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Introduction

This package of batch files, spreadsheets, and macros provide
functions to convert user-generated waypoints into formats
readable between LXGPS and GARDOWN.  They also provide the
user some simple management functions to organize, filter,
and group waypoints based upon user-defined criteria, while
using LXGPS.

These files are useless unless you have the following software
configured for use on your HP200LX. For this package to work
properly, the following programs need to be accessible through
the PATH environment variable defined in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
or the DOWNLOAD.BAT file.

GARDOWN  The program to upload/download information between the
	 HP200LX and a GARMIN GPS. Available from: 
	 http://www.anali.demon.co.uk.  Check the site to get
         the latest version of the software and the FAQ.

LXGPS	 Program to have moving maps while connected to a GPS.
         Available from www.jps.net/renda/greg and the
         S.U.P.E.R. site located at: www.palmtop.net/super.
         Mr. Renda has created an excellent GPS program. Check
         these sites to get the latest version of the software.

XGREP	 Fast program to extract information from a text file. 
	 Also, available from the S.U.P.E.R. site at
	 www.palmtop.net/super.  Check the site to get
         the latest version of the software and the FAQ.

One of the least appreciated features of LXGPS is the ability
to view and filter user-defined waypoints.  The ability to
filter the display of waypoints is based upon the user
selecting filter criteria. The user can have hundreds of
waypoints defined and then view waypoints based upon those
filters. For example, the user could set the waypoint filter
to view only highway intersections or exclude the highway
intersections and view all others. Reference the documentation
provided with the LXGPS program.


SO, WHAT CAN THIS STUFF DO?

Each portion of this package performs a function to:

1. Upload or Download Waypoints to/from a handheld Garmin GPSIII
   using the HP200LX palmtop computer. This package has not been
   used with any other GPS, but it should work with most Garmin
   GPSs.

1.1  The batch file DOWNLOAD.BAT can be used as a substitute
     AUTOEXEC.BAT file to automatically download waypoints and
     routes. (Be careful and save/copy your normal AUTOEXEC.BAT
     file before using DOWNLOAD.BAT as an AUTOEXEC.BAT file.)
     The author has only been able to use GARDOWN when booting
     the HP200LX in a minimal fashion using a specially made
     AUTOEXEC.BAT file similar to the DOWNLOAD.BAT file.

1.2  Similar to DOWNLOAD.BAT, the UPLOAD.BAT file will upload
     waypoints in the file called WAYPOINT.GPS from the 
     HP200LX to the Garmin GPS.

2. Extracts from the downloaded (or created) WAYPOINT.GPS file,
   only the waypoints to be converted into the LXGPS file
   format used for user waypoints by the LXGPS program.
   program. The DOWNLOAD.BAT file uses XGREP to extract the
   waypoints into a temporary 00000WPT.PRN file. The 
   00000WPT.PRN file should be placed in the directory used
   by Lotus 123. The DOWNLOAD.BAT file should be modified to
   place the 00000WPT.PRN into that default 123 directory or
   the GPS.MAC macro should be modified to get the file from 
   the directory where 00000WPT.PRN is located on your palmtop.

3. A spreadsheet, GD2LXGPS.WK1, performs the actual conversion
   from the GARDOWN waypoint file format to the LXGPS file
   format used for user waypoints by the LXGPS program. The
   user waypoint file format is very well defined within the
   documentation for LXGPS. Please reference the LXGPS
   documentation.

3.1  To use this spreadsheet, the user must import the
     00000WPT.PRN file, starting at location F3 (Row/Col). The
     file MUST be imported as TEXT. Once the file has been
     imported, the user must manually PRINT the converted data to
     a LXGPS file (The Author uses MY.WAY as the file name.) The
     spreadsheet is set up to print to a file, except for the
     data range. The user must manually select that range. There
     is a macro in the GPS.MAC macro file to do those steps for
     the user. The author recommends the user to take advantage
     of the macros provided.

