[sra]

I am thinking about getting a Garmin GPSMap 60CS when they become available. This receiver has a native USB connection. From what I've read, if you want to use a serial-port GPS device with a Mac, you do that through a serial-to-USB adaptor, and you need a driver for that adaptor. If I get the 60CS, will I need to find a USB driver for it (for Panther)? If so, how might I go about doint that, given Garmin's absolute refusal to provide any support for Mac users? ('')

[Spheric Harlot]

I have no idea, but "Garmin GPS" rang a bell.

http://www.macupdate.com/search.php?...x=0&button.y=0

that should get you started, though I obviously cannot vouch for any of these four products.

-s*

[sra]

Thanks, but these software packages address the problem of using GPS data on Macs. None of them address the hardware issue of Mac to GPS receiver connections - the current versions of these programs assume that your GPS is a serial device which connects to the Mac via an adaptor (such as the one from Kensington, for which drivers are available). I'm interested in a receiver that uses a USB interface instead of serial.

[mikerally]

Forget the Garmin,

Buy the Fortuna U2 GPS (USB version), they have Mac OS X drivers for it on their website.

You can buy the Fortuna U2 GPS (USB version) from Expansys USA, here's the link:
http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?code=U2-USBGPS

It's only $93 and it's USB Powered.

You can download the Mac OS X drivers off the manufacturers website here:
http://www.fortuna.com.tw/download.htm

The Fortuna USB GPS uses the standard NMEA 0183 ASCII protocol, so it will work with all the GPS software programs no problem, they will be ready to use the GPS from the get-go.

It's also based on the SiRF II chipset, a well known and respected GPS chipset.

Hope that info helps you.

[The Ayatollah]

I thought garmin sold a usb-based cord for jacking into the computer. No?

[Chage]

Sorry to drag up an old thread..

I found theres a driver at www.serialio.com that does the job very nicely

http://www.serialio.com/products/ada...usb_serial.htm

Despite the misleading images on the page download the OS X drivers, install and yeehaw, you now have a /dev/usbserial0 device that is your gps device

[sbjordal]

Originally posted by mikerally:
Forget the Garmin,

Buy the Fortuna U2 GPS (USB version), they have Mac OS X drivers for it on their website.

You can buy the Fortuna U2 GPS (USB version) from Expansys USA, here's the link:
http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?code=U2-USBGPS

It's only $93 and it's USB Powered.

You can download the Mac OS X drivers off the manufacturers website here:
http://www.fortuna.com.tw/download.htm

The Fortuna USB GPS uses the standard NMEA 0183 ASCII protocol, so it will work with all the GPS software programs no problem, they will be ready to use the GPS from the get-go.

It's also based on the SiRF II chipset, a well known and respected GPS chipset.

Hope that info helps you.

So what exactly would this do? Could you use a street map program and have the laptop go "turn right on Main street, 400 yards" etc? Or would you simply just display a dot on a map?

[shabbasuraj]

i geocahche and use my GPS all the time, and this very fact pisses off a lot of Mac users... I have no idea why neither Garmin or Magellan do not support OS X..

I know many geocachers who are patiently waiting for some manufacturer to take to Mac users..

[dampeoples]

Originally posted by shabbasuraj:
i geocahche and use my GPS all the time, and this very fact pisses off a lot of Mac users... I have no idea why neither Garmin or Magellan do not support OS X..

I know many geocachers who are patiently waiting for some manufacturer to take to Mac users..

Now you know one more

[Macpilot]

Originally posted by shabbasuraj:
i geocahche and use my GPS all the time, and this very fact pisses off a lot of Mac users... I have no idea why neither Garmin or Magellan do not support OS X..

I know many geocachers who are patiently waiting for some manufacturer to take to Mac users..

Uh.....what is a geocacher?

[ChrisF]

Originally posted by sra:
Thanks, but these software packages address the problem of using GPS data on Macs. None of them address the hardware issue of Mac to GPS receiver connections - the current versions of these programs assume that your GPS is a serial device which connects to the Mac via an adaptor (such as the one from Kensington, for which drivers are available). I'm interested in a receiver that uses a USB interface instead of serial.

