Uploading waypoints from Navmaster to GPS

Uploading waypoints is easy once you know what format your GPS accepts. This information sheet will help you find out the format your GPS accepts.

Routes or Waypoints?

It is important to know that very few GPS units can accept a whole Route upload (the NMEA sentence the GPS must recognise is RTE), even though Navmaster has the capability to upload routes. However, almost all GPS units can accept individual waypoints (the NMEA sentence the GPS must recognise is WPL). Navmaster stores points on a chart as chartpoints in Chartpoint databases. Chartpoints can also be waypoints when they are used in routes and they are then stored as a "copy" waypoint in Route databases. Bearing in mind the GPS limitation of not accepting routes, when you wish to upload waypoints to your GPS, you will almost always need to upload chartpoints. Navmaster makes it easy to upload lists of chartpoints; you highlight the ones you want or highlight all, and press Upload. Please refer to your Navmaster User Guide Chapter 8 for uploading instructions.

What format does my GPS use?

The format should be listed in your GPS manual, but in many cases you may have to contact the technical department of the GPS manufacturer to obtain the format. A clue to the format required by your GPS is provided by the way you have to enter waypoints manually into your GPS. Here's a checklist:

• Number of characters allowed for waypoint names. Most GPS have a limit of 6-8 characters. So your Navmaster chartpoint CHICHESTER may not be accepted, but CHICHEST may be. Newer models may accept the longer name chartpoint, but ignore any characters beyond 8.
• Spaces may not be allowed. ST AGNES may not be accepted, but ST_AGNES or ST-AGNES may be.
• The GPS may require all upper case or all lower case, or it may accept a mixture of lower and upper case.
• Is a waypoint ID required? Some GPS will only accept an ID. If so, you need to fill in the ID field for your chartpoints in Navmaster, eg CH1.
• Some GPS allow you to fill selected positions in the waypoint bank when uploading. You can select waypoint number starting at, say, 25 which will place '25' followed by a default space before the waypoint name and place your first uploaded waypoint at position 25 in the bank. Not all GPS accept a default space, so you can select another character from Navigator\Options \GPS tab. Remember to backspace to delete the space before typing another character.