From GpsWiki
Waypoints Page
How do I get to the Waypoints Page?
If you have the Waypoints page enabled in Page Order, either press the PAGE button or the QUIT button to scroll through your screens until you get to the Waypoints page. If the Waypoints page is disabled in Page Order (default from factory), then press MENU button, use the UP/DOWN rocker pad to select Waypoints, then press ENTER.
Using the Waypoint Page
This page is used to display user entered waypoints. To display your geocaches, see the Geocaches Page.
These screenshots show the waypoints sorted by Name:
To sort by Distance, press MENU, and select "Switch to Sort By Distance", then press ENTER. The list will now be sorted by Distance:
To switch back to by Name, press MENU, select "Switch to Sort by Name", and press ENTER. The list will now be sorted by Name again.
NOTE: Starting with Firmware 2.6 RTM, the number of waypoints is now displayed (16 in the screenshot below):
How is Bearing and Distance Calculated?
As each waypoint is selected using the UP/DOWN rocker pad, the bearing and distance is displayed at the bottom of the screen. It is very important to remember that the displayed values are not always from your Current Position!!!
If not from your Current Position, then from where?
If you are in Pan Mode on the Map page, then press MENU, select Waypoints, and press ENTER. Then the bearing and distance will be from the location of the cursor.
NOTE: You can only reach the Waypoints page as described above if Waypoints is disabled on the Page Order page.
Example: In the left screenshot, the Map page is centered on my current position and we are not in Pan Mode. I then pressed MENU, selected Waypoints, and pressed ENTER. As you can see the Waypoints page is showing 3CrksHC at a bearing of 276° and a distance of 16.69 miles.
Next I went back to the Map page and using the RIGHT rocker pad, I entered Pan Mode by moving the cursor East by 10.25 miles. I then went back to the Waypoints page by pressing MENU, selecting Waypoints, and pressing ENTER. As you can see, 3CrksHC is now at a bearing of 274° and a distance of 26.90 miles.
If not in Pan Mode, then the bearing and distance is from the center of the Map Page.
Example: A small twist on the example above. I've gone to the Page Order page and enabled Waypoints. This means to access the Waypoints page, I must use the PAGE button or the QUIT button. I can no longer access it with the MENU button.
So, we start as before, Map page centered on current position in pan mode with the cursor 10.25 miles to the East (left sreenshot). But this time I must press the PAGE button to access the Waypoints page. As you can see, waypoint 3CrksHC is back to a bearing of 276° and a distance of 16.69 miles.
Why the difference? When accessing the Waypoints page from MENU, the Map page remains in pan mode and the bearing/distance is calculated from the cursor. When accessing the Waypoints page with the PAGE (or QUIT) button, as soon as you press either button, pan mode is terminated. And as stated above, if not in pan mode the bearing/distance is always calculated based on the position at the center of the Map page.
How is knowing this important?
Take a look at this example. We start as before, Map page centered on our current position, then we go to the Waypoints page. Because the Map page was centered on our current position, the bearing/distance values are correct (276° at 16.69 miles). Next, press ENTER. This will display information about the selected waypoint (in this example, 3CrksHC). Now, select the View button (which is actually selected by default) using the rocker pad and then press ENTER. This will display the waypoint on the Map page, with the waypoint at the center of the map. Now press QUIT twice. This will return us to the Waypoints page. What is the bearing/distance now?
What Happened? Why is the bearing/distance 0° at 0.00 ft?
Because the Map page is now centered on waypoint 3CrksHC, ALL bearing and distance values will be based on this position! If you scroll through the list of waypoints, you will see that they are now all based on the position of 3CrksHC.
Using the FIND/SEARCH will have the same effect if you select a find result and then choice to view it on the Map page. Again, this is because all bearing/distance values are based on the center of the Map page.
