KiwiGPS blog

Profiles are a handy feature of the new GPS units, once they are set up to your liking.  This can take some time and frustration so to minimise the time taken in future I suggest backing up your profile files to your computer.

The advantage of backing up the files is that if, say, you lose the GPS and replace it with the same model, you can simply copy/paste your backed up profiles into the new unit.

Or, say the settings are changed by another user, or the unit is replaced under warranty – there are several situations where you just want your familiar settings back again.

To Backup the Profiles:

The profiles are stored in the folder called Profile in the GPS.  This is in the Garmin folder.  Simply copy and save them somewhere safe.

Some models like the Montana and Oregon have .jpg image files in there as well but most just have a selection of .gpf files such as Automotive.gpf

There will likely be profile files for Geocaching, Recreational, Fitness and perhaps Classic, Marine, Camera and Motorcycle.   If you’ve made additional profiles they will be here too.  There will be one file called Profiles.ver – don’t touch this.

Copy the .gpf files to a safe backup location and the job is done.  Naturally, if you’ve modified the factory .jpg images (if present) copy those too.

If you ever have to replace your GPS – or get it back to the way you like it after changes have been made, the backup will prove invaluable.

To Restore the Profiles:

The Profile restore is a 2 stage process.  This is because the active profile (the one in use) will not change when the complete backup set is copied back from the computer to the GPS\Garmin\Profile folder

1) Note which Profile is currently active

2) Copy / paste all but the active Profile from your computer backup to the GPS\Garmin\Profile folder

3) Switch on the GPS, note the start-up time is a little longer than normal, change the Profile to any other – it does not matter which

4) Connect the GPS to the computer again and send the Profile that was previously in use from computer to the GPS

5) Disconnect the GPS from the computer and switch the GPS on.  Again, note a longer than normal start-up time and check the settings are correct – the way they were backed up.

Next time you start the GPS it will start quickly as normal.

Interestingly, the Profile file can be opened with Notepad so you can see the many, many settings.  Wouldn’t a Profile Setup Editor be a handy bit of software? 

Below is a screen shot of part of the list of files in a Montana 650t – I’ve sorted the list by “type” so the .gpf are all together.

Other GPS units have simpler arrangements but the principle is the same.

It’s with much pleasure I share the info about a new Garmin GPS model. The Rino 650 is supplied by Garmin in Sydney so is perfectly legal to supply and use here.

Screen: 6.6cm diagonal (same as the 62 and 78 series) 65k colour touch screen display (160 x 240 pixels) that is glove friendly.
Shaded relief worldwide basemap, quad helix antenna and a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with HotFix.

Position reporting capability lets you send your exact location to other Rino users for display on their map screen. Being a standard UHF radio allows Rino to communicate with any other conventional UHF radios. You can also send unit-to-unit text messages to fellow Rino users in your area.

5-watt radio, 3-axis electronic compass, barometric altimeter, rechargeable Li-ion battery (or optional 4AA battery pack) and 1.7 GB internal memory or a microSD card slot for additional maps.

Supports optional mapping products such as BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, TOPO Australia and New Zealand maps, specialist maps and Garmin Custom Maps. Garmin Custom Maps allows you to easily transform paper and electronic maps into free, downloadable maps for your compatible Garmin GPS. BirdsEye Satellite Imagery is a subscription-based service that allows you to see aerial views.

Weight: 320g with removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack
Battery Life: 14 hours (up to 18 hours with optional AA battery pack)
Garmin Part Number: 010-00928-05
RRP: NZ$749

Accessory examples:
Headset with Boom Microphone, RRP NZ$30
Rino Alkaline battery pack (uses 4 AA batteries not included) RRP NZ$49

No info on the Australian site yet so refer to the US site for images and other details: Rino 650 and the Rino mini site.

 

The last unit has now gone to a customer who started with an eTex about 6 years ago.  Very fitting.  Thank you to everyone who helped make this model the standard by which others are measured.

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Good news, of the 20 that arrive a couple of weeks ago there’s 11 , 10 ,   8,   7,  5,  3,  2, ONE  of the 60CSx in stock.   As Garmin in Sydney do not supply this model any more (superceded by the 62s) these units are from the US.

The price is $425 including GST.

Garmin Part Number: 010-00422-00

Garmin web site link:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=167&pID=310

The price includes a 2GB microSD card to which I pre-load the free Open Project NZ Street, Points of  Interest and Topo (no roads).

Alkaline batteries are also fitted and the unit switched on to receive satellites here.  The factory settings are changed to metric and NZTM.  Compass and altimeter calibrated.  It’s ready to use out of the box, even the map page is zoomed in to a handy 200m scale.   These are all simple things you can do yourself (instructions are in the manual) however it’s traditional KiwiGPS service to set the unit up ready for use.

If you’d like multiple units and/or prefer an “unopened box” please get in touch for a lower price.  Once these are gone that will probably be the end of new unit supply, making about 710 I’ve supplied since this model was introduced in January 2006.

Pick up from Russley, Christchurch is welcome by arrangement or I can ship overnight via Courier Post, Signature Required for $8.

Payment is cash, cheque or direct credit.  No eftpos or credit card facility.

Phone (03) 342-1302 or 021-167-9428

or email: Tony@KiwiGPS.co.nz

 

Within a week or so I should have 20 more 60CSx in stock. The price will be $425 including GST.

Garmin Part Number: 010-00421-00

Garmin web site link:  https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=310

If you’d like multiple units and/or prefer an “unopened box” please get in touch for a lower price.
Pick up from Russley, Christchurch is welcome by arrangement or I can ship via Courier Post, Signature Required for $8.

