How do I Use NOAA Maps on My GPS?
- 1). Download BSB files from NOAA's website; these files contain text and images that can be used with a GIS, a geographic information system. Save the files to your desktop.
- 2). Download the software tool "libbsb" (see Resources), which will allow you to convert the BSB files to TIFF files. Save the program to your computer's desktop and double-click the program to open it.
- 3). Choose the BSB file in the "File Input" drop-down menu; choose the TIFF format as the file output and click "OK" to start the conversion process. The newly converted TIFF files will be saved on your computer's hard drive.
- 4). Connect your GPS to your computer via the USB cable. Click on your computer's "Start" menu, then on "Computer." You will see your GPS device's storage drive in the "Devices with Removable Storage" folder.
- 5). Open the folder where the converted TIFF files are stored; drag and drop the TIFF files to your GPS's storage drive. You will now be able to use the NOAA maps you downloaded; the TIFF files will have waypoints embedded in them, so you can use those waypoints to navigate.
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