Garmin 3 Plus Manual

							The map settings are orga-
nized by a series of ‘file tabs’. 
Use the rocker keypad to 
select the desired tab, and to 
select the desired setting(s).
Map  Setup—  allows  you  to  configure  the  map  display  to  your  preferences, 
including  map  detail,  map  orientation,  automatic  zoom,  lat/lon  grid,  track  and  route 
lines, exits and waypoint names. The map setup option uses a ‘file tab’ feature, making 
it  easier  to  organize  the  various  settings  and  easier  for  you  to  use.  The  following  table 
lists the file tabs and the settings available under each tab:
  Map  Detail, Orientation, AutoZoom, Accuracy Circle
  Source  Built-in Base Map, MapSource Files
  Line  Track Log, Active Route Lines, Local Roads, Street Labels
  Pnts  All Waypoints and Text, Active Route Wpts, Exits
  City  Large/Medium/Small Cities and Small Towns Text
  Geo  Geo Points, Rivers/Lakes, Park Areas
  Topo  Major/Medium/Minor Contours, Land Cover 
  Other  Marine Navaids, Railroads, Metro Areas, Lat/Lon Grid
NOTES: Large cities are those with approximate populations greater than 200,000. Medium cities 
are those with approximate populations over 50,000 and small cities are greater than 5,000. Small 
towns have approximate populations under 5,000 or an unknown population size. 
The ‘Detail’ setting applies to any map feature set to “Auto”. Those features for which you have 
specified a maximum scale, or turned “Off”, are unaffected by the detail setting.
To change a map setup feature:
           1. Highlight ‘Map Setup’ and press ENTER.
           2.  To set the desired map detail, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already selected). Scroll down 
(using the rocker keypad) to highlight the ‘Detail’ field and press ENTER. Select the 
desired detail level—More, Normal, Less, Least—and press ENTER. 
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REFERENCE  
Map Page Options
‘Map Setup’ allows you to 
change map orientation, back-
ground map detail, text size, 
etc. 
						

							Select the ‘North Up’ option 
to keep the top of the map 
display fixed on North. ‘Track 
Up’ will cause the map to 
rotate so the top of the map is 
the direction you’re heading.
The ‘Zoom’ setting allows you 
to define the maximum scale 
at which the feature will 
appear. Select “Auto” to con-
trol the feature using the 
‘Detail’ setting.
           3.  To change map orientation, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already selected). Scroll 
down to highlight the ‘Orientation’ field and press ENTER. Select ‘North Up’ to fix the 
top of the map display to a north heading. Select ‘Track Up’ to adjust the top of the 
map display to your current track heading. Select ‘Course Up’ to fix the top of the 
map display to your desired course. Press ENTER to accept the selected option.
           4.  To enable/disable automatic zoom, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already selected). 
Scroll down to highlight the ‘Auto Zoom’ field and press ENTER. Select ‘On’ or ‘Off to
enable or disable automatic zoom. Press ENTER to accept the selected option. The
automatic zoom feature will automatically adjust the map scale from 80 miles through 
each lower scale, stopping at 800 ft. as you approach your destination waypoint.
           5.  To enable/disable the accuracy circle, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already selected). 
Scroll down to highlight the ‘Acc. Circle’ field and press ENTER. Select ‘On’ or ‘Off’ to 
enable or disable the accuracy circle. Press ENTER to accept selected option. With 
the accuracy circle on, a gray circle will appear around your position (at lower scale 
settings) depicting the estimated accuracy of your position reading.
           6.  To enable/disable the built-in base map or MapSource files, select the ‘Source’ tab. 
Scroll down to highlight ‘Basemap’ or ‘MapSource’ and press ENTER. Select ‘On’ or 
‘Off’ to enable or disable the selected map data and press ENTER.
           7.   For all waypoints, active route waypoints, rivers/lakes and cities: select the appropri-
ate tab (per the chart on page 41). Scroll down to highlight the zoom field for the 
desired feature and press ENTER. Select the maximum scale at which the feature 
should appear on screen, or ‘Off’ to never display, and press ENTER. Highlight the 
text field for the desired feature and press ENTER. Select the text size for the desired 
feature, or ‘None’ to disable text, and press ENTER.
           8.  For track log data, active route lines, local roads, street labels, highway exits, lat/lon 
grid, metro areas, and railroad lines: select the appropriate tab (per the chart on page 
41). Scroll down to highlight the zoom field for the desired feature and press ENTER. 
Select the maximum scale at which the feature should appear on screen, or select 
‘Off’ to never display the feature. Press ENTER to accept the settings. 
42
REFERENCE  
Map Page Options 
						

