TheVirginiaGeospatialExtensionProgram

DNRGarmin
AUserGuideforEducators
Preparedby:TheVirginiaGeospatialExtensionProgram
Overview

DNRGarminisaneasytousesoftwareapplica
tionthatallowsyoutomanage,manipulateand
saveyourGPSinformationforuseinGISprograms
suchasArcMap.Thisisapointandclicksoft
warepackage.Whilethereareanumberofthings
thatDNRGarminsoftwarecando,someofthe
functionsmostapplicabletoextensionagentsin
cludethefollowing:
Educatorscanusethissoftwarepackageto
transferGPSdatabetweenaGarminGPSre
ceiverandaPC.
DNRGarmincansaveGPSdataasprojected(or
unprojected)shapefilesforuseinArcMap,as
graphics,asadatabasefiles,orastextfilesfor
useinotherprograms.
TheprogramallowsforinitialprojectionofGPS
data(i.e.waypoints,routes,etc.)tomanydif
ferentmapdatums(Lat/Long,UTM/UPS,coun
trygridsetc.).
Informationcanbefilteredinvariouswaysand
waypointssortedaccordingtospecifiedcriteria.
Routeandtrackstatisticsareavailableandcan
betransferredintootherprogramsforanalysis
(i.e.spreadsheetprograms).
DNRGarminunfortunatelydoesnothaveany
mappingsoftwarethatallowsyoutoviewyour
databeforeyousaveittoyourcomputer.DNR
GarminisdesignedspecificallyforGarminGPS
units.ThisguideiswrittenusingtheGarminLeg
endGPSreceiver.AllotherGarminGPSreceivers
willfollowthesameprotocols.

BeforeUsingDNRGarmin
Theinstructionsinthishandbookassumethefol
lowing:
1. YouhavealreadyinstalledDNRGarminsoft
wareonyourcomputer.Ifyoudonothaveit
installedyoucandownloadtheprogramat
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mis/gis/tools/
arcview/extensions/DNRGarmin/
DNRGarmin.html
2. YouhavealreadycollectedGPSData(i.e.way
points,routes,tracks,etc.),andhavestored
theGPSdataonyourGPSreceiver(ifnot,re
fertoTheGarminEtrexLegend:AnIntroduc
toryHandbookforEducatorsforadditional
informationandinstructions.TheGarmin
handbookhasbeenpreparedbytheVirginia
GeospatialExtensionProgram.Thiscustom
izedGarminhandbookisalsoavailableonline:
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/gep/tools.html

DNRGarmin:UserGuideandHandbook
LetsGetStartedDownloadingWay
points

1. StartDNRGarminbyselectingitfromthePro
gramlistonyourcomputer.
2. ConnectyourGPSreceivertothecomputer
usingthedatacableprovidedwithyourGPS
receiver.MakesurethatyourGPSreceiveris
turnedon.
3. DNRGarminisconfiguredtoworkwithall
GarminGPSunitsandisdefaultedonfirstuse
tosearchforaUSBconnectiontoyourGPS
unit.IfyouGarminisconnectedwithaUSB
cable,DNRGarminwillconnectautomatically
withyourunit.
*Ifaserialportconnectionisbeingused,DNR
GarminwillpromptyoutoretrytofindaUSB
connection.Cancelthisprompt.

Forserialportconnection,goto<GPS>,then<Set
Port>,andselecttheportbeingusing,most
likelyPort1,andDNRGarminwillautomati
callyconnecttoyourunit.

Onceconnected,thestatusbaronthebottomof
DNRGarminwilltellyouthatyourdeviceis
connected.

DNRGarminwillalsolistthetypeofGarminunit
youareusingandtheprojectionthatyourdata
willprojectedintooncedownloaded.Step4
tellsyouhowtochangethisprojectiontoone
ofyourchoice.

YourGPSshouldnowbeproperlycommunicating
withyourPCthroughtheDNRGarminSoft
ware

TheVirginiaGeospatialExtensionProgram

4. NowthatyourGPSunitisconnected,youcansetupthedatum/projectionthatyouwouldlike
yourdataprojectedtowhenitisuploadedtoDNRGarmin.Todothis,goto<File>,then<SetPro
jection>.ThisbringsyoutotheGarminPropertiesdialogbox(Thiscanalsobeaccessedbygoing
through<Waypoint>,<Track>or<Route>andthePropertiesoption,thentheProjectiontab.).

