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Setting up Garmin 64s for strictly recording track logs


Sgt_Strider

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I'll be using the Garmin 64s strictly for recording track logs. I intend to set it to record at a 1 second interval.

So here are my questions. Obviously there's a limit to the number of points per track. Since I'll be recording at a 1 second interval, does that mean by the time a new GPX file is created because the previous GPX file is filled up, then the first point on the second GPX track just picks off where the first GPX file ended?

If I set it to archive on a daily basis, how does the Garmin 64s determine when the day is over? Does it rely on UTC time? If I'm travelling, then I'll be moving across timezones and that can be problematic.

Is there anything else that I can do to ensure maximum performance and accuracy from my Garmin 64s? Get the latest firmware update? Toggling certain options under settings?

Thanks!

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Hi the limit is 10,000 points per track. Which at 1 second interval = 2.7 hours. If I've understood correctly you'll have to set it to archive when full, (when the track reaches full capacity it is saved/archived and a new track started). I think the unit will hold 2000 archived tracks, which would be about 225 days worth.

If the track saving/archiving is the same as my 60CSx then the GPX files carry on from one to the next. Timezones I know nothing about except I'm very annoyed twice a year when the UK clocks are changed. Yet the sun still rises just after I wake no matter the time.

Best advice is to try all the different options , experiment, see what happens.

Regards Bernard

 

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3 hours ago, BCNorwich said:

Hi the limit is 10,000 points per track. Which at 1 second interval = 2.7 hours. If I've understood correctly you'll have to set it to archive when full, (when the track reaches full capacity it is saved/archived and a new track started). I think the unit will hold 2000 archived tracks, which would be about 225 days worth.

If the track saving/archiving is the same as my 60CSx then the GPX files carry on from one to the next. Timezones I know nothing about except I'm very annoyed twice a year when the UK clocks are changed. Yet the sun still rises just after I wake no matter the time.

Best advice is to try all the different options , experiment, see what happens.

Regards Bernard

Thanks Bernard. I forgot about setting it to archive when it's full. Is it necessary? If not, then I'm assuming it'll overwrite the older data? I want to set it to not only archive when full, but also daily. I just don't know when it'll decide to archive since it doesn't specify the time especially when I'm travelling.

I don't think the CSx have that option. I still have my unit and it's approaching 10 years old. I guess I'm going off-topic and I am thinking about bringing my 60CSx with me as a backup option. Since the 60CSx have the ability to record tracks to a memory card, I essentially have unlimited ability to record at a 1 second interval. I want to set up the 60CSx to record at a 1 second interval whenever the GPS is on. I want to set it and forget it. I'm assuming since it have a memory card installed, the 60CSx will just automatically create new tracks when the old one gets full? I'm assuming the filenames will have the correct dates on it?

Also, is it possible to disable the buttons when the 60CSx is in my backpack? Sometimes the buttons are pressed and menus are accessed because of the amount of content in my bag.

How do I configure the 60CSx for maximum accuracy when recording at a 1 second interval? I'm assuming WAAS have to be enabled?

Thanks!

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can I ask the purpose of these tracks? Are you really planning to have your GPS plugged into a power source recording information 24 hours a day? Are you trying to make reference tracks for trails? Or just keep data of for your personal adventures?

The reason I ask is that collecting location information at 1 second intervals is only useful for certain purposes. For others, you may be better served with distance based collection or using the Auto method, which drops points according to your movement patterns.

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4 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

can I ask the purpose of these tracks? Are you really planning to have your GPS plugged into a power source recording information 24 hours a day? Are you trying to make reference tracks for trails? Or just keep data of for your personal adventures?

The reason I ask is that collecting location information at 1 second intervals is only useful for certain purposes. For others, you may be better served with distance based collection or using the Auto method, which drops points according to your movement patterns.

It's to not only keep data for my own adventures, but also geotagging my photos.

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1 hour ago, Sgt_Strider said:

It's to not only keep data for my own adventures, but also geotagging my photos.

I use my GPS for the same purpose. I eventually settled on using the Auto - Most Often, though I've also experimented with distance based (every 50 feet/ 0.01 mile). The distance based was nice because it gave fewer birds nests when I stopped for breaks. That's less of an issue with the Oregon 600 as I can pause tracking when I stop. The problem I had with the distance based method was that it didn't pick up short switchbacks. That's where auto is better. 

Tracking by time (every second) just introduces too many points for a hiking pace, and those points will wobble to the left and right of the trail, and those wobbles add up and tend to overestimate the data you are trying to collect. That said other methods can tend to underestimate by spacing points too far apart on curves, but that's just the nature of the beast. But using the Auto - most often, I've still never filled a complete track, even on 3 day backpacking trips. So you don't have to worry about the archiving issue. Granted, I do tend to save my tracks at the end of the day and start a new one in the morning. Generally, it drops enough points that geotagging photos is accurate.

