Garmin Bobcat for Macintosh Discussion

DavidTO

I figured that this software was worthy of it's own thread. I'll start it off.

I downloaded and installed the Bobcat Beta. I have no maps yet, but was just trying to get some waypoints onto my Garmin from Google Earth. Marc had sent me some shooting locations as .kmz files from GE, and all I wanted to do was to get them loaded on my Garmin. Hmmmm. Not as easy as I would have thought. I couldn't find any way to easily import the .kmz files. That seems just plain ridiculous. So, I ended up having to open them in GE, and then type the coordinates into Bobcat by hand. The formatting on the numbers is different between the two apps, so I had to deal with that, as well.

The worst part of it is that the waypoints in Bobcat seem to be off. The markers that Marc gave me were at pretty specific locations. Right at the end of a road, at the top of a hill, etc. When I put them in Bobcat they'd end up on the wrong side of the road. A beach location would be on the far side of the PCH, for instance. Odd. I wonder if the generic map is just not as accurate? Or what could be causing the discrepancy?

I managed to get the waypoints loaded into the Garmin, and I'm going up this weekend to see how it all works out. I'll see how accurate the points are in real life.

Any one else using Bobcat? :ear

Van Isle

I don't think your issue is a "Bobcat" one or a Garmin one, it's a file conversion one

".kmz" files are GE specific. Garmin's waypoint files are .csv or .gpx. I have used a program like EasyGPS or GPSBabel to do this conversion.

DavidTO

Ugh. I hate all that crap. kmz/gpx cr2/nef. Why can't we all just get along?

Anyway, thanks for the link. Looks like I may try those out next time!

Anyone think the Garmin maps are worth it? $$$

jasonstone

I'm a bit pissed at Garmin actually - I bought a nüvi 660T and it has the complete western europe maps on it - but i can't use those maps in garmin bobcat - only those on DVD

what's the point of that I ask you!?

So I gave up even looking at it out of disgust

The nüvi is a great unit though and I'll be using it in California next week (with US maps naturally)

DavidTO

jasonstone wrote:

I'm a bit pissed at Garmin actually - I bought a nüvi 660T and it has the complete western europe maps on it - but i can't use those maps in garmin bobcat - only those on DVD

what's the point of that I ask you!?

So I gave up even looking at it out of disgust

The nüvi is a great unit though and I'll be using it in California next week (with US maps naturally)

That sounds like bad news for me. I just bought the Garmin Colorado 400t, which has the US topos built in. I get it on friday. Sounds like I won't be able to use the topos in Bobcat, either. Harumph.

dmmattix

DavidTO wrote:

That sounds like bad news for me. I just bought the Garmin Colorado 400t, which has the US topos built in. I get it on friday. Sounds like I won't be able to use the topos in Bobcat, either. Harumph.

David,

Could you followup once you get the Colorado? I have been eyeing it myself but the built-in maps could be limiting.

Thanks

DavidTO

dmmattix wrote:

David,

Could you followup once you get the Colorado? I have been eyeing it myself but the built-in maps could be limiting.

Thanks

Well, you could just get the 300, couldn't you? And buy the map yourself? But sure, I'll follow up. I've been digging deep into geocaching.com, and I'm definitely going to give that a try. Worst that can happen is that I learn how to use my GPS better. OK, so I guess I could get bit by a snake, or get a tick, too. But I'll take my chances!