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Messages - The Foster Bear

#1
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
#2
General Discussion / Format of Lon/Lat
January 30, 2012, 06:45:50 AM
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
#3
GPSr Units / Re: When to recharge batteries...
January 24, 2012, 11:49:39 AM
The batteries are marked Rechargable NI-MH Battery, 2, AA size. Make is NEXcell.

I asked because our Preservation Society camera needs a replacement since it won't take a charge. It is a Sony which is unique to the camera. They keep changing the battery configuration. It is no longer carried in any stores and I have to send away. Cost is $53.

Thanks for the reply.

The Foster Bear
#4
GPSr Units / When to recharge batteries...
January 24, 2012, 06:48:22 AM
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
#5
After checking back on the Garmin site I did find the Birds Eye Topo link and downloaded the 4 quadrants that cover Foster, RI. After deleting the maps I had generated with g-raster, I downloaded the Garmin maps and they are now on the unit.

I have to say that the g-raster program worked flawlessly and I was not unhappy with the resulting maps. The 4 quadrants after breaking them into bite sized pieces did exceed the 100 image limit. I copied them to my device using explorer which was the only way to get them on but then the device only showed 2 of the 4 quadrants.

Sooooooooo, thank you all for your patience walking me through this.

The Foster Bear
#6
I did in fact follow the link you posted earlier and under examples they show what appear to be overhead photos, not unlike what is in Google Earth, perhaps taken at different times but images none the less. Scrolling down the map list the Topos 1:24000 are listed at $129 each section.

I have downloaded g-raster and registered the copy. I then converted the USGS Topos that I had downloaded and was already using as overlays in Google Earth. The program worked like a charm and I now have the maps in Basecamp.

Many of our Historic Cemeteries were family lots on farms now long gone and were accessed on cart paths now long overgrown as well. Some were last documented nearly 100 years ago. Our task is to reestablish their locations and map them using GPS data so that they don't get "lost" again. Some of these may now be a mile into heavily wooded areas with considerable wet areas between the current roads and the ultimate location. So any wet areas obsured by trees or shrubs is a problem.

Some of the members assisting me are in their 80s so I really don't want to get into a swamp or marsh. I am the "kid" at 65, so I don't like to take chances.

Thank you again for your assistance...I will likely need more before I'm done.

The Foster Bear
#7
Thank you for your quick replys.

I am the vice-president of the Foster Rhode Island Preservation Society. We received a grant to purchase the GPSmap 62sc in order to correctly locate the 148 Historic Cemeteries in the town as well as numerous ruins and historic sites.

I am now trying to get the g-raster program set up and am working with their support.

The Garmin Birds Eye maps are really not useful for our purpose as many of the sites we need to mark are located in heavily wooded areas and it is important to know where the wet areas are in order to avoid treking through swamps. These don't show up on ariel photos.

I didn't see any RI maps here that fit the bill and the RI DEM had nothing either so the Topos that I downloaded from the USGS store have to be it.

Thanks, The Foster Bear
#8
General Discussion / Image Resolution for Garmin upload
January 02, 2012, 01:17:45 PM
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