ThePropertiesdialogboxwillappearwithseveral
tabs.SelecttheProjectiontab.Hereyouareal
lowedtochoosefromawiderangeofdatum/
projections<fromthepulldownmenuunder
Datums/Projections,thatyourGPSdatawillbe
projectedtooncedownloadedtoDNRGarmin.
Onceaprojectionisselected,clickOK.

YouarenowreadytodownloadandsaveyourGPSdata!

DNRGarmin:UserGuideandHandbook
5. Unfortunately,DNRGarmindoesnotallowyoutodownloadmorethanonetypeofdataatthesame
time.Youmustdownloadwaypoints,trackpoints,androutesindividually.However,thesame
methodisused.Dependingonwhichtypeofdatayouhave,yougotothecorrespondingmenu
(<Waypoint>,<Track>,or<Route>)andthen<Download>.DNRGarminwillautomaticallydownload
theselectedtypeofdataandwilldisplaythedataasshownbelow.

Reviewofterms:
a. Waypoints:Thesearevirtualpointsormarksthatyouhavesavedinindividually.Waypointscan
beassignedcustomizednames(theGPSreceiverassignsthemnumericalnames[001,002]byde
fault).
b. Tracks:Tracksareapreviouspathoftravel.Basically,youturnonyourGPSreceiver,anditwillstart
tomapyourmovements.Trackpointsareindividualpointsthatareusedtocreateatrack(ifyou
connectthesepoints,withaline,youwouldhaveatrack)
c. Routes:Arouteisapathtoadestinationwithintermediatestopsalongtheway.Thestopsalong
thewayaredefinedbyWaypoints.
TheVirginiaGeospatialExtensionProgram
SettingUpYourDataTable

OnefeatureofDNRGarministhatitallowsyoutochoosewhatfieldsyouwouldliketohaveinyour
datatableonceithasbeensaved.Todothis,accessDNRGarminsPropertydialogboxthroughanyof
themethodsmentionedinStep4.Gotothetabthatisrelatedtothetypeofdatayouareworking
with(e.g.tracks).UnderFieldstoUseisyourlistoffieldsforyourdata.Youcanuncheck/checkany
combinationoffieldsthatyouwant,orjustchoosetoleaveallfieldschecked.Thecheckedfieldswill
bethefieldsinyourattributetableanddatabaseonceyouhavesavedthedata.

Note:Somefields,suchasxandycoordi
natefieldsarerequiredbyDNRGarmin
andcannotbeunchecked...youwillbe
promptedwithamessagetellingyouif
itisrequiredthough.
DNRGarmin:UserGuideandHandbook
SavingYourdatatoaPC

YoucansavethedatathatyouhavecollectedonyourGPSreceiverdirectlytoaGISreadablefile(i.e.
shapefile).
1. Makesurethefilethatyouwanttosave(i.e.Waypoints,Tracks,etc.)isvisible.
2. Underthe<File>menu,select<SaveTo>,and<File>.
3. TosaveinaGIScompatibleformat,
a.Entera<Filename>
b.Underthe<SaveAsType>,option,chooseeither:
ArcViewShapefile(Projected)(*.shp)thisoptionsavesdatadirectlytoaGIScompatibleshapefile
accordingtotheuserdefinedprojection
ArcViewShapefile(Unprojected)(*.shp)thisoptionsavesdatadirectlytoaGIScompatible
shapefileaswell,butaccordingtotheunprojectedcoordinatesdirectlyfromtheGPSunit.
GPSeXhangeFormat(*.gpx)thisoptionallowsyoutoexchangedata(waypoints,tracks,or
routes)withotherGPSusers
GoogleEarthFormat(*.kml)thisoptionallowsyoutodisplayyourdataonGoogleEarthwitha
clickofabutton.

AndPresto!.YouhavecreatedaGIScompatiblefilefromyourGPSdata!