eTrax20 v BaseCamp Conundrum

Former Member over 8 years ago

Hi all,

1st time poster but long-time lurker. I have searched for an explanation for my issue with no success so far - hopefully someone on this forum can help.

I have an eTrex20 and have loaded the NE USA Topo Map Part 3 which covers (among other states) Virginia, where we hike. I also have the exact same map loaded into BaseCamp (V 4.6.2).

We have a hike scheduled for Thursday using a trail is not available in a gpx format (south access to Elliot's Knob).

If I look at the map of the area that we will be hiking on my eTrex 20, it clearly shows a red trail line that we need to follow - North Mountain Trail. Since we have never hiked this trail before, the trail must have been included in the NE USA Topo Map Part 3 that I downloaded from GPS FileDepot.

But...when I look at the same area on BaseCamp on my Windows 10 desktop, using the same NE USA Topo Map Part 3, there is no trail. I have the detail level turned on in BaseCamp and am at the highest setting.

I do not understand why I don't see the trail in BaseCamp.

If you are bored, the trail is visible on my eTrex20 @ N 38° 07.795', W 79° 22.621'. You should be able to see North Mountain Trail running SW to NE.

I have attached print-screens from both the eTrex20 and BaseCamp. There is a route visible in the right hand corner of both - that is the east approach to Elliot's Knob - not using that trail. We want to come in from the SW - that trail is visible on the eTrex20 capture but nada on BaseCamp.

Any suggestions?

0 JOHNCNA over 8 years ago

My Trails

"did you maybe also download the "MyTrails" map from GPSFileDepot" YES - if I look at the Basecamp map choices, "MyTrails" is one of them. It's not active (or at least I don't think it is) as it shows NE Topo Map 3 in the top left window.

Try this:
1. In BaseCamp, pan the map to the area of your screenshots. Select 'My Trails' as your map. The NE Topo map will disappear. Do you see the red trails?

2. On your eTrex, go to the map screen and select Manage Maps (or something similar). Scroll through the map listings and when you get to the My Trails map, select Disable. Pan the map to the area of your screenshots. Have the red trails disappeared on your eTrex?

If the answer to both questions is 'yes', it's the My Trails map overlay that you are seeing on your eTrex. I like this myself, because the My Trails map is a transparent overlay to whatever map you have selected as your "main" map. So no matter what map you select on your eTrex, the red trails get overlaid on top of it if the My Trails map is active on the eTrex. This only shows as an overlay on the eTrex. BaseCamp does not do map overlays, so the red trails will not show up in BaseCamp map unless you actually select My Trails as your displayed map.

If you don't care for the My Trails overlay on your eTrex, either remove it from the eTrex or disable it.

0 BTLAAKE over 8 years ago

I'm not sure if this is of interest, but I saw it gpsdepot page for My Trails.

"NEW FEATURE: Lots of people rightfully are not happy that in BaseCamp/Mapsource you can only see one map at a time. That is because Garmin won’t modify the programs to allow it. That stops you from seeing My Trails on top of other maps. My Trails is also not routable. I like using tracks and the follow track much better than a routable trail on the map. As of the July 28, 2014 version, you can now extract the trails for noncommercial personal use. Then you can import the tracks into BaseCamp and show them on top of other maps. It also allows you to use the tracks to send to the GPS to follow the track. It is a pretty simple process. The directions are in the Read Me file that is installed in C:\Garmin\My Trails. This only works on a PC. If someone can figure out a process for a MAC, let me know. "

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Try this:
1. In BaseCamp, pan the map to the area of your screenshots. Select 'My Trails' as your map. The NE Topo map will disappear. Do you see the red trails?

2. On your eTrex, go to the map screen and select Manage Maps (or something similar). Scroll through the map listings and when you get to the My Trails map, select Disable. Pan the map to the area of your screenshots. Have the red trails disappeared on your eTrex?

If the answer to both questions is 'yes', it's the My Trails map overlay that you are seeing on your eTrex. I like this myself, because the My Trails map is a transparent overlay to whatever map you have selected as your "main" map. So no matter what map you select on your eTrex, the red trails get overlaid on top of it if the My Trails map is active on the eTrex. This only shows as an overlay on the eTrex. BaseCamp does not do map overlays, so the red trails will not show up in BaseCamp map unless you actually select My Trails as your displayed map.

If you don't care for the My Trails overlay on your eTrex, either remove it from the eTrex or disable it.

The answer to both questions is indeed "yes".

What I was trying to do in the 1st place was create a route on BaseCamp using the topo map. Knowing now that the trail is on "My Trails", I traced a route on my Trails (using the red line as my guide) and, when done, swoitching back to the topo map - Viola!

I would have never thought to switch BaseCamp to a "My Trails" view without asking here!

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I'm not sure if this is of interest, but I saw it gpsdepot page for My Trails.

"NEW FEATURE: Lots of people rightfully are not happy that in BaseCamp/Mapsource you can only see one map at a time. That is because Garmin won’t modify the programs to allow it. That stops you from seeing My Trails on top of other maps. My Trails is also not routable. I like using tracks and the follow track much better than a routable trail on the map. As of the July 28, 2014 version, you can now extract the trails for noncommercial personal use. Then you can import the tracks into BaseCamp and show them on top of other maps. It also allows you to use the tracks to send to the GPS to follow the track. It is a pretty simple process. The directions are in the Read Me file that is installed in C:\Garmin\My Trails. This only works on a PC. If someone can figure out a process for a MAC, let me know. "

I downloaded "My Trails" in November 2015 and found the Readme file precisely where you stated.

Perusing the text file, it seemed a bit intimidating to me.

But who knows? A couple feet of snow one of these days will leave me with nothing else to do :rolleyes:

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Glad you learnt something, this forum is a mine of information :)

It is indeed - thank you so much.

I love hiking with this eTrex - it is a tremendous tool.