Grasscatcher

That is specifically why I always / only "archive daily". Previous models had that choice also when "saving track to card", but when newer models came out it wasn't available at first, but was added later. If you have your GPS turned on let's say at home, in the house or outside while you're sitting fiddling with it, it will constantly be logging unimportant, non useful points all the time it's on. OK, now let's say you turn it off after an hour of fiddling with it at home, and don't turn it back on until the next day. Archived daily, the previous day's archived file (gpx) will be nothing but random garbage points.....Go into the Archive folder every once in a while (monthly?) and delete it/them. Literally just think of it like a ball of string in your back pocket that unrolls as you move. "Archiving" or " Clearing the track" cuts the string. Archiving Daily (the GPS unit automatically) cuts the string at the end of every day, all movements During that day are attached. Archiving Weekly ( the GPS unit)cuts the string at the end of the week but all movements during that week are connected. "Clearing" the track log cuts the string at any time YOU choose and disconnects your present position from all previous movement all the way back to the point in time when your unit "auto archived" Yes,yes, I know that the user can turn "track logging" off but that's really not the best practice. Just leave "logging" ON, archive Daily, and clear it's brains whenever you desire. If you forget and occasionally still get one of those lines, with almost any GPS computer software, you can also just cut/break the connecting straight line and it will disappear. If you will notice, there really aren't any track points along that line between where you turned the unit off and where you turned it back on. Just a connecting line between two separate points in time.

Dr J & Mr H, Have you, or are you aware of anyone that has, asked Garmin "Why the difference?".(in quality) Their reply?

All very good information! As Mtn Hermit said "Who'da Thunkit"..... I was considering getting a Montana,(because I like the convenience of my Oregon's camera so much) mainly for the (perceived) increased quality due to more pixels. You dun good! Saved my money!

There is no way that pictures out of the Oregon would even come close to the quality of a mediocre point and shoot camera. And the Montana's camera is not even as good as the Oregon's. But you don't buy a gps for the camera, just like you don't buy a camera because you're looking for a gps. Each function is secondary to the device's main purpose. I actually really like the pictures out of the WG-1. The pictures out of the Oregon and Montana are acceptable as waypoints, but they're not great pictures. And yes, I do have an Oregon 550, a Montana 650 and the Pentax Optio WG-1 so I can compare all their images. Dr J & MH, It kinda depends on if the user is going to enlarge the photos or just e-mail them to friends (at 640X480) or use them to ref a location along a track. Hey, since you have both....in your opinion are the pics from the Montana really not as good as the Oregon's? Even though the M's are higher pixel count? That surprises me. I'm not disputing you, it just doesn't seem logical.

Coggins, Look at post #4, where the OP states specifically what he's asking about. Mapsource used to come with some GPSs. I still have my old original disks......and they are Mapsource ver3.0.2 and yes it's US Topo.

The answer to your question is YES...after updating to newer version. Install Mapsource 3.02.....go online to Garmins site and update (free). It will be updated to ver 6.16.3......yes it will work. Or just download and use Garmin Basecamp (free). I think that Garmin has stopped supporting Mapsource. ...but the answer to your original question is ...yes.

Think about the Oregon 550 GPS with camera...... Pics are comparable with most point and shoot dedicated cameras, and the pics are automatically geotagged. With the GPS recorded track, my Expert GPS software(by Topografix)records where the pic was taken (by the GPS camera) on the track and also the direction from that spot that the camera was facing. I don't believe that you'll have that last feature with a dedicated camera. Just my 2 cents.....

Go back to "square one".... Now that you have found the cache, go back and completely start over. Don't "Assume" ANYTHING. Verify your GPS datum is set correctly, and go back to cache and get a good "averaged" and verified set of coordinates. Also verify that any coordinates determined are interpreted correctly.(ie decimal coordinates vs DMS) (that could also possibly be the original problem) Verify,verify, verify with what is "actual" and work with only "your" data.. If you are working with any paper maps, verify it's datum also. Very likely, something (datum)is getting "double converted" or a coordinate format is being misinterpreted, but by starting with the answer to the puzzle you should be able to work backwards and figure it out. Good Luck.....

I would guess that someone has (or had) a datum set incorrectly....either you or the cache owner...and.... it's either now or whenever the coordinates were input into the gps. Do the GC coordinates agree favorably with the "actual" location on the aerial photos?

