Garmion Etrex 20X SD card and GPX files

[+2202]

Just purchased a Etrex 20X and have successfully installed a 32gig micro SD card. Going on a road trip through Norway and Sweden and wish to load as many caches onto the Garmin so that I do not have to take along my laptop as well.

 

I have created a folder on the SD card that is called GPX where I have dumped 10 GPX pocket Queries of 1000 caches each.

I have located the GPX folder in the Garmin and have successfully transferred my local UK (Oxford) 1000 cache GPX file. I have also put a London centric GPX file onto the SD card.

 

So all working well around Oxford. But when I came into London this morning and well outside the Oxford based  coverage, the Garmin was still looking back to the Oxford ones. I was led to understand from earlier forum posting (2014?) that it should automatically  shift to using the local file that is stored on the SD card. This obviously failed to happen.

 

Therefore does anyone know how I can tell the Etrex to work off a different GPX file when I move into a different area without having to plug it into a laptop and manually move the GPX files around?

[+HHL]

One of the eTrex 20x limits is: 5000 Geocaches (which appr. equals 5 PQs) Geocaches beyond this limit will not be rendered by the unit (vulgo: will not be shown).

Garmin Unit Limits (click here)

 

Hans

Edited June 4, 2018 by HHL

[+2202]

Aware of that limit hence why I kept the GPX files to 1000 each.

I have one located in the internal memory, and the rest all held on the micro SD.

Whats the point of having a 32gig card capacity.

 

I was hoping that I could load in the individual GPX files when I wanted to whilst out caching and not have to go back to a laptop and move the files around.

[+HHL]

Well 10 PQs of 1000 caches (like you mentioned above) are 10.000 caches. That's way beyond the limit of 5000. The Garmin firmware does count all GPX files (the ones from the unit and the ones from the µSD card as well). You can't "park" Gpx files on the card (at least not when the card is mounted in the unit).

 

Hans

Edited June 4, 2018 by HHL

[+2202]

So, if I restrict the number parked to 4000 caches on the SD card and left one gpx file of 1000caches on the local internal memory, then it should work?

[+HHL]

Yes. ;-)

[+2202]

Garmin have possibly come up with a solution as well, just waiting for it to come through, will let you know what they say.

[+2202]

What do you think, makes sense?

 

Tony

 

 

First, please copy and paste the GPX folder from the device onto your computer, so you don't lose it permanently.

Secondly, please follow the below;

I suggest that you format the device.

‘NOTE THIS IS FOR OUTDOOR AND FITNESS DEVICES ONLY’

THIS MUST ONLY BE PERFORMED ON A WINDOWS COMPUTER, NOT ON A MAC.

Before formatting the device, it will be necessary to remove any SD cards and save the basemap from the device to the computer:

1. Remove microSD card from device
2. Plug device into the computer
3. Go to the Start menu in the left hand corner
4. Go to Computer or This PC
5. Locate your device under Devices with removable storage or Devices and Drives
6. Open the device
7. Open Garmin folder
8. Drag gmapbmap.img file to desktop

Once the basemap has been saved, the device can be formatted:

1. Right-click on device as it appears as a drive
2. Select Format...
3. Ensure File System is set to FAT32
4. Ensure Volume Label is set to Garmin
5. Uncheck Quick Format
6. Select Start

The formatting process will take several minutes to complete. Once it has finished, the basemap will need to be added back to the device:

1. If needed, create "Garmin" folder within Garmin drive
2. Drag gmapbmap.img file from desktop to "Garmin" folder
3. Remove device from the computer and power off
4. Press and hold Mode and Power

This process will remove any corrupt memory files. 

And then the SD card: Formatting a microSD/SD Card 

After this, please try loading the geocaches again. 

[+StefandD]

49 minutes ago, 2202 said:

I have created a folder on the SD card that is called GPX where I have dumped 10 GPX pocket Queries of 1000 caches each.

This should be \Garmin\GPX\.

 

35 minutes ago, 2202 said:

Whats the point of having a 32gig card capacity.

You can put in more maps than what the internal memory can handle, though you have more than enough if you'd put in a 16 GB card. Even the number of map tiles has a limit.

Edited June 4, 2018 by StefandD
typo

[+2202]

Just had a 32gig one going spare

[+HHL]

33 minutes ago, 2202 said:

What do you think, makes sense?

None - that's all nuts what Garmin is telling you as it really doesn't enhance the still valid limit of 5000 geocaches. Caches from 5001 on are not shown. (first serve first)

 

Hans

 

[+2202]

Hans

 

Whether it works or not, I am not going to trust it so close to going away..

I will do a further trial this evening when I get back from work by putting my London 1000 in with my Oxford 1000 and see what happens when I view it in London.

 

If that works, I will restrict the road trip to just 5000, and dump them all into the onboard memory.

 

Tony

[+HHL]

3 minutes ago, 2202 said:

Hans

 

Whether it works or not, I am not going to trust it so close to going away..

[...]

Tony

Well done. That way you'll be definitely on the safe side.

 

Happy Traveling

Hans

[+2202]

Cheers.

 

Although what I am after could so easily be a software upgrade whereby you could switch across gpx files.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

On 6/4/2018 at 5:33 PM, 2202 said:

Cheers.

 

Although what I am after could so easily be a software upgrade whereby you could switch across gpx files.

 

That would be a useful feature.  On a Garmin Oregon one can load multiple basemaps onto the external SD card (or internal memory) and enable/disable any of them in the Settings menu.  I would, however, hesitate to declare that it would be an easy upgrade without seeing their code.