Garmin Edge 305 Questions (merged)

[mfoga]

I have a question , is there a way to out in trails and way to follow them so you don't get lost? If not does anyone know of a unit that works this way? Reason I ask is I almost got lost the other day trying to follow a trail using paper directions.

[1TrackMind]

Originally Posted by mfoga

I have a question , is there a way to out in trails and way to follow them so you don't get lost? If not does anyone know of a unit that works this way? Reason I ask is I almost got lost the other day trying to follow a trail using paper directions.

I am not entirely sure I understand your question but the Gamrin Edge gps does give you a screen that is much like a "bread crumb" trail. You can't get lost beacuse you can always follow your tracks back to where you came from. Hope this helps..

[mfoga]

Originally Posted by 1TrackMind

I am not entirely sure I understand your question but the Gamrin Edge gps does give you a screen that is much like a "bread crumb" trail. You can't get lost beacuse you can always follow your tracks back to where you came from. Hope this helps..

I was looking at places like geoladders where they have trails you can download or can you add one after you do a trail so you can do it again. I have downloaded directions on paper that was kinda turn by turn, and I was having a hard time following them because I kept having to pull them out and even then I ended up way off course. I also went to a trail with friends and tried to go back on my own and ended up very lost, only to be able to find my way back in the right general direction using the sun but had to hike and carry my bike quite a bit to make it back.

[Abui]

If you download one of the Geoladdders courses into your 305 you can follow it by using the compass screen.

Mount the 305 on your handlebar and the arrow simply points in the direction to go. In the sample picture you are to bear right.

[Jordansrealm]

What are you guys with MAC using? I cannot seem to get Motion Based to work. Downloaded the plugin it says to but still wont load.

?

[jake]

Originally Posted by Jordansrealm

What are you guys with MAC using? I cannot seem to get Motion Based to work. Downloaded the plugin it says to but still wont load.

?

http://www.montebellosoftware.com/index.html
I have no experience with this software (or with mac) but a Mac user on Geoladders was saying good things about it a while back...

[Chewyeti]

So at the end of my ride... I download the data to the garmin training software... and it shows your route on a dopey little map.

Question 1: Is there a way to OUTPUT your data and displaty it onto something such as google earth?

www.gpsvisualizer.com has lots of cool ways to show your data, but i am not sure how to get the correct files off my garmin to do such a thing. Ideally i would plot profiles and overlay my route onto google earth terrain maps.....

Question 2: When you are out on the trail riding... is there a way for it to actually display your Approximate coordinates? (Think emergency situation... i.e. send a helicopter to pick up your nearly dead body...and not have to go looking for you)

Question 3: I understand how to make a ride into a course.... (add flags.... etc), Is this how i could tag a 'place of interest' for a future ride? IE... a turnoff i missed?

I guess i will keep poking around at the features it has

FWIW - this is a garmin edge 205.

Thanks fellas!

[kanga]

I like G7toWin, freeware that will take the track off your GPS and save it in any number of different formats. Save it as GPX and you can open it in Google Earth and see where you've been.

Sportracks software, if you use that (windows only), will also show you your route on satellite images, street maps, or export a GPX to google earth.

Lots of other software out there... of course, you could just pay for the Google Earth upgrade to get direct GPS functions.

You can have the display set to up to 8 fields on each of the two available "screens". Set one to latitude and the another to longitude and you're covered for emergencies (if you have a radio and/or cell reception).

Tagging a place is called "marking your location" You can do it on the fly, but it's pretty clumsy to clunk around an onscreen keyboard with the up and down arrows. Easier to save it as a number and use G7toWin to pull it off, edit the name, and send it back.

[davidB]

download Sporttracks here

and read this thread

[Abui]

Originally Posted by Chewyeti

So at the end of my ride... I download the data to the garmin training software... and it shows your route on a dopey little map.

Question 1: Is there a way to OUTPUT your data and displaty it onto something such as google earth?

www.gpsvisualizer.com has lots of cool ways to show your data, but i am not sure how to get the correct files off my garmin to do such a thing. Ideally i would plot profiles and overlay my route onto google earth terrain maps.....

