garmin 305 edge

[hagar]

Please could you garmin junkies please help me !!!!

I want to know if it is possible to plan a route using waypoints prior to riding the route and then if it is possible to see the profile of that route.

 

the guys at garmin say that i must ride the route first ??? is there other maps that i must get or what is the solution ?? i got the garmap fitness version 1 with the 305. i would also like to know how i could use the garmin to navigate myself around town. for example if i need to go somewhere how would i use the waypoints that i have plotted ??

 

thanks

[fandacious]

I dont think so... the edge and forerunner arent navigation devices.

[mountain_lion]

Hagar,

It can be done, but not with the software, data and equipment you mention.

So Garmin's answer is sort of correct; to plot a profile with the Edge, you need to ride the route.

 

To plot a profile without recording the route, you need a DEM (digital elevation model) covering your area of interest as well as a track of the route you want to profile (can be traced from maps). The number of trackpoints in the track will determine the quality of the profile.

 

 

For areas out side of the USA it is difficult to get hold of DEM data with a higher resolution than 90m (i.e. a  grid with elevation values spaced 90m appart). 90m is sufficient to give you a good approximation though. I wish the Yanks would publish their 30m data collected on their Shuttle missions...

 

If you have the track and DEM data, then you can use software like OziExplorer, GlobalMapper or your favourite GIS application to produce the profile.

 

 

[slowjoe]

What about motionbased? you can plan routes on there that follow roads, you can add markers and you can tell your 305 to goto marker, shud show a compass, havent tried it but i've read the manual (for once)

 

 

[Canaris]

Hagar the profile of the route ie ups and downs is determined by a barametric thingy ma jig (that measures airpressure/height above see level.) THe GPS only measures long/lat and by some magic calculations distance/speed but not heght above see level. Also the maps bundled with the software may have very rudamentary countour lines, but these are not enough for accurate route profiles. (Also the data needed to be embedded in the map would be almost impossible). If you want a route profile without actually taking the garmin for a walk two possibilities are available:

 

 

 

one: plot the waypoints and the route ina GPS programme like garmap or GPS mapmaker. THen export the file to google for a fly through. (remember to change the defualt to "double" the height of things)

 

 

 

or

 

two: Do like the army grunts did in WW2, take a 1:50 000 map of your route and a bit of paper, and mark the contours on the paper and transpose them onto graph paper.

[slowjoe]

actually the gps estimates height as well. The forerunner does NOT have barametric reader mabob, but estimates elevation and grade of slope. When this data gets uploaded to motionbased, motionbased can apply a gravity utility to it (their naming) to work out your exact route profile based on terrain data and the difference is not big at all.

 

Go play around on motionbased, its kewl, free site provided by Garmin.

 

[pbp2007]

I dont think so... the edge and forerunner arent navigation devices.

The Edge and Forerunner, being capable of intepreting a GPS signal and also capable of having routes and waypoints uploaded, are by definition navigation devices.

 

I have used my FR301 to navigate in various parts of the world, using waypoints and routes. They don't do turn-by-turn navigation like the bigger units, but they can route you from waypoint to waypoint, with an arrow showing your required bearing plus the time and distance remaining. This is elementary stuff.

 

Slowjoe wrote:

>actually the gps estimates height as well

 

It doesn't estimate height, it calculates height based on trilateration. Minimum of 3 satellites for a 2D fix, minimum of 4 for a 3D fix. It's accurate to within 10 m on a good day.  The Edge has a built-in barometric altimeter, as far as I know.

 

The other posters are correct WRT not being able to generate profiles. There are a couple of good suggestions among the replies. One more: download Mapsource from Garmin.com if you haven't already got it. It's a free download, but at about 25 MB you will need broadband.

 

 

Hagar, PM me if you would like some help.

 

 

 

 

pbp20072007-08-02 06:11:15

[hagar]

would this map work for the profiles ? http://www.techshop.co.za/ProductSpecs.aspx?ItemId=629

[mountain_lion]

 

I dont think so... the edge and forerunner arent navigation devices.

The Edge and Forerunner' date=' being capable of intepreting a GPS signal and also capable of having routes and waypoints uploaded, are by definition navigation devices.

 

I have used my FR301 to navigate in various parts of the world, using waypoints and routes. They don't do turn-by-turn navigation like the bigger units, but they can route you from waypoint to waypoint, with an arrow showing your required bearing plus the time and distance remaining. This is elementary stuff.

 

Hagar, PM me if you would like some help.

[/quote']

 

Yes, all GPS devices measure elevation from the GPS signals received from the satellites. With consumer type receivers and especially in not so ideal reception situations, GPS elevation is just not as accurate has horisontal position.

With my old mono Legend I have found that with a clear view of the complete sky from horison to horison, elevation is fairly accurate; within 10m or less compared to a know elevation point e.g. a trig beacon.

