# Alternative GPS Software



## Photo-John (Aug 1, 2001)

I've had a Garmin 60Csx for about a week now and I'm pretty psyched about all the data. however, I'm not so psyched about the Garmin software's inability to pull what I want from that data. And I'm not willing to cough up the money to pay for a Motion Based account. Any recommendations for alternative software? What I really want to be able to do is quickly pull times from my data. On Sunday I rode Soquel Demo and wanted to be able to total my times on the climbs. I marked waypoints at significant parts of the ride to help me know where I stopped climbing. But those waypoints don't help me figure out my times like I thought they would. In fact, the times attached to the waypoints appear to have nothing to do with anything. They aren't from when I set the waypoints and they aren't the time that I edited the waypoints, at home. I have no idea where they camera from. I'd also like to be able see the elevation profile by time instead of by distance.

I realize I have no clue what I'm doing. Maybe I'm going about this all wrong. But as a photographer I'm used to hearing people complain about the software that comes with their digital cameras and know that third-party software is almost always far superior. I am assuming this is also the case with GPS. Any help or direction will be much appreciated.

Thanks - and thanks for the 60Csx recommendation. In spite of my initial frustration with the software, I'm psyched about it.


----------



## CheapWhine (Dec 16, 2005)

*Try SportTracks*

I have been using SportTracks with my Edge 305 and I really like it.

You don't need to set waypoints to get what you want. If you know where the points are on the map, you can just click on the two points to get the time and distance from your starting point. This can be a bit difficult on an out and back route and does really show you the elevation gain.

I discovered another way of doing this. I hadn't tried what you are looking for, so I went and tried it with data from Sunday's ride and it is better than I expected. In the elevation vs. time chart, just click on the desired starting point and move the mouse to the right. This colors the portion you are interested in, showing elevation and time at the start and end points as well as average elevation and total time. This works will all of the graphs, so it is also easy to get average grade, heart rate or whatever for any section of the ride or the whole ride. Pretty neat.

I really like this software. It is easy to use and much faster than MotionBased since it runs on your computer rather than over the web. Give it a try. See http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks.

(I am not affiliated with them in any way, just a happy user).


----------



## rpiontek (Apr 21, 2004)

I like topofusion. you can download a fully functional demo for free. www.topofusion.com is the address. it will tell you your total climbing elevation and total time climbing, and I think you can plot elevation as a function of time, too. then I guess you can just look to see how long you spend on each climb.


----------



## pacman (Jan 16, 2004)

rpiontek said:


> I like topofusion. you can download a fully functional demo for free. www.topofusion.com is the address. it will tell you your total climbing elevation and total time climbing, and I think you can plot elevation as a function of time, too. then I guess you can just look to see how long you spend on each climb.


Another vote for TopoFusion. + It will sync the Exif data from your photos and produce a clickable map showing where each photo was taken.


----------



## Photo-John (Aug 1, 2001)

Thanks guys! I'll check these out


----------



## Downhillin (Jan 6, 2005)

I'll vote for SportTracks too, I use it with a Forerunner for a year or so, and the only problems i've had is with my computer talking with the GPS to get the data off of it. It's very simple to import, use, or just view the collected data.


----------



## RJend (Jun 28, 2005)

Garmin's Mapsource software is pretty basic, but I think it can do what you're trying to do. Whenever you're tracking, never save the active track on the 60, since you'll lose point data AND times. After you upload the active track to Mapsource, you can select its properties to view time, speed and distance between any 2 points.


----------



## pacman (Jan 16, 2004)

RJend said:


> Garmin's Mapsource software is pretty basic, but I think it can do what you're trying to do. Whenever you're tracking, never save the active track on the 60, since you'll lose point data AND times. After you upload the active track to Mapsource, you can select its properties to view time, speed and distance between any 2 points.


You can turn on "save on data card" and all track data (with times) will be on the data card (microSD), automatically day after day. Connected to the PC it looks like another memory device.


----------



## RJend (Jun 28, 2005)

pacman said:


> You can turn on "save on data card" and all track data (with times) will be on the data card (microSD), automatically day after day. Connected to the PC it looks like another memory device.


True - but it's just as simple to USB the 60 and upload directly to Mapsource, rename all "Active???" track files, and then SaveAs ??.gpx files. From there you can take it to TopoFusion if desired.

If anyone can exceed the 10k active track points available (setting = auto, most) during a week of bike riding, I'd pay to see that track


----------



## BLS439 (Jan 16, 2004)

John,

I've had my 60CSX for quite sometime and the thing rocks. It'll work from under the trees all the way down in the deepest valleys of Wilder and SDF. The range is incredible.

I'm just starting to get back on my bike again...so stoked! I'll have to look for it, but I imported my stuff into Google Earth and I think it gave me what you are looking for. Plus, I could see the actual terrain and area I'd ridden from a birds eye view - kinda cool.

Dave


----------



## Photo-John (Aug 1, 2001)

I got the TopoFusion software. It accesses a bunch of different online maps. I like the idea of the Google maps, though. Is that a feature of Google Earth or do you need some other software to apply the tracks?

Glad to hear you're back on the bike. maybe it's time we finally try to do a ride. UCSC was in prime shape this Sunday. Well, Sweetness was a little sloppy. But overall, it was great.


----------



## BLS439 (Jan 16, 2004)

Um, I don't quite recall the exact process, but I'm pretty sure it was a standard function of Google Earth. I only own the Google Earth and Garmin software. There's a way to make an overlay (it may have just been importing the waypoints/trackpoints) with the Garmin included Garmin software and import it into Google Earth.


----------



## agoura_biker (Jun 6, 2004)

BLS439 said:


> Um, I don't quite recall the exact process, but I'm pretty sure it was a standard function of Google Earth. I only own the Google Earth and Garmin software. There's a way to make an overlay (it may have just been importing the waypoints/trackpoints) with the Garmin included Garmin software and import it into Google Earth.


I'm sure there is a way to do this, but it's so easy in Sport Tracks, that's what I use. You just click on a Google Earth button from the main page, and your track in displayed in Google Earth.


----------



## Jessep (Dec 1, 2004)

If you buy google earth plus (25 bucks a year or something) you can import tracks directly from the gps. As far as elevation profiles and stuff, your still out of luck. It can make for some pretty maps though..








http://bdiddys.blogspot.com/2007/02/cherry-orchard-loop.html


----------



## Gambox (Jun 30, 2004)

Hi John 
I use the Motionbased agent http://www.motionbased.com/
wich is great, you don't have tu buy the $25 dlls google earth suscription to import all the tracks for free
it has many options and graphics
i have the same garmin map60cx


----------

