Hi Hans. Delorme tends to go their own way with software. They have their own format that no one else uses, but there are converters. I wish Stephen had told us whether he succeeded. Since he wrote last April, another conversion possibility has come along.
When you download the route data from
http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/gps.cfm, get the GPS Data User Guide as well. It describes the data and tells how to load them into several common GPS utility programs.
Topo USA is not one of those that we described specifically, but the free G7ToWin, which is written up, can convert the Adventure Cycling format to Delorme's. Topo USA must have instuctions on how to read or import a file of waypoints and routes. Of course it can transfer them to your GPSRs.
The basic Etrex should work fine. We positioned the waypoints and planned the database to work with a simple non-mapping GPSR. The waypoints are close enough together so you can follow the GPS pointer. That said, a mapping unit is pretty nice to have. There is nothing quite so reassuring as an electronic thumb on a map showing "you are here."
About the Magellan 315: if Magellan cannot get you a PC cable and handlebar mount, you might try asking on the GPS newsgroup sci.geo.satellite-nav, where many Magellan users hang out. Someone there will know.
Write back if you get stuck on any of the data transfer. In its first season of use, it may need some tuning to handle all the software and equipment that we did not know about at first. Or drop me an email.
Fred, fhiltz at yahoo dot com