Within a couple of weeks I should have 20 more in stock.  This will likely be the last lot – it depends how quickly they sell.

Price is $440 with the 1GB microSD card loaded with the free NZ Street maps, Points of Interest and the Open Project Topo map.

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Update 29th March:  The 15 mentioned below went to good homes however it’s probably not worth getting any more in as the price will be getting too close (within $100) of the replacement model, the 62s.

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Update 15th February 2011:  The 10 60CSx units mentioned below sold quite easily so there’s 15 more on the way – I should have them in 10 days or so.

I’ll update this when they arrive.

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Last week I got in 10 of the 60CSx model (010-00422-00) which conveniently have a 1GB microSD card installed.

Price is $450 including GST and pre-loaded free and purchased maps (for example, the Open Project NZ Street Map, NZ Points of Interest and the topo contour overlay map, setup for NZ and batteries.  There’s 8 in stock at present.

Prefer to do your own setup?  Make it $425 for the unopened box.  Pick-up always welcome by arrangement or Courier Post, Signature Required is $8.

The 60CSx was by far the most popular hand held during it’s 4.5 year run – even my little business supplied about 670 units.    Now replaced by the 62s  which is proving to be popular too of course.

The 60CSx has a superior track logging method, simply logging the points into one file called, for example, 20101225.gpx.  At midnight the file is closed off and a new one is created, namely 20101226.gpx  Too simple for Garmin to carry on with through to the 62/78 range…..

Question: As Garmin do not provide the ability in the GPS to have a custom prefix added to the waypoint name, is it possible to have the prefix added when importing the waypoints into a computer programme?

Background: Every day around NZ there are pest control contractors, each making hundreds of waypoints a day using the “Mark” button on a Garmin GPS to mark a waypoint with minimum waste of time – making good use of the sequential number waypoint feature.

You can imagine the difficult post processing workload when several field workers return to the office to upload their waypoints to the computer as there are many duplicate waypoint names.  For auditing and QC the office needs to know who placed of each waypoint.  Yes, they can post process with text editing but that is tiresome and clunky – after all, this is an occupation, not a hobby, so needs to be quick, error free and easy.

After raising this issue on the always friendly and informative NZ GPS Society forum a kind local offered this simple little application to add a prefix to the waypoints in a gpx file here: http://forums.gps.org.nz/viewtopic.php?p=43975#p43975 This is already a big help as you can see by a user comment.

I’ve asked Garmin Support to consider an addition in the GPS Setup area with a separate “Custom Waypoint” menu which would include the ability to add an automated prefix to every waypoint.

For example, Ben would set up his GPS so each time he “Marked” a waypoint the GPS would record the names sequentially like this:

Ben 001
Ben 002
Ben 003 etc etc to say, by the end of the weary day, Ben 427

The Garmin GPS (depending on model) is capable of storing up to 2,000 waypoints (4 digits) and up to 14 to18 characters in the waypoint name so allowing a custom prefix of up to be up to 14 characters should be ample.  It would also be easy for the Garmin programmers to add the ability to specify the number of leading zeros in the sequential number.  For example:

BenStoatBait 0001
BenStoatBait 0002 etc etc to
BenStoatBait 1999

Another easy option(for Garmin)  on a GPS custom waypoint menu would be to be able to set the starting number (eg, 0428) so they could carry on from where they left off yesterday even though all the waypoints have been uploaded and deleted from the GPS – the waypoint numbering would normally start from 001 again.

At present the only method the field workers have of prefixing each waypoint is to manually enter their name and then the sequential number – this is not at all practical as it is very time consuming, very prone to error and increases the wear on the buttons / screen in often trying environmental conditions.  But I digress – I’ve asked Garmin so we’ll see what the response is.  Several have already advised it’s a waste of time suggesting such improvements – but I can only hope.

The users in the field (forestry, pest control, agricultural contractors, search and rescue) are heavy users of Garmin gear but just get on with the job, accepting the gear the way it is and have no collective voice like geocachers.

Now that GPSBabel has an easy to use interface, making it practical for non-geeks to use, I’ve asked them if it is possible to modify their brilliant application so that all the waypoints being imported from a GPS are prefixed with a name.  Some contractors use GPSBabel to create a Google Earth file (as required by the employer) so to have the waypoint prefix automatically added would be much appreciated feature.

But in the meantime, thanks again to nzcoozer for his simple little application which I’m sure will save many man-hours every day throughout NZ.

I’ll carry on looking for an application that will do this prefix work during import.  Hopefully GPSBabel can be modified.  I’ll report here and on the GPS Society of any successful results.

All the best – Tony Savage at KiwiGPS

PS:  Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

It’s taken many years but finally KiwiGPS has a web site up and running. It’s been a long time coming but thanks to the skill and patience of Brendon and Allen of marbonbros it’s taken shape and will get better with age!

Once I met Brendon and Allen I could see they were honest and enthusiastic but not over the top – so a web design illiterate like me could understand their suggestions.

The process all went very well and as I get more confidence the site will grow and improve. Brendon continues to tinker in the background making the site look and perform better to display about 200 items – all but a few GPS related.

I’ll use the blog as a place to detail new products and to display some interesting questions from customers – with hopefully helpful answers.

Thanks to my loyal customers too of course, without whom this page would not exist.

All the best and thanks again – Tony at KiwiGPS

Starting today, Garmin and related GPS products will be added to the KiwiGPS web site which includes a on-line shopping cart. This will take a few weeks to complete and will be a major change from the last few years of simple but effective word of mouth advertising.

Customers can be assured the same attention to service will continue.

Hello, this is the blog that will accompany kiwigps.co.nz

If there is any news released about the website you will be able to find it on this website!!