Downloading waypoints/tracks smoother

[tr_s]

In the old days things were easy. You took a hike, marked some waypoints and recorded the track of where you'd went. When you got home you simply connected the GPS to the computer by serial cable, pushed a button in mapsource, and got a nice, consolidated view of all tracks and waypoints in the same view.

 

Seems impossible with the new lines of receivers like eT 20/30 and the newer Gpsmaps? Recorded waypoints and routes are split up and clustered into some seemingly illogical structure I can't for the sake of god seem to understand in the \GPX folder, marked with dates etc and waypoints and tracks aren't in the same files. The "Current.gpx" contains only the current recorded tracks - no waypoints.

 

How do I get the same functionality from the new lines of GPS in Mapsource? (i.e. press a button and get a file of ALL the waypoints and tracks stored in the apparatus?) Is it even possible?

[+splashy]

Ever even heard of Basecamp?

 

The setting is by date, not very illogical when finished save current track and it will be there and selectable on the date.

 

The old days are gone long time ago, GPS generation cycle is about 3 years now. Software updates monthly most of the time.

Edited June 16, 2012 by splashy

[tr_s]

Hmm, it seems Basecamp pretty much does what I want, and as of the latest software update it actually seems to work (i.e. started without crashing and it has ran flawlessly for a few minutes). I've never seen it work at all on one single computer before.

[+splashy]

That was with XP, if it wasn't updated with certain Sp's, or some .Net and Framework files missing.

[tr_s]

That was with XP, if it wasn't updated with certain Sp's, or some .Net and Framework files missing.

 

Something else weird in the configuration of my PCs then (freshly updated Win7 64/32 SP1...) - anyway it seems to work now.

[+user13371]

And if you don't like Garmin's Basecamp, you can also use Google Earth. Connect your GPS to the computer in mass storage mode" - wait for it to show up on the computer - launch Google Earth and select File/Open -- just open all of them and then you can sort them any way you like.

 

Unlike tr_s, I don't have a problem with waypoints being in a files with "waypoint" in the name, saved tracks in files names containing "track" and so on.

 

GPX format os widely used, it's not just a Garmin thing. So there's quite a bit of software available you could use with your GPS. I only offer the example of Google Earth because it's what I use most of the time.

Edited June 16, 2012 by user13371

[tr_s]

Yes I've used that as a track playback tool. Never realized it has management features.

[+user13371]

The only problem for me with Google Earth as a GPS management tools is that it can only read data from the GPS, not load it back on. It can read GPC files but cannot write them, so you still need Basecamp or GPSBabel or some other tools to convert and send to GPS. But as I said, there are lots of options.

[tr_s]

Turns out all's not rosy though - the software eats so much memory that I've had to increase my windows paging file to double size otherwise I get errors... typical VM size 2-3 GB... but it works and actually renders maps quicker than Mapsource.

[+user13371]

Sounds like a Windows problem. Works great on the Mac