Google Earth Overlay Transfer to GPS

Zim · Sep 30, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Sep-30-12 AT 09:46AM (MST)[p]Okay so I can learn most things via archive search or Googling, but no luck for this one.

I am going to New Hampshire for a moose hunt. I would like to use GE's historical view feature to ID the 3-5 year old timber clear cuts and create overlays which I can transfer onto my handheld GPS while in the field scouting & hunting.

Has anyone tried something like this that can walk me through it? I use GE a lot and my GPS a lot, but just never for overlays. Thanks for any advice.

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WapitiBob · Sep 30, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Sep-30-12 AT 01:40PM (MST)[p]In GE, create a path around each burn, save each as an independent KMZ file, transfer the KMZ's the the GPS.
"Generally" you can just hook the gps to your laptop via usb and drop the kmz files into the kmz folder on the garmin.

Zim · Sep 30, 2012

Thanks,I will try that.

While doing so, can I also create waypoints for parking spots that will simultaniously transfer to my Garmin along with the kmz file?

Or is there an easy way to create these via an independent upload?

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Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, UBNM, UWC & the SFW Hate Club

Zim · Oct 2, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-12 AT 05:26AM (MST)[p]WB, I have been playing around with this, and it appears I use the polygon tool outline and shade the area? Should I just leave these in the window on the right side of the screen, with my other saved places? Any reason to save the KMZ files in a seperate file on my desktop for assurance? I can mark a lot of clearcuts, probably a hundred+.

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Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, UBNM, UWC & the SFW Hate Club

WapitiBob · Oct 3, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-12 AT 10:26AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-12 AT 10:21?AM (MST)

LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-12 AT 10:19?AM (MST)

You want to make sure that you move the paths up out of the temp places and into the "my places" before you exit GE. You also always want to save your "my places" to a backup folder once in a while. Or like most of America, email them to your Hotmail account for safe keeping. You can save all or part of the items in the my places area.
I was thinking if you saved the fire area paths independently, you would then be able to turn them on and off independently.

You can save those fire paths and then import them into Basecamp for viewing and gps transfer also. That might be a good way to get a feel for how they will look in the gps.

You can do the same thing with waypoints. Save as kmz then import into basecamp or drop into the kmz folder on the garmin. I kinda like going basecamp then to gps method. For the basecamp import to "work" you need to hilite either the "my collection" or create a new sub folder and hilite it in the "library" panel, then do the file/import.

Zim · Oct 3, 2012

WB, Anything I create goes to My Places by default already.

I think I forgot how to use Basecamp. Just used it twice. For my scouting trips in two states, Iowa & Wisconsin. I vaguely remember how to use it. However, I don't think I can for New Hampshire because I never bought maps for that? I think GPS Maps sold me IA & WI.

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Zim · Oct 4, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Oct-04-12 AT 06:59AM (MST)[p]WB,
I created a few test files on Google, then saved them in a file on my desktop. Then I opened Basecamp and tried to load the file, but I just get a warning "Basecamp encountered an unexpected error while importing". Do I need some special program to open/close KMZ files on my desktop? Maybe that is why it didn't load?

I then just tried plugging in my GPS to the computer and importing files. Went outside to look for the two KMZ test cuts I created next to my home. But nothing appeared on my GPS. So I must have done something wrong. Should the KMZ files be in the Waypoints area on GPS? Maybe somewhere else?

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Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, UBNM, UWC & the SFW Hate Club

WapitiBob · Oct 4, 2012

I created a short video showing the process. It's the GE to Garmin one...

https://vimeo.com/user3024489/videos

Zim · Oct 5, 2012

WB, Oh wow thanks so much! I had hit a dead end and was getting frustrated. Leaving for trip in 3 days. Had 2 weeks set aside to work on this, but got a special miserable project dumped on me at work due to finishing my fiscal year goals "ahead" of schedule.

I'll be scouting in my NH hunt area for 10 days prior to my hunt. So this is something I can work on while there. I'll have wifi. I just need to get some clearcuts marked quick so I can have somewhere to start.

Will study your video and try to implement everything!

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Member RMEF, Pope & Young Club, UBNM, UWC & the SFW Hate Club