etrex summit hc

[+yellajeep]

My friend got a garmin etrex summit hc for Christmas. I am trying to download a pocket query to it, it is plugged into computer. Now how to I download them to this unit. I have never used one of these units. I have a oregon 450 and when I plug it into the computer it shows up when I click on my computer. Also can someone please tell me how to select the map to install in mapinstall when I click on the map a blue line around it appears but we keep getting a message no map was selected. HELP READY TO THROW OUT WINDOW!!!!!

[+yellajeep]

please help her kids want to go out looking

[ao318]

You can not add a PQ directly to the summit. You will need to either convert it with GSAK, Garmins basecamp software, Garmins Mapsource, or some other type of software converter and then send the converted files to the GPS. You can, for right now, just download caches from the website for a few caches that are near them by select the "send to GPS" feature on the cache page.

 

I am not sure about your mapping software question. I use mapsource to move my maps on and off the unit. When I select a mapset it will turn pink with a yellow border around it. Once I have selected all the sets I want I transfer them to the unit. Beyond this, I don't know what it is you are trying to do. Sorry I can't help out here.

[+yellajeep]

I still can not get them to load to the extrx summit. The only way I could get any geocaches to load was to go to the Garmin website and the g to my extras in her account. But there you can only load 5 per day.

[+ecanderson]

I still can not get them to load to the extrx summit. The only way I could get any geocaches to load was to go to the Garmin website and the g to my extras in her account. But there you can only load 5 per day.

Make sure you have the Garmin USB driver loaded on the computer in question: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=591

 

Do you have access to GSAK? If not, download it here: http://www.gsak.net

 

 

Get the PQ on your computer (NO more than 500 caches, don't forget .. it's an eTrex Summit)

 

Run GSAK.

 

Create a new database name. (Database > New > {give it a name})

 

Load the PQ into that database. (File > Load GPX/LOC/ZIP)

 

Tell GSAK you have an eTrex (GPS > Setup > {tell it Garmin and eTrex Summit HC)

 

Plug in GPS and send data (GPS > Send waypoints > {just use defaults for now} > Send

 

Does that get the data to the Summit?

[+yellajeep]

I downloaded gsak and got them to load onto her gps. Thanks!

I have a question for you about gsak, once you download the caches to your gps do you then clear everything out of gsak. So that when you put in the next pq you don't have to hunt thru a giant list of caches to find the pq you downloaded or is there a way to sort the caches by pq in gsak?

[+yellajeep]

I forgot to add that we have an oregon 450 so we have caches for us. But my friend got the summit hc for Christmas so she could take her girls out. But her computer was stolen so she is going to using mine for a while. Will this be a problem? I am creating pq's for her But I don't always want her caches in loading on my gps and that would be alot of looking in the gsak list.

[+ecanderson]

I downloaded gsak and got them to load onto her gps. Thanks!

I have a question for you about gsak, once you download the caches to your gps do you then clear everything out of gsak. So that when you put in the next pq you don't have to hunt thru a giant list of caches to find the pq you downloaded or is there a way to sort the caches by pq in gsak?

It all depends upon the extent to which you wish to make use of the facilities of GSAK. If primary objective is to use it to move PQs to your devices, then you can delete the contents of the database (Database > Delete all Waypoints) before reloading a new PQ file so that you are only dealing with the data from your most recent PQ. While the author allows for much grander use of the database (and you may wish to learn and use it later), the "flush and reload" is certainly an acceptable way to go.

 

As for you both using the same computer...

 

If you either use a different database or flush and reload a fresh PQ before sending the data, you'd have no problem. However, you will want to be sure change the GPS > Setup and tell it the correct GPS (Garmin > Oregon 450 .. instead of the eTrex) when sending data to your unit vs. hers. The format and means of sending the data is quite different between these two models.

 

As long as you load a PQ of the right size (remember, you can manage those big 1000 point files, the Summit is limited to 500) and correctly identify which model you're connecting using each time, you will have no problems.

