GPS help

[multisportscott]

Hi One and All, I got myself a new eTrex 30 late last year and have enjoyed playing with it so far.
I have got the whole recording routes and downloading them sorted (kind of), but I am have trouble uploading GPX files.
Can anyone suggest an on-line tutorial or something that I can learn from?
I have got a couple of mapping softwear programmes, and a couple of SD cards with different topos on them. I just can't workout how to upload them, I think that my routes have too many waypoints?
I am currently mapping out my routes on a web-based mapping programme, mapometer due to it's "follow roads" ability. I can then export that as a .gpx file. Garmin BaseCamp picks this up BUT it has thousands of flags (waypoints?) along the route.
Help, I am clearly a bit of a numpty 
Thanks in advance, Scott from NZ

[Done]

Check out Topofusion. It's an excellent tool for cleaning up GPX tracks, loading waypoints, etc.

[RossC]

Scott, I only have an Etrex HCX but a friend has an Etrex 20 so i have a small idea about them. Your device should be able to handle 10,000 trackpoints in a file. If you are seeing flags rather than a continuous line, then it definitely sounds like the exported file off the website is setting them up as Waypoints rather than trackpoints.

All I can suggest is trying a different online mapping software. I have used maymyride and it worked with my HCX and my friends Etrex 20. It allows you to snap to roads and the 80km file I put together had about 3500 trackpoints.

[GaryMck]

Hi Scott
Some definitions may help you to understand the difference between waypoints, routes and tracks.http://gpstracklog.com/2005/12/tracks_and_rout.html
Try searching "difference between route and track" for more info.
Routes generally only work when on roads, if the map has auto-routing info (mapometers follow roads) it will add extra points, otherwise they straight line between waypoints. If you want to go off road you will need to use  the dont follow road button in mapometer and put points closer together.

To get the track into the Gps, export from mapometer as a track from the drop down box. Import into Basecamp, check properties of gpx file to make sure its less than 10000 points, if too large filter to less than 10000, send gpx to Gps from Basecamp.

All this can be done in Basecamp with an auto-routing map, Garmin Australia New Zealand topo ($) or the free NZ Open GPS Project maps, auto-routing road and free topomaps available, also available is custom topo50 maps - LINZ topo50 maps that look like the paper ones. http://gwprojects.org/forum/. You were riding with someone who had the custom topo50 maps in an Etrex20 at Le Petit Brevet.
Hopefully Scott Morris can work out a way of getting the LINZ topomaps into Topofusion, a great program but lack detailed NZ maps.

Let me know if you need any explained clearer.

What mapping programs and topomaps do you have? Some programs cant send Gpx files to the Etrex20/30, older version of memorymap can't. Garmin have changed the new Etrex communication with the computer.

Gary

[multisportscott]

Hi Gary, thank you. I think we spoke briefly at the start of LPB.
I have a Garmin SD card, a Freshmap SD card and a Memorymap CD and SD.
I will have a play with your suggestions tomorrow and possibly ask some more questions!
Are you doing the Great Soutern Brevet? I see Geof has his name down for the Kiwi Brevet, I thought he was doing the Great Southern. Maybe he's doing both.
Thanks again, Scott