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Getting 'Tracks' off my 496 and on my PC (how do I)

DeltaRomeo

DeltaRomeo

doug reeves: unfluencer
Staff member
I admit I don't read the manual as closely as I probably should :eek:. I discovered the track feature on my 496 the other day - I was driving out to the airport and I kept noticing all these circular lines around the area as I was driving up to the airport (in auto mode). Turns out it was the path the plane had made in the pattern on my previous dozen or so flights! Duh!!!

OK, I have the UPS cable that ties my 496 into the PC and when plugged in it recognizes it.

So now what do I do?

What's the application that people use to pull over their latest flight track and display it on a map of their area? Of course I'm assuming this is done already.... I have visions of overlaying my flight track over a satellite image from GoogleMaps or GoogleEarth. It would be a swell graphic to accompany a trip write-up or such...

Any guidance is appreciated.

b,
dr

PS: You can see a picture I took of my GPS track with the camera at http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3807/trackkd5.jpg
 
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Doug,

There might have been software that was included with your GPS to do this... Or, Garmin used to provide a download for a simple program to get tracks, routes, etc. Then you can search for another application called "GPSBabel", it will do the conversion from Garmin to something Google earth can use.

You can also go here and do the conversion I believe . http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/index.html

Hope this helps,
 
Take a look at this ...

DeltaRomeo said:
I admit I don't read the manual as closely as I probably should :eek:. I discovered the track feature on my 496 the other day - I was driving out to the airport and I kept noticing all these circular lines around the area as I was driving up to the airport (in auto mode). Turns out it was the path the plane had made in the pattern on my previous dozen or so flights! Duh!!!

OK, I have the UPS cable that ties my 496 into the PC and when plugged in it recognizes it.

So now what do I do?

What's the application that people use to pull over their latest flight track and display it on a map of their area? Of course I'm assuming this is done already.... I have visions of overlaying my flight track over a satellite image from GoogleMaps or GoogleEarth. It would be a swell graphic to accompany a trip write-up or such...

Any guidance is appreciated.

b,
dr

PS: You can see a picture I took of my GPS track with the camera at http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3807/trackkd5.jpg
Click to expand...
Doug,

This may not be what you are looking for but tale a look at this:

http://www.appareo.com ...

I have been doing some beta testing of their products. The "data" can come from their "flight data recorder" or from the more popular GPS's (especially the Garmin handheld units).

The "Lite" version of the software is pretty low cost and all you have to do is connect your cable and download the data from the GPS.

There is some pretty slick stuff being sorted out but I will have to leave that to them to talk about. If you call or email ask for "David" and tell him I sent ya.

Good people, good product in the making.

James
 
Doug,

I've used a program called 'G7ToWin' to pull track data from my GPSMAP 196 and save it in a format that Google Earth can import - I think those formats are .gpx or .loc files. The interface isn't super streamlined, but it works. You can find it here...

http://www.gpsinformation.org/ronh/g7towin.htm

It will also let you create, edit, upload and download user waypoints.

It's free, although the author accepts donations.

Dave
 
Done! Got it to work....

Well, that didn't take 10 minutes!!!! Thanks to Matt Burch (RV builder who works for Garmin) for pointing out to me via email that the City Navigator CD that came with my 496 includes the MapSource app that will allow me to download the tracks.

I then saved the track file using MapSource into the GPS format and used www.GPSvisualizer.com to lay the file on top of sat imagery.

I love the internet <g>.

Here's the output from yesterday's flight.

gps3qu2.jpg
 
Ha! You need a source of data for that terrain!

It is all brown and green!

Which way to da beach!?!

Seriously, it is good to know that this can be done!

:D CJ
 
DeltaRomeo said:
Well, that didn't take 10 minutes!!!! Thanks to Matt Burch (RV builder who works for Garmin) for pointing out to me via email that the City Navigator CD that came with my 496 includes the MapSource app that will allow me to download the tracks.
Click to expand...

Well nuts! I got my 396 used, and while it came with a nice extra case and second remote antenna, it had no CD with it.....so I don't have MapSource. I guess I'll have to go buy that.....

Paul
 
DeltaRomeo said:
Iron!

I think it's a free download from Garmin
Click to expand...

Yeah, the download is free...but you have to have a paid-for copy to install. Ah well, I've been thinking of getting the City Navigator anyway!

Gotta go fly - the weather looks bad for tomorrow!

Paul
 
Doug, if you have "altitude" data in the path file (some of them do), then you can also creat the KML file for GE that will allow you to "fly" that course and from a birds eye view, you can see the path in 3D.

Have fun, I can find you an example if you like.
 
I've been doing this for some of my more memorable flights. I create a "super-logbook" entry with photos, links to the KMZ file with placemarks, and more photos. I use FlightMaster on my Palm and it will capture altitude information. I know my Lowrance handheld GPS does not log altitude info. I think the higher end panel mount GPS's from Garmin do, not sure about the handhelds.
 
Doug,

Also, you don't need to "Clear tracks" from before, the software should break them into "segments" that are together. If I use my Garmin handheld, and it has 6 or 10 flights on it. When I download, they are put together by date, segment. I just select the one I want and save it. The others I ignore. Then every once in a while, I clear it...
 
Here are a few things that might add to your fun:

- For getting the tracks and saving my image files, I use Expert GPS (http://www.expertgps.com). You can import images and other stuff which brings me to my next point...

One graph it does with altitude (you can see my 2 touch-and-go's):

alti.jpg


- You can download VERY high res images of sectionals and import them to Expert GPS so you can track your route over that. Get the maps (Sectionals and TAC) here: http://aviationtoolbox.org/raw_data/FAA/sectionals/current/

One I did:

map.jpg


- You can also load that file you make with Expert GPS into this page and make a Google Earth file that will open up and show you your track (with altitude if you choose that option on the site): http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/map?form=googleearth

One I did: http://home.woh.rr.com/mountainman/owx-tng.kml
 
This site is just awesome!

Over two years have passed since this thread was created and I just now had the desire to see where I've been.

Thanks guys!
 
I be liking this....

So that's what the disk that came with my 296 has on it :)

Thanks folks- my three solo cross country training flights are now stored for posterity. Not a big deal by the standards of the cross-country travellers, but certainly a personal milestone.
 
How do you get it to show altitude

I just tried this out to put a map together of a memorable flight with one of my sons, but cannot seem to get altitude to show on the map.

I downloaded the tracks from my 496 using MapSource, found the right track and saved it in a couple different formats then used GPS Visualizer to plot the track. The track came up fine but I cannot figure out how to get it to show altitude.

Here's the temporary map from GPS Visualizer. http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/display/1243255113-26962-99.145.13.64.html
 
I remembered Doug had put together a document on how to do this. I found that and followed the directions. Everything is working well EXCEPT the track shows up in Google Earth as all at one altitude.

I have the settings in GPS Visualizer set for altitude the same as in the document. Could the 496 not be recording altitude data?

545377198_gFiqH-M.jpg
 
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Bumped back up - how to get altitude to show

I'm still not having any success getting Google Maps to show changes in altitude. Please see the previous post from 5/25.

Any suggestions?
 
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