Example: We start as before, Map page is centered on our current position and we then go to the Waypoints page. Next, I pressed the FIND button and did a search for POI's in Oklahoma. I then selected Altus AFB and pressed ENTER, selected View and pressed ENTER again. At this point, the Map page is displayed with Altus AFB at the center of the page. I then pressed QUIT until I was back to the Waypoints page. And as expected, all bearing/distance value are now based the location of Altus AFB.
Enough about Bearing and Distance.....
Deleting all Waypoints
To delete all waypoints, press the MENU button and select "Delete All Waypoints", then press ENTER. This will display the Manage Memory page with "Delete All Waypoints" selected by default. If you really want to delete them, press ENTER. Otherwise, press QUIT.
Deleting By Symbol
To delete waypoints by symbol, press the MENU button and select "Delete By Symbol", then press ENTER. This will display the Waypoint Symbols page. Use the UP/DOWN rocker pad to select a symbol type. Use the ENTER button to select/un-select the symbol types you want to delete. Then select Delete and press ENTER.
Displaying Information about A Waypoint
With the Waypoints page displayed, use the UP/DOWN rocker pad to select a waypoint, then press ENTER. This will display the information about the selected waypoint.
NOTE: To move quickly through the list of waypoints, use the IN and OUT buttons to scroll through a page at a time.
Three action buttons are also displayed:
- Delete -This button is used to delete the waypoint.
- View -This button is used to view the waypoint on the Map page.
- Route -This button is used for creating a route to the waypoint.
If you press the MENU button, there are some additional actions:
- View Comment Details - This option displays a Comment page
- Delete Waypoint - This option allows you to delete the waypoint. This has the same effect as using the Delete button.
- Move to GPS Location - This option can be used to set/move the position of the waypoint to the current position.
- Average Waypoint - This option allows you to average the waypoint position over time.
Editing a waypoint
Each data field of a waypoint can be changed by using the rocker pad to select the field and then the ENTER. Once done making changes to the field, press ENTER again to save the changes or QUIT to abort any changes.
Changing the Symbol: After pressing ENTER, a list of symbols is displayed. Use the rocker pad to select the desired symbol, then press ENTER.
Symbol Type: There are two types of symbols: Waypoint and Geocache. The symbol type determines whether a marked location is saved on the Waypoints page or the Geocaches page. So, if you try to change a waypoint symbol to a geocache symbol type, then you will receive the following message:
If you really want to change the waypoint into a geocache, use the rocker pad to select "Yes" and press ENTER.
The following are Waypoint symbols:
The following are Geocache symbols:
Changing the Label or Name of the Waypoint: After pressing ENTER, a virtual keyboard is displayed. Use this keyboard to edit the label.
Changing the Coordinates: After pressing ENTER, use the rocker pad to change the value. Press ENTER when done.
Changing the Elevation: After pressing ENTER, use the rocker pad to change the value. Press ENTER when done.
Changing the Time: After pressing ENTER, use the rocker pad to change the value. Press ENTER when done.
Changing the Date: After pressing ENTER, use the rocker pad to change the value. Press ENTER when done.
Changing the Comment: After pressing ENTER, a virtual keyboard is displayed. Use this keyboard to edit the label.
To navigate to a waypoint, select Route and press ENTER. This will display the Route Creation Page. For more information on how to create a route, see the Routes Page. Once you have your route created, select Navigate and press ENTER.
The last piece of information needed by the PN-40 is do you want to Drive or Hike the route. Selecting Drive will instruct the PN-40 to use roads to get you from your starting point to your ending point. Selecting Hike will instruct the PN-40 to create a straight line to each point in your route (think "as the crow flies" routing).
After selecting Drive or Hike, press ENTER, a Route Calculating dialog will now appear. If you selected Drive, the calculation can take a few seconds or several minutes. If you selected Hike, the calculation is normally done within a few seconds.
Once the route has been calculated, the PN-40 will automatically display the Map page with the calculated route shown.
