using Google Earth for off-road navigation

[troyboy162]

I've been using this for a long time now and I feel that it is a huge improvement over existing offroad GPS systems and cheaper by a long shot. Feel free to ask any questions and I will try to answer them. Also if you want a particular trail in Google Earth format...chances are I have it and I would more then happy to share it with you. P.S topomap overlays are avalible for Google Earth for all you map gurus, but once you go SAT image, you'll never go back :)

1.find a suitable laptop.
- must be able to run Google Earth with reasonable ease.
- long battery run time or use a inverter to power the lappy in the car
- alternately you can find a power supply that runs off 12 dc

2.buy a GPS reciver for your laptop
- find one with “SiRF Star III GPS chipset” or better
http://www.amazon.com/BU-353-GlobalSat-WaterProof-Receiver-SiRF/dp/B000V5TV22/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1270438689&sr=8-2
- install drivers for GPS receiver

3.download and install the free version of Google Earth
http://earth.google.com/

4.download and install Goops
- buying program will allow you to log longer tracks without the occasional purging you will otherwise need to do
http://goopstechnologies.com/
- become familiar with the Goops options page and the main “zoom/rotate/tilt” buttons

5.cache all the required Sat images for your trip.
- ensure Google Earth cache size is set to 2000MB http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2005/08/offline_google.html
- simply browse each area in Google Earth that you intent to visit with the desired level of zoom for the detail you will need.
- alternately make a Google Earth path for the area you intend to travel and use the play function to preview your path and auto download exactly what you need.
- figure in any optional areas and emergency escape routes

6.Disconnect from the internet and confirm you have all the images needed for your trip
- repeat step 5 until satisfied with step 6

7.test run your setup
- start windows and plug in GPS receiver
- start Goops program. Google Earth should automatically start and begin showing your location if there is no issues with your configuration
- drive around the block and confirm everything is working
- adjust Goops options to best serve your needs
- turning off options will generaly ease the strain on an older laptop

8.convert all your favorite GPS tracks to Google Earth tracks
http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/map_input?form=googleearth

9.never be lost or not find a trail again

here is an example of tracks using this these programs. this is wandering around calico without ploting a path before hand and just using sat images to navaigate. dont mind the multi colored lines. its a feature that attempts to make the path show average speed by color. it dosnt work well when you are going .5-15 mph all day haha.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww234/troyboy162/GE.jpg

[Erich_870]

Great post! Thanks for sharing :thumbup:

I love using Google Earth to review my tracks from hunting and scouting trips.

Erich

[Scuba]

There must have been some bad weather over in the sandbox :P

Thanks for the write up :)

[troyboy162]

its actually a post i had on a jeep forum and i thought i had already posted a how-to here but i searched and couldn't find any i had posted....so this is long overdue on here. theres some other guides on the internet but they are outdated at this point and mention programs that are not available or obsolete

also i should note two other programs that should work but i havnt used them:

the garmin pc program - very good program and able to emulate at least the functions of the high end hand helds and probably much more. it costs money but it seems pretty dang nice

nasa world wind- you have to use the virtual earth plugin and another plugin for gps but it has the huge advantage of unlimited caching of satellite images. unfortunately it has little or no functionality other then showing you the point you are on the earth.

[troyboy162]

abandoned the WorldWind idea at this time due to the sat image plugin no longer working for me.

in other news ive finally learned how to use a nice free cache program(google voyager V6.0) with google earth and i think i can easily manage mutliple cache files with reg files. ill report back if everything works as slick as i think it will.

the cons will be:
-very large cache files. ex just the big bear region may be well over 2gb
-setup of folders and reg files will be a pain to establish
-caching all your wheeling areas will take hours, but its a one time deal

the pros:
-on the trail use will be one icon to set your cache and one icon to start goops/google earth. so basicaly two button clicks :)
-caching your wheeling areas is a set it and forget it operation due to google earth voyager


edit: ive tested it out and it works pretty good. the only bad thing is 2gb of cache dosnt cover much at the highest detail. for instance i got all of calico and the surounding mtns (basicaly the east end of barstow all the way to coyote dry lake bed) to fit but thats it. i had hoped to cover all of big bear in one, but it will take more like 3 caches to cover from arrowhead to rattlesnake canyon

this is how the reg files are made

stock:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Earth Plus]
"CachePath"="C:\\Users\\Troy\\AppData\\LocalLow\\Google\\Google Earth"

modified:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Earth Plus]
"CachePath"="C:\\multicache\\calico"

[troyboy162]

i can no longer recommend google earth for off-road (offline) use. it has let me down twice now and i dont know if its the newest version giving issues or just a setting with my computer or just plain user error. either way if my friend hadnt been there with a traditional hand held GPS we would had to find the trail the old fashion and slow way

[Crinale]

and even slower way when the trail is covered in that much snow :P

[Scuba]

i can no longer recommend google earth for off-road (offline) use. it has let me down twice now and i dont know if its the newest version giving issues or just a setting with my computer or just plain user error. either way if my friend hadnt been there with a traditional hand held GPS we would had to find the trail the old fashion and slow way


Scuba saves the day!!!

I need to run the trail dry so I can make sure to get the RIGHT track on my damn GPS. That was really annoying how it was off.

[oly884]

i can no longer recommend google earth for off-road (offline) use. it has let me down twice now and i dont know if its the newest version giving issues or just a setting with my computer or just plain user error. either way if my friend hadnt been there with a traditional hand held GPS we would had to find the trail the old fashion and slow way


What exactly happened? Were the maps wrong/incorrect or did the GPS not work well with it?

[troyboy162]

just cache issues. sometimes it gets into a fit where it will not load "my places" or show any images. it needs a connection to the google servers to come out of the funk. twice ive set everything up the night before only to have this happen at the trail head. i dont have a smart phone to tether so its useless until i get home. its a bummer... at the time i originally posted the how-to it was really the cats ass as far as gps, but one failure and its all for nothing out on the trail.

[oly884]

just cache issues. sometimes it gets into a fit where it will not load "my places" or show any images. it needs a connection to the google servers to come out of the funk. twice ive set everything up the night before only to have this happen at the trail head. i dont have a smart phone to tether so its useless until i get home. its a bummer... at the time i originally posted the how-to it was really the cats ass as far as gps, but one failure and its all for nothing out on the trail.


Ah, good to know! Thanks for sharing the info as I was going to get my laptop setup for it!

I've been fairly pleased with both: http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtdItemDetail.jsp?item=31065&section=10121

and: http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtdItemDetail.jsp?item=30465&section=10742

And it works quite well with my setup:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/oly884/th_4874078569_1d07be8bcb_b.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/oly884/?action=view&current=4874078569_1d07be8bcb_b.jpg)