got the right drivers for the adaptor?)

[+pirateRACE]

I used eTrex Venture HC on an Intel iMac with no problems.

 

Used Garmin apps available here:

 

http://www8.garmin.com/macosx/

 

Good luck!

[+mwff]

So I seem to have all the right drivers/plug-ins etc, but still can't get Google Maps in Geocaching.com to talk to the GPS.

 

HOWEVER....following the suggestion of "coggins" and "Bear and Ragged" to try MacCaching I had success!

 

Thanks for all the input.

[gojkgo]

So I seem to have all the right drivers/plug-ins etc, but still can't get Google Maps in Geocaching.com to talk to the GPS.

 

HOWEVER....following the suggestion of "coggins" and "Bear and Ragged" to try MacCaching I had success!

 

Thanks for all the input.

 

Back up...what are you trying to do with Google Maps? Unless there's a site feature I'm not familiar with, and that's definitely possible, I don't think Google Maps talks to GPS units anyway. The button to send info to your GPS is on the main listing page for the cache.

[+coggins]

So I seem to have all the right drivers/plug-ins etc, but still can't get Google Maps in Geocaching.com to talk to the GPS.

 

HOWEVER....following the suggestion of "coggins" and "Bear and Ragged" to try MacCaching I had success!

 

Thanks for all the input.

 

Back up...what are you trying to do with Google Maps? Unless there's a site feature I'm not familiar with, and that's definitely possible, I don't think Google Maps talks to GPS units anyway. The button to send info to your GPS is on the main listing page for the cache.

Google maps will send to YOUR USB gps from a Mac (serial also on a PC). He might be referring to this site feature:

[gojkgo]

Oh, that - yeah, ok, we've used that before. Thanks for reminding me.

[embserherbert]

Sounds like I'm having similar issues. I just bought the eTrex Venture HC. I downloaded the Communicator PlugIn just fine. But, no matter what I do I get the message that no device is recognized. The eTrex is connected via the USB just fine. Of course, when you click on the message about downloading USB drivers, they're only for PCs. I'm using a Mac PowerBook. On geocaching.com, when clicking the gray box to "send to GPS" I get the same message as someone described above. This is VERY frustrating. Any tips? The Mac just isn't recognizing the GPS. Surely this can be fixed?!? Thanks!

[Motorcycle_Mama]

I am moving this thread from the Getting Started forum to the GPS and Technology forum.

[+TheLads]

As has been said, the communicator plugin will not work with serial GPSr on the mac, using a USB to serial adaptor simply creates a serial port on you mac, it does not make the device a USB device. Although you are technically connecting physically using a USB connection, it is still communicating via the Garmin Serial Protocol, which the communicator plugin for mac will not do, this is also the reason a disk does not appear on the desktop.

 

So the only options you have are to get a newer USB native GPSr or use a program like the suggested MacCaching that can communicate via the serial protocol.

 

For the person with the eTrex Venture HC, I'm not familiar with the model, but I see it is native USB, does it show up in Apple System Profiler under USB, and as what?

I would expect that there are no drivers for it for mac and that it should mount on the desktop. Maybe you need to change the interface setting on the GPSr itself to Mass Storage or something like that. I'm guessing here, I have had no contact with the model.

[embserherbert]

Well, I got up this morning - fresh head - and got it to work. I first connected it to the Mac, then reinstalled the Communicator Plug-In. Voila. Now I just have to figure out how the rest of the thing works! Thx!