If a route can not be calculated, an error message will be displayed:
Firmware Version 2.7 Waypoint Management
Firmware v2.7 includes waypoint file management features. This allows you to save and load waypoints to and from .GPX files on the SD card. This feature also works in a limited manner with geocaches. In a nutshell, you can save internal memory to a .GPX file. Later you can reload internal memory from the .GPX file. The file includes waypoints and geocaches, but not routes or tracks. Firmware v2.7 does include track management as a separate feature. The number of .GPX files you can save depends only (as far as we know) on the amount of memory available on the SD card.
You can also copy a .GPX file directly from your computer to the SD card. Later, you can load the .GPX file into internal memory. This works only for waypoints, not for geocaches. The unit does not understand the Groundspeak extensions which contain geocache information. If you do load a .GPX file containing caches, the caches will appear as waypoints and will lack all of the descriptive information.
The unit remembers the name of the last .GPX file which was saved or loaded into memory. The unit tries to keep the contents of internal memory and the file in synch by prompting you when you power up or down. For example, if you mark new waypoints (which go into internal memory), the unit will prompt you to save the changes to the file on the SD card when you power down. Similarly, if you replace the current file by copying from your PC, the unit will not prompt you to reload from the SD card the next time you power up. In both cases, you can choose to perform the action or to cancel it.
It is important to understand that the unit does not merge the contents of internal memory with the file. If you load from a file, the entire contents of internal memory is replaced with the contents of the file. If you save to a file, the contents of internal memory replaces the entire contents of the file. Failure to understand how this works will eventually cause you to lose data!
The .GPX files are stored in the "gpx" directory on the SD card.
File Menu
File management is available by pressing MENU on the Waypoints page. Beginning with firmware v2.7, you will see a new File... option.
Use the rocker to select File..., then press ENTER. This displays the file management menu.
Briefly, these options do the following:
- New Clears internal memory and creates a new, automatically named .GPX file on the SD card. If you have loaded custom forms (using DeLorme professional GIS software), you can also choose the form to be used to enter waypoint data. The new file becomes the current .GPX file.
- Open Allows you to select an existing .GPX file whose contents will replace the contents of internal memory. The file you select becomes the current file.
- Save Replaces the contents of the current .GPX file with the contents of internal memory.
- Save As... Allows you to enter a .GPX file name and then saves the contents of internal memory to the named file. The named file becomes the current .GPX file.
Beginning with firmware v2.7, the name of the current .GPX file is displayed at the top of the waypoint list, along with the number of waypoints.
New
To clear internal memory and create a new .GPX file, use the rocker to select New, then press ENTER. The next screen allows you to select the form to be used to enter waypoint information. Unless you have loaded additional forms using DeLorme professional GIS software, you have only one option.
Use the rocker to select the form you want to use, then press ENTER. This clears all waypoints and geocaches from internal memory and creates an automatically named .GPX file. (You will be given the opportunity to change the file name when you use the Save or Save As command.) The unit then displays the empty waypoint list.
Note well: The form selection screen is your last chance to cancel the operation by pressing QUIT. Once you press ENTER to select the form, all waypoints and geocaches are deleted from internal memory without further prompting.
Also note that there is (what appears to be) a bug in the use of the default form. Comments appear to be lost when you reload from a .gpx file which was created with the New command. Using the New command in preparation for data exchange with the computer is a bad idea.
This sequence of operations reproduces the problem.
- Create a file with the New command.
- Mark a waypoint, give it comment, save it.
- Use the Save command to save the .gpx file.
- Use the Open command to reload the .gpx file.
- View the waypoint and note that your comment has disappeared.
Open
To replace the contents of internal memory with the contents of an existing .GPX file, use the rocker to select Open, then press ENTER. This displays a list of .GPX files currently on the SD card (in the "gpx" folder).
To open a file, use the rocker to select it, then press ENTER. To cancel the operation, press QUIT.
If the you have made changes to internal memory which you have not saved to the current .GPX file, you will be prompted to save or discard those changes before the newly selected file is loaded. However, if you have not made any changes, the newly selected file is loaded immediately.
