Garmin GPS - PDA to Garmin venture Cx util to load extra routes/waypoints?

Author

PDA to Garmin venture Cx util to load extra routes/waypoints?

frederick.holmes@gmail.com

2007-04-19, 4:33 am

My original post " load extra routes/waypoints from MicroSd card?"

http://groups.google.com/group/alt....> 06ff2b1b78a67

was answered with a "No"
Basically I'm into the wilderness for months w/o access to a PC and
the garmin venture Cx is already loaded with max waypoints.

Here's another option

I do have a PDA Windows Mobile 5 with a USB interface. Is there any
utility useable on the PDA that I could use to transfer extra routes/
Waypoints in gpx format into the garmin?

Thanks
Fred

frederick.holmes@gmail.com

2007-04-19, 4:33 am

On Apr 19, 1:31 am, frederick.hol...@gmail.com wrote:
> My original post " load extra routes/waypoints from MicroSd card?"
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt....rowse_thread...
>
> was answered with a "No"
> Basically I'm into the wilderness for months w/o access to a PC and
> the garmin venture Cx is already loaded with max waypoints.
>
> Here's another option
>
> I do have a PDA Windows Mobile 5 with a USB interface. Is there any
> utility useable on the PDA that I could use to transfer extra routes/
> Waypoints in gpx format into the garmin?
>
> Thanks
> Fred

Additional Info - apparently you CAN save Tracks to the microSD card.
So is there an easy (for dummies) way of converting gpx route/waypoint
info into garmin tracks to load onto the sd card before I hit the woods

Jack Erbes

2007-04-19, 7:33 am

frederick.holmes@gmail.com wrote:

<snip>
> Additional Info - apparently you CAN save Tracks to the microSD card.
> So is there an easy (for dummies) way of converting gpx route/waypoint
> info into garmin tracks to load onto the sd card before I hit the woods
>

You are talking about the "Log Track to Card" feature. That will save
your track data to a *.gpx file on the microSD card. It is a check box,
either on or off. This feature is not mentioned or described in the
online manuals as it is a feature that was added after the manual was
published.

Tracks on the "x" series models are a little confusing at first. There
are two kinds of tracks.

1 - Saved tracks. These are saved to main memory on the GPS (not TO the
microSD card). you can have a maximum of 20 Saved Tracks. The Saved
Tracks can be opened and viewed from the GPS and you can create
"BackTrak" routes from them. When you save a track the number of track
points that are saved is limited to about a maximum of 200 points
(regardless of the number of trackpoints that may have been in track
memory) and the date/time data is not saved, only the location and
elevation. So I think of Saved Tracks as a rough approximation of the
receiver's track memory at the time the track was saved.

2 - Logged Tracks - These result from the "Log Track to Card" feature
being turned on. If you are looking for good data, this is a wonderful
features. It collects every single track point with full data
(location, date/time, and elevation) in one file for each day. It will
do that as long as the feature is turned on and there is room on the
microSD card to write the file. So you could collect track data for
long periods of time without giving it any extra or special attention.
This feature is not well documented and it is turned off by default.

The good thing about the Logged Tracks is that the points are logged
even if you exceed the 10,000 point capacity of the GPS receiver's track
memory. When the receiver reaches the max on trackpoints (either 2,000
or 10,000 as you select) it will either stop collecting or it will start
overwriting (as you select). But if it is enabled the Track Log *.gpx
file will contain all the track points collected during a given day
regardless of what was going on with the track memory settings.

The bad news is that, you cannot do anything with the logged track
(*.gpx) files from the GPS receiver. They cannot be opened, viewed, or
back loaded to the GPS receiver from the the GPS receiver.

But you can download all track data (both Saved and Logged) to a
MapSource install on a PC. And in MapSource you can further use the
track data from the *.gpx files. You can view and edit tracks, you can
calculate things like times, speeds, and distances, and you can plot
elevation profiles.

