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Grasscatcher

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Posts posted by Grasscatcher

  1. I'l correct myself again.....I went back and looked up the tracklist in Mapsource and there WAS a 500 point track in addition to the 1045 Active log.

    So, you are correct again!

    I was just so happy to see the track with all 1045 points that I neglected to notice that it was the active log track

  2. Save the "Active Log" and it will be saved as "today's date"

     

    Then you have two "copies", one still in active log and one saved in the tracklist.....NOT FILTERED DOWN to 500 tp....it is the same as in the active log

     

    Then when you clear the ActiveLog, you get rid of the duplicate.

     

    The 500 limit never comes into play since the track is coming from internally.

     

    In spite of one of the posts above, MY GPSr (Map76CS) does NOT filter to <=500 before saving.

  3. I KNEW I wasn't TOTALLY full of prunes.....

     

    Here's how to get around the 500 tp limit...

     

    In Mapsource, I hand drew a track of 1045 points, closely following a very crooked road.

    In track properties I renamed the track Active log 1

    I cleared the active tracklog in my GPSr

    I uploaded that track named "Active Log 1" from Mapsource into my GPSr which stored it in the GPSr's 10,000 tp capacity.

    I then saved it as a track in my GPSr using the default date naming .

     

    Downloaded from my GPSr into another Mapsource file to verify........It came out perfect, 1045 points just like the original following the road the same....ie an exact duplicate.

     

    In short, you just have to go thru the Active Log. If it is coming from internally, it will accept more than the 500 points. Effectively eliminating the 500 / track limit. "Wrap when full" would then be the limit I guess.

  4. My Mistake! ....and I learned something in the process.

     

    I do a lot of trail mapping with my 76CS and a lot of the tracks that Ive downloaded from it into Topo are WELL more than the length required to log 500 points. .and here's what is wierd. I always clear the active track log at the beginning of the trail then I save the track at the end of whatever I'm mapping , Go to the next one and repeat the process, starting with clearing the active track log. AND I always clear the tracklog before downloading into my PC to prevent "double downloading " the last track+the active tracklog

     

    Even the LONG tracks (longer than 500 t points) are saved and downloaded complete with no gaps or truncated.

     

    If I hand draw a track in either Mapsource or Expert GPS and try to upload into my GPSr THAT is when I find out it won't take a track of greater than 500 points.

     

    Sounds like it's a one directional limitation ???

  5. The ability to draw tracks is long overdue, and a wonderful addition to Mapsource. I've played around with it quite a bit and really like it. It does have some quirks, like inserting track points only a few feet apart. I've used the "filter" function to trim down the track lengths since the 60c maximum track length is 500 track points.

     

    Maximun trackpoints in a 60c is 10,000............ Not 500

  6. Well, at least mapsource brings down detail to 80 ft. NG zooms to about 1.5 mi. I'm not necessarily looking for detail, but I do want to route. Since Mapsource UStopo is not routable, at the 80ft. level, I can create a point to points route and at least follow the trails more closely. NG is like using Microsoft Paint to create routes. At the large scale, I decided this was useless.

     

    Are you sure you were using NG Topo? NOT the same Topo that I have. Their maps are digitally scanned USGS 7.5min quads, which are the most detailed topo maps available. They are 1:24000 scale initially and then in the program you can enlarge up to 400%. What would make you think that "they" only zoom in to 1.5 miles?

    In addition to magnifing 400% you can also use a "Hotspot magnifier" to spot viewat an even greater magnification!

  7. Has anyone seen a comparison in actual performance between the older Garmin GA27 and the newer GA25 and possibly the Glisson MCX external antennas?

    I'm already aware that external antennas work well (improve signal strength reception), just wondering if the newer ones actually have been proven to work any better than my 10 yr old "27".

  8. I don't believe the Garmin Legend will let you project waypoints in FEET, the best I could ever get it do to is to project .01 of a mile which is about 50 feet. Not very helpful for geocaching or the OP's intended use.

     

    ExpertGPS will project a waypoint in feet, maybe EasyGPS will to, I dunno.

     

    If you also go into Setup, Units, and change your Distance/Speed units to Yards then you can do your projections in "Yds"...at least that's the steps on my Map76CS

  9. I have,and regularly use 8 different mapping programs.

    For ease of learning/use and for map quality my favorite is NG Topo. ($99 /state)

    For compatibility with other programs (file types etc) my favorite is Topografix Expert GPS. Also Expert GPS has Aerial Photos($59 )

    Every program has it's strong / weak points, but as a regular user of several different ones those are the ones I find myself using when I need to do something.

    Only as my personal opinion, DeLorme is kinda "Mickey Mouse".They like to tell you what you want instead of listening and providing a means to do it

  10. One more comment about the Topo profile. ..If you had Topo and placed your cursor on the end point of the profile and looked just above the taskbar on the left hand side just below the 37.05, It would say "Terrain Distance(includes ups and downs" 37.05.

     

    Also one more comment about the "walking rolling odometer"(notoriously inaccurate) and "mechanically measured and surveyed"distance. If that profile is from the starting line to the finish line of the exact course that you will be running , then you will be running a 37.05 mile course. Enjoy your shortened race, or run an extra 2.95 mile so that you can calculate an accurate pace /mile.

     

    I've run 7 marathons, all "measured and certified", several of which were later shown to be inaccurate distances. The point?, relax and enjoy the run, because the sun will still come up the next day whether you win or place last.

  11. Tands---

    Doing it the theoretical way,on thecomputer in Topo......

    In the example profile you gave, the "3705" is the distance "On the Ground" including elevation changes. (ie odometer reading)

    If you knew your exact starting waypoint coordinates and your ending coordinates then you can easily calculate the actual straight line ,point to point distance. Use UTM coordinates, it's easier.