							The bearing pointer indicates 
the direction (bearing) to your 
destination. If the arrow points 
any direction other than up, 
turn toward the arrow until it 
points up.
If you pass your destination 
waypoint, the bearing pointer 
will swing around 180º and 
the ‘Dist to Next’ waypoint 
will increase.
Whenever a destination waypoint(s) has been selected, the GPS III+’s Compass 
Page will guide you to your destination with digital readouts and a graphic compass 
display, which includes a bearing pointer. Use this page (instead of the Highway 
Page) when travelling at slower speeds, when making frequent directional changes, 
or where straight line navigation is not possible due to obstructions or terrain. 
The middle of the page features a rotating ‘compass ring’ that shows your course 
over ground (track) while you’re moving. (Your present course over ground is indicated 
at the top of the compass ring.) A bearing pointer, in the middle of the compass ring, 
indicates the direction of the destination (bearing) relative to the course over ground. 
The compass ring and pointer arrow work independently to show—at a glance—the 
direction of your movement and the direction to your destination. For instance, if 
the arrow points up, you are going directly to the waypoint. If the arrow points any 
direction other than up, turn toward the arrow until it points up—then continue in 
that direction. 
Along  the  right  side  of  the  page  (top,  when  display  is  vertical)  are  four  user-
selectable  data  fields  that  display  current  speed,  distance  and  time  to  next  waypoint, 
and  current  time  (defaults).  Each  data  field  may  be  configured  to  display  any  one 
of twenty-five data options.
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REFERENCE  
Compass Page
Compass Ring
Current Speed 
and Distance to 
Waypoint
Time to Waypoint 
and Current Time
Pointer
(Bearing to
Destination) 
						

							‘Big Numbers’ provides a 
smaller compass display, a 
large bearing pointer, and two 
user-selectable, large charac-
ter data fields.
The ‘Change Fields’ option 
allows you to select from a 
list of available data types. 
Four different items may be 
displayed on the Compass 
Page—two when using the 
‘Big Numbers’ option.
Many  features  of  the  GPS  III+  are  menu  driven.  Each  of  the  main  pages  has 
an  options  menu,  allowing  you  to  custom  tailor  the  corresponding  page  to  your 
preferences and/or select special features which specifically relate to that page.
To display the Compass Page Options, press MENU (with the Compass 
Page displayed).
The following options are available:
  Big  Numbers—  allows  you  to  select  a  different  Compass  Page  layout,  with  a 
smaller compass display and two user-selectable, large-character data fields. If ‘Big 
Numbers’ is selected, ‘Big Compass’ will appear as an option instead.
To toggle between Compass Page formats, highlight ‘Big Numbers’ (or 
‘Big Compass’) and press ENTER.
Change Fields— allows you to choose the data displayed on four user-selectable 
       data fields (two fields for the ‘Big Numbers’ option). There are twenty-five avail-
       able  data  types,  including  Average  (AVG)  Speed,  Bearing,  Distance  (DIST)  to 
       Destination,  ETA  to  Destination  (DEST),  Speed,  Time  to  Destination  (DEST),  
       Track, and a Trip Odometer. See page 95 for descriptions of data terms.
To change a data field:
           1. Highlight ‘Change Fields’ and press ENTER.
           2. Highlight the data field you wish to change and press ENTER.
           3. Select the type of data you want to appear on this field and press ENTER.
Restore Defaults— resets all data fields to the factory default settings.
To restore the factory default settings, highlight ‘Restore Defaults’ and 
press ENTER.
44
REFERENCE  
Compass Page Options 
						