In not so ideal situations (mountainous areas, say in a kloof) errors can be 50m+.

 

Basic navigating with the Edge / Forerunner should be straight forward. You just don't have autorouting and map information available which other models offer.

 

 

[pbp2007]

What he said.

 

PS: Mountain Lion, that 1:50 000 topo stuff of yours is good sh!t... it feels almost as good as fondling an actual paper map.

 

[mountain_lion]

 

 

 

would this map work for the profiles ? http://www.techshop.co.za/ProductSpecs.aspx?ItemId=629

 

No, not for generating profiles without actually recording the track with a GPS device. You would be able to plot your recorded tracks on it and/or manually creating tracks using MapSource.

 

But if you are interested in such a map, rather have a look at my version - much cheaper (I developed the set because at the time the Garmap version was not available yet).

http://madmappers.com/AfricaTopo/

If you have a mapping capable GPS reveiver then AfricaTopo and Tracks4Africa are the mapsets to get. These sets work together well.

http://www.tracks4africa.com

 

Note that the Edge is not a map capable unit and you will not be able to upload this or any other GPS map to it.

 

mountain_lion2007-08-02 06:31:02

[Canaris]

 

I dont think so... the edge and forerunner arent navigation devices.

 

The Edge and Forerunner' date=' being capable of intepreting a GPS signal and also capable of having routes and waypoints uploaded, are by definition navigation devices.

 

?

 

I have used my FR301 to navigate in various parts of the world, using waypoints and routes.?They don't do turn-by-turn navigation like the bigger units, but they can route you from waypoint to waypoint, with an arrow showing your required bearing plus the time and distance remaining. This is elementary stuff.

 

?

 

Slowjoe wrote:

 

>actually the gps estimates height as well

 

?

 

It doesn't estimate height, it calculates height based on trilateration. Minimum of 3 satellites for a 2D fix, minimum of 4 for a 3D fix. It's accurate to within 10 m?on a good day. ?The Edge has a built-in barometric altimeter, as far as I know.

 

?

 

The other posters are correct WRT not being able to generate profiles. There are a couple of good suggestions among the replies. One more: download Mapsource from Garmin.com if you haven't already got it. It's a free download, but at about 25 MB you will need broadband.

 

?

 

?

 

Hagar, PM me if you would like some help.

 

?

 

?

 

?

 

?

[/quote']

 

 

 

MAp source - 48.2 MB

[mountain_lion]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS: Mountain Lion, that 1:50 000 topo stuff of yours is good sh!t... it feels almost as good as fondling an actual paper map.

 [/quote']

 

What ever turns you on

 

Glad you like it!

And for those who want to try my maps, there are free demos available on the madmappers site. The Western Cape demo includes Jonkershoek.

 

AfricaTopo does not include MapSource - I do not have a licence from Garmin to distribute it, but here is something that I discovered recently:

 

If you have the Garmin training center software installed, you just need to download the latest MapSource update from Garmin and install to get a full working copy of MapSource which you can then use with Garmin compatible maps like AfricaTopo.

 

The training center software is also a free download from Garmin (you don't need to have a fitness device to install the software).

 

Download from here:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-04

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=209

 

mountain_lion2007-08-02 07:00:19

[pbp2007]

Mountain Lion is waaaay too modest. I bought the full 1:50 000 topo series on special offer when it first came out and believe me, even at the regular price it's a steal.

 

Konafan: thanks for the file size correction. What DO they put in this software? My first PC had a 20 MB hard drive... and I've still got my TRS-80 with a massive 32 kb of RAM.

 

Cycling content: plotted a profile for the Double Century in Ceres using a 1:50 000 topo map and immediately wished I hadn't. Anybody remember Swaarmoed?

 

[hagar]

ML ok I have now downloaded the trial how do I try the thing out how do i open it up with the mapsource ?

[mountain_lion]

 

 

The other posters are correct WRT not being able to generate profiles. There are a couple of good suggestions among the replies. One more: download Mapsource from Garmin.com if you haven't already got it. It's a free download' date=' but at about 25 MB you will need broadband.

[/quote']

 

Mapsource can only generate profiles for tracks with elevation values - you still won't be able to generate a profile for a track that you have drawn manually on the PC (not without a map that provides this functionality -  I think the Garmin USA topo map has this, but there is nothing available for SA and information on how to do it is not publicly available either).

 

I don't think Garmin intended MapSource to be a free download.

The updates pages state that you need a working copy of mapsource installed to use it - MapSource is only distributed with maps produced by Garmin or by licensed 3rd party map developers.

As said above the updates work if you have the training center software installed. Don't know how long this loop hole will be open...

 

mountain_lion2007-08-02 07:12:34