I recently bought a 60c myself. The Mac doesn't recognize it via USB whatsoever. I'd been using my Etrex Legend with Mapsource on Virtual PC using a Keyspan USB-serial adapter. Unfortunately, Virtual PC doesn't work with the 60c connected by USB-apparently there's something proprietary about Garmin's USB protocol.
If you're just going to use the Mac to upload waypoints and not maps, just get a serial cable from Garmin for the 60cs. It's Garmin part # 010-10141-00, but it's pretty expensive for what it is. If you don't already have a USB-serial adapter, you'd need that too.
Chris

[Rayming GPS]

Originally posted by sra:
I am thinking about getting a Garmin GPSMap 60CS when they become available. This receiver has a native USB connection. From what I've read, if you want to use a serial-port GPS device with a Mac, you do that through a serial-to-USB adaptor, and you need a driver for that adaptor. If I get the 60CS, will I need to find a USB driver for it (for Panther)? If so, how might I go about doint that, given Garmin's absolute refusal to provide any support for Mac users? (':mad:')

I may have solution for you on the need for a GPS receiver that supports MAC. Rayming corp's TripNav TN-200 USB GPS receiver supports Win/ Mac/ Linux right out of the box. Drivers included in the package. It is USB powered, magnet mounted, and has a 5 ft cable for placement. It's priced around $95 on the net. You can buy it directly from Rayming at MSRP or from one of their dealers.

http://rayming.com/products/wheretobuy.htm

The GPS Guy :p

[ChrisF]

Originally posted by Rayming GPS:
I may have solution for you on the need for a GPS receiver that supports MAC. Rayming corp's TripNav TN-200 USB GPS receiver supports Win/ Mac/ Linux right out of the box.

Unfortunately, none of these types of devices help if you want to take the GPSr with you while biking or hiking or whatever and that's how units like the Garmin GPSMap 60cs are intended to be used.
Chris

[phihllman5]

Most software that comes with GPSs, most of my experience is with Garmin,
is for PCs not Macs. The RS-232 GPSs would work with PC emulation software, like Virtual PC and Guest PC, but the newer ones with USB would not since the emulation software would not work with USB devices unless the host Mac recognized the device.
Help is on the way with Guest PC from Lismore systems. They are completing Beta testing version 1.8 with their USB controller software. It works with my Garmin Vista C! This is the only way I know to download Garmin software and detail maps to the USB devices.

http://www.lismoresystems.com

Other GPS software, such as MacGPS Pro do talk to the device to track your position on maps and transfer tracks and routes on a Mac, but you can not download maps to the GPS.

[ChrisF]

Originally Posted by phihllman5

Most software that comes with GPSs, most of my experience is with Garmin,
is for PCs not Macs.

Wow, a 2 year old thread back from the dead. Since then, Garmin has announced it will support Mac OS X later this year.

[KeyLimePi]

Yea, and a shameless plug for software from a first-time poster.

[ghporter]

I'd wait for Garmin's software instead of using some third party's stuff. I've tried a variety of third-party stuff on PCs and I've almost always been quite disappointed. They do almost everything I want, but the one or two features I'd really need (like backing up waypoints, or editing waypoint names ON the device) are what tend to be missing. I could navigate with both the GPS unit AND my PC laptop, but I WANT to navigate with JUST the GPS unit.

[ilikeninjas90]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I'd wait for Garmin's software instead of using some third party's stuff. I've tried a variety of third-party stuff on PCs and I've almost always been quite disappointed.

I have poked around VersionTracker and found references to GPSPro and some other things to solve this problem (apparently) and was wondering if anybody has any experience with them. All I want to do is save tracks and waypoints on my GPS receiver (Garmin GPSMap 60CS), then transfer them onto my Mac to use them in the National Geographic TOPO software. I don't care about much beyond that -- just switching routes, tracks, and waypoints between the two, even if there's an intermediate step in between.

OR -- is there any news on when Garmin is going to start supporting Mac OSX?

Thanks,
PortlandPaul

[len999]

hmmmm, garmin os x usb driver would be nifty, if it exists... ;--)

[jasong]

Wow, a double-resurrected thread.

[len999]

hehehe let's go triple... ;-)
cripes, garmin=bogus...
I like this garmin nuvi 350 thing... :>

[ghporter]

It is considered bad form to bring up a thread that's really old without adding something worthwhile to it... And we have a rule about it too-if it's older than 6 months, don't open it up again, at least without adding something REALLY useful to it.

Did you find a Garmin driver? At all? I'm stuck using my PC for both of my Garmin GPS units because they are both serial-only. But then the software for them is Windows only too, so it's not that big a deal.

[msuper69]

TomTom XL One comes with OS X software. Works pretty well even though it's not obviously designed by someone unfamiliar with the OS X way of programming. It does work so I'm not going to complain very much.