OpenStreetMap
Equipment and software
Posted by ceyockey on 24 July 2009 in English (English). Last updated on 25 July 2009.Just bought my first GPS unit today, an eTrex Legend H unit from Best Buy for ~$140. To extract data from the unit, I've started using GPSBabel, a free software package for interconversion between GPS data syntaxes. It was also necessary to download the Garmin USB driver from the Garmin site to enable the unit-PC connection. (correction regarding GPSBabel's status as free software based on input from Paul Johnson ... see comments on this thread).
Comment from Baloo Uriza on 24 July 2009 at 22:50
It is important to note that GPSBabel is NOT shareware. Shareware, like all forms of proprietary software, are worth less than the sum of their parts thanks to restrictive licensing and a lack of access to the source code.
Free software, which GPSBabel is, puts your freedom as a software developer and software user first and foremost by allowing free redistribution, modification and access to the source code itself.
Shareware/freeware and free software are 100% mutually exclusive terms with zero overlap in terms of your rights as a developer or user.
Comment from Rhubarb on 26 July 2009 at 11:04
GPSbabel is indeed a marvelous application :)
Only problem I've got with my 4 month old Garmin etrex Vista HCx is that the rubber surround is coming loose - it looks like the glue they used isn't suitable for warm temperatures. - This should be easily fixed with some decent glue, which I'll probably apply next weekend.
Anyway, have fun surveying with your new garmin unit ceyockey, and don't forget you can put OSM maps on your garmin unit too! :)
Comment from ceyockey on 26 July 2009 at 17:00
Rhubarb - I showed my wife the default map that came with the Garmin unit and she was not impressed (i.e. just provides the large highways, not residential roads). Therefore, I think I will be uploading OSM maps to the unit in the near future to satisfy her expectations in this area :-)
Comment from Anna_AG on 26 July 2009 at 23:37
Don't forget MKGMAP which allows conversion of downloaded OSM's ( from the website or saved from JOSM etc) to be uploaded to your Garmin HCX Micro SD card
as garmin\gmapsupp.img. Great for going somewhere pre mapped or allowing you to 'audit' an existing place and see what you can add.
Have fun - bri