Feature Requests: Preview: Garmin GPS Web upload

We've just released a preview version of the new web-based Garmin GPS upload tool.  Now, instead of download, installing, and running a separate piece of software, you can upload you route data directly from any compatible Garmin GPS directly from the website.

 To access the new tool, select "Import->from Garmin GPS" from the route creation page.

 Remember however, that we did say preview...there still seem to be some kinks when using the tool with Internet Explorer.  We're working with Garmin to clear this up, but in the meantime Firefox users should be able to enjoy this.

 As always, we welcome your feedback here.

Hey Jeff Thanks Sounds Great. I Run with the 305 I'm going to have to try that!!!!

Jeff,

This is a great tool and I use it all the time so here's my uncritical kink feedback to help you make what is a great site even better. Please don't see this as criticism, just the obsevations of a beta tester, and let's face it why test if you don't discover things that could be improved on!

I have actually posted this on the help section, but now think this might be the right thread.

1. As mentioned by another user, community discussion 1104, the device is found, the data uploaded but no map produced. As per my reply to that question I have a work around that works, and as well as looking forward to a fix am intreged to know why my work around it works!

2. As per my post  discussion 1096, the distance is not the same as either what's recorded on the edge or my computer which are both close so i think they are right. is this because the follow the road feature isn't applied to uploaded data, as close inspection of the route shows that whilst it's a very close approximation of the route, and serves for embedding on our blog :

cessenoncycling.blogspot.com 

the route is not as per the ride and the edge obviously does have the info and waypoints(?) stored. I wonder if the elevation is also out for the same reason. I have no way of challenging that other than I know on my last ride my toatlly climbing given the ups and downs had to be more than that stated.

I hope this is received in the spirit it is sent and look forward to your response. I have multiple profiles, listed below, in order to differentiate between the types of rides we do, tandem, MTB, solos and me on my own and will be ahppy to supply any info you need tokeep improving this great site.

keith.aitchison@gmail.com

Tandem, solos,mountainbike, keithalone 

I used this feature for months on my windows box and I LOVE it.  I love how you just plug in your watch and bam what you just ran is on the map!!!

 I recently got a new Mac that I use as my main computer and the GPS upload no longer works.  The garmin plugin now works for the mac (as tested on garmins site and motion based) but I am antsy to be able to use it here (my favorite tracking/mapping runs site).  I wonder if it is just checking and seeing that it's not windows/firefox and not even trying if that plugin would work now.

I found a post saying this feature would be updated a few months ago, so I am hoping it is in the works :)

All-

I have added Garmin Import support to the new beta version of our route engine (see here).  

Now Internet Explorer and Mac users should be able to use this feature.  Note that Macs support us currently untested, so if a Machead can test this and report back I'd really appreciate it.

We have a group dedicated to discussion of the beta, and I encourage Garmin users to join in the conversation.

 jeff

CRosetti-

What types of differences in distance are you seeing?  When we import the data, we calculate distance based on the exact datapoints we get from the device.

On some routes, Garmin's software will interpret the points differently, as multuple "start" and "stop" points, where the distance doesn't accumulate.  For this case, I would expect the mileage you see here to be slightly higher than what you see in Garmin's Training Center.

Can you link me to a route that shows an example of the distance discrepency so I can look into this further?

 thanks,

jeff

Jeff,

Just recently joined MapMyRun. This is great. Thank you!

I just tried the Garmin import tool from my Intel-based Mac running 10.5.2 using FireFox and my Forerunner 305. Worked like a charm. I'll try Safari at some point and post the results.

I'm converted! No more paper logs!

Thanks,

Mark

rudyfive:

It's not working for me! I'm using a Mac OS X Leopard and Garmin Forerunner 301 with FireFox. The Beta import goes through the process of reading my garmin, shows percent imported and then ends with 0 routes, 0 points found or something like that. I have 4 workouts stored on it and it's not reading them or processing them properly or at all.

I'm trying to get this program to work, if not I'll still to TrailRunner.

Thanks!

--Rudy Alvarez

The interesting thing is that I tried to use the beta Garmin GPS upload function again today, and I am given a message that says that my browser is not supported to use the Garmin Communication Plug-in. It is installed and running, and I can go to the garmin site, run the test, and see that the plug-in is running. Hmm.

I'm running MacOSX 10.5.2, Firefox 2.0.0.13, and the Garmin plug-in v2.4.10. Also fails using Safari v3.1.

When I tried this the other day, I had also tried using MotionBased right before using MapMyRun. Both were successful using Firefox. I wonder if using the MotionBased upload somehow puts the browser into the right state to work with MapMyRun. Just wondering.

Also updated my Forerunner to v2.80 of firmware tonight.  This might also have something to do with the fact that it worked yesterday and doesn't today. 

