GPS Again, again! (sorry) - routes or tracks?!

[evilgoat]

So I've got my etrex 20, downloaded some tidy looking opensource mapping from talkytoaster.

Now do I download my planned routes to follow as a route or a track?

routes appear to have loads of waypoints on them which are a bit distracting and random on the screen. Tracks don't have this but I've read something about trackpoints - so what's the difference? Is there a benefit to having routes waypoints?

I've tried to get it to nav a route along the road, giving me turn warnings etc but totally failed to get it to work.

The mapset I'm using is supposed to be routable.

What do people here do?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Track

[chris n]

Track here too. Routing needs too much initial input to be worth it, and the Etrex will handle thousands of points in a track with no problems.

[Lughnasadh]

I also only use tracks on a dakota 20.

[evilgoat]

cheers.

On bikehike when you create the route do you need to set it to follow roads on openstreetmap in the options box to make it give nav cues?

[johnnystorm]

One disadvantage I've just discovered is that the Dakota can't display a route bigger than about 40 miles. :(

[Lughnasadh]

One disadvantage I've just discovered is that the Dakota can't display a route bigger than about 40 miles. :(

I dont think it is the distance that limits but the number of way points.
I stick to using tracks. Very simple to use and they are compatible with huge tracks.

[FLV]

you can reduce track point count on bike hike and similar programs. A little accuracy is lost but not usually too much.

[welshwhit]

Tracks here too, I found the route option too clunky and limiting

[ScotRoutes]

One disadvantage I've just discovered is that the Dakota can't display a route bigger than about 40 miles. :(

I dont think it is the distance that limits but the number of way points.
I stick to using tracks. Very simple to use and they are compatible with huge tracks.

I think the limit is 50 waypoints

[johnnystorm]

One disadvantage I've just discovered is that the Dakota can't display a route bigger than about 40 miles. :(

I dont think it is the distance that limits but the number of way points.
I stick to using tracks. Very simple to use and they are compatible with huge tracks.

I only noticed it as I plotted out the SDW as one big route but when I did WRT I did each GR to GR individually.

[evilgoat]

so on saturday night I did the dunwich dynamo (well a variation which kep me out of the smoke)

I used my etrex with the track loaded, great but i noticed something which was a bit dumb. i had eta at destination as one of the data fields on my display. except it seemed to base the time on current speed. so every time you get to a hill it would vary massively. why is it not based on moving average? surely that's far more accurate.

anyone know if this can be changed?