Please help with my Oregon 550t. I need an aggregate elevation and can't figure it out.

[+Venture Crew 210]

Hello,

I have an Oregon 550t. I went on a hike of about 10 miles. I saved the trak from beginning to end. Now I am at home and am trying to figure out the aggregate elevation gain of the whole trip. (The total amount I went up during all the ups and downs of the trip, not the difference between the start and end elevation.) I have Mapsource and Base Camp installed but I have been unable to figure out how to do it on either one. I could really use your help here.

 

Thanks,

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

The best and most accurate way I have found to do this is to check the altimeter page at the end of the hike. Make sure you have a data field set for total ascent. There are various programs (TopoFusion, etc.) that will generate an elevation gain number from the tracklog after the fact, but I've found this to be much less accurate.

[+Venture Crew 210]

The best and most accurate way I have found to do this is to check the altimeter page at the end of the hike. Make sure you have a data field set for total ascent. There are various programs (TopoFusion, etc.) that will generate an elevation gain number from the tracklog after the fact, but I've found this to be much less accurate.

 

Thanks for the answer. My problem is I have an existing track that I need the info for. I was told when I bought it that this was a simple task for the Oregon. Apparently not . Garmin hasn't been able to help me much either. I will try the topofusion route. Does anyone else have any ideas? Thank you all.

[+2Wheel'in]

I'm not sure this is what you're looking for...but if you go the the Elevation Plot page, take a look at the data display box choices that can be selected...I see Ascent-Average, Ascent-Maximum, Ascent-Total, then the same choices for the Descent...plus Barometer, Glide Ratio, Elevation-Maximum, Elevation-Minimum, etc.. Hope that helps.

 

Bill

[Grasscatcher]

Are you wanting to determine this info strictly on your Oregon or is it acceptable to determine this info after you get home ...on your PC?

 

As RMB said above, you can do it on your unit but you sure have to be careful to "clear" before you start, and read data immediately when complete. Otherwise, other data ( like"trip to" or "trip home" or ??? )may get included and confuse the issue.

 

I haven't done a comparison in accuracy between Unit results and Software at home results, and it sounds like RMB has.

 

Hey Red, How do /did you determine which method is most accurate? .....i.e. closest to "actual"?

Edited June 9, 2010 by Grasscatcher

[+Venture Crew 210]

I'm not sure this is what you're looking for...but if you go the the Elevation Plot page, take a look at the data display box choices that can be selected...I see Ascent-Average, Ascent-Maximum, Ascent-Total, then the same choices for the Descent...plus Barometer, Glide Ratio, Elevation-Maximum, Elevation-Minimum, etc.. Hope that helps.

 

Bill

 

Bill,

Thanks. I have done that. That info is only for the current track. It doesn't come up for any saved tracks. So, yes that works if you clear the info at the start of your trip and then look at it at the end. But, if you save the track and try to get that info later, it will not give it to you in the unit. At least not any way that I have tried has worked Maybe I have mis-understood something.

Thanks for working on the problem for me. I appreciate the help.

[+Venture Crew 210]

Are you wanting to determine this info strictly on your Oregon or is it acceptable to determine this info after you get home ...on your PC?

 

As RMB said above, you can do it on your unit but you sure have to be careful to "clear" before you start, and read data immediately when complete. Otherwise, other data ( like"trip to" or "trip home" or ??? )may get included and confuse the issue.

 

I haven't done a comparison in accuracy between Unit results and Software at home results, and it sounds like RMB has.

 

Hey Red, How do /did you determine which method is most accurate? .....i.e. closest to "actual"?

 

Grass catcher, I would love to be able to do it in the unit but at home is acceptable. I am going to look into the topofusion thing as soon as I can. Garmin has been silent on the issue so far (I have called and aftre a 45min wait the tech did not know the answer. He said their software (Mapsource or Basecamp) would do it but so far I haven't been able to do it.

 

Thanks for the help.

[+Madproforg]

I'm using Garmin Training Center to do this, along with mileage and speed tracking. Just import the GPX files as a history and it will then display the information.

 

[Grasscatcher]

Look on my profile and send me a PM with the track file attached. GPX file?

 

I'll plug it to NG TOPO and do a profile that I think will be pretty accurate.

 

Only you will know if the answer passes the "smell "test. (does it make sense, seem accurate ?)

 

Hey, look at post above. That may be the easiest.

I'm still happy to do it also for a comparison.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Grasscatcher

[Grasscatcher]

I just used TC on a hiking trail file and also used TOPO to do a Profile...same file.

 

TOPO says 1448 Ascent-248 descent

 

TC says 1725 ascent-531 descent

 

Topofusion says 2162 ascent -995 descent

 

all on exactly the same file data................so......?

 

I think that the TOPO profile is the closest to actual.....here's why ...the different softwares are using the GPS trackpoint data with all it's small, point to point variations. The TOPO plots the coordinates of all the trackpoints but takes the DEM elevation data from the digitized map data.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Grasscatcher

[+Venture Crew 210]

Madproforg,

Thanks. I used the Garmin Training center But I am looking for aggregate assent and descent. The training center seems to only give the difference between start elevation and end elevation as total ascent.