 

In your 450 case, BTW, you can use GSAK to merge several 1000 point PQ files by using "File > Load" several times. So if you had 4 different PQs of 1000 each, you can dump them as one big *.gpx to your 450.

[+ecanderson]

FWIW, GSAK lets you massage the way cache data is displayed on your Oregon (and the Summit).

 

I use the following strings in the "Name" field on my 450 to get best use of the display space: %drop2 %con1 %dif1a/%ter1a %last4 %name

Make sure the Oregon is set to display by name instead of by GC code to get best use of this feature.

 

On my Summit HC, I use this for the "Waypoint Name" field: %drop2

and this for the "Waypoint description format (comments)" field: %con1 %dif1a/%ter1a %last4 %name

 

Provides a ton of good information on the display in the minimum of space.

[+yellajeep]

Thank you so much. If there is any other important info about gsak I should know please send me a message or direct me to any other threads I should know. I have never used gsak even for my 450. I was sending pq's to my 450 without using gsak.

[+yellajeep]

FWIW, GSAK lets you massage the way cache data is displayed on your Oregon (and the Summit).

 

I use the following strings in the "Name" field on my 450 to get best use of the display space: %drop2 %con1 %dif1a/%ter1a %last4 %name

Make sure the Oregon is set to display by name instead of by GC code to get best use of this feature.

 

On my Summit HC, I use this for the "Waypoint Name" field: %drop2

and this for the "Waypoint description format (comments)" field: %con1 %dif1a/%ter1a %last4 %name

 

Provides a ton of good information on the display in the minimum of space.

 

I am not sure I know what you mean by this.

"Name" field on my 450 to get best use of the display space: %drop2 %con1 %dif1a/%ter1a %last4 %name

 

and

 

Waypoint Name" field: %drop2

and this for the "Waypoint description format (comments)" field: %con1 %dif1a/%ter1a %last4 %name

[+ecanderson]

Thank you so much. If there is any other important info about gsak I should know please send me a message or direct me to any other threads I should know. I have never used gsak even for my 450. I was sending pq's to my 450 without using gsak.

When you see what GSAK does for your display on the Oregon as the data is massaged on the way across, you'll love it. Here are some sample screens that result. The only oddity is handling the difficulty and terrain in single characters instead of 3 characters. 1 = 1, A = 1.5, 2 = 2, B = 2.5, etc.

 

Here's the setup for the 450 in GSAK before sending:

 

 

You get the GC code (without the GC), the container size (M = micro, R = regular, U = unknown, etc.), the difficulty/terrain, and the state of the last 4 logs (F = found, N = not found) and the cache name.

[+yellajeep]

Thank you. I don't know how you guys learn to use all this. I feel I am somewhat computer literate on some things. I am assuming if you want to change the container size you would type in 1=micro,2=small, 3 = medium, 4= large is this correct. Is there a website, thread or book that teaches me how to use gsak? Because from what you have told me and what I have figured out gsak is the best way to go when loading your gps. What I fund that I thought was cool since her gps is not a paperless gps, in gsak I added the hints column and then printed out the cache list as it appears on her gps. This way she can see last for logs, container size, last log and other helpful info that she will not get on her gps.

[+ecanderson]

Thank you. I don't know how you guys learn to use all this. I feel I am somewhat computer literate on some things. I am assuming if you want to change the container size you would type in 1=micro,2=small, 3 = medium, 4= large is this correct.

The quick abbreviations that GSAK uses to move data are all preset. GSAK explains them if you use Help > Contents > and search on "Special Tags"

 

For container size, it's abbreviated as follows in the %con1 that I showed you before:

 

R=regular, L=large, M=micro, S=Small, V=Virtual, and U=unknown. If the cache type is not stated, the letter used is U

[+yellajeep]

Thank you for all your help if you think of anything else I should kow please tell me.