GPX Route Import Alert

Phil, only looking just know, process is easy enough.
Stuck though, password wouldn’t work, reset twice over 3 hours still waiting for email link. Not automated I presume or the hot weather is slowing everything down - and yes checked spam box! I’ll just wait! :sleeping:

73 Neil

Patience is a virtue as my granny used to say Neil - that was before “IT” and computers were available to the likes of us!

73 Phil

I get copies of these when anybody tries to register or reset password: nothing received here. Although I do have to say that, since the website was transferred to the SOTA-run server, we’ve had all sorts of problems with sending/receiving emails, including other email servers trapping mails from our system as spam.

That IS news to me - do you get a warning/error message when pasting? In any case, I will investigate…

Edit #1: just tried to send a message via the contact page, and no problems there: received emails both to me and to the smp admin. So at least the SMP email server is running OK…

Edit #2 - just uploaded a GPX track to the SMP tracks page, and pasted a few hundred words (copied at random from an online news website) into the Notes field in the Upload Track dialog. No problems at all, the text was pasted OK, and I was able to save the track to the system OK.

Neil, one thought does occur to me - perhaps you are trying to paste text which is too long? - the Notes field has a limit of 1000 characters. Special characters will also be a problem, so avoid those and use plain text only.

Edit #3: Nope - even if you try to paste more than 1000 characters, the program simply accepts the first 1000 characters of that text, pastes it into the notes field, and discards the rest.

Another thought: you might check settings in your browser (I used Firefox 61.0, 64-bit), or try a different browser. So, which browser are you using?

Please send me an example of such text, via PM in this reflector (just click on my SMP icon at the top-left of any of my posts, and press the blue Message button to start a new message)

Hi Rob,

1: Right click does nothing in the Track Notes editbox, Right Click works on map - Activate drawing mode.

2: Text I’m copying is 473 characters long, no special characters. (I’ll sent the text to you)

3: Using Firefox 60.0.2 - update waiting patiently to install.

I’ll send another request for password, as I’m stuck without it.

73 Neil

So, managed to paste text to the EditBox using the Edit-Paste from the Firefox menu bar. It did paste but your character count did not recognise the characters so still shows 1000. It does change if I just type in box.

Also sent another request from IE to see if that one goes through but still no reply.

Nobody mentioned anything about right-click, except in connection with drawing a new track on the map. But we’re here dealing with uploading an existing track file. So, what did you imagine you might achieve with a right-click in the track Notes field?

Well, as you yourself belatedly discovered (thanks for the PM), your text was 473 words long, with many more than 1000 characters. Your text might conceivably make a decent short magazine article, but for the purposes of uploading a track to the SMP, way too long.

You should take a look at a few of the tracks uploaded by others, to see what kind of detail those users have included in their track descriptions. Most such descriptions come to a couple of hundred characters maximum, with many much shorter, since the track authors have (a) no wish to write any more, and (b) certainly no desire to lead prospective users of their tracks by the nose with excessively detailed notes.

A tip to all prospective uploaders of tracks: learn the art of the précis!

Rob

Further to what Rob said - I’ve just submitted several tracks in the FL/VO Region from last months activity. Comments I write tend relate to parking place, type of path or track encountered, furniture on summit etc, supermarket nearby that kind of thing. Anything useful to an activator which can help. Length of comments can be anything from one line to about ten lines. The longer after the activation before I submit the track the more useful detail I forget! Its a lot quicker than writing a blog, which I try to do with photos, but there isn’t always the time available to write it up.

The latest uploaded tracks can be found by selecting the SMP Tracks Mapping Page then click: View tracks > List all in system > Load tracks > this defaults to Show a tracks list for the last 100 tracks uploaded or you have other options which can be displayed as you wish.

Recent July tracks shared from G4OBK, PB2T, K7ZOO, GM0GAV, G4VFL, MW0WML, OE5REO, EA2EEB, JG1XMV.

73 Phil

Some summits and activations you never forget, but in wooded areas like we have in central europe many summits and their easier ascents are sometimes very similar to one another. It’s different generally speaking in the the UK from my experience, where the walk to the summits are more unique to one another.