							Your course is represented by 
the highway center line. Keep 
the center line in the middle of 
the display to stay on course.
When using a route, the 
Highway Page will guide you 
to each waypoint along the 
route.
The  GPS  III+’s  Highway  Page  also  provides  graphic  steering  guidance  to  your 
destination, by using a graphic highway display. Along the right side of the page (top, 
when display is vertical) are four user-selectable data fields that display current speed, 
distance  and  time  to  next  waypoint,  and  a  bearing  pointer  (defaults).  The  bearing 
pointer  always  points  to  the  destination  waypoint  (or  the  next  waypoint  when  using 
a route) relative to the direction you are moving (track). If the bearing pointer points 
straight  ahead,  you  are  heading  directly  to  your  destination.  If  the  bearing  pointer 
points  any  direction  other  than  up,  turn  toward  the  arrow  until  it  points  up—then 
continue  in  that  direction.  Each  data  field  may  be  configured  to  display  any  one 
of twenty-three data options. 
The  graphic  heading  compass  at  the  top  of  the  page  indicates  the  direction 
you  are  moving  (track).  Directly  below  the  heading  compass,  the  highway  display 
provides visual guidance to the destination waypoint and keeps you on your intended 
course  line.  Your  course  is  represented  by  the  center  line  down  the  middle  of  the 
graphic  highway.  As  you  head  toward  your  destination,  the  highway  perspective  will 
move to indicate your progress to the waypoint and which direction you should steer 
to  stay  on  course.  If  you  are  navigating  a  route,  the  highway  display  will  show  each 
route  waypoint  in  sequence,  with  the  route  course  indicated  by  a  black  highway. 
Nearby waypoints not in the route will also be displayed. You can zoom in or out on 
the highway display for a smaller or larger view. Five available settings range from 1X 
to 16X, with a default setting of 8X.
To zoom in or out on the highway display:
           1. Press the IN zoom key to increase the zoom level and show a smaller view area.
           2. Press the OUT zoom key to decrease the zoom level and show a larger view area.
45
REFERENCE  
Highway Page 
						

							The ‘Sign Posts Off’ option 
allows you to remove the 
waypoint markers from the 
highway display.
The ‘Change Fields’ option 
allows you to choose the type 
of data to display on four 
user-selectable data fields. 
Select the desired type from 
the ‘Change Fields’ list.
Many  features  of  the  GPS  III+  are  menu  driven.  Each  of  the  main  pages  has 
an  options  menu,  allowing  you  to  custom  tailor  the  corresponding  page  to  your 
preferences and/or select special features which specifically relate to that page.
To display the Highway Page Options, press MENU (with the Highway 
Page displayed).
The following options are available:
Sign  Posts  Off—  removes  the  waypoint  markers  from  the  highway  display.  If 
‘Sign Posts Off ’ is selected, ‘Sign Posts On’ will appear as an option instead.
To remove (or display) waypoint markers on the highway, highlight 
‘Sign Posts Off ’ (or ‘Sign Posts On’) and press ENTER.
Change Fields— allows you to choose the data displayed on four 
       user-selectable data fields. There are twenty-three available data types, 
       including Average (AVG) Speed, Bearing, Distance (DIST) to Destination, 
       ETA to Destination (DEST), Speed, Time to Destination (DEST), Track, 
       a Trip Odometer and a bearing Pointer. See page 95 for data type descriptions.
To change a data field:
           1. Highlight ‘Change Fields’ and press ENTER.
           2. Highlight the data field you wish to change and press ENTER.
           3. Select the type of data you want to appear on this field and press ENTER.
Restore Defaults— resets all data fields to the factory default settings.
To restore the factory default settings, highlight ‘Restore Defaults’ and 
press ENTER.
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REFERENCE  
Highway Page Options 
						