I was unable to get a screenshot of this prompt. The text reads "Do you want to save changes to the waypoint file?" followed by the file name. To save changes and load the newly selected file, use the rocker to select the Save button, then press ENTER. To discard the changes and load the newly selected file, use the rocker to select the Discard button, then press ENTER. To cancel opening the newly selected file, use the rocker to select the Canel button, then press ENTER.
Save
To replace the contents of the current .GPX file with the contents of internal memory, use the rocker to select Save, then Press ENTER. The unit does this immediately, with no further prompting.
Save As...
To save the contents of internal memory to a new file with a name that you select, use the rocker to select Save As..., then press ENTER. This displays a screen with an automatically generated .GPX file name.
To save with the automatically generated name, use the rocker to select the Save button, then press ENTER. To cancel the operation, use the rocker to select the Cancel button, then press ENTER. To change the file name, use the rocker to highlight the automatically generated file name, then press ENTER. This opens the virtual keyboard.
Use the virtual keyboard to change the file name as desired. When you are satisfied, use the rocker to select OK, then press ENTER. To actually save the file with the selected name, use the rocker to select the Save button, then press ENTER. To cancel the operation, use the rocker to select the Cancel button, then press ENTER.
Powering Down
Using the file menu changes the power down sequence in some cases. If you have a current .GPX file //and// you have made changes to internal memory which have not yet been saved, you will be prompted to save those changes when you attempt to power down.
To save the changes, use the rocker to select the Yes button, then press ENTER. To discard the changes, use the rocker to select the No button, then press ENTER. At that point, you will be prompted to press ENTER to power down.
Discarding changes at this point does not change internal memory. In particular, the unit //does not// reload internal memory from the current .GPX file when you next power up. However, you will never again be prompted to save those particular changes.
Note well: Most of us are in the habit of pressing the power button, pressing ENTER once, and immediately stowing the unit. If you do this when there are unsaved changes, the ENTER will serve to save your changes. But the unit will remain powered up because you have not pressed ENTER again to confirm that you want to power down. Hard on the batteries.
Powering Up
Using the file menu changes the power up sequence in some cases. If you have a current .GPX file //and// you change that file from the computer, you will be prompted to reload the changed file when you next power up.
To replace the contents of internal memory with the changed contents of the file, use the rocker to select the Yes button, then press ENTER. To ignore the changes (leaving internal memory in its current state), use the rocker to select the No button, then press ENTER.
If you elect to ignore the changes, you will be prompted each time you power up until you either elect to reload the file or you change to a different file through Open or Save As...
Change detection appears to be based on the date of the .GPX file on the SD card, not on the actual contents of the file. For example, pulling up the file in Notepad then saving it back to the SD card (without making any changes) is sufficient to trigger the prompt on the next power up.
Firmware v2.7 and Geocaching
As noted above, you cannot copy a .GPX file containing caches from the PC to the SD card and successfully load the cache information from that file. To save multiple .GPX files containing cache information, you must proceed as follows.
- Load your cache information (for example, the .GPX files which make up a pocket query) into GSAK or Topo 8.
- Delete all waypoints and caches from the unit.
- Transfer the caches //directly// to the unit using GSAK or Topo 8.
- Use the Save As... option on the file menu to save internal memory to a .GPX file on the SD card.
- Wash, rinse, repeat with each group of caches.
In theory, you should be able to do the same thing with Cache Register. However, if the cache information contains any characters which the unit cannot display, Cache Register replaces such characters with a special character. That character is illegal in XML (which is what is contained in the .GPX file). As a result, any attempt to reload such a .GPX file will fail. When you try to do so, caches and/or waypoints which appear in the file after the first one which contains an illegal character will not be loaded. As a result, it is best not to mix Cache Register and firmware v2.7.
If you are a GSAK user, Hynr has a great macro for PN-30/40 users. It splits a large database into geographic tiles each containing less than 1000 waypoints. It exports each tile to a separate .GPX file which you can place directly on the SD card. From there, you can load it into internal memory using the Open command. The number of caches you can place on the unit is limited only by the available space on the SD card. The macro has other features which will appeal to advanced users. Get it here.
