Garmins Homeport Software

I haven't bought it yet - I'll have to make a run to the boat to pull the maps onto an SD card before it will do me any good...

I didn't read the whole THT thread, but I'm hoping at some point someone will help out the guy who takes digital camera pics of his computer screen. That's a new one!
 
Revitalizing this thread.
I recently purchased and installed a Garmin 740s. I also downloaded to my home PC whatever the latest version of HomePort is. I set up a few waypoints and backed them up to a 2GB SD card (that had been formatted and was clean). Took it to the unit and it didn't recognize the format. I think I used the wrong file extension when I EXPORTED it (I used .gpx, not .gdb).

Meanwhile, I bought a 32GB card and re-backed up those same waypoints to the card at home (this time in the .gdb file extension) and took it to the boat. Now the plotter is not recognizing the presence of the card at all. I wanted to try and upload those waypoints but couldn't. Plotter asked me to insert a card though the card was already there.

So I pull out the laptop, re-format the card and now try to get the pre-loaded charts from the Plotter onto the card so that I can upload them to HomePort to get detail. [I think that 's how it works - the HomePort software has ZERO detail (depths, channel markers, etc). Am I correct?]

Of course, I couldn't do this backup either b/c the plotter kept asking for me to insert a card, despite it already being inserted.

Perplexed why would the plotter recognized the 2 GB card and not the 32 GB card? too big? new card isn't dead b/c windows recognizes it. Lock function is NOT on.
 
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I have had the software for a few years and gave up on getting it to work properly
 
I got a bluenav chip from Garmin that my 740s wouldn't recognize. Had to get another card from Garmin.

I would verify your card reader on the 740s is working with another card first. I do remember seeing somewhere in the manual about a maximum card size, but I don't remember what it is.
 
OK. Maximum size. Sounds ridiculous but might be the case. Mastang... what size card are you using?
 
Regarding card size, they had to change to protocols/control circuitry as they increased the capacity of cards, mainly because they didn't plan ahead when they designed the early card formats. So if you look at the cards, you will see that they go from SD to SDHC to SDXC as capacity goes up. Thus, some equipment that was designed to support an early "standard" won't be able to handle higher capacity cards.
 
I wrote garmin with the same question about max size. They told me 8 gig. Also, put the new card in the 740s so it can write a file to it first. Then try your file transfers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OK. 8 GB and load something onto the card from the GPS first. Do I do a "QUICK FORMAT" on a PC before that?
 
I put the 8 Gig card fresh from the package into my 740s and let it recognize the card. That is when it writes unique files to the card to bind it to your unit and your unit only. I then copied the maps from the 740s onto the card, took it home and loaded the maps into Homeport. I downloaded the firmware and map updates from the Garmin site (your allowed one free update on your new unit once you register it with Garmin. Map updates are usually released in February and August) and loaded them to the card. I then brought the card back to the boat and loaded the map and firmware updates. So far, so good. I don't think a quick format to start the process would hurt. By the way, Garmin recommended at least a 2 Gig card, 8 Gig max. I scolded Garmin for not making this information readily available.
 
Thanks Tim
That sums it up pretty well. I will say that when I tried to get the maps onto the 2GB card from the plotter, it said something like "INSUFFICIENT SPACE." I'll try an 8GB card and see what happens, and I'll follow your recipe to the letter.
 
TimTech said:
I put the 8 Gig card fresh from the package into my 740s and let it recognize the card. That is when it writes unique files to the card to bind it to your unit and your unit only. I then copied the maps from the 740s onto the card, took it home and loaded the maps into Homeport. I downloaded the firmware and map updates from the Garmin site (your allowed one free update on your new unit once you register it with Garmin. Map updates are usually released in February and August) and loaded them to the card. I then brought the card back to the boat and loaded the map and firmware updates. So far, so good. I don't think a quick format to start the process would hurt. By the way, Garmin recommended at least a 2 Gig card, 8 Gig max. I scolded Garmin for not making this information readily available.
Click to expand...

I spoke with a Garmin rep yesterday at an open house (before reading this thread, sorry) and he told me the same thing. Apparently, they changed the waypoint format and formatting or writing to the card establishes the correct format on the card. For those who have not purchased Homeport yet, he also recommended Base Camp, which he said does everything Homeport does, but is free. I haven't checked it out yet.

Another slightly off-topic question: can you set up routes on your computer and transfer them to the 740s? I used to do it by plugging my GPSMAP 162 into a USB port, but the 740s doesn't seem to have a connection. Is that all done via the SD card?

Thanks!
 
I'm not sure what size card I'm using. The card came preloaded from Garmin.

You should be able to plot routes on the computer, load them on the card and pop it in the Garmin.
 
can you set up routes on your computer and transfer them to the 740s? I used to do it by plugging my GPSMAP 162 into a USB port, but the 740s doesn't seem to have a connection. Is that all done via the SD card?
Click to expand...

