setting pins from out in the field - transfer from google maps to google earth

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setting pins from out in the field - transfer from google maps to google earth

dtolmanMorlaix
Hello,
I did a quick search and did not find the answer yet. Please forgive me if I missed the answer my search of topics on the forum.

1) I think I am correct that with quickstart, I can set pins using my phone but not set them at my "current GPS location" while I am out in the field.
2) If I want to use GPS out in the field to set pins, I can use google maps in my Android phone. I did this this morning and I have a 'list' of GPS points.
3) Now, I would like to get this list into google earth but haven't figured out how, other than by manually re-typing them, as described here... https://youtu.be/HBhNiwTM5lk

More to read, only if you want to know why I am asking:
The context: I was trying to set up a course using google earth, but, because of tree cover, I have a trail junction that I can't really make out. Google earth has nothing but trees nearby so I cannot tell where to set the pins. (I understand the general guidance to never set controls in places that google earth cannot see because this means that the GPS may also have problems. But this is a running course and not an orienteering course. I am just adding some controls so that I have some beeps while running.)

So, because I couldn't use google earth, I decided to go out into the field to set my points. I opened quick start out in the field and saw that I did not have a GPS indicator to tell me where I was and that I could not create a pin at 'current position' for example in the quickstart function.

So, no problem, I open the google maps application and start saving my current position. I saved 10 or 15 locations, not planning to use all of them, but to give me a track of where the path goes.

Now I would like to get those saved locations into google earth so that I can edit and come up with a final course.
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Re: setting pins from out in the field - transfer from google maps to google earth

Peter Effeney
Administrator
Hi,

The way it's meant to work in MapRunF is:
- have a course/map that doesn't have its settings locked ... like a CheckSites or QuickStart (or a published event that is set to be unlocked)
- in Options and Settings turn on: Show location, Show track, Show Location Pins

Then you will see where you are on the map, and there is a button on the top right to drop a pin at the current location (including a description).

When you export your GPX track at the end (email GPX track from Results view), these pins are included in the GPX file ... so will appear in Google Earth.

I'm not familiar with exporting pins from Google Maps.

Having said all that - just using a single pin from a mobile phone under tree coverage may not give you a reliable fix on a track junction under trees. You can connect an external GPS device via Bluetooth to MapRunF to give a better quality fix than you typically get from a mobile phone. Otherwise, using a quality GPS device might give you a better fix.... Otherwise if you have Lidar maybe you can get the coordinates that way...or if all else fails, maybe accept that the coordinates will not be very good (and the quality of the fix of the runners in the event may not be very good), so increase the punching tolerance in the event to a higher value than 15m.... or avoid that location for a control.

Peter