What I mean by aggregate (So we are all on the same page) is this: Say I go from 0 feet to 2000 feet, then down to 1000 feet then up to 4000 feet, my aggregate ascent would be 5000 feet and my total ascent would be 4000 feet. Hopefully that makes sense to everyone.

 

Grasscatcher, I would really appreciate it if you would run the numbers for me. Perhaps on all three if you had the time. What is TC? When I get more time (And input) I will try to determine the most accurate way to do this. I think I'll do a known elevation gain a few times and play with that data.

 

Grasscatcher, I'll send you the .gpx soon. Thanks !

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

I believe that what you are calling aggregate ascent is what many units refer to as total ascent.

 

TC is probably Training Center.

 

Of course I could be wrong on both counts!

[Grasscatcher]

You're correct on both counts RMB.

 

IMHO aggregate ascent would be total ascent.

 

Yes, TC is Garmin Training Center

 

The difference between total ascent and total descent should be the difference in elevation between start and finish. That is approximately what it shows on the trail I did.

[+Venture Crew 210]

Great, so total ascent is what I'm looking for. Grasscatcher, I couldn't figure out how to send a message with an attachment. So I sent you my email address.

[+Red90]

I think that the TOPO profile is the closest to actual.....here's why ...the different softwares are using the GPS trackpoint data with all it's small, point to point variations. The TOPO plots the coordinates of all the trackpoints but takes the DEM elevation data from the digitized map data.

 

What I have found, doing this before. The best results are using a unit that has a barometer as GPS elevation can be very erratic in poor reception conditions.

 

Next, the best results are thorough smoothing of the data while determining the proper peaks and valley points. I don't know if any programs have this more advanced functionality. I use spreadsheets.

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

While this won't help with previous tracks, make sure you have the latest firmware. I used to see gross inaccuracies in elevation gain reported by my Oregon 400t, but it seems to have gotten fixed in the past few months.

[Grasscatcher]

Great, so total ascent is what I'm looking for. Grasscatcher, I couldn't figure out how to send a message with an attachment. So I sent you my email address.

 

I got it and sent you an e-mail back, where you will have mine also.

[Grasscatcher]

I think that the TOPO profile is the closest to actual.....here's why ...the different softwares are using the GPS trackpoint data with all it's small, point to point variations. The TOPO plots the coordinates of all the trackpoints but takes the DEM elevation data from the digitized map data.

 

What I have found, doing this before. The best results are using a unit that has a barometer as GPS elevation can be very erratic in poor reception conditions.

 

Next, the best results are thorough smoothing of the data while determining the proper peaks and valley points. I don't know if any programs have this more advanced functionality. I use spreadsheets.

 

By plotting the trackpoint location from the GPS data, and getting the elevation data from the map DEM data, isn't that doing the same thing as "smoothing" the track data as you would do in a spreadsheet?

[+Red90]

By plotting the trackpoint location from the GPS data, and getting the elevation data from the map DEM data, isn't that doing the same thing as "smoothing" the track data as you would do in a spreadsheet?

 

Not exactly. Usually the DEM data is quite coarse and will miss small changes and the exact peaks and valleys. A GPS with barometer should be much more accurate.

[Grasscatcher]

By plotting the trackpoint location from the GPS data, and getting the elevation data from the map DEM data, isn't that doing the same thing as "smoothing" the track data as you would do in a spreadsheet?

 

Not exactly. Usually the DEM data is quite coarse and will miss small changes and the exact peaks and valleys. A GPS with barometer should be much more accurate.

 

I easily could be wrong, but I would think that the "exact peaks and valleys" in the GPS data is exactly what data that would get eliminated in the "smoothing".

 

....and every GPS that I own has a barometer......

[+Red90]

I easily could be wrong, but I would think that the "exact peaks and valleys" in the GPS data is exactly what data that would get eliminated in the "smoothing".

 

....and every GPS that I own has a barometer......

 

Argh............ please read what I wrote. You need to either do the peak/valley determination manually (using your built in computer) or the algorithm used needs to determine them first.

[Grasscatcher]

"Argh............ please read what I wrote.".......????????

What's that all about?

 

An algorithm just does mathematically what can be done in other ways....but never mind ...I'm through...

[+Venture Crew 210]

I hate it when it double posts

Edited June 10, 2010 by Venture Crew 210

[+Venture Crew 210]

Thank you all.

There still doesn't seem to be an easy "Garmin" way to do it but with Grasscatcher's and other's input/help I have several ways to figure it out. Now I'll work on accuracy and efficiency. Maybe by the time I figure it out Garmin will add the ability to the unit .

 

If I get any more thoughts, I'll post them here.

 

I am planning on looking into the barometric elevation route because the gps jumps a few feet even when not moving (Due to satellite stuff I guess) but I think Barometric requires calibration and I don't know how easy that will be.

 

This is frustration, but fun!

 

Thanks again!

Edited June 10, 2010 by Venture Crew 210