GPS tracks -- You Save Yours?

Away Point

Away Point

Member
Apr 24, 2009
292
Lake St. Clair, MI
Boat Info
330 Sundancer
Engines
Big, Gas Lovin', American V-8's :-)
Here is our 2009 season...

4179541623_6f8a1473b0_o.jpg
 
I like that. I'll have to do that for our trip next Spring.
 
I let mine run all the time, but it runs out of memory and the track starts to write back over itself before the end of the season. I don't have any means to get the tracks off of the GPS and into my computer.

Whats the scale in miles on that? How far from the southernmost point in your tracks to the northernmost? There's quite a bit of lake left for you to explore next summer.
 
I do, but I don't have that kind of background, mine's more of a blocky/sort. I like that, what's it done using?
 
I don't bother, but most of my running is either on programmed routes using auto-pilot or on programmed routes that are also well marked. I've never really seen the need for it, but to each his own.
 
unklbuck said:
how in the heck can you not make a trip to Put in Bay
2009 trip violation for missing it
Click to expand...

That was also my first thought:huh:. I just save track on long trips and generally clear them when complete.
 
I have a Garmin 545S. I routinely download my tracks, and store them on my PC. It adds some color to my Log spreadsheet :)
 
I only posted this years tracks. Been to PIB several times. :grin:

I make it a point to write the track log to a data card before they are over written. Save them with Garmin MapSource.

The view shown above is the track data exported, and then imported into Google Earth.

As the crow flies, it's a little over 200 miles from North to South on the tacks shown. But we did cover 2000 miles in those tracks. :thumbsup:

Yes, there sure is a lot more area to cover. If only the damn fuel wasn't so costly. That is THE limiting factor! My mind always says go-go-go. My wallet says no-no-no! :wow: :smt043
 
I don't see a reason to save them. The best track is a paper log that has compass headings and ETAs so if you lose your electronics you have a good basis for figuring out where you are and when you should be arriving at your next wappoint.
 
sbw1 said:
I don't see a reason to save them. The best track is a paper log that has compass headings and ETAs so if you lose your electronics you have a good basis for figuring out where you are and when you should be arriving at your next wappoint.
Click to expand...

"paper"? What's "paper"? :grin:


There are two reasons to maintain your GPS logs in my view. The first is simply because you CAN. It is a nice memory jogger, and sometimes makes you realize how often you are running to the same place :)

The second is that the tracks can be used as an AID to get you into/out of tight areas that you have been to before. In addition to downloading GPS info, I ensure several key old tracks are available as a crutch. For where I boat, the primary navigation tool is the Mk I eyeball -> but sometimes it is nice to have the breadcrumbs as an aid. . in case you miss a marker.

Paper logs are fine. . .but that doesn't work nearly as well as GPS breadcrumbs in my view. Paper logs don't compensate well for wind and tide.

I think a discussion regarding the merits of electronic backup equipment vs paper backups could be quite interesting.

As I said above, where I boat visual cues are my primary navigation tool. The GPS is my backup. I do have a paper chart. . but I know I didn't use it last year. If I was boating in NEW areas where the GPS was a primary tool. . I think I would be more inclined to have a second GPS rather than reverting to pen and paper navigation.

Your milage may vary.
 
comsnark said:
"paper"? What's "paper"? :grin:


There are two reasons to maintain your GPS logs in my view. The first is simply because you CAN. It is a nice memory jogger, and sometimes makes you realize how often you are running to the same place :)

The second is that the tracks can be used as an AID to get you into/out of tight areas that you have been to before. In addition to downloading GPS info, I ensure several key old tracks are available as a crutch. For where I boat, the primary navigation tool is the Mk I eyeball -> but sometimes it is nice to have the breadcrumbs as an aid. . in case you miss a marker.

Paper logs are fine. . .but that doesn't work nearly as well as GPS breadcrumbs in my view. Paper logs don't compensate well for wind and tide.

I think a discussion regarding the merits of electronic backup equipment vs paper backups could be quite interesting.

As I said above, where I boat visual cues are my primary navigation tool. The GPS is my backup. I do have a paper chart. . but I know I didn't use it last year. If I was boating in NEW areas where the GPS was a primary tool. . I think I would be more inclined to have a second GPS rather than reverting to pen and paper navigation.

Your milage may vary.
Click to expand...

Those are good reasons for you, but the tracking software loses its value when you travel 800-1000 miles at a time. You run out of memory if you don't start over from time to time. I've also had the experience of completely losing my gps at dusk with only an hour's worth of fuel. The paper log will keep you from getting completely lost miles off shore. Don't get me wrong. I use the tracks to see where I have been, but I also write down the magnetic heading and eta of my next waypoint so that I always have a good idea of where I am in case the electronics go south. I carry a small flash light to see the compass if it losses its light.
 
I save only selective routes and tracks. I usually convert desired track to routes. Before storing the boat for the winter and desconnecting the juice I backup all my data to a CF card, as recommended by Raymarine.
 
sbw1 said:
You run out of memory if you don't start over from time to time.
Click to expand...