Thanks,

Mark

duffetta:

rudyfive:

It's not working for me! I'm using a Mac OS X Leopard and Garmin Forerunner 301 with FireFox. The Beta import goes through the process of reading my garmin, shows percent imported and then ends with 0 routes, 0 points found or something like that. I have 4 workouts stored on it and it's not reading them or processing them properly or at all.

I'm trying to get this program to work, if not I'll still to TrailRunner.

Thanks!

--Rudy Alvarez

The interesting thing is that I tried to use the beta Garmin GPS upload function again today, and I am given a message that says that my browser is not supported to use the Garmin Communication Plug-in. It is installed and running, and I can go to the garmin site, run the test, and see that the plug-in is running. Hmm.

I'm running MacOSX 10.5.2, Firefox 2.0.0.13, and the Garmin plug-in v2.4.10. Also fails using Safari v3.1.

When I tried this the other day, I had also tried using MotionBased right before using MapMyRun. Both were successful using Firefox. I wonder if using the MotionBased upload somehow puts the browser into the right state to work with MapMyRun. Just wondering.

Also updated my Forerunner to v2.80 of firmware tonight.  This might also have something to do with the fact that it worked yesterday and doesn't today. 

Thanks,

Mark

 I figured out what I was doing wrong.  I wasn't actually using the new release of the import tool.  When I do use the new, "beta" release, everything works mostly great for me.  The one issue that I ran into was that the most recent run in my Garmin Forerunner 405 didn't show up on the list of imported workouts.  Not sure what is going on there.

Now just trying to work out what the best workflow is.  What I would like to do is to nightly or every couple of night take my 405 to the computer, download the routes, capture them in the training log.  When doing this I found that the software often didn't always pick up the data going along with my run, such as time, etc.  Also, when importing runs from previous days, saving the run to my training log always assumed that the workout was done on the current day, not the day on which the data was captured.

Any thoughts on how best to work with the new import tool to capture daily workouts into the training log?

Thanks,

Mark

I am also getting frustrated by the difference in what my Garmin 205 says and how it imports into MapMyRun. Yesterday I ran 20 KM and it imported as 19.25 KM. That is 750 meters difference. Which distance do I trust? Did I run 20 K or did I run 19.25 K?

I use MapMyRun religiously and will not change unless I find something just as good that is more accurate.

The above example is just a recent example. None of my runs import at the same distance. NONE. I have tried Firefox and do get the same import distance.

Any suggestions? or do I just suck it up? What distance should I train by? Do I need to run an extra 1 KM just to make sure that I get my distance?

Or is there something wrong with my Garmin?

Steve

Andy-

Thanks for this info, it really helps.  Thanks especially for mentioning the detail about 'every second'- I think that's the key here.  You're right that we do limit the number of data points that are imported per run, but this has never presented a problem in our testing as we always recommend and use 'smart recording'.

If you enable 'smart recording' I think you'll see the distances will line up a lot more closely.  I understand that it may seem backwards, but the data is actually more accurate when smart recording is enabled, because the GPS is saving the data that it knows is relevant.  When 'every second' is the setting, it forces the GPS to save more data than it really needs, and makes is harder to process.

Can you please try changing your GPS setting to 'smart recording' and reporting back if it helps?

thanks,

jeff 

CRosetti:

I'm using the Garmin Edge 305. It imports nicely except for one small detail. The Training Center software entry for the ride and the route MapMyRide show do not agree on the distance.

Given than you are forced to create a map you probablly don't want and then still have to enter data like heart rate directly, I've stopped importing data unless it is a major ride or special route.

So two problems with the import feature:

• distance isn't accurate
• doesn't allow direct import to training log

 

 

Yes, this is my observation as well. I think the logic workflow for the website is different than for motionbased (or how I'd like to see it). mapmytri website let's you create workouts that it assumes you'll be using over and over again. So I could create one that goes around the local footie oval, or a cycle route around a 20km circuit. Then it assumes that when I want to enter data about my workouts, I simply say "I did the local footie oval" or "I did the cycle route".

The way that I use my Edge 305 is to take it with me whenever I'm doing any exercise. And I don't always do the same routines. More often than not I will try new roads to cycle on, or go exploring for 2 hours while jogging. Regardless of where I've gone, I really want to then return home and upload that data as an activity that I performed - and have mapmaytri then add it to my calendar so that I can see that I did it.

Generally speaking, my calendar will get filled with about 20 different thing that I did for a given month - but very few of them will be a set routine. Mapmytri becomes very frustrating when I want to enter each one - it takes a good 20 minutes of fiddling with manual data entry to get all the info in it. In fact, I have to firstly upload the data to any of my other tracking programs or websites, which don't have this limitation. Then I can read the figures for max/avg/min heartrate, pace, speed, etc. off those and manually enter it into mapmytri.

I'd really like to see the workflow changed so that it handles the concept of simply wanting to upload data from the Garmin as an activity that I performed, and store it (along with the derived info on pace, speed, heart rate etc.) in my calendar without forcing me to add it as some sort of new routine (which it usually isn't).

