Mapping for GPS
If you haven't tried out Google™Earth, then you are in for a treat. Once you load the software onto your computer, you will be able to search satellite imagery of about anything on this world. The detail can be overwhelming and impressive. You can just type in an address and you zoom to that location. Houses, terrain, building, and even people can be clearly visible. You can even tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and structures, or look up to explore the sky.
The free version of Google™Earth can be downloaded and it runs on Mac® and Windows™ systems. Or you can pay an additional $20 and get their Plus version and get GPS device support, faster performance, and the ability to import spreadsheets and higher resolution printing. But the free version is pretty impressive. You can download tracking data, waypoints, and routes from you GPS receiver and view the information on Google™Earth. Also you can map GPS data without having a GPS receiver.
Get You Data
The files that you will need to map on Google™Earth should have a .kml or .gpx extension. I prefer to use the .gpx extension for my files since these files can be downloaded to my GPS receiver. You can convert the .kml files to .gpx by using the Babel program, which is discuss here.
You can get free GPS route data from this site under the Tours/Trails tab and various internet sites for trips around the globe and map it on your computer. All this can be done without downloading any maps to your computer.
If you alread have the .gpx or .klm files, then skip down to loading your displaying your data into Google™Earth. Otherwise, if you want to transfer data from your GPS device and view it on Google™Earth, you are going to need a program to transfer the data. A free program called GPSBabel works on both Mac® and Windows™ systems. For Mac®, you will need to download the .dmg extension files. The .zip file is for Windows™ computers.
The GPSBabel file does not have an installer. So you will have to create a folder in your Applications folder (Mac®) or Programs folder (Windows™). I called my file GPSBabel. Then just drag the GPSBabel file into the new folder and open it or unzip it. Now you are ready to run GPSBabel and transfer your data from your receiver to your computer
On the left you will see the Mac® input page for GPSBabel and on the right, Windows™ input page.
|
|
You should select the following options as shown on the input screens.
- Operating mode select waypoints, tracks, and/or routes as needed
- Input options select Use GPS receiver and its type and port (usb and/or serial)
- Output options select Use File and select Googe Earth since that is where you are going to view the data
- You don't need to do anything with Filters.
After you have made the selections, click Save File and your data will be transferred.
Now start Google™Earth and load your data. Select File, Open, and find your data file from GPSBabel. Your data file will be loaded by Google Earth and displayed. The route should include all the waypoints, tracks and route that you transferred from you GPS receiver. Everything should be in your My Places section in the column on the left. You can enable and disable data files there to reduce clutter if needed.
Displaying Your Data
|
If you have downloaded a GPS file from your receiver or as a pre-created file, Google™Earth should find that route on the earth map and display the information. On the left you will see a route that was created on a GPS receiver and downloaded using GPSBabel. Notice the blue route and waypoints. Since this route has not been traveled with the GPS, no tracks have been recorded. At this point you can add additional placemarks and/or points of interest. You can do this by zooming in further and finding landmarks, including roads, and elevations. |
|
Now on your left, you'll see a route that was travelled in Italy. The yellow lines show the tracks recorded by the GPS receiver. |
|
This is the same route that has been tilted to show elevations and terrain. This way if you haven't done the tour yourself, you can be prepared and plan your days accordingly. |
Adding Placemarks
|
Now I have added placemarks and points of interest that I want to see during my tour. To do this, I created a folder in Google's My Places and saved each placemark named 001, 002 and so on in that folder. This tour route is ready for me to transfer it to my GPS receiver. The placemarks will show up as waypoints. |
Transferring Your Data to GPS
 |
Connect your GPS up to your computer and start GPSBabel. The screen on the left will show up on your Mac®. |
You should select the following options as shown on the input screens.
- Operating mode select waypoints, tracks, and/or routes as needed.
- Input options select Use File and select the file folder you saved in Googe Earth (mine is touritaly.klm, which contains all my waypoints and track files).
- Output options select Use GPS receiver and its type and port (usb or serial).
- You don't need to do anything with Filters.
After you have made the selections, click Send GPS and your data will be transferred. GPSBabel should do the file conversion and load it on your receiver. Unfortunately, your Google™ Earth map won't be transferred. You will need maps compatible with your receiver. To do this on a Mac® computer, see Mapping with Mac