PC Connectivity

Below are the hardware software that I use and I find it the easiest (almost cheapest) so that is all I am going to touch on. There are other solutions but I want to help pilots make it as easy as possible to manage their tracks.

Dowloading your track (from your GPS to your computer) is often not an easy system to get working. It requires both hardware and software to make it work.

Hardware: If your computer has an 'old style' serial port, it's somewhat easy. This old style serial port (replaced by USB) has a D-style connector (if you look at it vertically) and has two rows of pins - one with five, the other with four. Most/many GPSs come with the serial cable to connect to your GPS - it's this 9-pin Serial connector on one end and a round Garmin connector on the other.

If you only have USB connectors on your computer, you'll have to get a "Serial to USB" adapter to connect your computer's USB port to the above mentioned serial cable (which then connects to your GPS). Some GPSs now have USB connectors right on the GPS and if you can get that working, you won't need any adapter (and just use a standard USB cable). The "USB to Serial" adapter that I've used successfully since I started downloading GPSs to computers in 2001 is Keyspan's - I can sell one to you as well $39cdn.

Software: There are MANY software programs to download tracks - CompeGPS, SeeYou, easyGPS, MaxPlunke, etc. But the easiest one I've seen (that is FREE) is G7toWin. It is easy to configure and if you need to adjust your track or deal with waypoints, routes or proximity points, it can help easily with that too.

Download, install and launch G7toWin. There is only one setting you have to adjust to get it to work with your GPS...under the File menu item, choose "configuration" and on the left side of the screen, about half way down is the "COM Port" setting, if you have your GPS plugged in using the serial cable (either directly or thru the USB to serial adapter listed above), your computer's default setting is COM 4. Set the preference to COM 4 and DON'T check the "USB" box even if you are using a USB to Serial adapter. Click on the "Save Configuration" button so you don't have to make this setting change the next time you use G7toWin. Then click on the OK button.

Now all you have to do is hook up your GPS to your computer and in G7toWin, from the "GPS" menu item choose the "Download from GPS" submenu and then "Tracks" and it will download your tracklog points.

After downloading is done you will then be presented with a list of tracklog points. All you have to do is click on the "File" menu item and choose "Save IGC Track File", name the file as you wish and save it (I'd recommend to your desktop).

*** Optimizing your track (if errors occur) - review your flight after it's uploaded. Sometimes the info isn't displayed properly - the date isn't correct or it may give you a zero for duration.

Just open your track again in G7toWin and look at the "speed" column (labelled V (Mi/hr)). Delete any of the early points that have been recorded before you fly. It should be obvious when you start your actual flight as the speeds are consistently over, say 15mph.

If your date of the flight is wrong, you may have something wrong with your GPSs settings requiring you to reupload your firmware (it's operating system) to your GPS. That software can be downloaded from Garmin's website