Plotting a Route without Garmin Software?

[JAFJO]

I've got a Garmin Vista HCX. I would like to take a trip this upcoming Saturday that I've not done for about 7 years. Should be about 80 plus miles of pure dirt through a great part of Idaho. I have a pretty good idea of what it looks like on google earth now. I'd like to be able to lay down a track on that map (or something close) then upload it onto my GPS. I think that if I were to drop the money for their topo program I may be able to do it but honestly I don't have the money right now and I believe there has to be an easier and cheaper way to do it. Any ideas?

 

[UK4X4]

I'm guessing you do have the basic garmin software ?

but just don't want to spend the extra on topo..

So map your journey on google or where ever, take the GPS co-ordinates of
all the significant way points on your journey.

Do a road book..

ie left at way point 4
right at way point 6

etc etc

Then using mapsource, just keep adding the way points manually one by one

Edit - new way point

type in the co-ordinates

the use the routing to join them together and you'll have your route exportable to your unit...even if you see just a blank screen....

Then using the GPS in pointer mode off road it will keep updating the direction of travel automaticly

This program is not topo but still has tracks....even here in Oman..

Smelly bikers wanderlust world map, which has more off road detail than garmin world map

there's also a very naughty highly illegal crack on the internet for garmin, just in case you stumbled across a copy of the software, for educational purposes only eepwall:

 

[mjm]

Try ExpertGPS. It has a free trial version. It will not put topo on your GPS, but you will be able to use topo and aerial maps to create a route and then create a file compatible for it.

 

[JAFJO]

Been playing with ExpertGPS for about an hour now. I was able to use google earth and E-GPS to figure out where I wanted to go. After playing with the program (skipped reading anything of course) I figured out how to plot my route, connect all the points and download it onto my GPS. Looks like an easy to use program with lots of power. Thanks for the tips. A friend of mine and I are headed out next weekend for a "day" trip. I'm bringing a bag and small tent just in case.

 

[craig]

You can plot the route in Google Earth itself. Export it as a KML file. Convert it from KML to GPX using GPS Babel.

Google Earth and GPS Babel are both free.

 

[off.track]

A friend of mine and I are headed out next weekend for a "day" trip. I'm bringing a bag and small tent just in case.

not a bad idea.

You can plot the route in Google Earth itself. Export it as a KML file. Convert it from KML to GPX using GPS Babel.

Google Earth and GPS Babel are both free.

cool. thanks for that tip.