Ver 5.50 available

Or at very least the product was provided to you for free when you signed up to do the testing! Having to pay them for the privilege is the part that hurts most. Regardless of who it is. That said, I own two Garmins of older persuasions, and both are well sorted out. Perhaps their big problem is that they seem to be trying to produce too many versions of their lines... how many 'new' Nuvi models do they need, I see one about every few months. Tech changes for sure, but... Doug 7rxc Please note.....VERY FEW of the real/perceived/posted problems are actual GPS problems. Most are "Game Controller" problems driven by the infinite whims of players that sometimes seem to be controlled by head locations on opposite ends of their bodies. 7RXC is correct, but not just NUVI's. I just hope that, in order to please all the "Gamers" , the important GPS functions aren't compromised. My opinion......

What model? An Oregon 550 with the exact same files and settings worked fine...78S not so much. The problem was a display problem only. The tracks were all there and listed, just didn't show up on screen (with settings for display checked correctly)

I was having a problem with tracks not displaying on a 78S, so I contacted Garmin CS. Here's what I got back from Garmin....... "Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I will be more than happy to assist you in your issue today and thank you for being a Garmin customer. At this time, Garmin does not suggest installing GPX files, tracks or waypoints onto the SD card of your GPS handheld unit for it can cause issues with viewing such data. Most likely this is causing your current issue. The operating system of our devices is intended to read only mapping in most cases on the SD card. Please install your data onto the internal memory only and this will most likely resolve your issue. If you have any other questions, please do let us know and thank you for being a Garmin customer." Ever hear that little tidbit of information? If the user is not supposed to store gpx files,or waypoints,or tracks, on the card because "it can cause issues with viewing such data." and since the operating system "is intended to read only mapping IN MOST CASES on the SD card."......sure raises a lot of ?????in my mind.

Now, here's the weird part... I worked on both GPSs all afternoon. Several power cycles with units re reading and re loading data from the GPX files. Still no tracks visible (on the 78S) even though they were checked. This morning I was going to go through both units one more time to see if some setting was different on one only. Turned them both on and all tracks were visible on both units! (and I can absolutely guarantee that they were NOT visible on the 78 when I turned it off the evening before) Had to be something about re reading and re loading data one more time. Here's what I got back from Garmin....... Thank you for contacting Garmin International. I will be more than happy to assist you in your issue today and thank you for being a Garmin customer. At this time, Garmin does not suggest installing GPX files, tracks or waypoints onto the SD card of your GPS handheld unit for it can cause issues with viewing such data. Most likely this is causing your current issue. The operating system of our devices is intended to read only mapping in most cases on the SD card. Please install your data onto the internal memory only and this will most likely resolve your issue. If you have any other questions, please do let us know and thank you for being a Garmin customer.

Are you sure? Do some Garmin units purposely log track coordinate points as snap to road grid tracks? Or is this just an uncorrected bug? I always thought that was limited to the map display, not tracks... those would be from the data received by the GPSr. Now I have to think about that... Still, it would be something to check, it's only a setting. Speaking of which, Isn't there a selection in the menu (of many Garmins) for simply doing Areas, without saving a file? I was looking at an Etrex 10 manual and it seemed to be you just selected that and hit start, walked around to the beginning and hit stop and it did the rest. If a 10 can do it, why not an Oregon... hmm I seem to remember seeing it in my Map 60cx and legend as well. hhmmm! I better look, I sure could use it myself. Doug 7rxc 7RXC, Yes, just FYI, the Oregon has that same setting/button, but I was just describing the way I've done it for years (still do) and know to be accurate, in case of the possibility that the unit might do something differently internally with the data(doing it the other way). (Not that it's likely) My described way has worked accurately over several different models. The "snap to" idea might be a possible source of error....hadn't thought of that.......then again I probably wouldn't because I NEVER use that feature. I may have to think about how to experiment with how to tell whether the GPS logs tracks where it "actually is" or "over there" where it snaps to ...with that feature turned on. It's going to calculate the area "inside" the logged track in either case, so that IS a possible source of error. (that I would have never encountered)

Given your explanation, I would agree...... There's got to be something else going on. Are you sure that the unit has been on long enough to "settle down" and get a good "position lock" at the starting point before you start moving? For track logging are you using "Auto" method and "most often" for logging interval? Save a waypoint at the start point and each corner and endpoint and see if the track downloaded afterwards passes through each. ....and if the SP and EP coordinates are very close to being the same.

