GPS UTILITY   -   INFORMATION

GPS Utility by Alan Murphy is an easy-to-use application that provides management and manipulation of GPS information. You can use it to transfer data to/from a GPS receiver and store the data in PC files in one of several text formats.

The program converts between different map datums and many coordinate formats (Lat/Long, UTM/UPS, country grids etc.). Information can be filtered in various ways and waypoints sorted according to specified criteria. Using a scanned in bitmap you can digitize waypoints, routes and tracks. Route and track statistics are available and can be transferred into other programs for ananlysis (i.e. spreadsheet programs). You can plot your GPS information as a map and add map annotations in text or image form.

For full details and information about this product, follow the link to the author's homepage.

The current standard edition of GPS Utility is now Version 4.15.7 (released 20th December 2004) . This is a 32-bit application and runs on Win95, Win98, WinNT, Win2000, WinME and WinXP etc. See below for a list of supported GPS receivers.


GPS Utility Standard Edition (4.04)

  1. Unload/Load to GPS Receivers of waypoints, routes and tracks:
    • Garmin
    • Magellan
    • Support for some MLR, Furuno, Simrad and Raytheon GPS receivers (waypoint and route up/download)
    • Other(NMEA) compatilble GPS receivers (more details)

  2. General
    • Save waypoints, route and track data to PC files
    • Basic Edit capability for waypoints, routes and trackpoints
    • Enter coordinates in a variety of formats
    • Use Distance and Bearing in for Waypoint creation
    • Sort waypoints by name/date/time/latitude/longitude/symbol/comments/altitude
    • Filter waypoints and tracks by name/geographic area/distance from current point
    • Convert coordinates between map datums
    • View in different coordinate formats (Lat/Long or Grids)
    • Work with multiple sets of data displayed on the sceen at the same time
    • Copy/Paste data between data sets even when referenced to different datums
    • Automatic Symbol set translation between different GPS Receiver types
    • Supports color, altitude and named tracks
    • Create Waypoints and Routes from Track information
    • Tools to average waypoints and tracks
    • Generate Search Patterns round a waypoint
    • Tools to find the area of closed tracks and routes
    • Track Charts (plots of speed/altitude versus distance/time)
    • Auto setting of PC clock from GPS time

  3. Coordinate formats (grids)
    • Latitude and Longitude (degrees, degrees-mins, degrees-mins-secs)
    • UTM/UPS, MRGS
    • British (both alphabetic zone and 6 digit numeric forms), Irish Grids
    • German, Swiss, Swedish, Finnish grids,
    • Netherlands, Belgium, Gauss-Boaga, Czech, Greek grids,
    • Egypt, Geogia, Israeli (both old and new),
    • Taiwan, West Malayan RSO, Singapore grids,
    • Maidenhead Locator Grid (Ham radio)
    • Lambert grid (French Zone2 etendu, California State Plane, N Carolina etc.)
    • New Zealand Map, St Lucia, Costa Rica grids,
    • Quebec SCOPQ multizone grid,
    • Many USA Stateplanes (see Help on Stateplanes)
    • .... more on request to the author

  4. Import/Export
    • Garmin PCX5, Waypoint+ comma delimited formats and OziExplorer files
    • Yeoman WPL format waypoints
    • DataSend POIs for import/export (Magellan 315/320)
    • DBF file export/import
    • DXF export/import of trackpoints/waypoints
    • MapInfo (with some limitations)
    • Maptech (*.mxf, *rxf, *txf)
    • GPX Interchange format files

  5. Import
    • Support of 'Minimal' format files.
    • Gardown files (limited support only)
    • MS AutoRoute Express Routes (Start, Stops and End Points) (AEU, AXE and AXG files)
    • 'Streets and Trips' Routes (Start, Stops and End Points) (EST files)
    • MapsOnUs route and track data
    • USGS Coastline Extractor MAPGEN files.
    • MapBlast route files
    • Routemaster and AutoStreet (*.isr files)
    • AA Milemaster file (*.trp files)
    • Gartrip import (*.wp files)

  6. Export
    • CSV files for Database/Spreadsheet programs
    • Route and Track information (speed, distance and time)
    • Routes in a Route Card format (for import to spreadsheet programs)
    • Waypoints ready for import into AutoRoute express
    • Raw track data
    • GPS Topographer format files
    • Fugawi files

  7. Real Time operations
    • Gather current position at regular time intervals
    • Plot current position on a "Moving Map" display
    • Interface Monitor for diagnostics and NMEA sentence logging
    • Position Console for current status and route information
    • Set PC clock from GPS time (AutoSet)

  8. Mapping and Digitizing
    • Map GPS information
    • Support for many image formats (JPG/TIF/PNG etc)
    • Image zooming and panning function
    • Add map annotation in text and image form (registered version only)
    • Graphical editing (drag waypoints/trackpoints)
    • Export map image as bitmap
    • Overlay GPS information on bitmaps
    • Digitise waypoints, routes, tracks from on-screen bitmaps
    • Display tracks with time and/or speed information
    • Measure distances between points

  9. Printing/Plotting GPS information
    • Data in list form
    • Map to defined scales or to fit the page

  10. Registered version can deal with up to 65000 waypoints and 65000 trackpoints

You can obtain this Edition from the download page on the author's website.

Note: There may also be a Beta Test version available which contains improvements and bug fixes.

Supported GPS Receivers

  1. GPS Utility has been tested with many (but not all!) Garmin models: GPS45, GPS38, GPS12, GPS12XL, GPS12CX, GPS12MAP, GPSII, GPSII+, GPSIII, GPSIII+, GPS55AVD, GPS90, GPS162, GPS195MAP, GPSMap215, GPS235, GPS295, eMap, eTrex, Vista, NavTalk. GPS76, GPS168, GPS V .... (to name but a few!).
    Please let the author know if you find a Garmin which does not work with GPS Utility.
  2. Garmin products GPS150, GNC300, GPS155, GNC250, GNC250XL and GNC300XL are not supported
  3. Magellan products are also supported. The following are known to work: Meridian, 315/320, 330, 410, 2000XL, 3000XL, NAV6000 but other Magellans may work as well. The 5000DLX is only supported via the NMEA interface.
  4. MLR receivers for waypoint and route upload and download.
  5. Furuno GP30/35 and GP31/36 receivers for waypoint and route upload and download.
  6. Simrad Shipmate receivers for waypoint upload and download.
  7. Other receivers (with some limitations) using the NMEA interface, for example Raytheon NAV398.
  8. At the moment Lowrance/Eagle is not supported except via NMEA.
If in doubt, please try your GPS using the Freeware version of GPS Utility - all interface functions are enabled in this version.
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