From the “I’ve been missing the obvious” file: If you have the MapSource program that comes with many Garmin GPS units or Garmin MapSource data disks, you can export waypoints, tracks or routes in the display directly to Google Earth with the View => View In Google Earth command. The data can be imported from a GPS unit, imported from a file (*.gdb, *.gpx, *.mps or *.loc formats supported), or entered manually into the program using its editing tools. Once displayed in Google Earth, you can make a permanent KML file of the data by right-clicking on any the appropriate data entries in the Places Pane, and choosing Save As.
Archive for the 'Garmin' Category Page 13 of 13
Just a recap of a multi-part series on exporting and importing GIS data to and from GPS units, so that I can have a single posting to list in the “Special Series” sidebar section. If you’ve read it before, there’s nothing new.
Exporting GPS Data To GIS I – Garmin GPS Units
Description of how to use DNRGarmin to export shapefile data from Garmin GPS units.
Exporting GPS Data To GIS II – Generic Solutions
Covers shapefile data import from non-Garmin GPS units.
Importing GIS Data Into a GPS Unit
How to import point, line and polygon shapefile data into a GPS unit.
GPS/GIS/Google Earth Import/Export With OziExplorer
Brief description of capabilities of demo version of OziExplorer.
The new Garmin handheld GPS units with the “x” designation now offer removable microSD cards for map storage. Among the models with this capability are:
|
GPSmap 60Cx |
GPSmap 60CSx | GPSmap 76Cx | GPSmap 76CSx |
| eTrex Venture Cs | eTrex Vista Cx | eTrex Legend Cx | eTrex Vista HCx |
| eTrex Legend HCx | Astro Dog Tracking | Rino 520 HCx | Rino 530 HCx |
The first four are very similar in their electronics and capabilities; I own the first on the list (the 60Cx), and it’s fantastic! The SirfStarIII chipset allows fast position acquisition with incredible sensitivity – I can get fixes in heavy tree cover and mountainous terrain that gave my old Garmin eMap fits. The HCx models also use the SirfStar III chipset. While not geodetic-quality, if you use any of the SirfStarIII units with some care it’s possible to achieve 1-2 meter real-time positional accuracy repeatably. And the microSD (aka TransFlash) memory cards allow for lots of room for Garmin’s uploadable maps, like the Garmin USA Topo or City Navigator series. I’ve seen 1 GB microSD cards for less than 15 dollars, and Garmin says that their units will support 2 GB cards (but not SanDisk Ultra II cards). Added 6/22/2009: Recent hardware upgrades to some Garmin units may have increased this to 4 GB, but there are apparently issues with some cards. But there are two drawbacks to these large-capacity microSD cards:
GPS units are often used to gather data for export to, and use in, GIS. But there may be times when you might want to do the opposite – take GIS data and export it to a GPS. For example, you might have an area shapefile demarcating survey areas, and it could be helpful to import the boundaries of that area into your GPS unit, so that you’ll know when you’re inside (or outside) the survey area. Or you might have a point shapefile with the positions of sampling spots; it would be convenient to be able to import those sampling spot positions into a GPS as waypoints, and then use the waypoint positions to navigate to them. Two of the programs I’ve posted about earlier have the capability to import GIS data in shapefile format into a GPS unit.
Geodetic-quality GPS units are usually able to output data directly into a GIS-friendly format like shapefiles, either with built-in software or with add-on packages like Trimble’s Terrasync or ESRI’s ArcPad. But what if you have a consumer-grade GPS unit without the ability to run this software (or you don’t feel like coughing up hundreds of dollars to buy a copy)? This post and the next one will cover some options for downloading data directly from a GPS and converting it to the GIS-friendly shapefile format. First up – an easy solution for Garmin GPS owners.
Continue reading ‘Exporting GPS Data To GIS I – Garmin GPS Units’