73 Phil

To add to what Phil has written - in my few uploaded tracks, where the track notes often stretch to several hundred characters, I’ve tried to indicate things like:

  • the degree of natural shade available on the route,
  • the availability of sources of potable water along the route,
  • how much room can be found on the summit for HF antennas,
  • or just what kind of plants or flowers might be seen, etc.

These all add to the usefulness of the description.

For those in the US a good source of GPX routes can be found at Peak Bagger.

http://www.peakbagger.com

Paul

Yes Phil - I was always aware of this and I am guilty in that I have more-or-less all the trackback information on all my initial ascents (certainly from 2003 onwards) along with pictures. Now the problem is amateur radio is getting in the way by being involved in many other aspects of the hobby (and other hobbies - being newly retired). And to add insult to injury, I am over a year out with my uploads to the SOTA database - phew!

Now in my defence I have Activators contact me as they have seen that I have activated a specific summit and I have email the trackback info to them along with pics as to parking locations etc. But I should really get a grip - hi!!!

73

Jack(;>J

I put a route on the SMP, now do I get on the honours list. :rofl:

Anyhoo, Keys! Ah gie in. I don’t have time at the moment to start dissecting raw data to add these routes.
I don’t or rather I haven’t activated any SOTA summits for a few years due to injury and other family stuff. I rarely chase any SOTA now due to timings. In fact I have stopped taking my handheld up the odd hill that I do get a rare chance to hike, being a SOTA summit or not - because one Activator/Chaser (I’m no a clype) once said to me on air while hiking over a SOTA summit - “If you aren’t actually doing a SOTA activation, then I don’t want to talk to you!” Fine, less weight to carry.
So until I get some massive amount of free time I’m afraid I won’t be helping in your quest to fill all the empty spaces, maybe the winter, as of last week I have one less thing that kept me busy all day.

73 to all, Neil

Nobody is being pressured to fill any empty spaces. Just because they’re there, their presence (if that’s the right word to use for something that is absent) does not oblige anybody to fill them…

I never felt like I was being pressured by Phil or anyone else, I believe that if someone is being pressured to do something then it is the person the is doing the pressurising that can’t take the pressure. In this case it was Phil that felt like he had a wee quest to try get more routes on the SMP (which I agree is a good project), so I thought OK, I can maybe help a bit. I have pegs to fill some of those holes! Plus I thought it may give me a distraction from normal life - but that is what the motorbike is for. :motorcycle:

I will come back but it may be a while

You could get one of those simple GPS tracker devices, such as the AMOD AGL3080. They simply record where you have been for download later. With no display, there can be no temptation to use it to cheat the navigation.

Martyn M1MAJ

The SOTA Maps database is very useful, and while said before I’d like to both compliment and state appreciation for Rob’s good work. He’s produced a professional tool, and is responsive to communication.

It’s fun to re-live your activation by gazing at the track and remembering that steep hill, choked wash, or flat stand of octillo. Detailed notes can be included alongside the track, including lat/long of interesting / useful waypoints, are helpful to both others and yourself when you return.

Curt K7ZOO

I use a combination of the following tools to plan / document my treks:

Garmin GPS
https://www.rei.com/product/895022/garmin-etrex-20x-gps
Garmin Basecamp software

SOTAMaps database

2 Likes

But if I got back I know I have been there. Why waste the contents of a pensioner’s piggy bank on a toy with, apparently, no practical use?

The context of the conversation is recording tracks to upload for the benefit of others.

Thanks for the tip Phil! I just uploaded the .gpx file for the Frießenkogel that I recorded earlier this year:

Most of the summit, and thus most of the activation zone, is fenced off. The small strip of land that is still within the activation zone is not accessible via the normal routes without crossing private land; something expressly forbidden by the SOTA General Rules. Clearly, gps tracks have a huge role to play in allowing tricky summits to be accessed safely and within the SOTA General Rules.
73 de OE6FEG
Matt

If we were to judge and choose all activities by their practicality, life might be very black and white.

In this case, I get both enjoyment AND the GPS/tracks strategy increases the level of safety of my activations. de K7ZOO