Hi All,

I am a technology and GPS n00b, I am so n00bish, the other day I found a cable that connected my e-Trex Legend to the PC and I thought it was for my camera :(

Anyway, I am going to the Brecon's this weekend to do the usual circuit and I was hoping that there is some free software out there that will help me plot my course. Can somebody please post the links to such software if it exists and also a brief "How to" guide for possibly the most technically inept person alive?

Many thanks,

Goat

HI Goat, i dont think there any free sofware that will let you easily draw on a map then upload to the gps.

however you can use the garmin software to put in a series of grid refs and then upload those or you could get your self a copy of tracklogs or some sort of mapping software which makes it really easy.

http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/ allows you to plot a route on google maps, and to generate a gpx file when you are done. A gpx file is an xml file which is used to send data between gps devices. You can use a free tool called gsak (geocaching swiss army knife...search on google) to read the gpx files and this can then send the waypoints to your device. This is not as easy as using memory map, but would allow you to accurately plot a complicated route and transfer this to your gps without having to type in all the waypoints yourself. If this is all double dutch, then you'll probably have to bite the bullet and buy something.

thats sounds good ill have to have a look at that

the easiest way without the faffing is to get some digital mapping. you'll love it.
by the way, my gps cable reads my camera too!

digital mapping is the way to go .. click click click your route on the pc, download with another click, click your gps at the start and follow .. easy peasy, and can save you hours. replay your route back onto the map when you get home for extra fun. tracklogs lets you buy any 60km by 60km square of 1:50000 map for £12 - memorymap and anquet have similar deals.

If you want to go the freeware route, I'd recommend GPS Utility, which I've been using for years. It will do what you want, but it's a bit of a learning curve to get there,

The key steps are:
(i) scan relevant section of your paper map to bmp or jpg file on your PC (so you'll need a scanner);
(ii) import the image into GPSU, and "calibrate" it (ie, give the software two grid refs, from which it will calculate all others)
(iii) create waypoints simply by clicking on your map to create a route
(iv) upload route to your GPS.

On your return, you can download tracks and superimpose them on your map.

It's quite a powerful bit of software, though I've never found it that intuitive to use. But it does all that I want and I've never felt the need to go for digital mapping software. You need to fork out a few quid for the full version if you want all its features.

I'll take the buy route as I am far to inept to gxmlish anything and if I try, I may catch fire...

Quo (mapxy bunch) have a deal for a bunch of maps (1:50K), printer and GPS manager plug ins all for £15. That sounds like a bargain, is it ok or dodgy? Anybody use Quo? From what I can understand this £15 will let me have didgital maps on my PC (not GPS), plot routes, upload to GPS the waypoints and print the maps with the route on it! for £15, gotta be a catch...

Goat

Not sure about quo - it's quite new and some folk, including Dave Mycroft the technical editor of this site, seem to have had bother with it. It may be sorted now, but you might be better with an established product, unless you enjoy getting duff software fixed. The £12 worth of tracklogs will do all the things you mention, and more. No catch.

the quo interface isn't as intuitive as the others and you can only use quo on one machine whereas with the others (possibly not anquet?) you can load away.
beware, it's very easy to get hooked once you start this path......as well as finding out that some things aren't where the map says they are.

on which tangential note. out of interest something i've heard and as i'm inept at google earth. is it true there is always a convenient cloud covering part of the landscape around aldermarston (sp?)? covering a big hole i've been led to believe.

An Alien crash landing site?

In the Drakensberg (South Africa) there is supposed to be a cave called Pins Cave, but no two maps agree where it is and it isn't where any of the maps say it is. Fantastic feeling once you find it though!

Goat

A good starting point is Memory Map's CDRom of ALL Britains National Parks at 1:50,000 scale for just £25.

Above Ian mentions GPS Utility. It is very good for scanning then calibrating OS maps, HOWEVER unless things have changed since I last used it you have very limited scope at turning your waypoints into a route on the free version. You can create scores of waypoints on the freebie but only about 10 waypoints can create a route before you need to upgrade to the paid for version (still cheap though).

There are 2 ways round this.
1) Split your route into small sections. This can get messy and tiresome.
2) The preferred (and quicker than you'd think) method. Create a waypoint file in GPS Utility then export that to http://www.easygps.com/ . This is also a great freebie which will allow you to create a route from all those lovely waypoints you just imported.

You could be right Crezzer - I forked out for the full version a while ago and tbh I can't remember exactly what the differences between the two are.

Goat, drop me an email if you havent got sorted..