My Garmin has a much larger log, I will look it up and get back to you. But for now, I have three years of trails on it.

I have been known to hand over the wheel when needed, and tell whoever to just stay near/on the "road" of bread crumbs....
 
Without knowing the situation, a general comment is Tracks don't do much to save, just to save. I've only saved one in all my memory that was a track through coral head bottom in the Bahamas I new I'd have to reverse course to get out. But I got in from a sketch off a local hand drawn chartlet and my trust was not infinate.

Might make a good pastime on a snowy night when launch is four months away, to recruise that track on a PC all cozy at home!
 
Maybe it hasn't completely emerged, but I think there's a pattern amongst the responses:
　
　
Those with RayMarine products, particularly RL-series and earlier, are less-likely to manage and save track data. In the past, I regularly cleared tracks because it was an extra burden on the processor and slowed the re-draw.

Garmin owners are more likely to store that data. Within that group, users of Garmin's computer plotting programs are very likely to save tracks, because it takes almost zero additional effort, and there's more data to be saved. Even my aged portable Garmin has more than double the track-point capacity of an RL-80.

Aside from the ease of saving that data, I DO find it useful enough to dedicate a few megs of hard-drive space on my computer. A few seasons ago, I had the props reconditioned. They looked great, but I only noticed a slight reduction in vibration (which never really was bad), so I questioned the wisdom or at the very least, the timing of the investment. Looking through years of logs however, I realized that the boat gained 1 knot in cruising speed while maintaining or even gaining efficiency.

There's a boating blog created by a "looper" who had been accused of causing wake damage as he passed by a riverside marina. He was notified well after the alleged incident, so he used his track data to prove his innocence. I don't expect to ever find myself in a similar situation, but I do keep that in mind.

Even with a modern and fast plotter, I prefer a clean screen and tend to archive the tracks. This still doesn't take much additional effort because I'm already inserting an SD card to work with Garmin's inexplicable decision to limit the route capacity to 20 routes on their big plotters. (ahem) Every once in a while I'll use the tracks as breadcrumbs on the screen, but for the most part I'll try to keep my dead-reckoning skills honed or use a route I pre-planned on the PC.

More typically, I use tracks to fine-tune routes, study the accuracy of the auto-pilot, (AND the GPS/Plotter for that matter) watch for decreases in performance, and of course as Chad mentioned, they're a reminder of great days on the water.
 
I use a Lowrance here. It is the 7200HD model with built in 30GB hard drive. Can't use up that much space very quickly! I have plots going back 3 years now. Super fast re-draw rate and nothing phases that computer.... So I am neither a Garmin or a raythoen user. Just sayin'......
 
Interesting observation RollerCoastr.

For the most part, I do save my tracks for entertainment value.

I respect the paper chart approach and skill-set, but I opt for the back-up GPS approach.

I have created routes but find I seldom use them. Most of the time I know where I want to go. Boat trips are different story, but day to day, I don't use them.

However, I have found one trick of sort that is helpful in certain areas. Rather than save a route, I save a track (or create from scratch on the computer), and set it's color to green. That way it is always displayed, and easily distinguished.

Anyone on Lake St. Clair can relate to this spot (green track on chart). The south end of the Middle Channel is very narrow, doglegged, and in a VERY busy area. Without taking any of my attention, my green track is always there when I need it.

4188830746_1d57ded0c8_o.jpg
 
Away Point said:
Interesting observation RollerCoastr.

For the most part, I do save my tracks for entertainment value.

I respect the paper chart approach and skill-set, but I opt for the back-up GPS approach.

I have created routes but find I seldom use them. Most of the time I know where I want to go. Boat trips are different story, but day to day, I don't use them.

However, I have found one trick of sort that is helpful in certain areas. Rather than save a route, I save a track (or create from scratch on the computer), and set it's color to green. That way it is always displayed, and easily distinguished.

Anyone on Lake St. Clair can relate to this spot (green track on chart). The south end of the Middle Channel is very narrow, doglegged, and in a VERY busy area. Without taking any of my attention, my green track is always there when I need it.

4188830746_1d57ded0c8_o.jpg
Click to expand...

Funny, I travelled up the Middle Channel last year. Water was pretty high, so it was not that harry, but with fishermen everywhere and no previous track to follow, finding the mouth was a bit tricky.

Away Point: where is your home port?
 
sb in gp said:
Funny, I travelled up the Middle Channel last year. Water was pretty high, so it was not that harry, but with fishermen everywhere and no previous track to follow, finding the mouth was a bit tricky.

Away Point: where is your home port?
Click to expand...

Ecorse, which is part of the reason the Middle Channel is so busy for me. Entering from the south is like crossing a busy freeway. :lol:

You're right, the water was good this year. But its nice to know with a slight glance of the GPS I'm where I want to be, while dodging all the traffic. 10 go-fasts, 2 monster cruisers, 6 day cruisers, and a handful of jet boats, on a light day. :smt043
 
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