User:Gravitystorm

From OpenStreetMap

Gravitystorm submits data to OpenStreetMap under the name Andy Allan.

This user uses or has experience with a Garmin Venture Cx and is quite willing to answer questions on it from OSM users

I'm Andy Allan, and I'm based in Putney, London. I started helping with this nonsense in October 2006.

+44 (0)7958 785 441

An international cycling map created from OSM data is available, provided by Andy Allan. The map rendering is still being improved, the data is updated each week. It shows National Cycle Network cycle routes, other regional and local routes, and other cycling specific features, such as Dedicated Cycle tracks and lanes Bicycle parking Contours and Hill Colouring Bike shops http://www.opencyclemap.org/

Contents 1 Garmin eTrex Venture Cx 1.1 Linux 1.2 Settings 1.3 Maps 2 Wiki 2.1 Todo

Garmin eTrex Venture Cx

I've got a Venture Cx, that I bought almost exclusively to use with OSM. So I'm glad it works! Here's some tips if you've got a similar model:

Linux

It works fine with linux, once you get it going. It's got a mini-usb connector on it, but doesn't come with a cable - don't worry, any old usb -> mini-usb cable will work, so you can ignore all the GPS Serial to USB stuff. For Kubuntu 6.06 Dapper (would be the same for Ubuntu) I make the changes from this page in the Fedora Core 5 section, but I'm not sure if that helped. What definitely did was installing a newer version of gpsbabel - Dapper comes with 1.2.7-1, but that doesn't support the Venture Cx. I downloaded and compiled 1.3.1 - install libusb-dev (using Adept etc) first, otherwise it won't add USB support, which is needed! It looks like Edgy will also ship with 1.2.7-1, which is a pity.

I use the "gpstransfer" script from How to get data from a Geko 201 to get the data off the GPS when it's plugged in.

Settings

I've found that setting the tracklog to 4 seconds on foot and 1 second on a bike is perfect for the comprehensive walking-up-and-down streets that I like doing. Just don't "save" the tracklogs! As I found out after a few days, thanks to this page, the unit heavily compresses the data when it saves - it strips out all the timestamps from each point, and tries to strip out as many points as it can from straight line areas. I had spent a day or two thinking the GPS reception was really shit! And OSM won't accept tracklogs without timestamps, so it ruined one afternoon's work - thankfully, JOSM didn't mind, so we got the streets sorted anyway.

Also, the gpstransfer script pulls all the tracklog data into the output file (is there a way to change this?), so if you keep any old tracklogs saved, when you pull the fresh ones you'll get the old crud too.

Maps

I use mkgmap to get OSM maps onto the GPS, since the basemap that comes with it is so rubbish! It really rocks, and it's a little bitty cheaper (and much more cool) than buying commercial maps. A 1Gb microSD card only costs 25 quid, and with about 9sq km only taking up 35Kb, there's plenty of room for more maps!

Wiki

As of January 2007, this wiki falls short of what could be a very useful guide to OSM - just look at the number of newbie help requests on the mailing lists. I've done some work on the Mapping techniques pages (although they were pretty good to start with), especially in the polish department, and that's the new standard for the rest of the wiki. I'm going to do the same for each little area at a time - it's an emergent strategy, so there'll be no starting with redesigning the front page or anything like that.

Todo

(Since eclipsed by work on the cycle map)

in no particular order...

• rework Garmin - more intro, more stuff about maps on them, and sensiblise the reviews list
• template for proposed features
• make an "editing techniques" comparable to mapping techniques, with advanced pages and illustrated sections
• move/collect gpsbabel stuff to its own page, and link to it vociferously
• make a "collecting tracklogs" page for mapping techniques