Data from Google Earth to GPS?

[Tony T]

Apologies if this has been covered before.
I enjoy browsing Google Earth, finding interesting looking tracks and places, then using my GPS to find and explore them on the ground.
Currently, I have to manually insert the coordinates into my GPS which takes a lot of time.
Is there a way of downloading directly from Google Earth to a GPS unit?
I only have a cheap Garmin Etrex so I expect to have to upgrade, but any information on what I can do here would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Tony

[vudu_52]

You could try this one::::use google maps not google earth.

http://www.elsewhere.org/journal/gmaptogpx

It works for me in so many ways.

[Myles]

I found google maps are far better than those already on my Navman GPS but I can't find any way to download them

[X-Rated]

Don't know if this is any help...

http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php

This one is designed to make Google Earth and Tomtom GPS talk to each other. I'm pretty sure there are freeware or cheap converters out there that will convert between formats, so you can use the produced 'itinerary' (in TomTom-speak) in another sort of GPS...

Good luck

Al

[guymcfly]

yeah you can plot in google earth and get them on the gps (I use a newer version of the etrex)
place the waypoint on google...right click it and select 'save as'...and save it as a kml file.
I use this...its a free download, www.gpstm.com
with this u can open your saved kml file and selct them all, and upload them to your garmin.
Easy! It will also upload routes/trax that you create. The only thing I cannot do is manage to import data off Hema maps!

[kiwipeet]

I only found this out at the 4x4 show in Melbourne 2 weeks ago, and thought it was worth mentioning this explicity.

Hema have digital maps (not topographical) for sale for $20 AUD.

http://www.hemamaps.com.au/

Other companies are charging $250 for their digital maps, and so when I saw $20 for Hema, I thought that was news worth spreading. Although as a small caveat I have not seen the actual downloads, and so I can't vouch for their quality or accuracy.

EDIT: I bought the maps and had a quick look. pretty impressive. They look like a high quality scan of a paper map. However, you need to install software to view the maps. I haven't spent long enough playing around with it to see if you can export or download the maps to a GPS.

[Frank Warner]

Originally Posted by kiwipeet

Hema have digital topographical maps for sale for $20 AUD.

There is the problem of format .. Both Hemma and Westprint offer their maps in digital form .. but in raster format (for Oziexplorer for instance). So I'm not certain about the Hemma claim ... and if it is compatable to all GPSes, I know they do them for maglean .. but at prices 3 times that of the raster format.

Humm http://www.hemamaps.com.au/default.asp?p=68&ParentId=35 looks like it is Oziexplorer then .. no vector format that you might be able to download to the GPS .. just the raster map that you can use on the PC and do routes/waypoints ..

On accuracy .. Hemma colour code the roads purple (at least on the desert track series) for roads that have been logged (by them) by GPS .. so those will be 'accurate' at the time of logging.

---------------------
Similar problems if you want to download Googlearth/maps (this is the map itself .. not tracks/waypoints that you create using those products) .. they are in raster from .. not suitable to down load to any GPS.

[Lobby]

[BurnieM]

There are two map formats;

Raster - think of them as scanned images.
bitmaps, jpegs, Tifs, ecw are all raster images

Vector - these are not images at all but actually lots of pieces of data ie a major road goes from point a to point b or a hospital is located at x. The GPS is not displaying an image, it is redrawing the data.
The GPS also knows that road y is one way and on auto-routing mapsets will not send you the wrong way up that road.

Programs like OziExplorer that runs on PCs and Pocket PCs use raster maps

All dedicated GPSs use vector maps built in proprietry formats
(so you must use Garmin maps on Garmin GPSs, Magellan on Magellan etc)
.

[BurnieM]

Most of the Hema maps while clear and easy to use are actually at quite large scales ie 1:400,000 etc

Natmap Raster from Geoscience Australia will give you 1:250,000 topos of all of Australia for $90

TopoView Raster from Lands NSW will give you 1:25,000 for eastern part of state, 1:50,000 for central and 1:100,000 for western NSW. These scales are much better for trip planning but more expensive at $269

Why can I not get 1:25,000 for my state you ask ?
Maps above a certain scale are done by the Federal Government and below (what you really want) by the state governments. Quality and pricing varies significantly.
If you want real sticker shock ask for pricing on Tassie 1:25,000 topos (you can buy a small car for cheaper)
.

[tripodtiger]

Originally Posted by BurnieM

If you want real sticker shock ask for pricing on Tassie 1:25,000 topos (you can buy a small car for cheaper)
.

Is this because of the number of lines / pixel? Wonder how much they'd charge for the Himalayas?

[Peter640]

MapSend Lite is a good product so you can plot a route on the PC and take it to Google and fly the route to see what it looks like.

The ability to look at topography on Google is goo[/QUOTE]d as it helps you see any big hills or obstacles (not always!).

I often build route on MapSend by looking at Google.

May be a bit Heath Robinson but it works for me!

I dont know if this software ties you to a magellan gps or not. I like my explorist though!

Peter

[cooneyr]

Create a path or point using google earth, save them to a KML file and get GPSBable and use it to convert to GPX format and then use easygps with the approriate cable to upload the data to your eTrex. From what I understand this works with even the most basic eTrex (I know the GPSBable bit works not 100% on the easygps). Both bits of software are free.

Cheers R