Is there a way to get GPX tracks directly from my InReach Explorer+?

OK, I HATE the kludge process that requires a recorded track to be laundered from my InReach to Earthmate and then to inreach.garmin.com, and I further hate that I have to export from inreach.explorer.com to get my tracks into a real, actual mapping app, like Caltopo.

I hiked Wednesday. The InReach reported my correct distance and the displayed track was what I did. I laundered the track, and what ended up on inreach.garmin.com was a disjointed set of what I think were MapShare messages. They didn't actually display, but neither did my track. But when I exported the most recent track, it imported into Caltopo just fine.

Note, I also hate that when I export just the most recent track from inreach.garmin.com, it also exports EVERY SINGLE WAYPOINT since the beginning of time.

Today I hiked again. The track on the Inreach was laundered to Earthmate. The track then shows up on inreach.garmin.com, but it does not show up on the inreach.garmin.com map AT ALL. When I tried to export the most recent track, it exported 3: My track from Wednesday, and two "tracks" that are what seem to be a collection of waypoints that I've been to over the past five years. One is 8,000 MILES long, the other 3,000 MILES.

Garmin, something is seriously jacked up, I hate the stupid, non-intuitive laundering process. Let me plug my Inreach into my computer using a USB cable and get my tracks.

0 twolpert over 2 years ago

I no longer have an active legacy device with which to test. However, my recollection is that the Explorer+ does not expose the file system when connected to the PC. So there is no way to grab the track directly. You can suggest an enhancement here:

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/forms/ideas/

However, I would not expect much for legacy devices or the Earthmate app.

You can, however, open a support ticket on the problems with export from the Map tab at explore.garmin.com. The explore site is a continual work in progress. On step forward, two steps back. The more people who report a problem, the more likely it is to be addressed promptly.

0 twolpert over 2 years ago

I just fiddled with the export from the Map tab.

I was able to select tracks by date range. In the filters area of the left sidebar, select message type of Tracks (only). Then set the date range to select only the ones in which you are interested. I had a hard time getting the date range to stick, but once it did all was fine.

With regard to waypoints, I had to hide them on the map by hiding the Waypoints category in the Library. Until I did that, the export included every waypoint on the account. Based on prior experimentation, waypoints are NOT filtered by date no matter what you do. Waypoints do HAVE dates. It's just that nobody appears to care. Note that I did not try it this time, so YMMV.

Note that visibility seems to be "edge-sensitive". That is, the visibility of a given category (for example, Tracks or Waypoints) changes when you click the eyeball to toggle visibility. Until you do that, the visibility may or may not match the current indication (eyeball or slashed eyeball).

Given the way things change on the web site, this information is good only at the exact time I post it ;)

0 9079412 over 2 years ago in reply to twolpert

If you plug your inReach into a computer, you can use the iReach Sync app to download the tracks to the computer and sync them with the web. Then they will show up on explore.garmin.com Maps tab. You can click the upper right corner to export to .kml or .gpx file and store on your computer. Hope this helps.

0 twolpert over 2 years ago in reply to 9079412

This is true for legacy devices. It does avoid the use of the Earthmate app. However, it does not address the OP's original issues which are (a) there is no way to just grab the data directly from the device and (b) there is no way to avoid the mess that is the Explore web site.