Garmin GPS - exporting tracs to GPMmap 60CSx SD card

Author

exporting tracs to GPMmap 60CSx SD card

rlevesque

2006-10-14, 10:33 pm

Hi

As you know when defining the parameters of a trac, it is possible to
specify that it is to be saved on the SD card rather than on the GPS
internal memory. This allows us to bypass the maximum of 20 tracs which
can be saved within the GPL internal memory.

I like to export my tracs to my PC (to MapSource) to edit them. When I
transfer them back to the GPS, there is no option to transfer them on
the SD card. Transfers are automatically made to the internal memory.

Is there a way to transfer tracs from the PC to the SD card?

Ray

kyot

2006-10-14, 10:33 pm

yes and no!

you can save tracks on the SD card.
Either plug the card into the PC or use the USB Mass storage function
(menu Setup>Interface)
and save as .GPX
However, as far as I can see, you can't display track data on the
memory card on the devices map or use track-back... unless someone
knows how that can be done... it's a bit pointless.

rlevesque wrote:
> Hi
>
> As you know when defining the parameters of a trac, it is possible to
> specify that it is to be saved on the SD card rather than on the GPS
> internal memory. This allows us to bypass the maximum of 20 tracs which
> can be saved within the GPL internal memory.
>
> I like to export my tracs to my PC (to MapSource) to edit them. When I
> transfer them back to the GPS, there is no option to transfer them on
> the SD card. Transfers are automatically made to the internal memory.
>
> Is there a way to transfer tracs from the PC to the SD card?
>
> Ray

Jack Erbes

2006-10-15, 10:33 am

kyot wrote:
> yes and no!
>
> you can save tracks on the SD card.
> Either plug the card into the PC or use the USB Mass storage function
> (menu Setup>Interface)
> and save as .GPX
> However, as far as I can see, you can't display track data on the
> memory card on the devices map or use track-back... unless someone
> knows how that can be done... it's a bit pointless.

It does seem pointless. I find the *.gpx files logged to the data card
to be very attractive because they contain all the track data collected
for a given day. They are also the most detailed track data you can
collect as they have the fix, date & time, and altitude for every
trackpoint collected. And you can control the collection rate from the
GPS.

But it seems odd that they are of no further use from the GPS. If you
open the *.gpx file from MapSource or a program like GPS Utility, you
can see all the track points and edit and manipulate them to your hearts
content.

You can transfer the track points back to the GPS (I'm using a 76Cx) but
when you do that the GPS simplifies the track. You'll have an accurate
enough representation of the track as seen in a zoomed out view on the
GPS but track points are removed from the straighter sections and the
number of trackpoints is reduced on the curves and turns.

If you zoom in on the track it will be seen as a point to point route
with straight segments. The individual track points in the segments
cannot be queried with the cursor on the reloaded tracks or when using
BackTrack on saved tracks. You are prompted to "select the point" to
BackTrack to but in reality I think you are just selecting the cursor
location at the track.

I took a *.gpx file with 1,600 points, opened it with MapSource,
transferred it to the GPS, and there was only about 500 points in the
track when I downloaded it from the GPS again with either MapSource or
GPS Utility. And the date and time data was no longer included in the
track. MapSource simply no longer displayed the date/times and GPS
Utility showed all points as having a time of 30-12-1989 19:59:59.

Tracks are not very well documented for the newer handhelds and Garmin
has not indicated where they are going, if anywhere, on the way users
can use the data.

Garmin seems to either be missing or studiously ignoring one of the most
useful potential features of the microSD cards now. That is giving the
user the ability to store waypoints, routes, and track data on the card
and upload it to the GPS. I have about 45 routes on my GPS now and am
approaching the 50 route limit. If I were able to group the routes and
load them as needed, it would really broaden the capability of the 76Cx.
And it would give the Garmins the same capability that Magellan had
from day one on the Meridians.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

Dan Anderson

2006-10-15, 3:33 pm

Jack Erbes wrote:
& #91;snip]
> You can transfer the track points back to the GPS (I'm using a 76Cx) but
> when you do that the GPS simplifies the track. You'll have an accurate
> enough representation of the track as seen in a zoomed out view on the
> GPS but track points are removed from the straighter sections and the
> number of trackpoints is reduced on the curves and turns.
>
> If you zoom in on the track it will be seen as a point to point route
> with straight segments. The individual track points in the segments
> cannot be queried with the cursor on the reloaded tracks or when using
> BackTrack on saved tracks. You are prompted to "select the point" to
> BackTrack to but in reality I think you are just selecting the cursor
> location at the track.
>
> I took a *.gpx file with 1,600 points, opened it with MapSource,
> transferred it to the GPS, and there was only about 500 points in the
> track when I downloaded it from the GPS again with either MapSource or
> GPS Utility. And the date and time data was no longer included in the
> track. MapSource simply no longer displayed the date/times and GPS
> Utility showed all points as having a time of 30-12-1989 19:59:59.

I believe the maximum number of points in a "saved" track log storage
area on your model is 500 points.

On the B&W 76 models and eTrex Venture when you send a track to
the receiver, it is stored in the "saved" track storage area
and truncated to fit (not simplified as when "Saving" an Active
Log to the "Saved" storage area). When I send a track to the
receiver no points are thrown out if it fits in the given
storage area.

Tracks that are named "Active Log" or "Active Log nnn", where
nnn = 001, 002, 003, etc., are put in the active log storage
and tracks with any other name (except a blank name) are sent
to the "saved" storage areas.

> Tracks are not very well documented for the newer handhelds and Garmin
> has not indicated where they are going, if anywhere, on the way users
> can use the data.
>
> Garmin seems to either be missing or studiously ignoring one of the most
> useful potential features of the microSD cards now. That is giving the
> user the ability to store waypoints, routes, and track data on the card
> and upload it to the GPS. I have about 45 routes on my GPS now and am
> approaching the 50 route limit. If I were able to group the routes and
> load them as needed, it would really broaden the capability of the 76Cx.
> And it would give the Garmins the same capability that Magellan had
> from day one on the Meridians.

I'm dumbfounded by some of the things Garmin either does or doesn't do.
If there is room in ROM for the code, we may see a version some
day with more capabilities with regards to the micro SD cards. If
there isn't room for the additional code, we might have to wait for
newer models.

--
Dan
(email change 2001 to 2004)
(www.gpsmap.net)

Heinrich Pfeifer

2006-10-16, 4:33 am

"rlevesque" <raynald.levesque@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1160863034.043538.119250@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Hi
>
> As you know when defining the parameters of a trac, it is possible to
> specify that it is to be saved on the SD card rather than on the GPS
> internal memory.

no, there is only the option to save tracks on the SD card *in parallel* to
recording them in the internal memory. If you disable the internal track
recording, it won't write anything on the SD card neither.

> This allows us to bypass the maximum of 20 tracs which
> can be saved within the GPL internal memory.

much more than that: it allows to bypass all other restrictions of the
"saved" tracks memory, as is: the 500 points limit, and the lack of time
stamps.

--

Heinrich
http://www.gartrip.de
mail: new<at>gartrip.de

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