How to use the GPS Compatible GPX Files.
I am now only providing GPS data as GPX files. I cannot seem to get them to load into Memory Map, but it’s a problem with that and not the files as they work in Tracklogs (albeit in reverse!) and can be converted below into a format that Memory Map 5 or any other mapping package can use.
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Import Instructions.
Download the /gpx file by right clicking and choosing “save as”. Just clicking on it will cause it to open in some browsers as an xml file (just shows the code)
Open the .gpx file in GPSU
Save as a .mxf file (this exports the waypoints and informatoin, turn left, gates, etc)
Save as a .txf file, this saves the trackogs and creates a route.
Import BOTH into Memorymap, and save as an .mmo.
Now you have a .mmo file with all the information, sorted!
Hopefully that will keep you happy. It’s just too much work for me to keep converting to all the different file formats. If anyone can see where i’m going wrong with the GPX file, then please send me your suggestions and i’ll see if i can solve this incompatability issue.
How to make use of the Downloadable GPS files.
All (once they are all updated) my routes have 3 file types that you may freely download. These are .trl for Tracklogs, .mmo for Memory Map and .gpx for direct upload to a GPS or into ViewRanger software.
If you are not sure what i’m on about, Tracklogs and MemoryMap are 2 applications that allow you to view UK Ordnance Survey maps on your PC and plan routes. There are links to the bottom left of the screen if you want more info. If you’re thinking, “I use Fugawi or Anquet, what about me?”. Well, the short answer is there’s nothing i can do for Anquet due to their proprietry file format and their method of storing routes. As for Fugawi, check the file out on the Snowdon page, and email me to tell me if it works! As i have no program to do this on, it’s up to you Fugawi users out there.
The final file format I’m going to use is the .gpx file format. This can be imported into the FREE program EasyGPS , click on the link to download (its fully functional). From EasyGPS, you can export the file into your GPS device to use on the hill (you can then load it into Anquet and Fugawi too, direct from your GPS). However, the files have been created generally to show the route on printed maps, and may not be ideal for hill navigation. The GPS logs are more suited, and the files will be clearly marked GPS_LOG in this case (not available for all walks). Feel free to email me your own GPS logs of the routes on here, i’ll put them here for everyone’s benefit. GPS Utility does much the same thing, and has export capabilities, which theoretically mean you can export a .gpx file as an Anquet or Fugawi file.
Any suggestions as to how to improve the GPS files will be gratefully accepted, it is definately a work in progress. A method to transfer ALL the data from Tracklog files would be useful, as some tracklog files will have full instructions included. I for one, think that these digital mapping companies should ALL provide an export facility in .gpx format, and also some mutually acceptable format that allows both trackpoints and waypoints (with written information) to be transferred.
Update July 2006
Tracklogs and Memory Map now allow you to export and import gpx files. However, the Tracklog gpx file is usually very large for some reason, an example being about 250k file size, but only 5k from Memory Map. However, the import facility works too, and i may in future use ONLY gpx files as this is useable in both programs. With just one file format to worry about, i can put much more waypoint information into that file.
Garmin Mapsource. Now I have a new mapping GPS, the Garmin GPSMAP76c (pictured above) i want to make use of this capability. I ordered a copy of Mapsource TOPO from E-Bay that allows you to see a simplified map on the GPS. It shows contours, rivers, forests and so on, and this is all visible on the GPS, making it much easier to locate yourself. Unfortunately, when it arrived, it was a fake and did not upload to my GPS, making it useless. I did get to see the quality of the mapping, and was impressed, but unable to make use of it. You can preview it on Garmin’s site. I should have known there was something dodgy as i paid £60 for software that is £150 rrp. On the other hand, i just paid £99 for the new GPS, when the rrp was something like £3-400, so i assumed they were selling off old stock as a new version was coming out.
Fortunately, the SMC have kindly produced some free contour mapping from NASA data. You need to use the Garmin Mapsource program that came with the GPS to make good use of it, and it’s not that easy to install. I’m going to field test the maps in Arran this week and put a review somewhere on the site.
I’m also looking into the possibility of producing maps for some of the routes by using the free SMC mapping. What they produce is rather simple, but show large lakes and contours and is of sufficient quality that you could use them to find the route on a proper paper map if you don’t have anything else. There are screenshots at the bottom of the page. The problem i find is that the image files tend to be diffcult to compress as jpegs (i’ll experiment with other formats more suited to diagrams)..
For those without a Garmin GPS or digital mapping, i’m trying to find a freeware (or cheap) program that will allow you to view the SMC contour maps and overlay routes over them so people can see the routes. This would in effect be like a poor-man’s Tracklogs. I would be grateful to anyone who knows of a suitable program if they email me details. An alternative is to buy an old version of a Mapsource product like the UK Roads and Recreation software (which you can get cheaply and genuinely too!), you can update to the latest version on Garmin’s website and then view the contour maps.
A couple of screenshots showing the SMC Contour maps v2 in use on the Garmin Mapsource software (that was effectively free), right click to download, or click and they will open in a new window. The two shots on the right are screenshots taken from the GPS, so that’s what you’ll see on the hill.
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