Uploading Tracks?

[+user13371]

I've been poking around with programming/communicating with my Magellan SporTrak Pro, and I'm surprised how simple and straightforward it actually is.

 

I've found also that Thales Navigation's documentation has quite a few errors in it. For example, the command provided for deleting a single waypoint doesn't work; although you can upload and replace individual waypoints.

 

One other error got me thinking... According to the spec, you can only DOWNLOAD a track from the GPS. You shouldn't be able upload one - makes sense since the track is supposed to be a record of where the GPS has been, right?

 

Well, you actually CAN upload a track. But would that be useful for anything? Maybe if you had a route you needed to follow more precisely than you could outline with the normal routes and waypoints. You could load a fake "track" of up to 2000 points and follow the breadcrumb trail it would draw on your screen. Of course, you would have to have continuous/live tracking turned OFF while you were trying to follow your preloaded breadcrumb trail, or you'd mess it up...

 

Any thoughts on this? Other ideas?

[+JeepCachr]

Can the stp backtrack? Meaning can you upload your route then tell it to back track so you can follow the route backwards? That would be usefull.

[Magellin]

I dont have the STP but the Pati, with 64 Meg SD, I can and do always save my "track" after every outing, it's great for plotting on the PC to see the differences in sat tracking during differant times and dates. and also to share with other MAG user's, You can use tracks to create Back track routes BUT it averages some waypoints and is not that accurate(especially for boating). save your Traks every time and then clear the map befor the next trip! You can load a track for a trip that you have taken before or are near and use an older "TRACK" for refferance.

[+user13371]

JeepCachr: yes, you can convert a track to a route - and tell the unit to reverse the route - but you lose a great deal of resolution. A route can only be 30 points (50 with latest firmware, or so I'm told). Imagine what that does to a track of several hundred or even a couple thousand track points!

 

Magellin: Saving multiple tracks on an SD card is a great idea, but that feature is only available to Merdian users. Even so, the uses you point out make sense and i can see how uploadable tracks would be useful. Thanks.

[+embra]

Lee, I think you can backtrack on your ST without converting to a route...at least I can on my Meridian. Do you have that option at menu/routes/backtrack/activate backtrack? It comes right before the "Save track to route" option.

[gm100guy]

When ever I go somewhere I save my tracks using g7towin. I use the ozi.plt file format as that is what my top map program can import for overlaying the track on the map.

 

 

I then can upload them back to the gps anytime that I retrun to that location and follow my old track in the gps.

 

I can email a track to someone, they can then follow it on ther gps and get right to my door. I have done this when my friend came to the cottage.

 

See some track overlays on this page.

 

[robertlipe]

I've been poking around with programming/communicating with my Magellan SporTrak Pro, and I'm surprised how simple and straightforward it actually is.

Yes, it's quite refreshing compared to the horror of a protocol "supported" by some other vendors.

One other error got me thinking...  According to the spec, you can only DOWNLOAD a track from the GPS.  You shouldn't be able upload one - makes sense since the track is supposed to be a record of where the GPS has been, right?

 

Well, you actually CAN upload a track.  But would that be useful for anything?  Maybe

 

I pointed this out to Magellan last November. They corrected this omission in version 2.13 of the spec which you can get from their support group.

[+Olar]

Well, you actually CAN upload a track. But would that be useful for anything?

I find it very useful with my GPS V because a saved track will display on the map screen with a much more distinct line than the original real-time track which is quite fine and hard to see. We have a major hiking trail system here in Southern Ontario that is very popular with geocachers so if I'm hunting a cache on the trail I will upload that particular track section and follow it.

 

Cheers, Olar

[4x4van]

I've found also that Thales Navigation's documentation has quite a few errors in it.

I'm not sure what "errors" you are referring to.

 

For example, the command provided for deleting a single waypoint doesn't work; although you can upload and replace individual waypoints.

??? I can easily delete single waypoints from my SporTrak Pro, either from the menu in the GPS unit itself (see page 40 in the user manual), or from a group of waypoints saved in Mapsend software. Or am I misunderstanding what you are saying?

 

One other error got me thinking... According to the spec, you can only DOWNLOAD a track from the GPS. You shouldn't be able upload one - makes sense since the track is supposed to be a record of where the GPS has been, right?

In Mapsend Topo, one of the options is to "upload" tracks. A track saved in my unit and then transferred to Topo, can then be uploaded back into the GPS for later use, which can be very useful, as others have pointed out. Again, am I misunderstanding your statement? I don't see any "errors".

Edited May 7, 2004 by 4x4van

[+user13371]

4x4van, re your questions:

 

Deleteing waypoints: Thales provides a document on communication protocols separate from what the MpaSend software can do. There is a command to specifically tell the GPS (through its comm port) to delete a single waypoint. This command simply does not work. Even though you can delete a single point in Mapsend, when you upload your set it's really doing a "DELETE ALL" before uploading a complete batch. Mapsend does not support uploading a single waypoint without replacing whatever's on the unit and the spec does allow for this.

 

Track upload: I know Mapsend supports this - but the odd bit is that the protocol doc says this is not supported on most units. I find the contradiction amusing!

[+user13371]

2.13?

 

Robert,

 

I have version 2.11 of the protocol - and asked Magellan support if there was a newer version. Maybe I worded the question wrong, but the reply was that I had the latest.

 

Is 2.13 posted anywhere online?

 

Lee.

[robertlipe]

2.13?

 

I have version 2.11 of the protocol - and asked Magellan support if there was a newer version. Maybe I worded the question wrong, but the reply was that I had the latest.

 

Is 2.13 posted anywhere online?

 

Lee.

Ask harder. 2.13 really does exist, but I don't have permission to redistribute it. 2.13 isn't posted anywhere that I know of just like 2.11 isn't posted in any Magellan-sanctioned area that I know of.

 

Honestly, there's no earth-shattering stuff there.

[4x4van]

4x4van, re your questions:

 

Deleteing waypoints: Thales provides a document on communication protocols separate from what the MpaSend software can do. There is a command to specifically tell the GPS (through its comm port) to delete a single waypoint. This command simply does not work. Even though you can delete a single point in Mapsend, when you upload your set it's really doing a "DELETE ALL" before uploading a complete batch. Mapsend does not support uploading a single waypoint without replacing whatever's on the unit and the spec does allow for this.

 

Track upload: I know Mapsend supports this - but the odd bit is that the protocol doc says this is not supported on most units. I find the contradiction amusing!

Oh, now I see. I never use Mapsend to delete individual waypoints in my unit, I do it from the unit itself. And I use EasyGPS to upload waypoints, since that doesn't delete any that are already there.

 

Where is the Protocol doc you are referring to? Is it online or?

[+user13371]

4x4Van: The most current version I can find online is here. Robert Lipe tells me there's a newer one that he got right from Thales/Magellan and I believe him.

 

Robert: Speaking of that later version, here's the reply I got back from Thales support after I specifically asked for the newer version:

 

...we have many different versions of that document. For some reason they have kept all of the older versions of it ( And they are spread out, there isn't just one place they are in )

I can't find a 2.13 but i think that its because the version that is released to the public has its own versioning system. I will have to email our own group and ask them what the newest is.

 

It's not exactly a "no" - more like "let me get back to you on that"