Microsoft Streets and Trips 2007 vs. City Navigator North America NT v8

 

I have enjoyed using the MS program for years, then was faced with the inferior Garmin version. Ugh. I find it much easier to plan trips forcing scenic motorcycle routes with Streets and Trips and generally a bit of a struggle with City Navigator. Sure it has gotten a little easier over time, but it is still not nearly as intuitive.

Does anyone know of a way to export from Microsoft Streets (*.est file) into City Navigator? Will the 2008 version of either/ both do the trick? I tried GPS utility 4.88 though am looking for a better way.

All suggestions welcome (including just using what came with my Zumo and get over it...) smile

microsoft streets and trips

I do not have any idea but I have microsoft streets n trips and have not used it since i bought my garmin.

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GPSBabel might work. You can download the program at
http://www.gpsbabel.org/index.html

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nuvi 2460LMT

fjr15288 wrote:

fjr15288 wrote:

... snip ...
All suggestions welcome (including just using what came with my Zumo and get over it...) smile

That would be my suggestion. : )

But if you are intent on using it, pretty much your current options are GPSU and GPS Babel. GPSU has pretty much been the gold standard for S&T users with Garmin units over the years.

POIConverter

I create and verify all of my POIs using MS Streets. I convert the files to CSV using POIConverter.

http://rjdavies.users.btopenworld.com/html/poiconverter.html

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><> Glenn <>< Garmin nüvi 2598

I use both...

I've used MS Streets and Trips for several years now, and just got MapSource a couple of weeks ago. I like both for different things, but I found both relatively easy to use. I'm not overly thrilled with the MapSource method for address entry, but I defintely like the way the cursor "snaps" to intersections and other specific points on the map for setting waypoints.

I find it very easy to do routing on MapSource. I'm a bit puzzled about why the OP would find S&T easier for that. Use the "Route" tool, pick a start point, drag the rubber band to the next point where autoroute goes astray, and continue to follow that process. My Nüvi 260 won't let me upload routes, but I can load those waypoints as favorites and use them for sequential destinations. A bit of a pain, but at least it's doable.

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Rick - Nüvi 260 - eTrex Summit HC

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My thoughts are that MapSource is a very good ROUTE planner. And that S&T is a very good TRIP planner.

So it depends upon your usage. I almost never use my S&T anymore and use MapSource exclusively for planning routes for my Zumo.

But if measured fuel stops and overnight stays are important to your planning, then S&T does this very well.

But for me, just planning day trips on country roads, MapSource it tops and once you get over the learning curve, you will find (I hope) that it's not a bad as you first thought.

What is the advantage of MS/T&S over Google Maps

Is there some advantage of either of these programs over Google Maps (and then downloading intermediate points via TakItWithMe? The nice thing about Google Maps is that they are likely to be more current. And the price is good!

Neal

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Nuvi 255W/European SD card

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Well, the advantage that MapSource has over both of them as far as being used with the Zumo is that the Zumo was designed to take the route from MapSource and not recalculate it. Most previous GPS units (even Garmins) recalculate the route once it is sent to the unit which often results in the route taking a different path than was planned. Now in a car, this might not matter much. But for most motorcyclists using it to plan trips, we want to go a specific way down specific roads in a specific order. So not recalculating the route is a HUGE deal. The way that users of previous units got around this was to put TONS of waypoints in the route so that the route was forced to go the way you wanted. With the Zumo and MapSource, this isn't necessary. The critical part is that the maps must be identical. So it's imperative that the unit and MapSource are using the same version of the maps. The routes will WORK if the maps aren't the same, but there's a chance that the route WILL be changed if the unit encounters data in the route that isn't contained in the unit.

Also, using MapSource is easier (to me) because there are fewer steps to get the route to the unit. Simply create the route and click the "Send to Device" button and you are done. No exporting, no converting.

And the Zumo is also designed to work with what Garmin calls Shaping Points. These are points that serve only to force the route down a particular road. But if they are placed properly, they won't be flagged on the map screen nor announced by the navigation prompts.

With S&T, the routing information is not saved with the file. Only the points are, so using it with a Garmin unit inherently necessitates including enough points to ensure that the route goes where you want. And then of course you have to convert it for use with the GPS unit. The advantages of S&T are that you can program fuel stops. For example, if you know that you want to stop for fuel every 150 miles, it's easy to do. Or if you want to stop driving by a certain time at night and continue the next day, the program will do this. Or for Iron Butt riders, if you want to program in the 15 minute stops, every x number of hours, you can do that.

Wow, that was probably way too much information. Sorry. : )

MS Street and Trips

I’ve been using Microsoft Streets and Trips for a few years and loved it. Ever since I got my first Garmin, I use it scarcely and mostly to double check coordinates.

In the future I wish MS would create friendlier files that would import or work with any gps model.

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nüvi 3590LMT "always backup your files"

I like the construction

I like the construction updates in Streets. That is the biggest item I would want to update my 660 with!

Anyone?

Not quite what...

The MS construction data is a bit hit or miss in my experience. I planned my recent trip from Colorado to Florida on Streets and Trips, downloading the most current construction data a couple of days before we left. While the zones that were shown as under construction were legitimate, there were at least a dozen more that weren't shown, and a couple of those were quite significant.

So take it for what it's worth....

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Rick - Nüvi 260 - eTrex Summit HC

Always do take it with a few

Always do take it with a few grains of salt, but it is better than nothing. I try and use the local Province/State/City web sites as well to search out construction sites/delays.

If you are a AAA member

If you are a AAA/CAA member I find that the on-line trip-tik/map functions give pretty good Road Construction info !

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MrKenFL- "Money can't buy you happiness .. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." NUVI 260, Nuvi 1490LMT & Nuvi 2595LMT all with 2014.4 maps !

Streets & Trips vs Mapsource

If I am going to take a long trip, then I will plan out the trip with Streets & Trips only because it allows you to schedule time for stops, overnights, etc. That way I can tell if the trip is going to work. After I have planned it, then I lay out the stops in Mapsource and let it route the trip, generally by the day. That way it is much easier to change the route on the fly. I also will run my route through AAA's online trip-tik. That site gives a lot of help on things to see and scenic routes to follow.

Moving S&T Routes to MapSource

For those using S&T for planning trips, routes etc and wishing to transfer the results to MapSource for loading into their GPS, POIconverter will convert S&T waypoints AND routes to MapSource.

http://rjdavies.users.btopenworld.com/html/poiconverter.html

For routes, open a saved M&S .est file that contains a route (before opening in POIconverter make sure "routes" is selected in the data option) and save the result as a Garmin .gpx file. Open the .gpx file in MapSource. The converted route will be named "journey". Long waypoint names seem to get truncated but they are there. Recalculate the route in MapSource (give it time for long routes) and show on the map.

Like the Zumo, any routes transferred and imported to my Nuvi 750 are EXACTLY like and can be navigated just as they were created in MapSource (including any avoid areas set in MapSource). However, unlike the Zumo apparently, the route may get changed whenever the Nuvi recalculates (and applies its own routing parameters e.g. the Nuvi does not recognize avoid areas on its own etc) upon any departure from the route. This is normally a good thing, but it may not be so if it is important to follow a route EXACTLY as created in MapSource. In the absence of a switch to turn off automatic recalculation upon departures, the solution is to simply reload the original route after one returns to it. Departure recalculations do not change the saved version of the route in the GPS.

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larelr2003