Screen Shots from eXplorist

[+Lizardo]

Anybody have a method to do screen captures from an eXplorist to a PC? I have seen the Garmin tool, but nothing for Magellan.

 

Thanks.

[+Jamie Z]

Digicam

[+Lizardo]

Digicam

 

I assume you are suggesting I use a digital camera. I did a search for Digicam, Digicam eXplorist, Digicam Magellan, Digicam GPS. Just in case you were offering me a useful solution. Nothing helpful.

 

I was hoping for a 'sexier' solution. The clarity of a digital photograph at that range is not quite as nice as a true screen capture. And the glare off of the GPS screen is difficult to overcome if you use the flash.

[+JSWilson64]

. . . And the glare off of the GPS screen is difficult to overcome if you use the flash.

 

If you shoot the GPSr outdoors on a bright day in open shade (like inside a garage with the door up), and put the camera on a tripod, you should be able to get decent shots without flash. Just work out the angles until there's no reflection. You don't need to angle it very much to keep the screen but lose the reflection. I haven't shot a GPS this way, but have shot other shiny flat things. It might help to have something dark above the camera, so any reflections on the screen are of something dark.

 

Or you could scan the pages of the user manual that show what you want to show....

[rws]

scan

 

[+Lizardo]

I like it. I'll go with that.

Thanks for giving me a use for my scanner!

[user13371]

...shoot outdoors on a bright day in open shade ... put the camera on a tripod,...work out the angles until there's no reflection. ... have something dark above the camera, so any reflections on the screen are of something dark...

Or you could try this:

 

Cut the bottom off a plastic milk jug. Set your subject on a cloth, and the jug over that. For lighting, point a couple of bright lamps at either side of the jug; the translucent plastic diffuses light perfectly. Set your camera on macro/close-up and point the lens down through the spout.

Edited November 25, 2007 by lee_rimar

[+GOT GPS?]

The clickable image below shows that it is best to use only the light from the GPS unit's own Backlight, and to turn the Camera's Flash OFF, to capture the GPS screen:

 

Picture with the camera flash turned off:

 

The eXplorist XL's screen is 320x240, so I adjusted the above image to 320x240 as in below:

 

If you took your camera with the flash turned OFF, and Macro enabled, and your eXplorist's screen on full bright, you should be able to capture it's image outdoors, but you would need to make a plastic shroud that sits over the GPS, to cut out the glare caused by ambient light. A compact lightbox maybe possible, and weight only a couple ounces.

Edited November 25, 2007 by GOT GPS?

[+Jamie Z]

Digicam

Just in case you were offering me a useful solution. Nothing helpful.

Um.

 

Sorry I didn't meet your stringent needs. I've used a digital camera when I want to do "screen" shots of my Explorist, some of which have been published. It's what I use. I thought it was a helpful suggestion, not fodder for sarcasm.

 

Jamie