Using Oregon 700 to geotag photos

[Daveo159]

Hi,

I like to add GPS coordinates to my photos and while my camera does do this via a bluetooth connection to my phone it isn't very reliable and not as accurate as the Garmin.

So I have been trying to use my 700 to do this by recording walks using the capability to create a GPX file and then using software to tag the photos later.

The trouble is I can't see any way to record each walk separately in that the Garmin just adds data to a file called current.gpx in the GPX folder. That would not be so bad if it were not for the fact the software I use only sees the first walk in the file and ignores all the other data.

Is there a way to do what I want which is have the 700 create a new GPX file when I want it to rather than have it continually add to current.gpx?

I can't find anything in the (brief) manual about this. I am sure I must have overlooked something obvious!

[GPSrChive]

Have you looked at the information available at GPSrChive > Oregon 7x0?

What you desire is very easy and common place using the 'Current Activity' application, which will allow you to start, stop, save and delete your individual tracks as you desire. The individual track logs can be reviewed via Track Manager, and each unique track can be saved as individual GPX files on the device for future photo geo-tagging purposes, etc. These tracks will be found in the GPSr:\Garmin\GPX and GPSr:\Garmin\GPX\Archive folders when connected to a computer. The current.gpx file is simply your current unsaved track data. If you are saving your individual tracks, you don't need to touch this file.

You will need to configure your Oregon 7x0 to save GPX files first in Setup > Recording > Advanced Setup > Output Format = Tracks (GPX/FIT).

See:

GPSrChive > Oregon 7x0 > Applications > Current Activity

GPSrChive > Oregon 7x0 > Applications > Track Manager

and

GPSrChive > How To... > Tracks

[mity!]

Well, not exactly what you asked for but...

Perhaps another solution could be a change in your photo workflow. I use 'Geosetter' which works fine with Garmin's daily archive files. And it's quite comfortable in use and adjustment (if the camera's clock is not so precise).

[GPSrChive]

We also very much like that software solution, so much so that we list it in the GPSrChive > Oregon 7x0 > Software page.

The OP will still first need to configure their device to record GPX tracks for future use. The Current.gpx file is frequently deleted and/or overwritten, so depending on this file is not a reliable operating procedure.

[Daveo159]

Thanks for the replies. I will look into the geosetter software. I have used a program called iMatch I use for organising my photos which will read GPX files.

[mity!]

Of course 'gpsrchive' is right: You have to configure your Oregon to save archived tracks as GPX files first.

And IMatch is great, too! I use this software for nearly fifteen years now. But I have to confess that I continue to use Geosetter even if IMatch supports geotagging for several releases now...

You can add Geosetter as an user supplied app to IMatch. You can find the app in the Imatch forum. Just copy the app's directory under '%PROGRAMDATA%\photools.com\IMatch6\webroot\user' (The path %PROGRAMDATA% is in most cases 'C:\ProgramData'). The app starts Geosetter with the focus on the images that you selected in Imatch. After finishing your work in Geosetter you have to update the images' metadata in IMatch.

Have fun!

[mity!]

And now I have tried the "pure" IMatch-Workflow. Works fine with me and quite "straight-foward".

My GPSr's configuration is:

Code: Select all

'Setup/Recording':
- 'Auto-Pause' off 
- 'Auto-Start' on

'Setup/Recording/Advanced Setup': 
- 'Output Format' Tracks (GPX/FIT)
- 'Auto Archive' Daily
- 'Trip Recording' Always

This way your GPSr records your track whenever it is switched on. If you switch your GPSr off/on then a new track segment in the track is created. The GPX file is saved when the GPSr recognizes that a new day has started. (That might be when you power on the device at the next day AND AFTER it had a new fix!) As a result you have a single track for the whole day.

As far as I can see IMatch can manage tracks with multiple segments in it and shows them as a single track.

[Daveo159]

I like the idea behind those settings. If I have understood this correctly this is a kind of “set it and forget it” approach whereby the GPS data is always logged to a GPX file with daily automatic archiving.

If so this is much better than having to specifically start and manage a track.

[GPSrChive]

If I have understood this correctly this is a kind of “set it and forget it” approach whereby the GPS data is always logged to a GPX file with daily automatic archiving.

Correct.

Those are the same settings I use on all my Garmin GPSr. They are always recording my activities to GPX files that are saved on a daily basis for easy future reference.

[Daveo159]

Those are the same settings I use on all my Garmin GPSr. They are always recording my activities to GPX files that are saved on a daily basis for easy future reference.

Well that is how I have mine set up and over the past week I have taken the Oregon with me on my daily exercise and just turned it on expecting to see several archived GPX files but there aren't any. Everything is still going into the current.gpx file.

I must be missing something here. What prompts it to archive? Simply the fact you turn it on and it notices the day has changed? If so that isn'thappening for me