Waypoint "notes" & track limit

[mike909]

Almost got all my questions answered for my new 60Csx (thanks to this forum) and the unit is great so far...just a couple more quick ones:

1. When I add tracks from mapsource to my Gps, it adds them to internal memory (which is limited to 20 total tracks). My plan was to load up a bunch of tracks for a natl. park before I go camping (don't plan to bring laptop). Is there any way to store tracks to the SD card from mapsource? (i tried to search on this, as I thought I saw a thread relating to it before, but I couldn't find anything)

 

2. This should be an easy one...My waypoints 'notes' field is getting cut off in the gps. It seems like it's only displaying about 20 characters or so, then truncating it. When I view the waypoint in mapsource it has the full notes. (ie. a waypoint sais "great view of the valley to the west from here" in mapsource, but on the gps it just says "great view of the".

[+Lil Devil]

2. This should be an easy one...My waypoints 'notes' field is getting cut off in the gps. It seems like it's only displaying about 20 characters or so, then truncating it. When I view the waypoint in mapsource it has the full notes. (ie. a waypoint sais "great view of the valley to the west from here" in mapsource, but on the gps it just says "great view of the".

I thought this might have been related to the change in the most recent MapSource that allows newline characters in the note field. But when I tested it, it worked correctly and gave me a 3 line note with a total length of 30 characters.

 

Are you using the latest MapSource (6.12.2) ?

 

Do you have the latest firmware loaded in your 60CSx (3.20) ?

 

If not, try updating them and see if that fixes the problem.

[mike909]

Are you using the latest MapSource (6.12.2) ?

 

Do you have the latest firmware loaded in your 60CSx (3.20) ?

Yes, and yes. When I recieved it a couple days ago, that's the first thing I did...update everything. I guess I will try loading a waypoint with a different program (like gsak or something)

thanks for the suggestions though. Will post back with my results.

[+Timpat]

1. When I add tracks from mapsource to my Gps, it adds them to internal memory (which is limited to 20 total tracks). My plan was to load up a bunch of tracks for a natl. park before I go camping (don't plan to bring laptop). Is there any way to store tracks to the SD card from mapsource? (i tried to search on this, as I thought I saw a thread relating to it before, but I couldn't find anything)

There is a trick to save a bunch of tracks by fooling the unit's internal memory. To go beyond the 20 track (w/250 trackpoints each) limit in the memory, you can use the "ACTIVE LOG" file type to create a new "false" track file. Beyond the 20 track/250 point limit, the Active Log can contain a total of 10,000 track points with many separate tracks. Just download your data and view it in MapSource to see. You would see the various tracklogs created each time the unit was on and recording tracks, and they would be named "ACTIVE LOG 001, ACTIVE LOG 002, ACTIVE LOG 003", etc.

 

So, in MapSource, have all your National Park tracks together as one big file, and name it (save as) "ACTIVE LOG 999.gpx (or .gdb)", or whatever 3-digit numeral but keep this naming convention. Upload this new track file to your 60CSx. Your unit will see it as another Active Log and not use any of the Saved Tracks memory. On your unit you can view the tracks on the map screen as if they had been logged on any other GPS outing. If your Parks tracks contain lots of trackpoints, you may want to clear the unit's track memory under Tracks/Clear. this does not delete and Saved Tracks, only the active Track Log data. You won't be able to "Go To" this track file as you can a Saved Track, but when you're in the Park area the tracks will be on the map. Or, when you pan around on the map screen you will see them. Give it a try, it works.

 

(Oh, there is a trick to save tracks on the SD card, but they are not accessible for viewing or using on the unit. They would simply be saved on the card. Maybe some day Garmin will offer an update to do this.)

[+Red90]

Almost got all my questions answered for my new 60Csx (thanks to this forum) and the unit is great so far...just a couple more quick ones:

1. When I add tracks from mapsource to my Gps, it adds them to internal memory (which is limited to 20 total tracks). My plan was to load up a bunch of tracks for a natl. park before I go camping (don't plan to bring laptop). Is there any way to store tracks to the SD card from mapsource? (i tried to search on this, as I thought I saw a thread relating to it before, but I couldn't find anything)

 

2. This should be an easy one...My waypoints 'notes' field is getting cut off in the gps. It seems like it's only displaying about 20 characters or so, then truncating it. When I view the waypoint in mapsource it has the full notes. (ie. a waypoint sais "great view of the valley to the west from here" in mapsource, but on the gps it just says "great view of the".

 

1. No you can not save the tracks to the card and use them later (without a computer).

 

2. Notes are limited to 30 characters for waypoints. You can use custom POIs which allow for 88 characters in the note field.

[mike909]

Timpat,

Thank you for that very clear and detailed response. It makes perfect sense and I will give it a try a little later. I can live with not being able to 'go to' the tracks. (though honestly, it seems silly for Garmin to not allow for tracks to be sent to the SD card with full functionality...I mean that's one of the main advantages to the expandable memory imo).

Red90,

Custom POI trick...was hoping that wasn't necessary, but if waypoint notes are limited to 30, then that's what I will need to do.

Thanks all for suggestions.

[+Red90]

The problem with the active track trick, is that if you have the track log running, it will overwrite those tracks eventually and you may lose them without knowing.

 

The Custom POIs are easy to do and are just as usable as waypoints, so don't be scared!

[mike909]

Just realised that by not being able to 'go to' the map, your not just talking about navigating to it...you actually can't select it and have the map centre on it either. That kind of sucks...can't review what it looks like without panning around to find it manually.

[papatooth]

one would think garmin would let us choose what we put on the external sd chip. 2 gigs is a lot of space we could use. 20 way points isnt enough.

[+Red90]

20 waypoints??

 

The unit hold 1000 waypoints and unlimitted custom points of interest.

[papatooth]

Just realised that by not being able to 'go to' the map, your not just talking about navigating to it...you actually can't select it and have the map centre on it either. That kind of sucks...can't review what it looks like without panning around to find it manually.

 

i meant tracks bad choice of wording