Loading Benchmarks to gps

[+EKDintheburg]

Here's what i've done so far

downloaded the datasheets from ngs.

used bmgpx to convert them to .gpx files

found out that bmgpx did not create the geocache.com link correctly so i download the source code fixed that and recompiled so the links will work.

i'm now in the process of changing the type to benchmark instead of "unknown cache" because i don't want them to show up as the ? icon. But it seems my gps a magellan 310 doesn't have the benchmark icon (i haven't confirmed this but when going to filter and choosing type it is not listed as one of the types) if this is the case i may want to use the earthcache icon since 1 there doesn't seem to be any in my area so there wont be much confusion when i see that icon.

 

questions

1. Does the magellan support the benchmark icon?

2. If not what are thoughts on the icons that are available so i don't have ? icons.

3. once i get the icon part figured out i need to figure out how to split the gpx files into smaller ones since for VA (my state) there are just over 20k which is more than 2 times the limit of the gps. I am currently playing with GSAK for this but there doesn't seem to be a good way to filter the benchmarks by location. I also have vantage point, watcher(an old program) and easygps but i really haven't played too much with any of those programs yet.

 

lastly once i get the icon part figured out i can update bmgpx and recompile it again (if you are interested in getting the updated version from me send me a mesg.)

 

Thanks.

[kayakbird]

EKD---,

 

Don't know if GSAK has fixed a little glitch in the three years since I set up my files for most of the western states but you should be able to get a sortable 'county' column titled 'country'.

 

After I filter GSAK for a bunch of interesting thing and make a notations in one of the available 'user' columns, I like to move every thing into Excel and sort for date set (gotta like those Oldies)and Alpha Numeric strings.

 

Beware that another GSAK glitch defaults 'Unknown' setting dates to the first recovery date.

 

Great Fun! I think that I average about ten somewhat frustrating laptop hours to one enjoyable hour in the field. kayakbird

[+EKDintheburg]

EKD---,

 

Don't know if GSAK has fixed a little glitch in the three years since I set up my files for most of the western states but you should be able to get a sortable 'county' column titled 'country'.

 

After I filter GSAK for a bunch of interesting thing and make a notations in one of the available 'user' columns, I like to move every thing into Excel and sort for date set (gotta like those Oldies)and Alpha Numeric strings.

 

Beware that another GSAK glitch defaults 'Unknown' setting dates to the first recovery date.

 

Great Fun! I think that I average about ten somewhat frustrating laptop hours to one enjoyable hour in the field. kayakbird

 

thanks

 

some notes

1. i confirmed that magellan does not have the benchmark icon. Still Pondering what icon to use.

 

I was able to in GSAK set a benchmark near my house as the "center point" it then re-listed everything by distance from the center point. I was then able to go into filter and set distance less than or equal to i used 50 KM from the center point which resulted in about 800 benchmarks. Then export that to a new GPX file. Also i noticed when i export from GSAK it automatically changes the type to Benchmark so if do decided to try to use an alternate icon i will need to change it after the export from GSAK which isn't too big of an issue since i have a mass file find and replace program. But this would mean there isn't much point in updating the BMGPX program any more than i have already (fixed the geocaching website link and made the type default to Benchmark instead of "unknown cache" )

 

So really all i have left to do is figure out which icon to use and how to change it.

I had thought the icon was just based on the type but now i see there is also a symbol tag in the gpx file?

 

From GSAK

 

<sym>Geocache</sym>

<type>Geocache|Benchmark</type>

 

<Groundspeak:type>Benchmark</Groundspeak:type>

 

the original gpx from BMGPX has

 

<sym>Geocache</sym>

<type>Geocache</type>

<Groundspeak:type>Unknown Cache</Groundspeak:type>

 

so i guess the <sym> and the <type> are no longer used and only the <Groundspeak:type> tag matters? any insight on these?

Edited December 31, 2013 by EKDintheburg

[+EKDintheburg]

so after hours for trying to see if there was someway to add an icon to vantage point and subsequently to my gps. I think i've determined that it is not possible. I did some research on the icons that are available for use and i am going to use the locationless icon as this is no longer used and is now called waymarks. the description is very similar to benchmarks

 

"A Locationless Cache could be considered the opposite of a Traditional Cache. Instead of finding a hidden container, you locate a specific object and log its coordinates. New locationless geocaches are now Waymarks."

 

And i've tried adding waymarks (locationless) to my gps and Groundspeak makes they waypoints in the gpx file so they are designated by a flag. So realistically it is unlikely this icon will ever be used for it's actual intended purpose because even if i add waymarks they wont use this icon unless i go through the trouble of converting the gpx file into a geocache format from the waypoint format.

 

if anyone is interested in the details of how to do what i did let me know or if you need a modified version of the BMGPX program.

 

also GSAK complains about the gpx file from BMGPX not being at least version 1.0 or something if i spend the time to look into the differences of the 2 i might also update BMGPX to use the newer version. But GSAK updates it anyway so not to necessary since i will need to use GSAK to filter out and trim down the benchmark list before sending to the gps anyway.

[+DragonsWest]

Some time back I started work on a conversion of the BMGPX program to VB (crummy language, but does what I need for the moment) which allows me to take larger files and pare out the marks I wish. I can take a state file from NOAA/NGS and pull a rectangle. I'm busy with work, so haven't tweaked some things I want to add, such as point and radius as well as representing lost/unknown stations, which are usually at the end of the NGS file and coded DD, XX or such for No Description or Destroyed.