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Folks I am looking a small bit of software that would allow me to display exactly what is on the screen of a Garmin 12 on a connected computer. Pref something that would allow me to select pages gust like I would on the hand unit and display real time the info pages. Can anyone suggest an application and a download location thanks. George

The Garmin 12's output only consists of NMEA positioning information. There's nothing in the manual that would indicate there's any other options like sharing the screen.

This is something I've seen asked many times over the years but also have never any software which will do it. At best you can display your coordinates with programs that support NMEA communications.

Yep I have software that will display the output data but was wondering if that data could be fed to a program that had been made LOOK like the screen, in paticular the highway display page. I want to mount the GPS12 in a location that I will not be able to see the screen and wish (hope) to be able to mimic the display some distance away, I don't need control of the screen just a display that looks like it. Is there any software you guys have been playing with that gives a HIGHWAY type display based on NMEA data? Thanks for the help and input. George

It sounds like you are trying to use a PC for display and your old Garmin-12 as the GPS antenna.

The best you can do is to use the Garmin-12 to supply your latlon in a NMEA sentence to your PC, then you can buy a PC navigation software such as Microsoft's Street & Trips to show the street maps. However, Street & Trips often will have a GPS antenna puck included in the box, so you really don't need the Garmin-12.

The PC software will look nothing like your Garmin-12's display, but do you really want to? The Garmin-12's display is quite small with limited amount of info on it, let alone a highway map.

Streets & Trips won't see my Garmin StreetPilot, but DeLorme's Street Atlas USA works perfectly with it. There are other PC apps as well that will use your GPS for location and routing, but not that will display the GPS receiver's screen on the PC. I find the StreetPilot's screen just a bit small when driving, especially if I come to some construction congestion or something and want to find a quick bypass. The PC scree shows a lot more map!

Street & Trips with gps connectivity works only when the gps is in NMEA mode, don't know if the streetpilot has this mode.
Back in 2005 I use Microsoft AutoRoute 2000 with a gps 12 and it worked perfectly.

But I also never have seen a program that shows the gps12 screen on a pc or pda realtime

Thanks to all who replied, help was of value. I have a number of navigation softwares installed and working with the GPS12 but what I was looking for was the display of the Highway screen on the laptop, just that screen and I guess I will have to look into writing software for that as none is available. Long time since I programmed so I will look at the various outputs and try to build a screen simulation around the info coming out. Thanks again.

Well, if you succeed(?) in writing the software I would love to have a copy of it.

I assume you do realize that the only info this unit is going to send out via the serial port are the NMEA sentences. Which pretty much comes down to the LATLON, internal stored waypoints and routes. There will be no map data coming from that unit. You will have to provide the map yourself, and write the software that will read and understand the NMEA sentences.

The best bet is still using the MS Street&Trips on your PC, and set your GPS to send NMEA via the PC's serial port. I don't think the Garmin-12 can support USB ports.

The GPS12 was not a mapping unit. I believe the OP is intending to write a program that will replicate some of the data screens normally displayed by this unit.