from google maps to garmin 310

hunnymonster

A question for the techie guys amongst you.

I have a run I want to do in Google maps and I want to put it onto a garmin. What is the easiest way to do this? The interweb appears to be asking me to convert into 40 different formats and add an eye of newt to get the job done and I can't but think there has to be an easier way.

Also when I have it on the watch (see the confidence I have in you all!!) will I be able to use the watch to both 1. direct me and 2. record what I actually run (position, time)

Krusty_Clown

When you say you have a run in google maps, what do you mean exactly?
Is is a set of directions? Can you send on a link?

The 310 will allow you to do some level of navigation, but it's not based on roads / turns / junctions etc (it typically expects a bread-crumb trail for you to follow). Needless to say to have a breadcrumb trail you would need to have covered the route previously (or have a mechanism to convert a route to a breadcrumb trail).

Yes, you can use the watch to record what you actually run (position and time), but if it were for a multi-day event, you would probably need to upload those details on a daily basis, or they may end up getting over-written. If you're taking a break at some point during the day, it's probably best to do a charge/upload cycle together.

If you want to pm me more specific details I can try to help out.

tunney

hunnymonster wrote: »

A question for the techie guys amongst you.

I have a run I want to do in Google maps and I want to put it onto a garmin. What is the easiest way to do this? The interweb appears to be asking me to convert into 40 different formats and add an eye of newt to get the job done and I can't but think there has to be an easier way.

Also when I have it on the watch (see the confidence I have in you all!!) will I be able to use the watch to both 1. direct me and 2. record what I actually run (position, time)

* Download Garmin training centre
* Create your GPX route using a site like http://cc2.bradculberson.com/flex/bin/CourseCreator.html#
* Convert the GPX file to a CRS using http://www.niniu.com/Garmin/Gpx2Crs.zip
* Import the CRS file to traning centre
* Send the course to the device

plodder

I've done it a few times, from maps (actually bread crumb trails) created out of gmap-pedometer.com. But frankly, it's a pain in the ass, precisely because of all the eye of newt, and lizard's leg, hoops that you have to jump through.

Also, because when you try to use it, the results aren't all that satisfactory. GPS is not all that accurate for giving directions unless the device has an actual road map built in, which watches don't.

Typical problems are that it tells you to turn after you;ve passed a junction, or if you reach a Y in the road, it tells you to go straight on. Also, there is a constant problem where it thinks you have strayed off the route because of GPS errors.

I think it's better to write the directions on your hand using the distance in miles from the start. Anyway, I'll try to dig out the actual steps involved so you can try it out though. [edit] Done by Tunney.

Gringo78

plodder wrote: »

I think it's better to write the directions on your hand using the distance in miles from the start.

Further to plodder....if you have the Google maps directions list, you could set up a number of different workouts in Garmin training Centre whereby it autolaps after preset distances which coincide with turning points on your route which you have written down

e.g if you need to run 5km then turn left and run for another 4km before turning right you could have an advanced workout like this:

Step 1:
4km
Step 2:
5km

The watch would start beeping as you come to the end of the 4km so you would know theres a turn imminent and could look at your directions. After 5km then it would start beeping again. The screen will show you what distance is left in each step so you know how long till the next turn off.

You could do a number of different workouts like town A to town B, town B to town C. That would make it easy when stopping at the end of a day and starting the next day again with a new workout.

A bit tedious maybe to put all that into workouts.....

Krusty_Clown

Unfortunately what you map in google maps will have little or no correlation to the distance on the ground, due to map errors, running line, GPS inaccuracy etc., so in a small town you'd probably find that it would be telling you to turn up a road 200 metres before the actual turn, or 200 metres later.

The further you go (and HM will be running most of the day) the more wrong the warnings will get. solid idea, but as long as those discrepancies exist, it may not be workable.

--amadeus--

What you need is some idiot who's willing to have a map and ride a bike in front of you, plot out the route, cycle back, give you the info, cycle on again and if needed come back and guide you through the tricky bits.

But good luck finding someone that dumb!


(ohhh wait....)

Krusty_Clown

Just a thought, but if that same idiot (:D) had a phone with GPS, and Google maps (specifically Google Latitude), they could very occasionally enable GPS, to broadcast their current whereabouts, then other like-minded idiots could track HM's current whereabouts, and join in for specific segments, or just to tag along and cheer.

Of course the side-effect of broadcasting your whereabouts is that you could attract the wrong kind of people, like those who steal bicycles and camper vans.

Slogger Jogger

tunney wrote: »

* Download Garmin training centre
* Create your GPX route using a site like http://cc2.bradculberson.com/flex/bin/CourseCreator.html#
* Convert the GPX file to a CRS using http://www.niniu.com/Garmin/Gpx2Crs.zip
* Import the CRS file to traning centre
* Send the course to the device

I don't use the Garmin Training Centre.. I've simply been able to export / import gpx files (I use SportTracks) and send them as a course to my watch? I haven't done it very recently but I recall it being fairly straightforward.

Krusty_Clown

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

I don't use the Garmin Training Centre.. I've simply been able to export / import gpx files (I use SportTracks) and send them as a course to my watch? I haven't done it very recently but I recall it being fairly straightforward.

The problem is that HM hasn't run the course before, so the hard part is creating the GPX file. Training Centre will also take any TCX file as a course (which you can get straight from Garmin Connect, or other similar apps.

--amadeus--

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Just a thought, but if that same idiot (:D) had a phone with GPS, and Google maps (specifically Google Latitude), they could very occasionally enable GPS, to broadcast their current whereabouts, then other like-minded idiots could track HM's current whereabouts, and join in for specific segments, or just to tag along and cheer.

Of course the side-effect of broadcasting your whereabouts is that you could attract the wrong kind of people, like those who steal bicycles and camper vans.

Excellent idea, especially if the idiot had another idiotto update a webpage for public consumption!

I have an iPhone so that has GPS and it shouldn't be an issue, I'll look into it later. No worried on the security front, the bike will either be in the camper or being ridden and someone will be in teh camper most of teh time. And besides I don't own either of them...!

Gringo78

--amadeus-- wrote: »

I have an iPhone so that has GPS and it shouldn't be an issue,

See www.mapmytracks.com

There's an iphone app whereby you can show live tracking on a webpage that anyone could link to. Would make it easy for companion runners to find you on the road.

plodder

I didn't realise what this was aimed for. Obviously writing instructions on your hand won't cut it, for this kind of run ... :rolleyes:

I just tried out the bradculberson site that Tunney mentioned above. It can export direct to Garmin CRS format, so that cuts out the conversion from GPX to CRS. The problem with this site though is that the course doesn't automatically follow the roads and you have to click on each point individually, which could be time consuming. gmap-pedometer would be better/easier from that point of view. For long runs it probably creates very large files though.

Like I said above, it can be a bit frustrating if you're relying on it exclusively for navigation. But it could be a useful extra aid.