Downloading Custom Map to Onboard Navigation System

[CharlieJ]

Hello. I am a brand new member and I found this site by searching for "How to plan a road trip using secondary roads". It looks like I may have found a gold mine of info!

I am currently in Bowling Green, KY for a couple of days and will be going home to St. Petersburg, FL starting tomorrow afternoon. I put in my start and end addresses in Map Wiz and the route was planned using the Interstate System, much like Google Maps does. I did not see an option for finding a secondary road route.

I tried using Advanced Maps with waypoints but that wasn't very successful. Is there a tutorial for Ad. Maps? BTW, I am a mariner so I am very familiar with waypoint routing.

Finally, I have not played with the Map Wiz or the Advanced Maps more than 5 minutes but I did not see any way to download a developed route to onboard nav systems. Am I missing something or is this a feature that is not in place?

Look forward to using the site and the combined knowledge of fellow Road Trippers!

Thanks.
Charlie

[Mark Sedenquist]

Charlie,

Yes, the RTA Custom Maps program was written and designed for the use you have described. Here is a tutorial that I wrote detailing such a drive in Michigan. You can read the entire thread, but the gist of the discussion can be obtained from reading post #1.

Happy Planning!

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

Regarding downloading to a onboard navigation system: Yes, that would be a cool feature, but writing the enabling code is fraught with licensing details and there's no way we could offer this and still provide this program free to members.

There are about 15 different online mapping programs utilizing the same data point databases -- some are quite good -- some are not -- but all were built for a specific user.

I look forward to hearing if the RTA Custom Mapping program works for you.

Mark