GPS Training podcast – number 59

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Free route planning software, basic terminology, mapping options and ask Ian

In this month’s podcast

1. We look at the FREE NEW GPS training route planning software
2. Basic terminology – what does it all mean?
3. Mapping options for an Outdoor GPS unit
4. Ask Ian – Ian answers the questions you have been asking over the past month
5. Stock availability

So, without a further ado lets get on with this months GPS Training Podcast

1. The first thing on this month’s Podcast is a quick look over the new FREE GPS Training route planning software

Where do you find this?

gpstraining.co.uk and click on OS planner (top menu bar) or scroll down to the bottom of homepage and you will see a banner taking you to it.

• Why have we done this?

Trying to give a free alternative to those not wanting to use Garmin BaseCamp or Xpedition 2 as we are finding it hard to support OS route planner, Memory map, Qua, Anquet etc etc

Also – to get traffic onto the website – link building – so if anybody can help with this it would be appreciated.

• Very basic, easy to use route planning software
• Plan on 1:25k maps even if you just have 1:50k maps on your GPS
• And to prove this I recently did a walk and talk with a Garmin eTrex 10, first planning my route on our OS planner first
• It is free and will continue to be
• Andy has created training videos, these you will find underneath the route planning software

Please enjoy, share with your friends, walking groups and anybody who may be interested in it, its FREE! And if you can link to it from your walking group, walking festival, local website it would be very much appreciated.

To access the free OS route planning software please go to gpstraining.co.uk and click on OS planner on the top menu bar and a very big thank you for all the kind comments you have sent us about it over the past few weeks, since it has been launched.

2. The next thing on this month’s GPS training podcast is to discuss the basic terminology we/ you use when navigating with an outdoor GPS unit

What is a –

• Waypoint
• Route
• Track
• Course

To find out more about our GPS training courses please go to our website – gpstraining.co.uk and click on GPS Training Courses on the top menu bar

3. The next thing on this month’s GPS training podcast is a look at the varies map options you get on both Garmin and SatMap GPS units

• So Ian, lets start off with the SatMap options – UK options
  – Solo Unit
  – Adventure maps 25k – Open Street mapping – really 1:25k?
  – 1:50k option – Land ranger map equivalent – pink cover
  – Platinum Edition – 1:10k, 1:25k, 1:50k and 1:250k – Explorer map (1:25k) Orange cover in the paper form

• Moving onto the Garmin options – again UK options
  
  – Topo Active maps – Walk and talk we discuss using the Garmin eTrex 10 (a GPS with no maps)
  – Birdseye Download – Voucher – 25,000 sq km – Don’t get confused with Birdseye satellite download
  25k maps also show Field Boundaries, open Access areas and permissive paths, which you don’t get on the 1:50k maps
  – Discoverer mapping and TOPO PRO (map cards) – what are the differences – Routable data and updated map set
  – TOPO PRO – 1:50k and 1:25k (1:25k, 1:50k and 1:250k) – How do you select each of these map sets?

If you want to see what each of the map sets look like, please go to our website – gpstraining.co.uk and click on the magnifying glass (top right) – and type in map options – underneath the products you will see an article – Garmin mapping options for outdoor GPS

5. The next thing on this month’s podcast is – Ask Ian.

From Nathan – After meeting your colleagues at the Geocaching Mega in Lincolnshire last week. I’ve been reassured that sending in questions of the one I’m about to ask should attract a response – it’d be interesting to see how many others are facing the same issue, or whether it’s another one of those early bugs I’ve caught.

The issue pertains to some Geocaches not showing on my Garmin Montana 700.

It seems random in which caches are affected, with no particular trend to follow.

The caches have been fully synced via GC Live Download of Pocket Query results (500 caches per query, live data deleted prior to avoid device caching issues), as well as spontaneous GC Live Downloads of the nearest caches.

I seem to be getting a failure rate of approx. 1 in 10-15 caches, which means needing to use a smartphone to verify what I see on my GPS is the reality.

This has detracted from an experience where I can use the GPS wholly as my source of truth when Geocaching.

I’m using TOPO Great Britain PRO 1:25K (V2) mapping, though this issue affects all maps on the device.

It’s not a zoom issue as it affects all levels of zoom, although very rarely I do get an issue where some caches disappear beyond a certain zoom (in) – but as I said, very rare.

Another rare issue is when a cache can show up on the GC Live Download list, but not on the map. It’s quite perplexing.

I’ve also changed all Geocache zoom levels in the settings, as well as map detail and other relevant settings, with no luck.

It’d be good to know if you can replicate the issue your side, and if so could be a good segment for an Ask Ian Q&A?

Best,
Nathan

Ian’s answer – To be honest, unless you think otherwise, he is best talking to Garmin about this as there is little I can do as it’s well over 100 miles from me to see what happens.

The only things that I can suggest, which aren’t very inspiring are:

1. a corrupt gpx file?
2. has he tried downloading it as a separate geocache to see what happens?
3. Master Reset?

It seems that Nathan has had his question answered re the routable Topo maps at the Geocache event?

Another Ask Ian –

• North up or track up – what are the differences?

So if you have a GPS question you want answering in next month’s podcast please just email – askian@gpstraining.co.uk
 

6. The next thing on this month’s GPS Training Podcast is a recurring theme – stock

Ian, I have added this to podcast to hopefully stem the flow of questions –

When will you have the Garmin GPSMAP 66sr back in stock?

When will you have the Garmin GPSMAP 65s back in stock?

And now

When will you have the Garmin eTrex 35t back I stock?

Joking aside if you want to me notified when a product comes back into stock, please just enter your email address into the relevant product page on our website and you will get an automatic email from the site when it comes back into stock

And Finally

• Many thanks for listening to this month’s Podcast.
• If there are any subjects you would like to cover in future Podcast’s, please do get in touch – ASK US SOMETHING!
• Give us a call especially if you are thinking of a new GPS unit
• Please do look a look at both our physical GPS courses and also our webinars, just go to GPSTraining.co.uk and click on – GPS Training courses.
• Please do tell your friends about the podcast and GPS Training and encourage them to subscribe to it on whichever Podcast app they are using.
• AND don’t forget to give us 5 star rating on iTunes and Google Podcasts, for Android users, just look in the Playstore and download this app, search for the GPS Training Podcast and subscribe to it.
• If you can also snazzy review on whatever platform you listen to us on it would be appreciated.
• Many thanks to Ian for joining me on this month’s podcast.
• And please take a look at our YouTube channel