3.2  There are a few things to note about this spreadsheet.

3.2.1 The last two characters of the comment field of the
      downloaded waypoints are used to create the user waypoint
      selection "filter" criteria field used by LXGPS. For
      example, the downloaded waypoint will have this format...

W  ABCDEF NDD MM.mmmm WDDD MM.mmmm Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 1989 GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

      ...and the user waypoint file, MY.WAY, will have the
      resultant format:

DDMM.mmmm DDDMM.mmmm 999.9 @YZ ABCDEF - GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX

     DDMM.mmmm  is the Latitude. Northern Latitudes are 
                supported at this time... 
    DDDMM.mmmm  is the Longitude. A minus(-) indicates Eastern
                Longitudes.
         999.9  is the Altitude. Not provided by the GPS and is
                created as a place holder by the spreadsheet.
           @YZ  is the filter information that LXGPS uses to
                control what waypoints are displayed on the map.
                An excellent way to declutter the maps. This is
                limited to the last two characters in the
                comment field downloaded from the GPS.
        ABCDEF  is the information displayed on the maps by 
		LXGPS. This information is the same six 
		character waypoint identification displayed by
		the GPS.
GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX  is displayed when the user has selected the
                    waypoint within the LXGPS program. This is 
                    the description field and is limited  to
                    18 characters.

3.2.2 The LXGPS program records the altitude when a user
      waypoint is created. This altitude data is not used by the
      GPS waypoints. Thus, when waypoints are created with LXGPS
      and are later translated and uploaded to the GPS, the
      altitude portion is lost. Consequently, when waypoints are
      downloaded from the GPS, the altitude data used by LXGPS
      is filled with the value of 999.9 by the spreadsheet.
      There is no way around this with GARDOWN and the GARMIN
      GPSIII. (If anyone knows a solution, please let the author
      know.)

4. A spreadsheet, LXGPS2GD.WK1, to perform the actual conversion
   from the LXGPS user waypoint file format to the GARDOWN
   waypoint file format, ready for upload to the GPS. This
   spreadsheet will translate waypoints created by LXGPS into
   the format GARDOWN uses, BUT, the user must adhere to the
   data format required. That is, the user waypoint file must 
   have the format described in the LXGPS documentation and 
   summarized above.

4.1  To use this spreadsheet, the user must import the MY.WAY 
     user waypoint file, starting at location A5 (Row/Col). The
     file MUST be imported as TEXT. Once the file has been
     imported, the user must manually PRINT the converted data to
     a waypoint file (The Author uses the original file named
     WAYPOINT.GPS as the file name.) The spreadsheet is set up to
     print to a file, except for the data range. The user must
     manually select that range. There is a macro in the GPS.MAC
     macro file to do those steps for the user. The author
     recommends the user to take advantage of the macros provided.


4.2  There is one limitation. The spreadsheet only works for
     waypoints in the Northern Hemisphere. It is easily modifiable
     by the user to work with Southern Latitudes, or both. The
     author hopes to travel more to the southern latitudes, but...

5. The macro file, GPS.MAC, containing two macros, to automate
   and control the waypoint file conversions between LXGPS and
   GARDOWN. These macros may need the users modification to work 
   properly on the users palmtop. 

6. A spreadsheet, WPTLXGPS.WK1, similar to item number 3., to
   convert GARDOWN formatted waypoints downloaded from
   http://www.calcite.rocky.edu into the LXGPS file format used 
   for user waypoints by the LXGPS program. The difference is
   only the starting location of the waypoint filter. The
   web-site provides a two-letter filter at the beginning of the
   comment field, whereas the author likes to reserve using the
   last two letters of the comment field as the filter. This
   spreadsheet performs that translation. It must be performed
   manually, however. First, extract the waypoints and place them
   in the 0000WPT.PRN file with the command: 
   "XGREP "W  " INFILE > 00000WPT.PRN <Enter>. Second, open the 
   spreadsheet and insert the 00000WPT.PRN file as TEXT. Third,
   PRINT the FILE to MY.WAY (or whatever) and set the range to 
   only the waypoints desired. Close up everything and use LXGPS
   to view the downloaded waypoints.  The cool thing about this is
   the waypoints can then be converted to the GARDOWN format using
   LXGPS2GD.WK1 and then uploaded to the GPS...
   


