google earth

[+the_sass72]

Does anyone here use google earth?

 

I was watching a videozine from Itunes ... Icenrye's Videozine

 

In it he mentions using Google Earth. Does it have any advantages to this sport?

Also, can the maps be put on the gps?

 

Thanks!

[+Miragee]

I finally started using Google Earth, something I had not done before because I have such a slow dialup connection.

 

It is extremely useful for seeing where the cache is, and where the trails are that lead to it.

 

I use GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)

to filter down to the caches I want to look for and open that file in Google Earth.

 

The only maps you can put on your GPSr are those from the manufacture. On my Garmin, I have City Navigator and Mapsource Topo.

[+Haffy]

I finally started using Google Earth, something I had not done before because I have such a slow dialup connection.

 

It is extremely useful for seeing where the cache is, and where the trails are that lead to it.

 

I use GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)

to filter down to the caches I want to look for and open that file in Google Earth.

 

The only maps you can put on your GPSr are those from the manufacture. On my Garmin, I have City Navigator and Mapsource Topo.

 

How do you open the file in Google Earth? I too am on dialup and was curious as to which file to use.

[+Klemmer]

Export a .gpx or .loc file from GSAK or GC.com PQ, then drag and drop the file onto Google Earth. It will ask you what you ewant to do. Check or uncheck the proper boxes, tell it OK, and voila!

[+Miragee]

I do a filter in GSAK to show the small area I am interested in on the Google Earth view that has . . . . finally . . . loaded.

 

I save those filtered caches as a .gpx file and open that .gpx in Google Earth.

 

I have never been able to get the .kml thingie to work . . . so I gave up on it.

[+blackcat96]

Does anyone here use google earth?

 

I was watching a videozine from Itunes ... Icenrye's Videozine

 

In it he mentions using Google Earth. Does it have any advantages to this sport?

Also, can the maps be put on the gps?

 

Thanks!

 

I downloaded the geocache browser from geocaching.com and it will show geocaches in Google Earth. There is a limit of something like 200 views of it per day, but you would have to be spending tons of time looking at Google Earth to reach that number.

This feature can definitely be used to create routes in or through areas where you may plan on doing some geocaching, and make a PQ with the saved route file.

bc96

[+ecd1211]

I've been a Google Earth user since it was in Beta (even back in the old Keyhole days). I subscribe to Google Earth Plus, which allows me to directly download waypoints and tracks to GE+. You can't put GE maps on a GPSr, but you can superimpose your GPS data on the GE overlays.

 

One disadvantage to GE is that there is very little high-res detail for rural areas. I do most of my geocaching and hiking in a more urban setting (unfortunately ), but, for example, when I went hiking with Dad back home in upstate New York, I couldn't really view our hiking routes because GE just doesn't offer any detail of that area of the state.

 

But GE has a lot of cool features (even if the data is a little stale) -- especially now with the Sky features. Well worth the free download.

[gallet]

Google Earth is absolutely awesome. I use it now to get a good overall birds eye view of my intended trek. I've just finished scouting an area I haven't been to for about 15 years, prepared the sleeping bags, refloored the japara tent, got a steripen and so forth. I'll be using the gps to find the beginning of the track which is very hard to find and also I can use it with the help of google and a topo map, to find the tricky bit where I leave the track down to canoe creek, that's the final bit that leads into the Colo River.

 

Here I've marked the beginning of the track and where I'll leave it http://xs218.xs.to/xs218/07353/screenshot_12.jpg

 

Here's a couple of close ups

http://xs218.xs.to/xs218/07353/screenshot_13.jpg

http://xs218.xs.to/xs218/07353/screenshot_14.jpg

 

And here is google earth overlayed over on of my old top maps.

http://xs218.xs.to/xs218/07353/colo.jpg

[2brnot2b]

I use and love Google Earth. Also, as has been covered in other threads, try this: scan a trail map as a jpg, go into Google Earth, add the jpb as a layer to the area you are viewing, stretch to fit (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't depending on the accuracy of scale of the trail map), and trace your trail map route onto Google Earth, save as a GPX file and upload to your GPS... never make a wrong turn again!!! Well, assuming no technical difficulties. Wait, you have to GPSBabel it into the right format in there... see other threads. And of course, this is a "sloppy" estimate, not exact, but it helped me at Quabbin reservoir in western MA. last week. After about mile three of a longer loop I was doing, the trail markers disappeared, the trail split numerous times, and then, get this, the yellow trail markers re-appeard at a three way intersection, with yellow marks in ALL of the directions!** My approximate route on the GPS was the only thing keeping me from making a single wrong turn. All geocaches appear in it automatically with the right plug-in, and the link to the geocache appears when you click on the cache in Google Earth.

 

** loosely related trivia: The city of Chicopee MA has a short street with DO NOT ENTER signs at BOTH ends! I kid you not.

Edited August 29, 2007 by 2brnot2b