# Back up for waypoints



## riverboy (Mar 20, 2002)

I have a older GPS, the Garmin GPS12. After not using it in a few years I have discovered all my waypoints are gone! Is there a way to back these waypoints up via computer? I would hate to mark all my hotspots this winter and have them gone again next year. 

Anyone want to help a guy out with some cordinates to hot spots on The Saginaw Bay, Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, Lake St. Helen, and Wixom Lake? I dont want all of your hotspots just the ones I lost!


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## krt (Nov 5, 2001)

On the internet there's a site easygps.com. They let you download a free program that allows you to transfer waypoints to and from your gps & computer among other things. Use the help menu for intructions on how to use it after the download. 
I went to the Garmin web site to upgrade the software in my GPS and it told me that this would delete all my info. stored and that I should back it up. Talk about easy. One click of a button and it was on my computer, then after my software update with one more click all of my waypoints were back on my gps!


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## Deadbuck (Oct 29, 2003)

Riverboy dont go buying a new gps. I have the same unit and still use it to its up most capacity. I love mine. With this program I am about to tell you about you will be able to do more than you dreamed of. The program is calledTopo by Natl Geographic. The price is high, but it will be worth it once you learn how to use the program and realize how much it will help you with every outdoor activity that you do. The program is sold by State or USA. I have both. Get the state for sure. I dont use the USA version much. State ran me $99.00 bucks. It is a 4 cd set. They sell it at many of the big outdoor stores. Cableas,Gander Mountain etcLet me summarize just what can be done with this program and your gps. All of this can be uploaded to your PC or downloaded to your gps in seconds. The files are very small and are shared by e-mail very easily. 

1.	Store unlimited number of waypoints. I can delete all the waypoints in my gps and download new ones/old ones whenever I want. If I am rabbit hunting. I load my rabbit hunting waypoints that I stored on my PC from previous outings. OR deer hunting or fishing. Whatever. This way I dont have to scroll through a bunch of waypoints that dont pertain to what I am doing. It is a very easy procedure.
2.	View your track that you walked on a map. Say you want to figure out how the deer are moving through the area you are hunting. Walk the deer trails in the summer and fall. When you get back home download your track that you walked into the program. Now you can see where you walked on a topographical map, see how the deer are moving through the area, and where the trails intersect. You can then make a waypoint on the map where you want to hunt based on what you see on the map. Download that into you gps and hunt a spot that you never even been to before. Another good use is. Say you are drift fishing. All of the sudden you start catching fish. Mark that spot right away. When the fish stop biting. Start up the boat. Look on your gps and go the same spot that you started drifting at before and do the exact same drift. Because you can see your track on the gps itself.
3.	Find the easiest route to walk. Before you ever set foot in the woods you can (using the program) draw a line on the topo map. The path that you want to walk. Then with 2 clicks of the mouse. Build an elevation profile of that line that you drew. This way you can find the saddles to walk or all high points, whatever you are looking for. This line that you have drawn can be converted into a route that can be uploaded into your gps.
4.	Find property boundary lines. There is a bit of a trick to this one. Using a plot map you can draw property boundary lines on the topo map. (Which can be uploaded in to your gps) Now you know exactly where state and private land starts and ends. With the use of a laptop/gps/and this program. You can hook up your gps and track your movement a crossed the map. Live, while you move. How many people want to know where state land meets up to some farmers crop field? It takes some time to checkout all these boundaries, but you got all summer for that doing it this way. With some time you can do something similar with a lake map. Find that channel or ledge on a lake and go fish a high percentage spot without ever being on that lake before.

These things are just to name a few things that can be done, but if this is all you use it for you will reap great rewards. Take the time to figure out how to use every feature on your gps and this program and you will be figuring out new ways to use your gps too. Are you excited yet???


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## riverboy (Mar 20, 2002)

you bet Im excited!!!! Thanks for the info!!

I just got the cord that hooks to the CPU. I need to download some software and I'll try backing up some waypoints!

I gonna look into that topo software as well. Sounds very interesting.


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