I have an older Garmin E-Trex GPS and the data cable to connect to a laptop. What I need to find is some cheap, like free software, that will allow me to download the data to create a map of where I’ve been. I’m not looking a lot of frills or things like an overlay on a TOPO, just a plottted set of points I get from my way points. Does anyone have any suggestions? If not, what software do I need to buy and the cost. Thanks, TheEquineFencer@AOL.com
You could do this for free
– Last Updated: Aug-17-07 5:31 AM EST –
go to maptech and find the area you were traveling and drag the mouse to your gps waypoints one at a time. The lat/long shows up in the lower left of the screen.
http://mapserver.maptech.com/homepage/index.cfm?BPID=MAP0060030900
In the past I have use my garmin e-trex with a $50 Delorme Topo mapping software but I couldn't get info from the gps to the computer for some reason. I could get info from the computer to the gps which is all I wanted it to do. Had to pay like $30 for the stupid cable.
Something got messed up in my computer and the software doesn't work now. Being one cheap ass yankee, I just use maptech to preplot a route and manually enter in waypoints before each trip. It's a pain in the arse in a way but it is free any rarely takes more than ten minutes to enter a dozen waypoints. As far as retreiving may saved waypoints from my gps I guess I don't need a map to tell me where I have already been but if I saved a waypoint I was curious about I could go to maptech and see where it is.
TopoFusion
I use TopoFusion (http://topofusion.com/), a shareware program. The unregistered version does have about a third of the map screens covered in the word “demo”, but with some playing (using different maps, resizing, etc.) I was usually able to see my track without it being covered. But in the end, I did pay the $40 to register the version.
Delorme 6.0
– Last Updated: Aug-19-07 5:23 PM EST –
Tim,
Dolorme 6.0 is a good program that will download your waypoints and tracks. You can also use the GPS function on Goggle Earth PLUS.
Any day on the water is a great day,
Cal
why not use the free garmin mapsource
software that should come w/the unit? You should be able to download it free off the garmin website. I know that the latest mapsource software allows you to “view track in google earth” (i believe that function is under the “view” menu in mapsource), its way cool. I’ve never tried to print out of google earth. But not sure what your intention is to simply plot your points on a blank sheet of paper, most folks dump them onto some type of topo map.
USA PhotoMaps
Free program @ http://jdmcox.com/
Allows up/dnload of waypoints tracks
You could upload waypoints on lat/long grid without the TerraServer maps or
Download maps at either 1 meter/pixel or 8 meter/pix resoulution. Just set zoom prior to downloading to either 1 or 8 m/p.
If you have 1280 pix horz screen res you can view the following on full screen:
1 Meter data: .8, 1.5, 3.2, 6.4 miles (4zoom levels)
8 meter data: 6.4, 12.7, 25.5, 50.9
The maps are scrollable and printable.
There is a 2 m/p photo @ http://jdmcox.com/Sample.jpg
EasyGPS
Take a look at EasyGPS.com to see if it meets your needs. It is FREE.
If you like it, it has a bigger brother ExpertGPS that is similar but also adds on-line USGS topo maps and aerial photos. The cost is a one-time $80.