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Route or Track? Is there a difference?

MikeC1955
over 3 years ago

HI everyone. This may be a dumb question......I'm fairly new to using my Etrex 20 which I bought after my wife told me I needed an alert signal to stop me wandering off course......She's only being kind after I did get a little lost in the Lake District last year......

Anyway, I wondered if there was a difference between a "Route" and a "Track"? I ask only because, fir the first time, I've plotted a simple walk in ViewRanger (now OutdoorActive) and it allows me to creat a GPX file which I've done. I've sent that to the Etrex 20, and it has appeared in "Tracks" whereas all other GPX files I've downloaded (all created by other people, thank you!) have gone into the "Route" folder.

I just wondered if there was a difference between the two and, if so, a) what are the differences and b) is one better than the other?

Thanks in advance of any replies!!

Mike

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to marcossaad_
    marcossaad_ said:
    One other type worth to mention is a "course". So we can have routes, tracks and courses.

    Courses are not different from tracks. Except courses can have course points (the TBT directions you mention).

    Course points are optional and you only get them from FIT and TCX files).

    BaseCamp doesn't create course points. There are no "courses" in BaseCamp.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to dpawlyk

    Unfortunately because with Courses we can have both of the two worlds: a detailed Path (TrackPoints) and Warnings (TBT, POI or waypoints, etc).

    I really don't understand why Garmin abandoned Basecamp and Training Center that did handled courses. 

    Garmin Explore (WEB and Mobile) are terrible options.

    You can not even export a set of waypoints from Basecamp and import them in the Explore because it messes with all icons...

    The only way is to send directly to the device and them sync the device to Garmin Explore. DOing this way keeps the icons.

    Regards,

     

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to marcossaad_

    BaseCamp never supported course points

    Most of the online course planners (like RWGPS and Garmin Connect) support course points. 

    Not all the Garmin devices support course points (the Edges do).

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to marcossaad_

    Courses are not applicable to an Etrex20 though.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to dpawlyk

    Right, I didn’t know that about the Etrex.

    Regarding Garmin Connect the problem is that it ignores yours cue_points and puts his owns...

    I create my courses than I edit the cue_points using Plotaroute than I upload it to RWGPS than I import it using dynamic.watch than Import to the watch using RouteCourse IQ app ufa .... what a hassle! 
    of this is only when not connected using usb .

    I truly believe Garmin could simplify things ...

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to marcossaad_

    What device are you using?

    It's interesting that RWGPS will import your custom cues.

    Anyway, you can simplify your process:

    • You can create custom cues in RWGPS but you need a subscription to turn on that feature. One needs to be careful with custom cues in RWGPS (it's easy to have RWGPS delete them). So, outside of the subscription, you don't need the plotaroute step.

    • If your device runs IQ apps, you can use the RWGPS IQ app (which doesn't run on many devices) or use my GRouteLoader IQ app (which runs on many devices). This would eliminate the Dynamic watch/RoutCourse step.
  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to dpawlyk

    thank you.

    I had an impression you logo was familiar. I use your routecourse in a Fenix 5x. Veru good IQ app.

    The thing is I already have dozens of MTB .tcx trails all with cue_points. 

    For new ones I'm using plotaroute.

    Best regards,

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to marcossaad_

    (It's GRouteLoader.)

    Does plotaroute export FIT files?

    Maybe, that's why you are using RWGPS.

    My IQ app would let you avoid needing to use the Dynamic watch "yet another website". You'd just pin the route in RWGPS and download it using my app.

    =====================================

    If you are doing this work on a Windows PC, you can run a webserver on your PC that the GRouteLoader IQ app can connect to.

    This entails using a Windows app I wrote (also called GRouteLoader) and a program called "caddy" (that runs the webserver).

    In this case, you'd just keep the FIT (they'd have to be FIT files) files on your PC (avoiding the RWGPS/DynamicWatch/RouteCourse steps).

    (The Windows GRouteLoader app can convert FIT files to TCX and preserve the course points. It doesn't go the other way though.)

    sites.google.com/.../grouteloader

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to dpawlyk

    Very well done.

    Remember I only do this path when doing it wireless.

    Unfortunately I cannot imagine myself running a server (dmz, etc..)

    Thank you,

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to marcossaad_

    It is wireless (from the PC to the Garmin).

    If you mean you are using a phone, you can use the GExporter app if you are using Android and can export the files as FIT*. There's a complementary GImporter IQ app to pick the files listed by the GExporter app (my GRouteLoader app provides the same functionality as the GImporter app).

    The webserver running on your PC is not a real or special security risk. It's on your local network. All anything can see is the list of course files and the course files.

    -------------------

    * I'm not sure if plotaroute can export as FIT. It really should have that as option if it doesn't.