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3 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

 

I use my GPS for the same purpose. I eventually settled on using the Auto - Most Often, though I've also experimented with distance based (every 50 feet/ 0.01 mile). The distance based was nice because it gave fewer birds nests when I stopped for breaks. That's less of an issue with the Oregon 600 as I can pause tracking when I stop. The problem I had with the distance based method was that it didn't pick up short switchbacks. That's where auto is better. 

Tracking by time (every second) just introduces too many points for a hiking pace, and those points will wobble to the left and right of the trail, and those wobbles add up and tend to overestimate the data you are trying to collect. That said other methods can tend to underestimate by spacing points too far apart on curves, but that's just the nature of the beast. But using the Auto - most often, I've still never filled a complete track, even on 3 day backpacking trips. So you don't have to worry about the archiving issue. Granted, I do tend to save my tracks at the end of the day and start a new one in the morning. Generally, it drops enough points that geotagging photos is accurate.

I use to do that, but I just want to record at a 1 second interval. Thanks for the suggestion though.

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Well, let us know what you come up with for a solution. I was always under the assumption that if a track filled, it got archived and a new one started, but perhaps it does start dropping old points to add new ones unless specifically told not to. 

To answer the questions in your original post - if set to archive when full, I don't think the last point of the full track becomes the first point of the new one. But regardless, it doesn't really matter when you stitch the tracks together in Basecamp.

When archiving daily, I believe it uses local time to determine the end of the day. This is only really a problem if you set it to archive daily tracks. Since you want to record every second, and your trips could last more than 2 hours and 46 minutes, I would recommend using the archive when full setting to be sure that you don't lose any data, and then save your last track at the end of your trip. This should take care of any time zone issues as well.

And it's ok to have different track settings for different activities. Profiles will save your settings to each profile, so your track settings for hiking don't necessarily have to be the same for cycling, driving, or flying, etc.

As far as accuracy and performance goes, it's all about getting satellite lock. Make sure you turn your GPS on and have it running for ~ 10 minutes before you start your trips to allow for location and elevation to settle. Sometimes GLONASS actually gets in the way, and turning it off might give you a better location or less wandering than having it on, so pay attention with that. Battery save mode will keep the unit running longer on a single pair by turning off the screen while still collecting data.

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1 hour ago, Mineral2 said:

Well, let us know what you come up with for a solution. I was always under the assumption that if a track filled, it got archived and a new one started, but perhaps it does start dropping old points to add new ones unless specifically told not to. 

To answer the questions in your original post - if set to archive when full, I don't think the last point of the full track becomes the first point of the new one. But regardless, it doesn't really matter when you stitch the tracks together in Basecamp.

When archiving daily, I believe it uses local time to determine the end of the day. This is only really a problem if you set it to archive daily tracks. Since you want to record every second, and your trips could last more than 2 hours and 46 minutes, I would recommend using the archive when full setting to be sure that you don't lose any data, and then save your last track at the end of your trip. This should take care of any time zone issues as well.

And it's ok to have different track settings for different activities. Profiles will save your settings to each profile, so your track settings for hiking don't necessarily have to be the same for cycling, driving, or flying, etc.

As far as accuracy and performance goes, it's all about getting satellite lock. Make sure you turn your GPS on and have it running for ~ 10 minutes before you start your trips to allow for location and elevation to settle. Sometimes GLONASS actually gets in the way, and turning it off might give you a better location or less wandering than having it on, so pay attention with that. Battery save mode will keep the unit running longer on a single pair by turning off the screen while still collecting data.

Thank you.

Will battery save mode impact the Garmin's ability to record data accurately at a 1 second interval? I won't even be looking at the screen so it doesn't matter to me if the LCD is at a ultra lower power state.

Do you turn on WAAS or any of the other fancy features to ensure maximum accuracy?

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I do have WAAS turned on. Currently I have GLONASS turned off.

Battery save mode does not impact accuracy, or antenna reception. It's only feature is to turn off the screen, which is often the biggest power draw, both to power the pixels and to redraw the screen every second or half second or however often the screen gets updated.

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On 11/27/2017 at 8:39 AM, Mineral2 said:

I do have WAAS turned on. Currently I have GLONASS turned off.

Battery save mode does not impact accuracy, or antenna reception. It's only feature is to turn off the screen, which is often the biggest power draw, both to power the pixels and to redraw the screen every second or half second or however often the screen gets updated.

Why did you turned off GLONASS?

Is there a way to lock the keys to prevent accidental pressing?

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4 hours ago, Sgt_Strider said:

Why did you turned off GLONASS?

I've been noticing that there's less positional stability (more variation/wobble/etc.) with GLONASS turned on. There were also a few times when the position was stable, but the GPS would put me farther away from my true position, whether referenced by a cache or referenced by a landmark on the map. I'm suspicious that the Russians haven't calibrated their system to the  US GPS system, and the two are conflicting with one another. I'd really like to get my hands on a unit that can connect to GLONASS  and GPS independently (IE turn off GPS while using GLONASS) to test my suspicions.

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