Yes... that is one of the perks of having Homeport. I have one set of waypoints and one route that I set up at home, using actual GPS coordinates from my other plotter. From homeport, you click "FILE", EXPORT, then click on the thing you want to export. That brings you to your typical Windows box where you select where you want to export to. Find your SD card and select the file format you want to export as from the dropdown box. The choices are GPS eXchange format (*.gpx*), Garmin GPS Database Files (*.gdb), Comma Delimited Text (*.csv), Garmin Training Center XML Document v2 (*.tcx), or Tab De-limited Text (*.txt). I tried *.gpx and that didn't work. So I guess it has to be *.gdb, but I haven't tried that yet b/c of the problem with the 32GB card. What happens after that (when you upload from the card to the plotter I'd have to leave to the people who have gotten it to work.
 
TimTech said:
I put the 8 Gig card fresh from the package into my 740s and let it recognize the card. That is when it writes unique files to the card to bind it to your unit and your unit only. I then copied the maps from the 740s onto the card, took it home and loaded the maps into Homeport. I downloaded the firmware and map updates from the Garmin site (your allowed one free update on your new unit once you register it with Garmin. Map updates are usually released in February and August) and loaded them to the card. I then brought the card back to the boat and loaded the map and firmware updates. So far, so good. I don't think a quick format to start the process would hurt. By the way, Garmin recommended at least a 2 Gig card, 8 Gig max. I scolded Garmin for not making this information readily available.
Click to expand...


I hope I'm not screwed, I uploaded my files from the unit at WM because I couldn't get to the boat to power up my unit, I have a 541 though. I wanted to start planning my route to Georgian Bay over the winter. At this point I haven't remounted my unit back on the boat, so I'll see next week.
 
rondds said:
Yes... that is one of the perks of having Homeport. I have one set of waypoints and one route that I set up at home, using actual GPS coordinates from my other plotter. From homeport, you click "FILE", EXPORT, then click on the thing you want to export. That brings you to your typical Windows box where you select where you want to export to. Find your SD card and select the file format you want to export as from the dropdown box. The choices are GPS eXchange format (*.gpx*), Garmin GPS Database Files (*.gdb), Comma Delimited Text (*.csv), Garmin Training Center XML Document v2 (*.tcx), or Tab De-limited Text (*.txt). I tried *.gpx and that didn't work. So I guess it has to be *.gdb, but I haven't tried that yet b/c of the problem with the 32GB card. What happens after that (when you upload from the card to the plotter I'd have to leave to the people who have gotten it to work.
Click to expand...

Ron, it's much more simple than that. When you insert a card that's been in your plotter, the file that the plotter wrote to the card identifies your unit to Homeport, so something like "740" will appear in the left panel of the software. (or at least, it SHOULD)

After creating waypoints and routes etc, just drag and drop them onto the "740 Device" listed in the left panel and the card will be ready to transport that data back to the plotter. There's no need to export or concern yourself with format. In other words, Garmin is to Raymarine as Mac is to PC. (DOS, for that matter!)
 
OK. Cool. I'll get a chance to test this out once I get the 8GB card. Thanks!
 
I am interested in setting up some routes on either Homeport (via PC) or Bluechart (via iPad). My Gps 50dv has wifi and I thought Bluechart would be great since I already own all the inland lakes etc but it appears you need to purchase them on Bluechart app also (gotta love Garmin). Would Homeport be a better (cheaper) way to go to set up some routes and waypoints? Thanks
 
Scott9000 said:
I am interested in setting up some routes on either Homeport (via PC) or Bluechart (via iPad). My Gps 50dv has wifi and I thought Bluechart would be great since I already own all the inland lakes etc but it appears you need to purchase them on Bluechart app also (gotta love Garmin). Would Homeport be a better (cheaper) way to go to set up some routes and waypoints? Thanks
Click to expand...

I have HomePort and looked at BlueChart. The thing is I do all of my boating inland (Lakes). BlueChart is strictly for Blue water (Ocean). Garmin told me that I could not get lake charts on BlueChart for this reason. So if you are on US lakes, you need LakeVU and if you are on the ocean/ICW you need BlueChart. (According to Garmin :smt021)

Hope this helps.
 
So go figure this...

I take my jumbo SD card down there today and, on a lark, stick it into the slot in the 740s. Immediately it recognized the card and asked me what I want to do. I tell it to transfer the charts to the card, which it does. Took about 5 min. Brought the card home, stuck it into the SD card reader on my PC and it automatically started uploading the charts to Homeport. That took about one minute, but now I have full functionality on the pc.

I have no idea why the card worked today and not last week. Same card. I did nothing different - matter of fact, I tried every possible way last week, to no avail.

The amount of space taken up on the card by the charts was 1.88GB.

Next step is to see if I can get some waypoints and a route, created on Homeport, to transfer to the GPS. We'll see tomorrow.


5 minutes later...

Didn't realize this (maybe someone said it above). Once you pull out the SD card from the PC, you lose the charts. I guess they don't become resident on the PC? Can it be made to become resident or do I have to stick in the card every time I want to use the charts with Homeport?
 
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