BajaNomad

News for Garmin Users

skippermike - 2-25-2012 at 06:12 PM

This posting is more oriented to racer/chacers, and I posted it on Race-Dezert already, but thought it might be useful for some folk here.
I know that many/most readers use Lowrance GPS units in their race/chace vehicles.
A few folk, like me, like Garmins for better screen displays, touch screen functions, more useful functions for non-race use - i.e., auto-routing, spoken directions, etc.
I use a 7" StreetPilot in my truck.
The big limitation in using Garmins was the limited number of track points accomodated.
Most Garmin devices are limited to to 2000 to 10,000 track points - where a SCORE race download will have 15,000 to 25,000 track points. Also, most Garmin devices are limited to 50-100 waypoints - where a SCORE race will have 200 or more.
I just stumbled on a new piece of software - gpx2img - which seems to solve this.
It, very basically, takes the tracks and way points from the SCORE .gpx download and converts them to a clear map file. You load this clear map file over the area map file - in my case, the map from bicimapas - and the track and waypoints are superimposed on the area map.
I just did it for the San Felipe 250 - and it looks good. I went back and did it for last year's NORRA 1000 - also looks good.
I may create a track from driving around in the next week, load it, and re-drive my route using the generated map.
I will be using it at the San Felipe 250, and will report.
Mike

shitedetector - 2-25-2012 at 07:20 PM

nice

David K - 2-25-2012 at 07:21 PM

Thank you ... and if you can show us here, great!

gpx2img

KasloKid - 2-25-2012 at 11:18 PM

I've been using this program for several years now, and can have found it to be an accurate conversion of a very large gpx track to a transparent map. Simple to use, and the owner of the software (Joel) is quick to help with any tech issues. The best thing it's only $20.
http://www.gpx2img.com/

Best $20 I Ever Spent

wornout - 2-26-2012 at 08:04 AM

Just purchased this program last month and it is just what we have been needing here in San Felipe for our dune buggy trips.

Over the years we have been saving tracks in the area in OZI format as that was much easier to edit than Mapsource. To date we have 78,410 points for a distance of 6586 miles (the picture below is a screen copy of what I call 'alltracks') We could never load them all to a Garmin until GPX2Img. We created a base map with all the roads in the map and that overlays the other maps. The next post is a snap shot of the screen with these tracks loaded on an OZI map. The tracks have now been converted to a Mapsource map overlay and now in our GPS's


[Edited on 2-26-2012 by wornout]

AllTracksInfo.JPG - 26kB

wornout - 2-26-2012 at 08:09 AM

This is just a piece of a map created with GPX2Img showing some of the tracks on an OZI map which was converted to a Mapsource map and is now in our GPS's.



Below is an example of after is is a map overlay....zoomed in cuz it gets busy zoomed out like the OZI map.



[Edited on 2-26-2012 by wornout]

AllTracks.JPG - 24kB

David K - 2-26-2012 at 10:53 AM

I would sure like to see a bigger version of that! Wow!

wornout - 2-26-2012 at 11:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I would sure like to see a bigger version of that! Wow!


It is on the way to vivabaja.....email that is.

David K - 2-26-2012 at 11:10 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by wornout
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I would sure like to see a bigger version of that! Wow!


It is on the way to vivabaja.....email that is.


Thanks! Okay if I post a bigger version here?

Here is the Map Overlay ZoomedIn

wornout - 2-26-2012 at 11:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by wornout
This is just a piece of a map created with GPX2Img showing some of the tracks on an OZI map which was converted to a Mapsource map and is now in our GPS's.



Below is an example of after is is a map overlay....zoomed in cuz it gets busy zoomed out like the OZI map. All of those dotted lines now show up on a Garmin. So do the waypoints that were incorporated into the map overlay as well leaving the number of waypoints and tracks zero in the GPS. This is all a map. As I said earlier, best $20 I ever spent


[Edited on 2-26-2012 by wornout]

File 041.jpg - 35kB

David K - 2-26-2012 at 11:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by wornout
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I would sure like to see a bigger version of that! Wow!


It is on the way to vivabaja.....email that is.


I don't have Ozi Explorer... can you email me the satellite with tracks image you posted, but the full size version... I can work with that. Thanks!

Be My Guest....

wornout - 2-26-2012 at 11:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Quote:
Originally posted by wornout
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
I would sure like to see a bigger version of that! Wow!


It is on the way to vivabaja.....email that is.


Thanks! Okay if I post a bigger version here?


Sure.....go ahead........