							The ENTER/MARK key 
allows you to mark your cur-
rent position as a waypoint. 
You can give this waypoint 
any name you choose—up to 
six characters long.
You can also choose from a 
list of symbols used to identify 
the user waypoint on the map 
display.
The GPS III+ stores up to 500 waypoints, with a selectable symbol and comment 
available for each waypoint. Waypoints can be created using five methods:
  Mark  Present  Position—  your  present  position  can  be  captured  and  saved  as  a 
waypoint using the ENTER/MARK key. 
  On  Map—  a  new  waypoint  position  can  be  created  directly  on  the  map  display 
using the panning arrow.
  Text Entr y— waypoints can be created by entering position coordinates manually 
(from  a  chart,  etc.)  or  by  referencing  bearing  and  distance  from  a  previously 
stored waypoint (or present position).
  Average  Position—  position  samples  can  be  averaged  over  time  and  the  result 
saved  as  a  waypoint.  Averaging  reduces  the  effects  of  selective  availability  and 
improves the accuracy of the position reading. (See page 31 for more info.)
  Nearest  Locations—  nearest  cities  or  highway  exits  can  be  saved  as  waypoints 
from the nearest locations pages. (See page 53 for more info.)
Marking Present Position
The  GPS  III+’s  mark  feature  lets  you  quickly  capture  your  present  position  in 
order  to  create  a  new  waypoint.  You  must  be  locked  onto  satellites,  with  a  valid 
position fix, to mark your present position.
To mark your present position:
           1. Press and hold the ENTER/MARK key. The Mark Waypoint Page is automatically 
                displayed.
           2. To change the waypoint name (a three-digit number is automatically assigned), 
                highlight the waypoint name field and press ENTER. Use the rocker keypad to enter
                the new waypoint name and press ENTER when finished.
            3. To save the waypoint in memory, highlight ‘Done’ and press ENTER. 
47
REFERENCE  
Creating Waypoints 
						

							User waypoints can also be 
created by entering the 
position coordinates for the 
waypoint.
48
REFERENCE  Marking Waypoints on the Map Page
Waypoints can also be quickly created from the Map Page, which allows you to 
“point and shoot” at any map position to create a new waypoint.
To create a new waypoint on the map:
           1. Press the PAGE key repeatedly to select the Map Page.
           2.  Use the rocker keypad to move the arrow to the desired map position. You may also
need to use the IN and OUT zoom keys, in conjunction with the rocker keypad, to 
speed up this process.
           3.  Press ENTER to capture the arrow position and display the New Waypoint Page. (If 
the arrow is placed on a highway exit, the exit services pages will appear instead. To 
create a waypoint at a highway exit location, see page 39.)
           4. To change the waypoint name (a three-digit number is automatically assigned), 
                highlight the waypoint name field and press ENTER. Use the rocker keypad to enter
                the new waypoint name and press ENTER when finished.
           5. To save the waypoint in memory, highlight ‘Done’ and press ENTER.
Creating Waypoints by Text Entry
Waypoints  may  be  created  by  manually  entering  the  position  coordinates  or  by 
entering the bearing and distance from an existing waypoint (or present position).
To create a new waypoint by manually entering its coordinates, or by 
bearing/distance from another position:
           1. Press the MENU key twice to select the Main Menu.
           2. Highlight ‘Waypoints’ and press ENTER. A list of all waypoints stored in memory 
                is displayed.
           3. Press MENU to display the Waypoint List Options.
Creating Waypoints 
Waypoints can be created 
directly from the Map Page, 
by placing the panning arrow 
on the desired position and 
pressing ENTER. 
						

