Lowrance HDS importing/ exporting waypoints help please

 Hey all

Am having some issues putting some waypoints into a both a HDS8m Gen 1 and HDs12m Gen2 touch plotters. Ive spend a lot of hours trying to figure this out, and assume Im going wrong somewhere along the way, but cant work out where- am experiencing different issues with both models on the HDS. Any help would be greatly appreciated…

1) HDS8M Gen 1ssues: We have an excel document with a fair few spots on it. I converted it to the following format (S24° 44.372' E113° 12.539' ) and saved in CSV format. I then have used the trial version Expertgps to convert this to a .usr file (the type the HDS like apparently). I then put the .usr file on a SD card and tried to load it into the HDS8m Gen1 through the usual means (utilities > files > .usr file > import). The .usr file then shows in the “my files” section- see first pic below). So it seems like it has been done.

But, when I go to my waypoints list, none of the marks show up in the list. Am I missing a simple step? Or is the CSV-.USR conversion through ExpertGPS the issue? Or perhaps the coordinates format Im using is wrong (even through it seems to successfully convert them to USR?)

And

2)When I try to import the spots (using the .usr file to the HDS12mGen2, it allows me to import the marks and they show in the waypoint list, but the details are blank (coodinates etc just listed as 00.000.000 etc- see the 2nd pic belowion 4 versions of the file to put them onto both GPSs thinking that might be the issue, but its not working with either

The more I play with them, I think I must have stuffed something up in the conversion of them, but the fact that both units have different issues with the file seems strange.

Or, maybe much better still (and would hopefully solve ALL the issues- if anyone could recommend to me a process that can get the spots from an excel document (either .xls or .csv file) in the S22° 23.372’ E113° 15.559' format onto both the HDS8Gen1 and HDS12gen2, I would be very much appreciated

Thanks heaps in advance. Ill owe whoever helps me a 6 pack at least!

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sarcasm0's picture

Posts: 1396

Date Joined: 25/06/09

Is it that expertgps trial version

Sat, 2016-03-19 20:13

 Does not actually allow you to export the points? I did some googling, but it was not clear that the trial vers is functional or jus demonstrates its capabilities?

Otherwise it may be the CSV format.  CSV stands for comma separated values so if the excel file is exported as *.CSV it may insert commas into the output *.usr format making the points unuseable? I couldnt find a help doco for the export process in expert gps but I know people who use GPSBabel, maybe try that?

Bryan

Posts: 46

Date Joined: 07/07/14

 Having a wild guess here. I

Sat, 2016-03-19 21:09

 Having a wild guess here.

 

I am a bushfire vollie and whenever we request a spot weather forecast we use -34.56 (or whatever) to represent latitude. Might be something as simple as that.

 

Logitutude is 117.67 (whatever).

 

Might be worth seeing if you can upload  a single waypoint using that arrangement.

 

Sometimes longshots come off...................

Posts: 88

Date Joined: 07/12/13

Sounds silly

Mon, 2016-03-21 10:28

But you have to work backwards to get the right format. I used GPS Babel. It all depends where the commas are in your original input file. As Sarcasmo said they are just numbers and letters separated by a comma, If your original file generated by excel has additional commas, spaces, symbols,charactors or the commas are in the wrong spot no matter what output format you use in expert gps it will not work.

The fail safe way is to work backwards. Save a point in your gps (this will be your correct final output) in usr format. Convert it with expert gps to a CSV file and open it as a text file. You will see all the commas/numbers/text. Open your file exported from excel (CSV) as a text file and make sure the format is exactly the same. If it isn't it's the reason you are getting messed up data (no coordinates etc.) In excel you can specify the output format where the commas will be placed. Make them the same as your points saved in your gps and converted and it should be sweet.

Steve.  

Posts: 108

Date Joined: 14/05/13

Formatting??

Wed, 2016-03-30 16:29

If you have changed the value by formatting the cells it will not work as the number in the background remains the same. Will PM