Also, another downside of the current approach is that I'm generating an endless list of near-useless routes that nobody (including me) is ever going to use again. Good for accumulating mapmytri points, but they're not honestly useful to the community, and only serve to increase the noiselevel of routes that people would need to browse through when seeking truely useful routes so re-use.

One other problem I have is that I can never find the feature that lets me enter the # of hours sleep, mood, etc. - it seems to disappear or is on some webpage that I can never locate. When I go looking for it, I can't find it. But occasionally when entering data, I'll see it. I'd like to use it, but it's too sporadic in it's current form.

dir

Hey guys,

  Just wanted to give my input again.  I've found after multiple run imports that the smart recording does do a better job than the every second recording, but curves and turns are still being chopped off.  Mapmyrun is averaging about 0.05 miles short every time for 4 or 5 mile runs.  Really a tiny error but it's in line with others observations on this forum.  And I guess for 30 mile rides it could definitely start to pile up.  Sometimes I will tweak the routes after I imported them to fix the stuff that gets cut off, and gradually the calculated distance rises to that of the Garmin and also SportTracks, which line up very well with Smart Recording.

   I just saw Jeff's post that the upload limit was tweaked, so I'll repost with more observations after I get a couple more runs done and imported.

 Thanks,

  Andy

P.S. - Still an awesome feature!
 

rpetreccajr:For all of you out there using GPS systems to track your mileage - You do know that there is an inherent error rate to any and all GPS systems used, right? And that the GPS systems used for navigation by foot, bike or car are far less accurate and far less expensive than those used for surveying or mapping? Any consumer grade GPS receiver has a positional accuracy of about 15 meters for any given point in a best case scenario. Usage in the canyons of a city, in deep forest cover or anyplace where the horizon is high will decrease the accuracy even more. The amount of time you spend at a point also influences accuracy. Wikipedia has a good technical explanation of this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System#Accuracy_and_error_sources) The other thing to keep in mind when comparing the distance off your GPS with the distance calculated by this site, is that there are errors in the data on this site as well. You are comparing one estimate (distance off the GPS) against another estimate (distance calculated by the site), so don't be surprised that they differ. You guys are talking about estimates that differ by less than 2% sometimes less than 1/2%. I've never had my routes as mapped here match in length what my cyclometer reads. That's OK with me, I believe my cyclometer. I know how closely it is calibrated and it follows my route exactly. It will be accurate to within twice the circumference of the front tire of my bike or about 4.4 meters. Maybe I did have something to say about GPS accuracy after all.

 Hey,

  Yes we all realize that GPS is not 100% accurate, but what we are talking about here is not these inherent inaccuracies, rather the suggestions we have for the feature that allows import from Garmin to Mapmyrun.  If the differences between the Garmin and MMR distances averaged about to about 0, then we would not have much to base our suggestions on.  But from what people are posting, the MMR distance is almost always coming up short, and this statistically suggests a non-random issue that repeatedly happens when importing the data.

Thanks,

  Andy
 

Hi,

 I'm using a Garmin Edge 605. Last week, with the old map version, I was able to export GPX file course to my Garmin (I was using this as a navigation tool).  Now with the New map, this feature seems non-functional.

Any reason why.  

Also, when I try TCX or CRS files, it's useless in my Garmin.  ANy Idea why? 

OK cool!

The GPX export works perfectly now!

 Thanks. 

I haven't successfully directly transfered maps from the watch to mapmayrun.  It sees the watch in the garmin communicator, but stays at 0% for transferred.  I think that is due to the watch being wirelessly connected to the computer.

I made a file conversion tool though to make it possible for me.  If you export your run from Garmin Training Center into a .tcx file...you can use my tool if you like:

 www.michaelrenz.com/tcx/

You simply upload the file, and it'll create a .gpx that mapmyrun can import, and will auto-prompt you to save the file.  I don't mind if others use this while mapmyrun figures out how to make it work automatically.  :)

gavinanderson

2. When I try to add to training log from the map tool, in the stats tab I get an error on the pace field. I can only add in the format 6.42? You can do either from the traning log add.

data entered - 6:42

error - 'avg_pace' must be a valid float value

 

  </quote>

I've been having the same problem. It's only on the new map, so I use the old map. I've tried every variation I can think of, but it just won't take any of them. The old mapping tool still works fine.

First and foremost, thank you so much for creating this site!

 I uploaded y first track to MMR today using the garmin connect tool and I wanted to provide some feedback.  I own a Garmin Edge 305 w/ all the most recent software/flash updates.  When my track was imported, it was very maligned with the map and it did not register that I rode a .8 mile course 10 times (i.e. it did not recognize lap markers).  Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!  I would love to know that I'm doing something incorrectly.

 Consequently, I am on a Mac (10.5.4) running Firefox 3.

 Great job guys!