Author Topic: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx  (Read 4368 times)

Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« on: 02 June, 2008, 05:33:38 pm »
On a long ride do I need to manually save a track at intervals on the HCx, or does it automatically save the track?

When you save a track does this save it to the card to to the device?

My aim is save the track in the safest way.

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #1 on: 02 June, 2008, 05:50:34 pm »
I haven't got the manual with me, but I think that the HCx starts recording a track log automatically as soon as it gets a position fix.  It will record a new log for each day you use it until space runs out, when it will stop or overwrite the oldest data (you can tell it which).

In the 'Tracks' menu you can configure the unit to record to your data card.  You can also save all or part of a track log from within this menu into a new file.

Dave

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #2 on: 02 June, 2008, 05:56:28 pm »
On a long ride do I need to manually save a track at intervals on the HCx, or does it automatically save the track?

It automatically saves it. Which is why it's a good idea to reset the trip computer/tracklog but not the saved tracklog) at the start of a ride.

Quote
When you save a track does this save it to the card to to the device?

My aim is save the track in the safest way.

What peterh said - you can configure it from the menu.

Maladict

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #3 on: 02 June, 2008, 06:02:11 pm »
It keeps the active log until it's full, you can configure this to stop when it's full or to wrap (so you lose the start not the end)

If you configure the device to save to card you'll get far more storage.  Saving to device at normal rate isn't enough for a 600.

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #4 on: 02 June, 2008, 06:19:45 pm »
If you set it to record tracks to the card, it will record a gpx file for each day, named by the date. If you are riding at midnight, the part of the track after midnight will be in a separate gpx file, and it will be up to you to join it up with the pre-midnight part of the ride afterwards. The amount of data logged is limited only by the amount of free space on the card. Saving points at 1 per second, a day's ride uses something like 3-4Mb.
Data recorded is time/location/height.
Logging data to the card is in addition to the normal logging to internal memory (below).

If you don't set it to record to the card, it will record in internal memory as the "active log", with full time/location/height info. The active log is limited in size, and if you do a long enough ride recording points often enough, it will wrap (depending on setting) and you will lose the start of the ride. You can save the active log to a named track at any time, but doing this strips out the time and height info, and may also discard some points.

Note that the active log and the named saved tracks are the only ones you can navigate along. You can't display on the GPS or navigate tracks that are saved on the card.

I'd suggest always saving tracks to card.

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #5 on: 02 June, 2008, 07:21:05 pm »
Thanks for all this, most helpful.

The saved tracklog - this is saved on the device, I assume?

What is the active log, the track log for the current day? When does a track log end, when the device is switched off?

Can I "break" a track log during a ride, e.g. by saving it and then resetting the trip computer?

Sorry about all these questions, the device is actually fairly simple to operate, but the saving of waypoints and tracks etc is a little unclear in the manual.


Maladict

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #6 on: 02 June, 2008, 07:23:32 pm »
The active log is forever, until it gets full - but when you actually save it away it tends to be broken up into chunks according to when the machine was switched on.  This is recorded to the device.  It's about enough for 400km on default settings I reckon.

I've only just enabled saving to card on mine and haven't looked at the results yet so I don't know anything about what the data will look like.

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #7 on: 02 June, 2008, 07:25:09 pm »
You can't display on the GPS or navigate tracks that are saved on the card.

That's a bit of a pain.

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #8 on: 02 June, 2008, 08:06:13 pm »
May not be applicable but for the bog-standard yellow Garmin eTrex (with no memory card) you have an option to save the existing track log. Given that it has no extra memory card/device to save this to I see this as a very odd option.

If you do select the "save track" option then it still appears on the track page, but you lose the time information (you just get lat/lon/ele at each point rather than lat/lon/ele/time) on the saved track.

The appropriate percentage of track memory is still used up, so it really does have no positives but only negatives.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #9 on: 02 June, 2008, 09:07:51 pm »
Thanks GB.

What happens to tracks and active logs when the device is switched off without saving, or inadvertently due to low batteries?

Dave

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #10 on: 02 June, 2008, 09:20:39 pm »
Thanks GB.

What happens to tracks and active logs when the device is switched off without saving, or inadvertently due to low batteries?

They stay saved - the active log is recording to memory all the time.

As happened to me on the last FNRttC :( Halfway through the batteries died (I knew I should have bought spares and turned the compass off), but the first 50k or so was still there when I put a new set in a couple of days later.

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #11 on: 05 June, 2008, 11:19:21 pm »
I'd suggest always saving tracks to card.

+1    +1    +1    +1    +1

Its just too easy really ...
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Chris S

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #12 on: 06 June, 2008, 12:03:20 am »
Don't forget you can transfer your tracks back to the PC, optionally convert them to .kml format (required for Linux) and then play the whole ride back on Google Earth - as though your route was tracked by a helicopter.

Or is it just me that does this?  :-[ ::-)

Maladict

Re: Saving tracks in Garmin HCx
« Reply #13 on: 06 June, 2008, 12:20:17 am »
I did it when I'd been cycling in the pyrenees.  ;D

It's not /quite/ the same though.

Especially there are no signs warning about wild boar or vipers.

And I didn't run over a snake in Google Earth.  Or nearly get blown off a cliff.

I should have the file lying around somewhere.