WHEW! HOW DO YOU USE IT?

The following sketch outlines the logical functions of this
package. In essence, this is how the author uses these tools.


  *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*   

         USING GARMIN GPSIII FOR NAVIGATION         
                      ^
                      |   Bidirectional transfer of waypoints.
                      V
    GARDOWN SOFTWARE TO TRANSFER WAYPOINTS       
                      ^
                      |   Waypoint file from GARDOWN 
                      |   or LXGPS2GD.WK1
                      V
        WAYPOINT FILE: WAYPOINT.GPS <-------------------
                      |                                |
                      V                                |
   EXTRACT WAYPOINTS TO BE CONVERTED TO LXGPS          |
               (USING XGREP.COM)                       |
                      |                                |
                      | (Create filter file for LXGPS) |
                      V                                |
   PLACE EXTRACTED WAYPOINTS INTO LOCATION:            |
              File:  00000WPT.PRN                      |
                      |                                |
                      | A GP2LXGPS.WK1 Temporary File  |
                      V                                |
   CONVERT DOWNLOADED WAYPOINTS INTO FORMAT            |
   USED BY LXGPS MOVING MAP SOFTWARE...                |
           ...USE: GD2LXGPS.WK1 AND                    |
   USE MACRO IN GPS.MAC TO PERFORM THE STEPS.          |
                      |                                |
                      | LXGPS waypoint file created.   |
                      |                                |
                      | NOTE: THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO  |
                      |       CREATE THE LXGPS USER    |
                      |       WAYPOINT FILE.           |
                      V                                |
        THE FILE:  MY.WAY IS CREATED/REPLACED. <--+--< | <---
                  |   |                           |    |    |
                  |   |                           |    |    |
 ------------------   | Use Strict LXGPS Format!  |    |    |
 |                    |                           |    |    |
 |                    V                           |    |    |
 | CONVERT USER WAYPOINTS INTO GARDOWN LOADABLE   |    |    |
 | FILE FORMAT FOR UPLOAD TO GARMIN GPSIII.       |    |    |
 |    ...USE File:   LXGPS2GD.WK1                 |    |    |
 | (USE MACRO IN GPS.MAC TO PERFORM THE STEPS.)   |    |    |
 |                    |                           |    |    |
 -----------|         --------------------------> | >---    |
            |                                     |         |
            |                                     |         |
            V                                     |         |
  USE LXGPS.EXE TO VIEW/MODIFY/CREATE WAYPOINTS >--         |
                                                            |
                                                            |
  *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*   |
                                                            |
  DOWNLOAD CUSTOM WAYPOINTS FROM www.calcite.rocky.edu      |
                      |                                     |
                      |                                     |
                      V                                     |
   MANUALLY EXTRACT WAYPOINTS TO BE CONVERTED TO LXGPS      |
       (USING XGREP "W  " INFILE > 00000WPT.PRN)            |
                      |                                     |
                      | (Creates filter file for LXGPS)     |
                      V                                     |
   PLACE EXTRACTED WAYPOINTS INTO LOCATION:                 |
              File:  00000WPT.PRN                           |
                      |                                     |
                      |                                     |
                      V                                     |
  USE WPTLXGPS.WK1 TO CONVERT www.calcite.rocky.edu         | 
  DOWNLOADED WAYPOINTS (IN GARDOWN FORMAT) TO THE           |
  FORMAT USEABLE BY LXGPS. >---------------------------------