    Since you have Topo, you can do it there easily like you did the profile. Use the "compass" tool and place the "anchor" on the starting waypoint, then go to the end waypoint and click, and the length of the direction line is your straight line distance. (In "Preferences" have "feet" selected for distance choice)

    As has been previously suggested, you will be surprised how small the diference actually is, especially in real world "travel conditions".

    In Topo I constructed a sample direction line between two waypoints 2748 ft apart, and checked the profile. The line went straight over the top of a nearby "fourteener" and the % average grade (in Topo) showed to be 80%+. On ground distance showed to be 3578 ft...so 830 ft difference due to the extreme incline example conditions.

    Save the starting point and ending point on your ultra run, come back and download it into Topo and you can definitively answer your own question for all of us, by seeing which distance your GPSr odometer most closely agrees with.

  12. I've been reading the different entries on the "WAAS 36" posting with interest.

     

    Where would the most informative material on GPS Satellites be found?

    Isn't there a website or (s) somewhere that shows sat positions at any given time and information on them ? Can someone point me toward something like that?

     

    I don't need highly technical specifics.....more like "Satellites for Dummies" ....gotta start somewhere.

  13. In SW Colorado this am I'm getting a solid lock and FULL strength on 36. Had D's on every sat

    12 ft accuracy in deep mountain valley area

    76CS

     

     

    Earlier I saw 33,34,35,47 at various times but lock only on 35 for a short.

  14. Here is a sample of the "as exported" comma delimited file.

     

    ...or I can send it by e-mail....whatever.

    This one is just a hand drawn track, converted to route, then exported as comma delimited.

     

    TOPO! GPS Data Format UTM NAD83 ElevFeet UTC-Time

    TOPO! GPS Route,001 TO 044

    001,13S,291259,4218364,12196,01/26/2006,21:53:23,

    002,13S,291274,4218257,12235,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    003,13S,291374,4218043,12188,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    004,13S,291575,4217613,12074,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    005,13S,291747,4217450,12051,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    006,13S,291884,4217270,11965,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    007,13S,291934,4217162,11899,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    008,13S,292107,4217017,11826,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    009,13S,292316,4216941,11710,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

    010,13S,292440,4216937,11587,01/26/2006,21:53:24,

  15. I have numerous (8) different GPS/mapping and "Conversion"programs , but apparently that is not enough to find the correct combination.....

     

    Topo, Arc Explorer, USAPhotomaps, MapSource, Expert GPS,G7ToWin,DNRGarmin,GPSU

     

    The task I need to accomplish is to move MULTIPLE Topo "tracks" into Expert GPS.....even if it is "one at a time"

    I know this problem is a result of NG Topo not being able / willing to be compatible with open source file file format, however, that does not change what I need to accomplish.

     

    The tracks are no longer in my GPSr......ONLY in the TOPO program in a "tpo" file. There are several maps with multiple tracks of Snowmobile trails, ATV trails, and Hiking trails that have been compiled over several years.

     

    NG Topo will not export "tracks", but will export "routes", so I have converted "track" to "route" in Topo and exported as comma delimited text , and several of the other (few) choices that Topo has for exports, but as yet have not been able to successfully get a Topo track into Expert GPS. Several times I thought I had it made but ended up with no waypoints on the track (no visible track).

    That's kinda like being only slightly fatal.

     

    I would appreciate any help. If you don't have the Topo program, I can send you a sample "track converted to route and exported as comma delimited" file to play with.

    If you have the Topo program, just hand draw a track and convert it to route within the program (use "adding enough waypoints to closely follow the track") then export to see/get the exported format.

  16. The units will only do area calculation internally using the track method.

    However......I had to do an area calculation the way you need to do it once and here's how.

    Go to the first corner and while standing there, "clear tracklog", then save a waypoint, turn unit off.(leave it off until you get to next point)

    Go to second point, turn unit on and let it obtain "lock", save waypoint, turn unit off, etc,etc,etc

    Unit will draw straight "tracks" between "off" and "on " points without actually having to follow the fence line since that is impossible.

    When you get to the last corner, after having saved your last waypoint, save the track and it will show the enclosed area.

    The waypoints will actually have nothing to do with it except the will be located where the "track" bends or makes a corner.

    I believe that is the only way to do it internally within the unit.

     

    In other software, USAPhotomaps and Expert GPS, you can do it. Dan Foster from Topografix (see some of his posts on this forum) can explain the particulars better than I.

     

    Good Luck

  17. After you turn the unit on, be sure it has obtained a good "lock".

    When you are at the point whereyou want to start your track, page to the track page and "clear track log". It will only clear the "active" track, not any "saved" tracks.

    Then your unit will start showing the "bread crumb trail" starting at that point when you start moving.

    Later. when AND WHERE you want to stop mapping, "save" the track (the entire track).

    If you later want to download the track into your PC, as the LAST OPERATION before you download, do the "clear tracklog" operation again.Why? Because even if you "save" a track it does not delete it. the bread crumb trail continues in the "active" tracklog until it is deleted.

    Let's say you saved three separate tracks using the above procedures(except for that last "clear tracklog" ).

    When you download the tracks into your PC, Tracks 1&2, would look fine. Track 3 would actually be "duplicated" (once as the Saved Track 3 and once as the Active" track). The active track would have "tails" on it to any location you turned your unit on after you "saved" Track 3

     

    The Active track(breadcrumb trail) is automatic and continouus anytime your unit is on, so thats why you have to "clear it's brains" before starting to map a track that you want to save.

    Hope this helps.

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