Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street address
from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road by
road how to get there?

I have this unit loaned to me so that I can get some idea of how they work
but the manual (online) is sometimes less than useful and more often than
not quite confusing.

I have managed to place the cursor on a destination point and get road
directions to the spot from my current position but the other scenario would
be more useful I think.

Thanks for any help.

--
Ron P

Quick questions rarely have quick answers

"Worn Out Retread" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:guh4df$3er$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street address
> from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road by
> road how to get there?
>
> I have this unit loaned to me so that I can get some idea of how they work
> but the manual (online) is sometimes less than useful and more often than
> not quite confusing.
>
> I have managed to place the cursor on a destination point and get road
> directions to the spot from my current position but the other scenario
> would be more useful I think.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> --
> Ron P
>
> Quick questions rarely have quick answers

There are other tools rather than a GPS that would suit your needs. I think
any of the mapping sites on line would do that for you.

Do a Google search for "driving directions" and take your pick of what is
available. GPS is better suited for starting from a current position and
guiding you as you travel. It keeps track of where you are and where next
maneuvers are coming up.


Charlie


"Worn Out Retread" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:guh4df$3er$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street address
> from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road by
> road how to get there?
>
> I have this unit loaned to me so that I can get some idea of how they work
> but the manual (online) is sometimes less than useful and more often than
> not quite confusing.
>
> I have managed to place the cursor on a destination point and get road
> directions to the spot from my current position but the other scenario
> would be more useful I think.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> --
> Ron P
>
> Quick questions rarely have quick answers

Well that is the whole purpose of the question. Googling a map and getting
directions does not take into consideration all of the construction that is
going on in the summer. So, for practical purposes, Google maps are more or
less useless. When you don't know the city that you are going to, and you
don't know the street, it becomes very difficult to navigate to the address
that you want to go to using Google or any other map for that matter as they
don't take the detours into consideration nor do they provide any means of
re-calculating your route when you find yourself in a detour situation.

My neighbour has a GPS that allows you to type in the address and then you
just follow the route. If you are detoured away from the route, all you do
is to push the recalculate button and a new route is provided.

This appears to be lacking in the GPS that I have been loaned.

"Charlie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:guhffr$3ee$(E-Mail Removed)...
> There are other tools rather than a GPS that would suit your needs. I
> think any of the mapping sites on line would do that for you.
>
> Do a Google search for "driving directions" and take your pick of what is
> available. GPS is better suited for starting from a current position and
> guiding you as you travel. It keeps track of where you are and where next
> maneuvers are coming up.
>
>
> Charlie
>
>
> "Worn Out Retread" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:guh4df$3er$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street
>> address from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show
>> road by road how to get there?
>>
>> I have this unit loaned to me so that I can get some idea of how they
>> work but the manual (online) is sometimes less than useful and more often
>> than not quite confusing.
>>
>> I have managed to place the cursor on a destination point and get road
>> directions to the spot from my current position but the other scenario
>> would be more useful I think.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>>
>> --
>> Ron P
>>
>> Quick questions rarely have quick answers
>
>

Mine also has a reroute function. As I said in my response, I am not
familiar with the model you have available.
Reroute is indeed handy when it is needed.

Charlie


"Worn Out Retread" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gujpsi$nob$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Well that is the whole purpose of the question. Googling a map and getting
> directions does not take into consideration all of the construction that
> is going on in the summer. So, for practical purposes, Google maps are
> more or less useless. When you don't know the city that you are going to,
> and you don't know the street, it becomes very difficult to navigate to
> the address that you want to go to using Google or any other map for that
> matter as they don't take the detours into consideration nor do they
> provide any means of re-calculating your route when you find yourself in a
> detour situation.
>
> My neighbour has a GPS that allows you to type in the address and then you
> just follow the route. If you are detoured away from the route, all you do
> is to push the recalculate button and a new route is provided.
>
> This appears to be lacking in the GPS that I have been loaned.
>
> "Charlie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:guhffr$3ee$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> There are other tools rather than a GPS that would suit your needs. I
>> think any of the mapping sites on line would do that for you.
>>
>> Do a Google search for "driving directions" and take your pick of what
>> is available. GPS is better suited for starting from a current position
>> and guiding you as you travel. It keeps track of where you are and where
>> next maneuvers are coming up.
>>
>>
>> Charlie
>>
>>
>> "Worn Out Retread" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:guh4df$3er$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street
>>> address from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and
>>> show road by road how to get there?
>>>
>>> I have this unit loaned to me so that I can get some idea of how they
>>> work but the manual (online) is sometimes less than useful and more
>>> often than not quite confusing.
>>>
>>> I have managed to place the cursor on a destination point and get road
>>> directions to the spot from my current position but the other scenario
>>> would be more useful I think.
>>>
>>> Thanks for any help.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ron P
>>>
>>> Quick questions rarely have quick answers
>>
>>

Worn Out Retread wrote:

> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street address
> from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road by
> road how to get there?

