Dowloading tracks from XT to PC with Explore enabled

[the604jj]

Just chiming in as I'm trying to solve the same issue - accessing a saved track with all the relevant data points including elevation and time stats.

Here's my findings:
1. Using the share track option direct on the GPS unit results in a GPX file with only lat/long data points and the date the track was captured.
- this seems to apply to any of the options used (I personally tested Garmin Drive and Save to Memory Card)

<trkpt lat="49.559026" lon="-123.234416"/>

2. Using the explore website and exporting a synched track (automatically synched from GPS unit to web) results in a GPX file with timestamps for each breadcrumb but elevation and heading are missing. KML file looks like same results.

<trkpt lat="49.838147" lon="-123.222184">
<ele>0</ele>
<time>2022-10-19T18:38:44Z</time>
<desc/>
<fix>none</fix>
</trkpt>

3. Using the explore iOS app has the same results as #2 but atleast the app will overlay the elevation view in app using map data (not stored in GPX though)

<trkpt lat="49.78428840637207" lon="-123.14334869384766">
<time>2022-10-19T18:29:12Z</time>
</trkpt>

4. Using Basecamp I cannot access my saved tracks directly when connected via USB. I can view the auto captured data in CurrentTrackLog or archive but this defeats the utility and purpose of the save track feature.

Example from CurrentTrackLog.gpx (this is what I want in the saved track export!)
<trkpt lat="49.752574" lon="-123.140964">
<ele>7.35</ele>
<time>2022-10-19T17:23:15-07:00</time>
<extensions>
<gpxtpx:TrackPointExtension>
<gpxtpx:speed>16.47</gpxtpx:speed>
<gpxtpx:course>153.88</gpxtpx:course>
</gpxtpx:TrackPointExtension>
</extensions>
</trkpt>

Those are the only options I could find. Any other options out there?

I have to say, the Garmin solution here is a bit of a frustrating dogs breakfast of apps, sites and dated hardware.

[jfheath]

4. Using Basecamp I cannot access my saved tracks directly when connected via USB. I can view the auto captured data in CurrentTrackLog or archive but this defeats the utility and purpose of the save track feature.

No, Basecamp will not find tracks that have been saved with the Start / Stop button on the Track screen of the XT.

But you can still get it into Basecamp without too much fuss.

Method 1- using the menu

In Basecamp with a list selected: File Import - select the file from the Zumo XT Internal Storage/GPX folder.

Method 2 - Drag and Drop

Drag and drop doesn't work directly from the XT to Basecamp. Instead you have to drag the somewhere else first - eg into a temporary folder on your computer. It will then drag and drop from there.

This isn't Basecamp's fault. It is because the XT behaves like a media device - mainly because users were in the habit of unplugging the USB cable without first ejecting the device on the PC. This causes all sorts of problems with incomplete files or files that have not been closed properly.

Media devices like the XT do not have this problem - and that is because the files cannot be opened editing. They can be opened only for read only. You can delete, and save new files. On earlier Zumos, you had the choice of seeing the Zumo as a media device or as a new disk drive with its own drive letter. The XT doesn't offer that choice.

For some reason, drag and drop is sometimes denied for media devices because it thinks they are being opened for editing (eg like they would be if dragged into MS Word).

[bradrh]

I can confirm what the604jj said, tracks downloaded with expore enable do not include elevation. Big Fail.

Also I was having trouble just getting my tracks to show up on the explore website. I figured that out w/ Garmin's help. I needed to select the center icon, then the +icon, then have it enabled in a collection and the Library for it to show the tracks. The worst SW design I've come across.

Since half of the reason for me to have a GPS is to track where I've been, I'll be disabling Explore and going back to the old way. I keep organized on my PC with qmapshack.

[jfheath]

I know that people will shout me down for using the B word and the C word.

But BaseCamp has a lot more tools that many people know about, and it can be pretty good for keeping tracks and routes organised.

Any route, any track and any collection of saved locations (waypoints) and Points of Interest can be loaded into it and investigated.

Did you know:

• That if you have a lot of track fragments, then Basecamp will join them together for you in one simple operation ?
• That it will give you detailed information about every single point that has been logged in an Active_log track or in a manually recorded track ?
• That this can be presented in Graphical Form as speed vs Time / Elevation vs Time or speed & elevation superimposed on the same graph.
• That you can trace through the graph with your mouse and see the location plotted on the map as a moving figure
• That you can zoom in to a recorded track to inspect a portion of the track in more detail.
• That you can import other recorded tracks - not just the Active Logs that are visible in BC by default.
• That you can export your route or tracks as KML files which you can then 'fly' in Google Earth ?
• That you can use the list folders and lists to organise your tracks eg by Year, by location. Basecamp uses a relational database type structure in that if you want an entry to appear in a number of folders at once, you can do that. The second, third, fourth entries simply place a pointer to the original.

Here's an example of a Basecamp snapshot that I created the other day. Click the image to see a larger copy.

P999 - Tracks Pic 1.jpg (156.12 KiB) Viewed 824 times

[bradrh]

One can do all of that with Qmapshack too. Basecamp may be just as good, but the deciding factor for me is that Qmapshack runs on any platform, including Linux. Basecamp doesn't run on linux.

[FrankB]

For me there is one deciding factor to use Basecamp. It has exactly the same map as the XT. Other programs, like MyRoute, also have the Here maps, but it's not guaranteed to have the same version as on the XT.

[jfheath]

For me there is one deciding factor to use Basecamp. It has exactly the same map as the XT. Other programs, like MyRoute, also have the Here maps, but it's not guaranteed to have the same version as on the XT.

That is true, although routes that are produced with gpx v 1.2 using HERE maps do not normally get recalculated on import. What happens when MRA's updates get out of synch with the XT update may well be an issue as you suggest - but they may have found a way of preventing the XT from checking. I do not know. However, MRA's gpx v1.2 keeps only the Via points and strips out all of the shaping points - so if it is ever allowed to recalculate, the route will change dramatically. MRA's gpx v1.1 contains all Vias and all Shaping points - but none of the routing information. The XT has to calculate these routes when loaded.