[GRASSLIST:9832] GPS Tracklog points to lines (GPS Babel)

[Dave Sampson]

I find that often when using GPS tools and v.in.garmin I only have 
success importing track logs as points. not as lines. When using GPSMan 
I get lines but all the track logs compressed into one.

This makes vector import, creation and management using GPS in GRASS 
quite a challenge. The tutorial I am writing up has more to do with 
cleaning vectors than importing or using GPS data.

I need to change my individual track log points into connected network. 
There is a script published in mapping hacks of how to do it using a 
perl script and a few other scripts are posted.

It strikes me as weird that these are not incorporated into GRASS. It 
also confuses me why GPStrans and v.in.garmin always fails unless you 
force the import of track logs as points.

I even tried using GPSMan and exporting to GPX. Then using gpx2shp and 
then covert the shape file to through OGR. However using gpx2shp cuts 
out 90% of the log because it can't measure using Dec. Deg coords. 
GPSman only exports the GPX format using Lat/long DD.

The QGIS route again fails at the GPX format conversion. Unless QGIS 
could export a vector diretcly to GRASS. But that would just mean I 
should be able to use GRASS.

Sooooo... I am curous to know how work is going on GPSBabel for GRASS. 
Because it seems like nothing is working and my tutorial looks like a 
flop for January 19. I'll have to bring in dummy data that I had to 
pre-process in ArcGIS with the DNRgarmin plugin on a windows platform. 
Defeats many of the goals of my tutorial.

GPS is a popular means of aquiring data. Giving GRASS a fully supported 
GPS module will open up its use to more public and make GRASS a viable 
option for many groups to use.

If someone wants to show me where I am messing up then please include 
the steps and I will use them for my tutorial. As for scripts, the users 
in the tutorial are overwhlemed enough with Fedora Core and GRASS, no 
need to add a script in to confuse them more.

Cheers