Data Hacking

174 Part III — Data Hacking
The great thing about tools that can retrieve data off your GPS is that they also enable you to
create new data for upload to the GPS. This is invaluable for planning trips. For example, it is
much easier to create a route as of a set of waypoints on the PC than using the interface provided
by most GPS receivers. In addition, your PC provides you with access to more information
(digital maps perhaps, or Internet resources) to make planning easier. You can generally accomplish
more in an hour of waypoint and route management on a PC than you can with several
hours using the GPS. The more data you have to work with, the more vital the PC or handheld
device becomes. Errors are dramatically reduced too, which means that your trip will be a safer
one. Remember that when you are creating data, you need access to reasonably accurate information
on the coordinates of items, for which you will need access to maps — either paper maps
or, better still, digital mapping applications.
One of the easiest ways to get this information is to use free applications. Many are available,
but we will examine two of the best:
EasyGPS
G7toWin
EasyGPS
EasyGPS (shown in Figure 8-12) is a free software tool that enables you to work with data
stored in Garmin, Magellan, and Lowrance GPS units. EasyGPS is one of the easiest ways to
work with the data on your GPS receiver. You can download the latest copy of EasyGPS from
www.easygps.com.
FIGURE 8-12: EasyGPS