Buoys and Beacons from the IALA*1 and SIGNI*2 system
*1 IALA: International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, *2 SIGNI: Signalisation des Voies de Navigation Interieure
Waypoint symbols on Garmin MapSource version 6.16.3. Trail Head; Bike Trail; Skiing Area; Swimming Area; Ski Resort; Ice Skating; Golf Course; Ball.
Jos Pacilly, 24-nov-2005
Some of the recent Garmin products offer the possibility to use personally designed icons with waypoints, so called Custom Waypoint Symbols. Products include Garmin's Windows software MapSource and nRoute and some of the recent models of Garmin's GPS receivers. A very welcome option I think, since even the marine line of Garmin products is not offering many symbols dedicated to navigation at sea. On this page, you will find some short notes on how to use this feature. The page includes a couple of symbol sets for marine use, comprising the most frequently used IALA / SIGNI icons. There are also some waypoints sets demonstrating the use of them. To upload the Custom Waypoint Symbols to a GPS unit, use theWindows program xImage. Feel free to use/distribute the symbol sets, as long as it is not for commercial use.
Apparently, Garmin has not finished development of this option at the moment, since various products have different requirements. Implementation details like file names, color depth and bitmap size are varying among the latest versions of both software and firmware of hardware.
See also the related topic: Icons in Google Earth.
Warning
- Contrary to what is the case for printed nautical charts, the small circle at the footage of the symbols below does not represent the precise position of a waypoint! In MapSource, and maps printed by MapSource, the actual position of a waypoint will be somewhere in the middle of the icons.
MapSource 6.9.1
General remarks
Download
File Properties
Notes
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nRoute 2.6.1
General remarks
Download
File Properties
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xImage 2.3
xImage is a Windows program to transfer the Custom Waypoint Symbols (and the splash screen) to or from a GPS device. It can be downloaded from the website of Garmin. They do not offer support though. Biohazard umbrella chronicles jpn iso wii megaupload. Note that xImage version 2.3 will only process files which match exactly the original specification, which is dependent of the selected language! You can use the MapSource file IALA-SIGNI.gdb to examine the Custom Waypoint Symbols and to check the communication with a GPS device.
GPSmap 276C (firmware version 3.70)
| General remarks Set the Text Language on the GPS to 'English', before uploading these Waypoint Symbols! Downloads
File Properties
Notes
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Examples
IALA-SIGNI {.gdb or .gpx} (all the symbols on an arbitrary position in the North Sea)
Grevelingen {.gdb or .gpx} (Dutch inshore water)
Positions based on Hans van Laar's Nautical GPS Waypoints (dated November 6, 2005),
icons selected manually, while referring Atlantic BlueChart v7.0, Chart NL1805(A) (Aug 19, 2004) from Garmin,
and nautical chart 1805.07 (March 28, 2005) from the Dutch Hydrographic Service (distributed by Stentec).Waddenzee {.gdb or .gpx} (part of Dutch 'off-shore' water) (icons at this moment only partial available)
Positions based on Henk Menninga's Waypoints in the German Bight (dated June 21, 2005),
icons selected manually, while referring Atlantic BlueChart v7.0, region EU018 (Aug, 2004) from Garmin,
and nautical chart 1811 (March 28, 2005) from the Dutch Hydrographic Service (distributed by Stentec).