GPS units are becoming increasingly popular with bikers, hikers, joggers and trail runners and a lot of the features you’ll find on MTBGuru are based on the GPS tracks that users upload to the site. So how can you record the data and get it from the GPS device to the site?
Almost all GPS units have the capability to record multiple tracks consisting of a large amount of datapoints. Sometimes it does this automatically or semi-automatically for you (for instance, the Garmin Etrex Vista), sometimes you need to press start/stop buttons (for instance, the Garmin Edge), sometimes you need to program the device. Refer to the manual of your device or the manufacturer’s website. Most GPS units come with software that allows you to copy all track data to your computer, typically using a USB cable that connects to a USB port on your PC. Older models may use a serial cable that connects to the serial port on your PC. The format of the data can vary wildly though and almost every manufacturer has its own proprietary data format. Fortunately, an open standard for GPS data is becoming increasingly popular and supported by many manufacturers: GPX, a light-weight XML format. Garmin’s Mapsource software for instance allows you to export your GPS data to GPX files, which
Related Questions
- GPS units are becoming increasingly popular with bikers, hikers, joggers and trail runners and a lot of the features you’ll find on MTBGuru are based on the GPS tracks that users upload to the site. So how can you record the data and get it from the GPS device to the site?
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