what software to use.

[gitarmac]

I have easygps, gsak, mapsource, and basecamp.

 

I like to do things like import waypoints from gps, delete all but certain groups, then save them as a file. That way I can reload them only when I need them. I can have sets of files for certain places.

 

I like this because I can have more waypoints than what the gps will hold, and I can use them as I need.

 

I cannot figure out the purpose of basecamp. You can't organize by symbol, you can't import just certain data. . . and it makes duplicate files apparently. I thought I deleted them but when I hook up my gps - there they are. I don't see them on my device but somehow basecamp pulls them out of there.

 

I used basecamp to make my birdseye maps but I used mapsource to load a gpsfilesdepot map on a card - then loaded that card on my gps.

 

 

 

It would really be nice to find a simple program like easygps that works with my oregon. I don't understand why basecamp doesn't do that.

 

Am I missing something with basecamp? When I tell it to back up my gps is it backing up the whole thing or just the section I am in? I'm afraid to test it too much because of duplicate files.

 

I can actually get easygps to work with my oregon on my netbook, but can't on my regular laptop. A dialogue screen popped up on my netbook which enabled me to select oregon 550 from a menu, which works on my 450 as well. I don't know what I did to make the screen appear.

 

Am I stuck with basecamp?

[gitarmac]

wow. I just tried to save a file from basecamp and it can't open it. It's its own file and it still can't open it.

 

I did a "backup" and named it oregonbackup. Maybe I can open it going to basecamp and doing a restore but I can't open it by simply importing the waypoints.

 

I used to backup my gps's by hooking it up to my compouter and opening easygps, or even mapsource, importing the data and saving it by using the date as the name, with not sybols.

 

I'm not sure how to back it up using basecamp.

[+mpilchfamily]

Basecamp and Mapsource are mainly for working with and installing maps on your unit. You can also deal with waypoints but the 2 programs are not made to work with GPX files. Stick with GSAK and EasyGPS for sorting and dealing with your GPX files.

[+Walts Hunting]

I use Mapsource for a bunch more than that. I plan out my daily caching area and print the maps out for reference. I keep a file of places I want to visit in north America for planning vacations. When headed somewhere on vacation (I travel 4-5 months a year) I throw the pq in there for planning. It is great for finding trails, just look for a string of caches outside of town. My wife can't handle as long a daddy on the road add me so I use it to plot driving days and find Walmarts for over night camping.

 

For handling gpx files I do use GSAK.

[gitarmac]

Basecamp and Mapsource are mainly for working with and installing maps on your unit. You can also deal with waypoints but the 2 programs are not made to work with GPX files. Stick with GSAK and EasyGPS for sorting and dealing with your GPX files.

 

Easy gps doesn't really work with the oregon. I found an "add gps" in the program when I was on my netbook but for some reason I can't make it work with my netbook.

 

gsak seems to treat everything like a geocache so I am hesitant to use it on my oregon since it keeps a file of all caches loaded.

 

 

I must be the only person that tries to manage my waypoints and tracks. I made several "region files" so that I can clear (after backing up if needed) my gps and load it with just the data I will need for that area.

 

Why do you do that? you ask. Well for one thing it makes it easier to use the same names. Lets say I frequent more than one huntclub or park. YOu can only use the word "stand" or "trail" once, then you have to make it unique. As long as there is only one area in the gps it doesn't matter as much.

 

I might have to designate between 50 or more deerstand. Some of them dont' have names, I just use the icon and let it use it's own number.

 

This worked fine until I used basecamp to manage my files. A lot of my waypoints are named very similar names which for a reason I don't fully understand, became duplicate files with even more similar names.

 

 

 

But the main issue is I have read warnings about using programs other then basecamp to load files. I am told you can't send to the unit on mapsource. THere is even a warning, I think in the wiki article, about using other programs.

 

So I already have a problem with duplicate names for the same waypoint, not sure what program did it. I don't want to chance more problems.

 

 

I'm glad I got my oregon on sale. In many ways it seems like a step backward from my vista. The paperless caching thing is pretty cool but I use my gpsr's for uses other than geocaching. The birdseye satelite images are nice at first but they don't display very will on the screen, they look rather washed out. You don't really get any useful information, believe it or not, from the sat images, just busy screen.

 

One nice thing though is the SEUSA map from gpsfilesdepot - it's absolutly beautiful when shading is turned off! Another useless feature, who uses shading anyway, everyone complains about it.

 

It's nice that it holds 5000 waypoints and 200 tracks. THere seems to be no way to organize them.

[gitarmac]

OK, I found that I can download a version of easygps for the oregeon so at least that issue is resolved.

 

I still would like to figure out basecamp. On easy gps I can open it, then open files I've saved, all without hooking up my gps.

 

On basecamp, I get nothing. I have to hook up my gps to see stuff. I cannot seem to filter my data. When I go into view, then data filter, everything is grayed out except "all data".

[+mpilchfamily]

Basecamp isn't made for sorting and editing waypoints. It is mapping software, allowing you to upload maps into your unit, edit maps, add wapoints to create tracks and use tracks your unit has recorded to make maps and plan routs. If you want to sort your tracks, waypoints and caches by region and save them as regional files then GSAK and EasyGPS are the programs to use.

[gitarmac]

I guess I'm all set then. I thought I read somewhere that one of those programs either can't send waypoints to the oregon or can't recieve them from the oregon. Now that I found the easy gps version for the oregon I seem to be able to do both.

 

I have also read about the problem of duplicate waypoints which is a more serious problem. I would hate to have 1000 waypoints, then have them duplicated.

 

I am using both my gps's, the vista and oregon, and want to be able to exchange data. I know the vista has more limits as to how long a waypoint name can be, and maybe the comment but I'm not sure.

 

Thanks for all the info. Eventually I will settle on the best way to manage my data.