Garmin Etrex Help

I got given one of these but am struggling to understand the manual. All i
want to do is set the thing going and it to track where i walk
automatically, then I can have the rout saved for later on (as I am walking
with a group who know the way). i also want the batteries to last. How do it
set it off and save the route for future ref? How often will it record a
grid ref and can this be adjusted say by time or distance travelled?

Thanks

SS wrote:

There are a lot of Etrex models, from the basic yellow one costing well
under £100 to models above £250.

Suggest reading Dale de Priest's Garmin manuals. Its available as an ebook
(chargeable) and a lot of it was available for free on gpsinformation.net


In very basic terms, to record where you have been, use a "track log".
The limit on the number of points is defined in the manual, its typically
10,000 in the live log file.
The device will store the live log file indefinitely (even through battery
changes).

Some Etrex (not sure if all) will allow the live log file to be saved.
There are typically 20 saved slots. When saving, the log is averaged to
save only 500 points.

A handful of recent, and more expensive, Etrex have internal micro-SD card
slots. These can save GPX files of tracks, without the point limits.

Removing files from the GPS to a computer requires a data lead (lots of
third party ones if your machine didn't include one in the package) and
software (again lots of free stuff).


The defaults on the GPS are to record when it thinks there is a significant
change in direction or speed. You can change these settings if you wish,
though most people find the automatic is more than acceptable.



Batteries. In my experience, the battery saving modes don't do much. To
make the batteries last; use quality NiMh rechargeables, make sure they are
freshly charged, (if it is a Vista/Summit model, irrelevant for others) turn
off the electronic compass, and use the device where it isn't working hard
(eg. leave it in top pocket of rucksac, facing towards the sky).




Suggest practising on short routes which you know !



- Nigel


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

* SS wrote, On 13/12/2007 20:34:

On the most basic yellow etrex routes are recorded all the time without
any user input. Each time the unit is turned on it starts recording a
new route. It can hold a maximum of 10 previous routes, so these need to
be processed before they are knocked off the list by new trips.
As Nigel says, saving a route from the auto generated list to the routes
list looses lots of detail as info is chopped up to achieve a total of
500 route points. The auto generated version is logged at one point per
second, so ideally you want to get this version off of the GPS and onto
a computer/website.

If you have no mapping software on your computer, try using a web based
route tool. My favorite is http://www.everytrail.com/ . They show the
route on a google map/aerial photo, allow comments, geotagged photos,
sharing with friends...
Best of all, for people without mapping software on the PC they supply a
free application for taking routes from a Garmin GPS and uploading
directly to the website.
(http://www.everytrail.com/GPSConnector/3_0_0/SetupGPSConnector.exe )

Hope that helps some.

--
DavidM newsNO@SPAMdjmorgan.org.uk
www.djmorgan.org.uk

On Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:10:38 +0000, DavidM


Hey, hang on. OP will be very confused if you call them 'routes'
rather than 'tracks', as you seem to be doing. A 'track' is a record
of where you went, and a 'route' is a plan of where you intend to go.
So the Etrex will record a track (unless you've turned track logging
off) whether you ever get involved in route planning at all. And will
keep doing so until the memory is full. Just a very long list of
logged points (trackpoints).

A route is something you set up. You set up waypoints, and then ask
the Etrex to take you from one to the next.

Clear now ?

Jim

* Jim Hutton wrote, On 16/12/2007 13:30:

Yep, very true. You can exchange all mentions of route for track in my
post. Sorry about that OP.
Anyways, just found this and it explains all etrex the options very
clearly http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/garminetrex.php

--
DavidM newsNO@SPAMdjmorgan.org.uk
www.djmorgan.org.uk