It depends on what maps you have installed. Because you're able to
enter street numbers, I'm guessing that your unit has the 'Topo 3D' map
installed.

To get turn by turn routing, you need to install the 'DirectRoute' maps.

http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories...irectroute.htm

On Thu, 14 May 2009 08:56:11 -0400,
Worn Out Retread <(E-Mail Removed)>, in
<guh4df$3er$(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street address
> from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road by
> road how to get there?

After looking up that model, it appears to be a handheld unit suitable
for hiking and other back country pursuits. It may not be capable -
out of the box, anyway - of point to point navigation via automobile.

--
Consulting Minister for Consultants, DNRC
I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow
isn't looking good, either.
I am BOFH. Resistance is futile. Your network will be assimilated.

"Jim Townsend" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Worn Out Retread wrote:
>
>> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street
>> address
>> from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road by
>> road how to get there?
>
> It depends on what maps you have installed. Because you're able to
> enter street numbers, I'm guessing that your unit has the 'Topo 3D' map
> installed.
>
> To get turn by turn routing, you need to install the 'DirectRoute' maps.
>
> http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories...irectroute.htm

It would appear that this software is already installed on the unit loaned
to me and I am just learning about how GPS works and am finding the manual a
bit less than helpful in a lot of areas

Than you.
Ron

"I R A Darth Aggie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Thu, 14 May 2009 08:56:11 -0400,
> Worn Out Retread <(E-Mail Removed)>, in
> <guh4df$3er$(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Using a Magellan explorist 500, is there any way to enter a street
>> address
>> from a strange town and have the GPS calculate the route and show road
>> by
>> road how to get there?
>
> After looking up that model, it appears to be a handheld unit suitable
> for hiking and other back country pursuits. It may not be capable -
> out of the box, anyway - of point to point navigation via automobile.
>
> --
> Consulting Minister for Consultants, DNRC
> I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow
> isn't looking good, either.
> I am BOFH. Resistance is futile. Your network will be assimilated.

It appears that the software has been updated because there is street by
street navigation from one point to another giving the names of the streets
and the turns that are to be made. I will just have to figure out how to
use the capability I guess.

Simple street by street navigation is easy but to get to a specific address
isn't so simple. There are things like restaurants and theatres etc
accessible and a street address is given and street by street navigation is
also given to the address in question. So, the ability appears to be there
and it is just a matter of finding out how to enter the information
manually.

Thanks

Ron

Worn Out Retread wrote:

> It would appear that this software is already installed on the unit loaned
> to me and I am just learning about how GPS works and am finding the manual
> a bit less than helpful in a lot of areas

OK.. I misread your original question.

I have a eXplorist 500, but I don't have direct route installed on it.

I'm assuming that Direct Route must find addresses in a manner similar
to my unit that has Topo Maps installed. If that's the case, then the
following info should help:

Entering information is always done by pressing the GOTO button.

When you press the button you'll have some options displayed. On
my unit it says:

My Pts of Interest
Geocache Pts
Background Map
Detail Map

To find an address, I click on 'Detail Map'. (Yours -might- say something
different.. Like 'Route Map').. Once I click on 'Detail Map' I get
another screen displayed. The first option on that screen is 'Address'.

I click on 'Address'. The display changes to an input screen asking for
the street name. I enter the street name (ie Main St). Clicking OK
presents me with the city that Main St is in. (If there is more than
one city with a Main St you get a list of cities with a Main St).

I select the city I want, then I get asked to enter the street number. I
do that and the eXplorist finds the location for me.

As I mentioned, I don't have the Direct route software installed, so I
don't get the routing option. I just get a straight line drawn from
my location to the address I selected. I have to find my way there as
best I can.

For street by street routing, I have a dashboard mounted GPS in my
car. I use the eXplorist for biking and hiking and as a receiver for my
laptop based software, (Microsoft Streets and Trips). The eXplorist is
capable of sending GPS data to the laptop through a USB cable.