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I use my gps for riding atvs.  
It makes things easy when you don't have to worry about remembering which trail you took, and the best way to back track!!
I went riding a while back and the gps got a little muddy.
It was easy to clean off with a wet paper towel.
The last trip I took... well, let's just say that the unit was completely orange/yellow with mud.
When I got home, I really didn't have much of a choice, so I ran it under the water faucet in the kitchen.  Trying to wet down the dried up mud would have probably pushed it in deeper.
It is 95% clean now.  There is still some dirt around the edges of the rubber boots in the back of the unit.
My question is... is that a bad idea??
What is the best way to clean this thing?

My plan for my next trip, and future trips is to put a ziplock or gladbag around it.  Maybe take some rubber bands or a little strip of tape to keep it "safer".  haha

You can see how it is mounted in these pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/111152466597692569723/GPSPics#

Here is a video I made (please feel free to watch it all, and subscribe!!) that you can see the gps in.  The time on the video where you can see it is 7:33.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr-DnU_X6fs


The link to my youtube channel is :

http://www.youtube.com/user/EdwardnNC

The map was in MapSource, but it was hard to see, and there were no waypoints.  (i think)

I didn't include points above, just tracks.  If you want to see points select them with the arrow tool, right click, and Convert to Point.

So I convert the waypoints to points for the map?
I think I got it.
I am going on a trip tomorrow.  If it goes the way i hope, I will have a whole new set of waypoints and tracks to make a map of this place as well when I get home.
I am heading out to Coal Creek TN to ride atvs!!

In your Feb. 23 post you said
I did select transparent.
I actually got to the part where I had an img file.  I tried loading it into MapSource so I could see it.  I forgot the name of the program I used, but that part worked for me.
The map was in MapSource, but it was hard to see, and there were no waypoints.  (i think)


In reference to waypoints they will not be part of your .img file. They reside in another portion of memory in your GPSr, and can be altered through mapsource.

I can't put a waypoint in a map?  It doesn't really need to be a waypoint as in using it as a location in the gps, but if I can see it on the map, I can mark it and then travel to it.  I wanted to put them in the map so it can be added to and updated.  Basically, tons of waypoints.  Kindof like the topo maps on this forum have the state parks, churches, and other POIs.

Did you find any issues at all with it?
Is the new interface nice?
I am trying to decide if I want to switch over.
Thanks,
Adrian

Have any of you guys tried out the new version of GPS Babel?

So if I have NC and WV loaded from different mapsets, they do not overlap or anything.
That is easy.
But if I have NC topo, NC City both loaded.. I will only see one.  The higher priority?

So if I use city NAV to drive somewhere, I can cut it off and use the topo when I get there and hike trails?

Can you cut them back on??  To me that sounds pretty good.
I found a trail map for place in TN that I am going to next week.
It is not transparent, so I can't lay it over the TN topo map.
Does that mean I can load them together, and if needed, I can cut off the topo to view the trail map.. or vice/versa?

I was reading this...

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-change-which-map-is-displayed-on-a-garmin-gps/#gpsmap

and wondering what the use for it is.

If I load the whole state of NC, I could cut off tiles??  Or the whole map?
What is the use?  I mean, i get hiding them I guess, but does this mean I can load multiple maps?
Or maps on top of others and close parts to see what is below?
I am confused.  I assumed that you can only have on map file at a time and that was it.  I get mixing maps (tiles) like the NC topo map, and the WV topo map from the east coast file.  I know how to do that.

No, there isn't any compatibility between Garmin and Magellan maps. There are some programs for making your own Magellan maps, but they looked a bit rough around the edges last time I checked. You may be able to share the .gpx files with your Magellan friends though. I don't recall whether Vantagepoint (the Magellan equivalent to Mapsource) can read them.

For help with Magellan mapping, you could visit http://www.tritonforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=32 (this is for the Triton series). But GPSFileDepot only has maps in Garmin's proprietary format.

Gotcha.
I was just hoping that I could make one that he could load as well.
I know he can send me gpx files, but he can't view the ones that I send him.
I need to revisit this.
If I can't make him a map, maybe his magellan can store and use all the track data.
It is all for ATV riding.

trapperrick,

Do you mind if I ask where you got the gps map or tracks from?

