Quantum GIS – using a USB GPS device

In reposnse to an email question on the TZGISUG list “I am trying to get my Garmin GPS etrex Vista HCx to communicate with Quantum GIS through my pc with window 7. I will appreciate your comments and tips on how to get this working. Mtemi H. Miya M.Sc.”:

First of all, check the following:

• Your GPS communicates with your PC normally, e.g. using MapSource, Google Earth or GPS Utility.
• You have the “GPS Tools” plug-in for Q-GIS.
• You have GPS Babel installed (I THINK this happens as part of the Q-GIS installation).

In GPS Tools, the default GPS device is a Garmin serial connection; so if you have a serial cable and connector, you’re in luck. However, most of us now have USB cables, which complicates matters. You need to define a new GPS device in GPS Tools, as follows:

• GPS Device > Edit devices > New device >
• Name = Garmin USB (or whatever name you want)
• In the following six command lines, paste in the following (user-friendly, eh?!)

1. %babel -w -i garmin -f usb: -o gpx -F %out
2. %babel -w -i gpx -f %in -o garmin -F usb:
3. %babel -r -i garmin -f usb: -o gpx -F %out
4. %babel -r -i gpx -f %in -o garmin -F usb:
5. %babel -t -i garmin -f usb: -o gpx -F %out
6. %babel -t -i gpx -f %in -o garmin -F usb:

• Update device > Close

Then still in GPS Tools:

• Set the GPS Device to the new one you’ve just made (in this case, Garmin USB)
• Specify the new filename and new layer name. This is where I got stuck for ages! If there is a space in the file name or path name, you’ll get an error message ? This isn’t documented anywhere. So, avoid the desktop, my documents, etc, and check the full path has no spaces.
• Finally click OK. And hope for the best!