							You can choose from a list of 
symbols used to identify the 
waypoint on the map display.
The Spell ‘n Find option allows 
you to retrieve waypoint infor-
mation by manually entering 
the waypoint’s name with the 
rocker keypad.
49
REFERENCE  
           4. Highlight ‘New Waypoint’ and press ENTER. The New Waypoint Page appears.
           5. To enter a name for the new waypoint, highlight the waypoint name field and press
                ENTER. Use the rocker keypad to enter the waypoint name and press ENTER when
                finished.
           6. To enter position coordinates for the new waypoint, highlight the waypoint coordi-
                nates field and press ENTER. Use the rocker keypad to enter the position coordinates
                and press ENTER when finished. (For lat/long coordinates, enter both the latitude and
                longitude information before pressing ENTER.) OR,
           7. To create the new waypoint by referencing another position, highlight the reference
                waypoint name field and press ENTER. Use the rocker keypad to enter the name of
                the reference waypoint and press ENTER. (If the reference waypoint name field is 
                left blank, your present position will be used as the reference position.) Use the same 
                procedure to enter the bearing (BRG) and distance (DIST) from the reference way-
                point to the new waypoint. (Remember to press ENTER once each data item is 
                selected with the rocker keypad.)
           8. To save the new waypoint in memory, highlight ‘Done’ and press ENTER.
Waypoint List Options
The  Waypoint  List  Options  were  displayed  using  the  first  three  steps,  above.  In 
addition to ‘New Waypoint’, there are five additional options:
  Show  Map—  allows  you  to  view  the  map  area  around  the  highlighted  waypoint 
on  the  Waypoint  List.  While  viewing  the  map  display,  you  can  also  use  the  IN 
and OUT zoom keys to see additional detail.
To view the map area around a highlighted waypoint on the Waypoint List:
           1. Select ‘Show Map’ (from the Waypoint List Options) and press ENTER.
Creating Waypoints  
						

							Waypoints can be deleted 
individually, by common 
symbol or all at once. Select 
the desired ‘Delete’ option and 
press ENTER.
To rename a waypoint, enter 
the new name directly over 
the old name and press 
ENTER.
  Spell ‘n Find— allows you to display the Waypoint Edit Page for any waypoint in 
memory, by typing in the first few characters of the waypoint’s name.
To Spell ‘n Find a waypoint:
           1. Select the Spell ‘n Find option and use the rocker keypad to enter the first few 
              characters of the waypoint name.
           2. Press ENTER to view waypoints starting with characters entered.
  Delete  Waypoint—  allows  you  to  delete  the  waypoint  which  is  highlighted  on 
the Waypoint List.
  Delete  by  Symbol—  allows  you  to  select  a  waypoint  symbol  and  all  waypoints 
with this corresponding symbol will be deleted from memory.
  Delete All— deletes all waypoints currently stored in memory.
To delete a waypoint (or waypoints):
           1.  Select the desired delete option from the list above and press ENTER. The GPS III+ will 
delete all waypoints not used in a route, then prompt you to continue before deleting 
any route waypoints.
           2. If ‘Delete by Symbol’ is selected, select the desired symbol and press ENTER.
Editing Waypoints
Once  you  have  created  and  stored  a  waypoint,  it  may  be  modified,  reviewed, 
renamed  or  deleted  at  any  time  through  the  Waypoint  Edit  Page.  The  Waypoint  Edit 
Page  for  any  stored  waypoint  can  be  retrieved  by  highlighting  the  desired  waypoint  on 
the map display, or selecting it from any waypoint list, and pressing the ENTER key.
To access the Waypoint Edit Page:
           1. Use the rocker keypad to highlight the desired waypoint on the map display or on any
                waypoint list.
           2. Press ENTER to display the Waypoint Edit Page for the selected waypoint.
50
REFERENCE  
Editing Waypoints