I have some tracks and waypoints from that area as well.
Some of them are for Indian Ridge, and some from Pinnacle Creek.  I also have some from in between.

I love riding up there!

Adrian

Actually this program would probably do just what you want with only a few clicks but it's still in beta. You could contact the author and see if he will send you a copy though: http://www.gpx2img.com/

You are right about this program.
This is exactly what I want!!

I have a question though...

Can Magellan owners load these img files into their GPS units?
I have ONE friend that has a Magellan, and he is the source of a lot of the tracks.
I really want to help him out if I can.

FYI, there really isn't a "free version of Mapwel". You can download the program and everything will work on your computer without paying anything. However, when you send the map to your GPS it will strip out some of the details which makes it pretty useless.

So you really need to purchase either the basic or advanced version to do any "real" work.

Gotcha.
When I read the info on their site, I read it as Mapwel will add a tag that says it was made with Mapwel, or something of that nature.
I didn't know it would strip out anything.
Thanks!

There should really be a tutorial on this, but what follows might get you started with MapEdit.  This shows my MapEdit ignorance, so maybe one of the wizards out there will add some refinements.

1) Open MapEdit.
2) Open your GPX files in MapEdit.
3) Select the arrow tool from the toolbar, or type "s".
4) With the arrow tool selected, select all of your GPX tracks.  They will turn magenta.
5) Right-Click on one of the magenta tracks and select "Convert to Polyline."
6) Saveas MP.
7) Select File|Map Properties| Levels
Click the "Insert Before" button.  That will give you two levels.
9) Select all the polylines with the arrow tool.
10) Right click on one and choose "Modify|Extend all elements up to a level".
11) Fill in 1 in the dialog box, if you want to see it above Level 0.  To do this you will need to add a third level.

If you want to use your map as a transparent overlay on a topo, go back to Map Properties|cGPSmapper, and select "map is transparent".

What I have tried in the past vs. your instructions.. and thanks for the instructions!!  I will try this tonight if I can.

1.  done
2.  opened
3.  selected it
4.  all tracks selected (i also have waypoints mixed in, is that an issue?)
5.  I did this step (convert to polylines) because I tried following a tutorial and this was part of it.  So, this one was done too.
6.  save as mp - I might have done this.  If it was in the tutorial, I am sure I did.
7.  from this point on, I am not sure.
8.  see 7
9.  see 7
10.  see 7
11.  see 7

I did select transparent.
I actually got to the part where I had an img file.  I tried loading it into MapSource so I could see it.  I forgot the name of the program I used, but that part worked for me.
The map was in MapSource, but it was hard to see, and there were no waypoints.  (i think)



Thank you for the help, and I will try this stuff tonight.
Maybe with your instructions, and some more that someone PM'd me, I will be able to make a dummy guide for myself, and if I do that, I will post it up.

Oh, and if anyone is interested in some tracks of ATV trails in WV, let me know.

Thanks,
Adrian

So the free version of Mapwel cannot send anything to your GPS?
$45 isn't too bad, but I think MapEdit is worth learning for the saving!

I have tried and tried.
I have failed.
I need a dummy book or something.
Here is my situation.

I have some tracks and waypoints.
Two friends sent them to me.  Tons of them.
I took the tracks into MapSource and cleaned them up.  I joined a lot of the smaller ones, cleaned out some of the duplicates.  
So now, I have a gpx file and a gdb file with tracks and waypoints that i want to convert to a transparent map to load into my Gamin 60CSx.  One of my friends also has a Garmin, and the other has a Magellan.
I downloaded GPS MapEdit and I can't get the map to work right.  I must be an idiot.
Today, I found out about some software called Mapwel.
It seems easier to use, but I don't know how to export the map to a file.  I don't want to load it yet.

Is there a guide for extreme dummies, or has anyone else gone through this and knows what might be confusing me?  It seems easy compared to what some of you guys do with mapping software, so there has to be some way to do this simply.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sympathy cards accepted.  Just kidding.

Thanks guys,
Adrian

for 40 bucks, I think I could live without the street name.  I am thinking about getting the 205w though.  Thanks for all the help!!

Oh, and is there a unit that has a better mount setup over another?

Thanks,
Adrian