TakItWithMe - Frequently Asked Questions

GPS Tools

How does TakItWithMe work?

TakItWithMe connects most Garmin handheld GPS units with the latest tools in online mapping to enable sending points of interest, routes, and tracks from our webpage to your GPS with a few simple mouse clicks.

To use your Garmin GPS with our website -

plug it into your computer with it's USB cable
power on the unit
Follow the colored steps for each of our tools
At the final step, you'll click on the 'Upload to Your Garmin' button. If you have not previously installed the communicator plug-in, you will prompted to do so.
When prompted, give permission for the plug-in to access your GPS.
When finished, you will get a ' Saved Successfully' message.

Once the you've uploaded data to your GPS, you'll find it in the various waypoint, route, and track menus depending on your upload preferences. Most GPS units have very limited storage for waypoint names and descriptions, so you may find that these are cut short.

What do I need for TakItWithMe to work?

You need a compatible GPS, it's USB cable, and the Garmin Communicator Plug-in. For the current list of compatible Garmin GPS products, please check the Garmin device support matrix. Garmin products are sold at retail at many electronic stores, but for best pricing and availability, Amazon.com is hard to beat. If you have a Garmin GPS, but no USB cable - many of the current Garmin USB connectors use standard mini-USB cables which is also used for most digital cameras.

For the My Maps Converter, we also offer the option to 'Show GPX'. GPX is a standard text format for GPS data exchange supported by most GPS software and other non-Garmin devices. You can copy the GPX text for any My Map and save it on your computer for use in other programs.

Do you collect any information about my waypoints, tracks, or routes?

TakItWithMe.com does not collect any information from your GPS or My Maps links.

My map doesn't seem to be uploading to my GPS

The most common errors are the following:

Use of Google Driving Directions or Address Search Links (a true MyMaps link with have the text "msid=" in the URL)
Lack of Garmin Communicator Support for the specific GPS model - especially on Garmin Nuvi devices (check your unit using the Garmin device support matrix noted above)

Why can't I convert driving directions to GPS?

Google's Terms of Service (the rules that TakItWithMe must follow to use Goole applications) prohibit us from enabling direct transfer of their driving directions to a GPS device. Should Google change their Terms of Service, we will add support for this feature.