The track data from MapSource can also be uploaded back into the track
memory on the GPS from MapSource. So there may be a method of using the
Saved Tracks memory on the GPS to store track data that could later be
opened from the GPS and used to place waypoints. It sounds a little
arcane but it might be a doable thing.

You don't travel with a laptop? It sounds to me like what I would want
to have along if I wanted to do the things you want to do.

Jack

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

Dan Anderson

2007-04-19, 10:33 pm

frederick.holmes@gmail.com wrote:
> My original post " load extra routes/waypoints from MicroSd card?"
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt....> 06ff2b1b78a67
>
> was answered with a "No"
> Basically I'm into the wilderness for months w/o access to a PC and
> the garmin venture Cx is already loaded with max waypoints.
>
> Here's another option
>
> I do have a PDA Windows Mobile 5 with a USB interface. Is there any
> utility useable on the PDA that I could use to transfer extra routes/
> Waypoints in gpx format into the garmin?

If that PDA can be a host USB, then you can connect your Venture Cx
to it. Generally PDA's are a client USB to be connected to the computer
host USB. A client USB does not connect to a client USB. There are
some PDAs that support a host USB.

I'm not sure what programs are compatible PDA Windows Mobile 5,
but I'd start by checking OziExplorer CE and Pathaway.

For backpacking, I use a Palm based PDA with a serial interface
to Garmin 76 models and use GPilotS, which I believe only
runs on Palm OS. Since you have a USB only receiver, this is
not an option.

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

Jack Erbes

2007-04-20, 10:33 am

Dan Anderson wrote:

> frederick.holmes@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
>
> If that PDA can be a host USB, then you can connect your Venture Cx
> to it. Generally PDA's are a client USB to be connected to the computer
> host USB. A client USB does not connect to a client USB. There are
> some PDAs that support a host USB.
>
> I'm not sure what programs are compatible PDA Windows Mobile 5,
> but I'd start by checking OziExplorer CE and Pathaway.
>
> For backpacking, I use a Palm based PDA with a serial interface
> to Garmin 76 models and use GPilotS, which I believe only
> runs on Palm OS. Since you have a USB only receiver, this is
> not an option.

Thanks for the explanation on the host/client thing, I did not
understand that. Is that a hardware limitation? Or can software be
written that will let a PDA be either a host or a client for different
purposes?

Once you had a PDA that was a host, would it still need a driver to
handle the hardware to software interface?

Is there any software around that would give PDA users the same kind
versatility in use from USB ports and USB connected GPS receivers that
they get from the RS-232 serial connections? If so, it would be great
to hear more about it.

We need to get the public domain hackers and programmers working on this
USB thing. :> )

Jack

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

Dan Anderson

2007-04-20, 3:33 pm

Jack Erbes wrote:
> Dan Anderson wrote:
>
> Thanks for the explanation on the host/client thing, I did not
> understand that. Is that a hardware limitation? Or can software be
> written that will let a PDA be either a host or a client for different
> purposes?

Not in the older equipment. The host has a type A socket and the
client (device) a type B connector. However there has been a
new addition to the USB spec. called On-the-Go (OTG). This adds
a protocol for negotiating a host mode so that device to device
connections are possible. Most of our devices have the mini USB
type B connectors. There are now also mini type A connectors and
a mini AB receptacle. I assume the mini AB is intended for being
either a host connection or a client connection.

> Once you had a PDA that was a host, would it still need a driver to
> handle the hardware to software interface?

Yes. USB devices are given an ID registered at usb.org. When you
plug in a usb device the OS gets it's number and wants to find
some piece of code to handle it.

> Is there any software around that would give PDA users the same kind
> versatility in use from USB ports and USB connected GPS receivers that
> they get from the RS-232 serial connections? If so, it would be great
> to hear more about it.

I'm not aware of any now but haven't looked. It's certainly coming.

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

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