Route

Creating a route manuallyThe easiest way to create a route manually, on many units, is to use the "mark" key to mark the route as you are traveling. The menu that appears when the "mark" key is depressed includes an entry called "add to route __". If this entry is filled in then the new waypoint will be automatically added to the end of the numbered route, if there is room. The route number is remembered so the next time you can easily repeat the process. Just press mark at the appropriate point and then hit enter to save the waypoint and add it to the route. The waypoint name will be a unique sequential number. I would recommend a tape recorder or one of these new digital recorders be used to note the location referenced to the waypoint number. Later when you are not so busy driving, hiking, or sailing, you can return to these waypoints and rename them to something more meaningful.

The advantages of creating a route this way are that you can pick exactly the points where decisions need to be made. Also the waypoints you make will be tagged with the time you made them which can be useful it determining average speed and other trip history data. Note the newest units that store altitude with the waypoint do not have comments or store the time the waypoint was created.

Creating a route from a paper mapIf you have a map that includes lat/lon numbers or utm numbers then you can create a route using the exact same technique described above, if your units supports this (Most older non-mapping receivers do.). Place the unit in simulation mode, select the grid system that matches your map, select the datum that matches your map, and then go to the position screen. You should find that you can edit the positions on the position screen directly using the simulation mode. Use the cursor keys to highlight the position data and hit enter to select it. (If your unit doesn't support this then you will not be able to use this technique.) Once you have entered the data for the location hit the mark key as above and edit the screen to fill in the appropriate data. Repeat for each waypoint in the route.

If you have a scaled map but no grid or would rather not enter all of those coordinate then you can use the following technique to create a route.

1. You must have an actual coordinate for the first point in the route. You can create this first waypoint from a map containing the coordinates or by actually visiting the location. If you only have coordinates for the corner of the map then you can create a temporary waypoint using that corner that will be removed later. Create this waypoint. (See the chapter on waypoints to create this if you don't know how.)
2. Select the route menu item from the main menu and create a new route page.On the G-III family you select a new route page by picking it off the local menu. You could use the active route page for this if you wish since it is always present and is designed to be used for planning purposes. The emap and etrex can only reach the route page from the main menu.On other Garmin units - To select a new route highlight the route number, hit enter, and use the up/down arrow keys to find a number that is not in use. Hit enter again and move to the first route point entry.
3. Hit enter on the blank routepoint line. You will be allowed to enter the name for the first routepoint, pick the name of the waypoint you entered above. (Or use the local menu if you have a menu key.)
4. Bring up the route menu again and select review waypoint on this waypoint name. This will bring up the waypoint editing screen with the waypoint selected.
5. Select NEW and fill in the new name you want. Fill in the REF: field with the name of the earlier waypoint. Using a ruler and protractor enter the distance and bearing under the reference keyword. You will have to scale the map to real numbers based on your current unit preferences. A calculator or set of dividers can be of use here. Selecting DONE will create this new waypoint as a projection of the information of the earlier point.
6. Repeat these steps for each waypoint you wish to create for the route.

http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/routes.htm

Thanks

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Techygirl