Garmin GPS 72, 76, 152, Venture: >2000 waypoints

[henkm]

These GPSes come with an extra 1 Mb memory, that is factory filled with a marine and/or Points of Interest (POI) database. This database is - for European users - almost useless. It does not contain a list of important buoys. It looks as if the last update of this file was in 2001. To make a better use of the extra memory, I compiled a list of waypoints in the German Bight and in the western Baltic, and found out how to put these into the GPS.

The recipe for it was made by Thomas Hasse (in German):
http://filo.nl/users/nopoints/poi/

henkm

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[Colinl]

Hi There

How can I put in local data relevant to where I sail i.e. Irish Sea etc

Thanks

Colin


<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.iol.ie/~colinl>http://www.iol.ie/~colinl</A>

 

[henkm]

Hi Colin,

You will need GPStrackmaker, Mapdecoder, Sendmap and the recipe mentioned above.

You could try to translate the German recipe (which is not mine) by:
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en>http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en</A>
Choose 'translate a webpage', 'German to English', and fill in:
http://home.wtal.de/noegs/poi.htm

Doing the whole proces for the first time will take a couple of hours, so I guess it's only useful if you have more than 500 (which can be stored 'normally' in your GPS) waypoints.

If you already have a collection of waypoints, you could send it to me in digital form, and I will be happy to make the first version for you to upload to your GPS.

Henk


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[jimboaw]

The only waypoint you need is the next one. Call me old fshioned if you like but I prefer to enter waypoints as needed and record old ones in the log book after I have verified them. KISS

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[Solitaire]

There is a freeweb site for up/downloading your waypoints and routes. I have a Garmin76 and <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.easygps.com/default.asp> this site</A> works very well

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/solitaire>Some pictures</A>

 

[henkm]

Jimboaw,

When at sea, the next waypoint is 5 miles away, and the weather is fair, I can agree with you.

My sailing area is a very tidal one (moving sand banks, currents, etc.)
Allow me to ponder a bit about that (it may not be useful to you at all, but may be someone else...).

Take a look at this one:
http://www.iidesk.com/water/locationdetail?locnr=1182&showold=1
Note 2:
How do we know that the map shows the shallows and fairways correctly?
Answer we don't: the 'background' of a map is changed only once per x years.
Hence: it's the buoys that show where to sail.
Example: same area on the latest Dutch map that has not changed background since 2001: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://filo.nl/users/nopoints/meeuw2.gif>http://filo.nl/users/nopoints/meeuw2.gif</A>
You may understand now, why I once made a virtual waypoint (no buoy) tagged 'Meeuw'.

My conclusion:
I have no need to convert anyone to use lots of waypoints.
In some waters however it's i.m.h.o. a very clever thing to do.

In fact I haved sailed this area more than once in heavy weather or fog, using the radar and VHF to look out for other ships, but avoiding the shallows by the waypoints collection I had prepared und uploaded at home: without stress, and the resulting errors.

Henk


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