I just downloaded the GM/WS region as a GPX file from Sotamaps. Then I used an old(ish) version of GPS-Babel to push that file to my Garmin GPS. For a lot of boring reasons this version of GPS-Babel is installed on a Raspberry Pi, just accept it works the same as other versions.
- download region as gpx file
- unzip the zip
- copy gpx file to rpi
- plug Garmin Vista HCx into rpi
- send file to GPS with gpsbabel -i gpx -f SMP_20190227_2124.GPX -o garmin -F usb:
- wait a few seconds…
Looking on the map I can see all 300+ icons on my Garmin map display. I can find the waypoints in the Waypoint viewer.
Then I tried the range feature.
- range page on Sotamaps
- generated summits within 100km of Edinburgh
- exported as gpx
- unzipped and copied to rpi
- send file to GPS with gpsbabel -i gpx -f SMP_RANGE.GPX -o garmin -F usb:
- wait a few seconds
The summits all appeared on the Garmin map in the right places.
From what I have done today, I have been able to export KML formatted region data and imported that to an Android app that uses KML data and it worked. I’ve exported GPX format data and imported that into a Windows programme that displayed the data correctly. Finally I have exported region and range based data, downloaded it, copied it to an oddball setup (rpi running Raspbian) and used an oldish version of GPS-Babel to directly load the data into my Garmin GPS from the rpi using its USB interface.
There may well be a problem with Basecamp and Caltopo not working with Sotamaps files and it could be a Sotamaps issue but there ways around getting the data into a Garmin.
Rob has retired and moved to pastures-new so he isn’t here to jump on the problem as he would have in the past. Andrew @VK3ARR is a bit busy with other SOTA issues right now but will look at this when he has time (because having things that don’t work really, really bugs him). It looks like the problem is manageable in the short term.