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Seems like I'm always running to you folks for a quick answer, but sometimes I just don't know where else I should go...

The Town Planner used ArcGIS v.10, all of my GPS locations and data are either in Google Earth or Base Camp. Has anyone tried to export from Garmin or Google to Arc?

Since I don't use Arc and the planner doesn't have a ready answer I could use a little guidance.

Thanks, The Foster Bear

I guess this covers a couple of different but related questions. The Foster Preservation Society is trying to map historic buildings, historic cemeteries (153) and ruins of old farms and mills in our town. We are 54 square miles with a low population density of 4600 residents (about 1600 households). The town was originally settled at the turn or the century (1700), it was incorporated originally as Scituate, RI in 1737 and incorporated as a the town of Foster in 1781, dividing Scituate on a north/south line equally.

I would like to make this available through our web site. I am using Basecamp with a GPSmap 62sc to fix the location of the sites, I am then setting them up in Google Earth Pro.

First question is the format of the Lat/Lon coordinates. Since I have a choice of 3 formats, is one most commonly used for automotive GPS units? I can enter any format into Google and it goes right where it is supposed to, but folks with a TomTom or Magellin in their cars may not be able to or understand how to. We want this information useable to everyone.

The second question involves the best program for the intended purpose. For example, I can turn categories on and off in Google and so make the map less cluttered with markers. I can go to a category and pick a single location to turn on.

I have a variety of overlays in Google and find the Topo most useful in seeking the sites. Google's overheads are all blocked by foliage. They don't seem to put up a sattelite view in the dead of winter with bare ground. I can scroll a timeline backwards but when I finally get a clear view, the image won't zoom close enough due to available technology at the time it was created.

I also have overlays of Historic maps from the mid to late 1800s, town maps showing open spaces land with their ownership and historical district maps.

I would like to share these as well, but I love the functionality of Basecamp in being to switch from Auto routes to walking routes when sites are not accessible by auto. I love the ability to set up routes to locations long overgrown. I guess, like a kid in a toy store, I want it all and be able to share it freely. Any thoughts???

Sorry for rambling, The Foster Bear

I have the GPSmap 62sc. The batteries now are showing 1/2 charge. Are these like the old NiCAD batteries that need to be run to zero before recharging? If I recharge now, will I loose capacity on the batteries?

Thanks, The Foster Bear

The local preservation society has purchased a Garmin GPSmap 62 cs. The primary use is to locate and document historic cemeteries and ruins in the town. We are only 54 square miles but have 148 documented historic cemeteries. My problem is in securing a good Topo map of the town. We are in 4 grids so the maps need to be stitched together to make a single map. A Topo map is important because we are rural and have a lot of wet land. Thus traveling is difficult without knowing what the terraine is. Base camp will only allow me to load a maximum of a 1 megapixel image which is so small that any definition is lost. Any suggestions for a work around? We really can't afford to buy the map packages and what comes on this unit is worthless for our purposes.

Thanks, The Foster Bear