Question 2: When you are out on the trail riding... is there a way for it to actually display your Approximate coordinates? (Think emergency situation... i.e. send a helicopter to pick up your nearly dead body...and not have to go looking for you)

Question 3: I understand how to make a ride into a course.... (add flags.... etc), Is this how i could tag a 'place of interest' for a future ride? IE... a turnoff i missed?

I guess i will keep poking around at the features it has

FWIW - this is a garmin edge 205.

Thanks fellas!

I use Topofusion (free). It reads the tracks and stores them as GPX. It can also save them as kml for GoogleEarth. PS Google Earth can read your GPS directly click on Tools -> GPS -> etc.


The last two problems are solved with
Mode -> Mode -> Mode -> scroll to Navigation (enter)
-> Mark Location (enter). There you have the GPS coordinates displayed and you can save the place as a Waypoint that GPS software recognizes.

[NO GO]

Check out www.geoladders.com/

[Burner]

Originally Posted by Abui

I use Topofusion (free). It reads the tracks and stores them as GPX. It can also save them as kml for GoogleEarth. PS Google Earth can read your GPS directly click on Tools -> GPS -> etc.

can you also get maps onto a GPS with it? (my 705 just arrived)

any other good source for topo maps to put on the device?

[chucky gross]

go to www.motionbased.com
its owned by Garmin. Easy to upload. Lays it out on google earth. very sweet.
search in trailnetwork for rides in your area.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by Burner

can you also get maps onto a GPS with it? (my 705 just arrived)

any other good source for topo maps to put on the device?

Garmin wants you to buy their maps. I don't know of any hacks to get around it.

My 705 came too!
I have the micro SD with Cities and Streets that I've used on another GPS. Works fine on the 705.

You can search for just about anything, get pertinent data, and then navigate to it.

edit: Better than a topo map on the GPS is a route with directions. You can load any GPS track.

[ericfoltz]

You can try: http://www.mapmyride.com

Free and you can download straight from your edge.

[Burner]

Originally Posted by Abui

I have the micro SD with Cities and Streets that I've used on another GPS. Works fine on the 705.

mine came with the microSD with CityNav N. America 2008 - Full Coverage...

but I'd rather have topo obviously... I thought you could use the National Geographic software too?

[dstepper]

I have:

Garmin Mapsource, which is the only Topo maps that you can download into the handheld.

National Geographic which has USGS Maps for each state. Can not load maps into handheld but you can load waypoints and routes. Excellent maps best out there.

Google Earth Pro, $20 per year and download your tracklogs into Google Earth. Excellent for finding new routes. You also can load waypoints and routes into handheld but not maps.

Delorme Topo USA can not load Topo info into handheld, will accept waypoints and routes. Average maps.

Of the above I need Garmin Mapsource to get Topo, trail info, water sources, powerlines....ect into handheld. I print and take National Geographic maps to have on trail with me...excellent details. Google Earth is fun to play with.

All of the software above use their own file formats GPX is suppose to be the new standard, jury still out, although it is getting much better. I save all my tracklogs in Garmin, Nat Geo, and GPX formats. If you save just one save it in Garmin format because you can alway put the tracklog back into the handheld GPS, then sync the GPS in back into another software program. I have never had luck with third party tracklog file conversion programs.

GPS unit are fun but they should never take the place of a good Topo Map and compass.

Dean

[Abui]

I never use Topo maps on a GPS. When I'm on a trail I follow the trail, if I come to a fork in the trail the GPS tell me which way to go if I'm following a course. If I don't have a course I still have important waypoints loaded earlier from a map on the PC and attached notes. (If you load enough waypoints you can practically draw a map)

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by Abui

I never use Topo maps on a GPS. When I'm on a trail I follow the trail, if I come to a fork in the trail the GPS tell me which way to go if I'm following a course. If I don't have a course I still have important waypoints loaded earlier from a map on the PC and attached notes. (If you load enough waypoints you can practically draw a map)

Doug I agree with you, but I have a curious nature and many times I veer from my intended route. I also like to know if there is a bailout route somewhere long the way if things go bad. Topo maps in the handheld are handy if you need to find a water source to filter.

Dean

[Abui]

We accomplish the same thing with different tools. I'll check a PC map and create waypoints for relevant stuff (water?) or mysterious(*) things I see on Google Earth. I just don't need the extra baggage of topo lines.

(*)Darn keyed gate to horse trails.