Garmin eTrex help needed

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Post Reply
johnjo
Posts: 24
Joined: 6 Jan 2014, 10:33am

Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by johnjo »

I have a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx which I have used successfully for few years on tours here and abroad. I create tracks on Google Earth or GPSies and then transfer the files to the unit. Thereafter I simply follow the line on the screen. So far so good. But this year, (Next week in fact), I'm flying to Barcelona with the bike and cycling home to Paisley in Scotland. This will be my longest trip ever and will take five weeks. I therefore have 33 days of cycling planned so that's 33 tracks created. The GPS unit's memory will only take 21 of these before the memory is full. Does anyone have a simple to follow suggestion for how I can access the last 12 tracks after I have completed most of the trip and deleted those I have already followed to create memory space ? I have wondered if I could store them in a Dropbox account and get them from there at an internet cafe but I use Garmin's Mapsource on the PC at home to transfer tracks and internet cafes in France are unlikely to have that software. HELP ! I'm going away on Monday 9th and want this sorted before I go.
Cheers
Johnjo
User avatar
shane
Posts: 486
Joined: 15 Apr 2009, 3:13am
Location: On my bike
Contact:

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by shane »

Best thing to do would be to combine a few of the days(turn 2 days into 1 track) so that you get under the 20.

You'll probably have to filter these new tracks too to get them under the 500 track points otherwise they won't load (you get a warning track/route truncated)

Have fun :)
beardy
Posts: 3382
Joined: 23 Feb 2010, 4:10pm

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by beardy »

A small USB stick (or an adaptor that lets your microSD card in the GPS be used as a USB.)

Load the .gpx files on that along with some software that allows the computer to talk to your GPS.

You are going to have to get access to a computer where you will be allowed to install a Garmin Plugin, Mapsource, Basemap or GpsBabel in order to be able to transfer files into that part of the GPS which can use them. If they are not already on the computer.

There is probably room for all of this on your mapping microSD card but dont do that if you are not confident of not disturbing the mapping files (if you alter them they get locked so you can not use them, you can not even copy them).

I carry alternative mapping cards in my wallet, they are so small that your problem is not losing them.


Or you can upgrade to an Etrex 30 which can talk to other units and carry more than enough tracks anyway.
Ron
Posts: 1384
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 9:07pm

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by Ron »

You could use a paper map instead of the gps for the 12 days which are least navigationally challenging.
User avatar
cycleruk
Posts: 6065
Joined: 17 Jan 2009, 9:30pm
Location: Lancashire

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by cycleruk »

Can you load routes onto another micro-SD card and swap cards when needed or doesn't it work like that?
You'll never know if you don't try it.
beardy
Posts: 3382
Joined: 23 Feb 2010, 4:10pm

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by beardy »

It doesnt work like that. The only thing the HCx's can read from the card are mapping/POI and other general data.

It can not read tracks, waypoints, routes and other user created data from the card.

You could store some of the extra days journeys as routes instead of tracks but the GPS may not plot it the same way when you are out riding as the computer does when you worked it out. :evil:
dandru
Posts: 39
Joined: 3 Mar 2015, 1:27am

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by dandru »

In the past, I've created a custom map with the route embedded into the map, to do this, it's a technical process, but it's an option if the gps reads custom maps.
You can navigate to Waypoints using the bearing line on the Garmin, maybe you can create your own routes on the Etrex using the waypoints.
I put all my route information onto my iPhone and often navigate with that.
freeflow
Posts: 1637
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by freeflow »

There are several ways to do what you want but they are a little complicated.

1. Find versions of software that run on linux then install linux (e.g. mint or ubuntu) onto a usb memory stick. Depends on the internet cafe allowing you to reboot into your usb os.

2. Load a windows virtual machine on a USB stick. This again can be done with a linux implementation or you can depend on an internet cafe allowing virtual machines to run.

Less complicated is

3. Borrow a second etrex or an alternative device.

I gave up all this hassle when I moved to using smartphones for navigation. Just copy your gpx to a directory and no 'waypoints limitations. In your situation I'd be using an external battery pack for the phone but I do have sufficient spare batteries to have the capability to run for around 4 days touring cycling I accept that if you will never be near a charging point then my solution doesn't work. But then I don't have the opportunity to tour so haven't had to solve that problem yet.
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by LollyKat »

Have a look at the Aukadia website - it has lots of useful pages with tips for using older Garmins as well as current ones.

You could start here, with Three ways to beat the Waypoint limit. It's worth exploring the site thoroughly, even though it is quite demanding on the old grey cells!
nickpaton
Posts: 180
Joined: 4 Mar 2013, 9:07pm
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by nickpaton »

shane wrote:Best thing to do would be to combine a few of the days(turn 2 days into 1 track) so that you get under the 20.

You'll probably have to filter these new tracks too to get them under the 500 track points otherwise they won't load (you get a warning track/route truncated)

Will definitely work.

Limiting the waypoints on any route causes turns to be "shortcutted" and straight lines drawn between road curves. Generally this isn't a problem and you soon get used to it. But how many turns/curves etc can you have before the shortcuts start merging into each other and following the route becomes difficult? I've made plenty of 60 mile + UK based routes (lots of turns and curved roads etc) and they've been OK and I think it could be pushed to 80 miles +.
Has anyone any experience of this?

I've also been thinking about how to load more routes/tracks mid trip. I'm thinking of taking a little Windows Netbook on my next trip so the problem is solved. But it's another thing to take which adds weight, bulk, is delicate, needs charging etc etc, and it's not justifying its use for anything other than uploading tracks onto my HCx, especially as I have an android tablet which does everything I need already. It's such a shame Garmin never produced the Androd version of Basecamp it kept promising to do! Nor is there any other suitable Android based software that does the same thing - unless someone knows different?

LollyKat wrote:Have a look at the Aukadia website - it has lots of useful pages with tips for using older Garmins as well as current ones.

You could start here, with Three ways to beat the Waypoint limit. It's worth exploring the site thoroughly, even though it is quite demanding on the old grey cells!

Many thanks for the heads up on that site - will be very useful.
I'm interested in the waypoint reduction techniques shown there and will try them. Currently I use GPSies waypoint reduction feature within Convert section, and find it very straightforward. What methods does anyone else use, and how do the results, ease of use etc, compare with GPSies method?
Last edited by nickpaton on 5 Mar 2015, 11:05am, edited 1 time in total.
stu1102
Posts: 108
Joined: 24 Jun 2013, 8:38pm
Location: Beeston, Nottignham

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by stu1102 »

the author of the Aukadia article Francis Cook posts regularly on https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?PHPS ... board=63.0 perhaps try there as well
nickpaton
Posts: 180
Joined: 4 Mar 2013, 9:07pm
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Re: Garmin eTrex help needed

Post by nickpaton »

Thanks Stu, appreciated.
Post Reply