I've got several GPX files on my mSD card. One with Tracks, one with Waypoints,etc. All the Waypoints are listed in the Waypoint Mgr and visible on the map. All the Tracks are listed in the Track Manager correctly but are not visible on the map. All are checked to "Show on Map". I have to go to Track Mgr and select one, and select View Map to make it visible. With the exact same data files and same settings on an Oregon 550, all tracks so checked are visible simultaneously. Is this a change with a recent update? I thought the 78S previously acted the same as the Oregon. It definitely needs to.

Why do you consider the Oregon "almost useless for this"? Mine (Oregon 550) has worked fine for several years for that purpose. (water comissioner in Colorado) Checking area of ponds and or fields. Prior to that I used a Map76CSx, a Map76CS, a Map 76, and going all the way back to a 12XL. All very repeatable and accurate. No, not survey quality accuracy, but very reasonable accuracy when compared to surveys. What's not working right? First , "clear current track" at your starting point I walk a path around a pond close to waterline or a path around a field close to the fenceline to create a "closed track". Save it, and then go to Track Manager, select it, then View on Map, touch the bar across the top of screen....one of the data shown is "area". Sometimes , you can't physically "close" the track in your actual travel. What the unit does in that case is theoretically draw a straight line between your end point and the original start point.(to make a closed shape) .... or for simple shapes, GPS the corners and use third party mapping software.

Robert, Or anyone else....can GPS Babel convert Nat Geo "trp" files to "gpx" format so that all the trail data that used to be freely available in Map Exchange but is now "locked" in Topo Explorer be accessed? TEX only exports in "trp" format.

YZ, Have you contacted Dan Foster (Expert GPS by Topografix)? If EGPS won't already do what you want, I'll bet he can tell point you the right way.

Here's another plus.... I have a friend that is a pilot and has taken me up on occasion. Pics that I take are geo-referenced along the logged/recorded track where they were taken and a short reference line from the pic icon points the direction the camera was facing. (the direction the pic was taken from that point on the track). I can tell right side,left side,straight ahead,or angled,etc..........neat and useful feature for identifying different views. That applies only to pics taken with the GPS camera. Ones that are taken with another camera and the camera's time is sync'd with the track time, just show up on the map (track) where they were taken....with no direction line.

This is about an Oregon 550 but the features should work the same. I go out in the back country wilderness in the Winter and find cactus plants (when they are dormant), take pics of them with the Oregon, and then in the Spring I can navigate back to a specific clump while they are in bloom. Works just like it's supposed to! It's great, because you don't have to save a separate waypoint, and then remember which photo it went with, etc. Do a Where To,Photo, select the photo, GO, and you're directed right to it.....

OK, sorry it didn't help......I never even use the odometer. But it did get rid of the straight connecting lines didn't it? I have other software that I edit any/all track data with , so If I do ever get the straight line(s)I just clip/break them and do any other editing/cleanup necessary, and end up with separate individual tracks. I only/always use the distance logged by the individual tracks and pay no attention to the odometer.

GPSN, Here's what I was referring to above... it's a timing issue. Turn unit on and let it get a lock. At your starting point, Clear track log then start your ride/hike/etc At the end of that portion Save track. (can either leave unit on or off between portions) Now, at the beginning of the next portion,clear track and start again. At the end, save. On your trial you described, you saved the first portion, then cleared track log, then turned unit off. In the (seconds) before you turned it off, it logged that current position. When you turned it back on, it logged your new current position (and added the distance between the two) That's where the straight line came from.....and it would think that you moved REALLY FAST between those two consecutive data points. Clearing the track log (at your starting point, instead of at your previous ending point)clears any logged data points (back to the last time you "saved")....which in this case would mean the points logged where you turned it off and the points logged where you turned it on......and the connecting line. Hope this helps.

My 78S hooked up to BC looks like this: Devices: Garmin Map78S All Data SD Card Maps X Maps Y My guess is that you will have to rename card and remove "Garmin" from the name. It's sensing it as a separate device and showing it that way in BC. ???? Because of the name?????