I want to thank all who responded to my original question, which was: Are the common recreational GPS units usable with ArcView? It hasn't been an issue in our office but I want to try some GPS equipment out and try to plot a field trip on our County GIS system. I received 15 responses, all positive. My request wasn't complex to be sure, I just want to buy a personal GPS and plot my hikes in ArcView during off-hours. Showing the boss the results wouldn't hurt to further the utility of having a GIS set up. Most people have or are using Garmin equipment, one uses Lowrance and one Trimble. Most have their different ways of getting the data into ArcView (I wasn't interested in ArcView to GPS, but I suppose I will soon). Answers were from: Donna Schenstrom Ron Cooke Karen Thomas Gene Wyllson Remi Myers Alan Sior Michael Ciscell Greg Burgess David Fox Torrey Sheafe Marc Levesque Eben North Keary Cunningham Eric Galstatter Jack O'Connell Here are some snippets, which I found interesting: Do you want to plot the route before or after the trip? You might find pertinent information in Geospatial Solutions http://www.geospatial-online.com/ November 2001, "Coordinates of a Killer". Unknown to the suspect, they placed a GPS unit on his car and tracked his movements. ============================================================================ ============= I have uploaded Garmin GPS data as UTM Zone 10 meters from my handheld, modified it as desired, and saved it in table form in .dbf format and then added it as an "event theme." ============================================================================ ============= The cheaper units seam fine as long as you know there limits... ============================================================================ ============= 1. A new release of the DNR Garmin extension is ready and available for download on the DNR Extensions web page Minnesota DNR 2. ESRI site ArcScripts and search for GARMIN and Waypoint+ 3. Waypoint Website ============================================================================ ============= There's a sweet extension - AVGarmin.avx on the ArcScripts page - that makes conversion pretty simple. ============================================================================ ============= We use a Garmin GPS II+, almost an entry level unit, and import the data into AV 3.2. You need their (expensive) Mapsource CD and it is a somewhat convoluted process, but it works, and after you get the process down pat even non-technical people can do it. ============================================================================ ============= You need to get the cable with which to connect the unit to your PC (these are unit-specific). You also need software to download the coordinates. I have used OziExplorer, which is compatible with many GPS units (costs $75), but there are also freeware programs out there I think. ============================================================================ ============= I use the Garmin 12XL with my ArcView 3.2 software. Works nice but only does lines and points. If you want to do any survey work, Trimble is the way to go. ============================================================================ ============= There's a Yahoogroups, which is a public forum for people wanting to share ideas about using GPS for mapping/surveying. To learn more about the gps-mapping group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-mapping. Again, my thanks to all. Merry Christmas and or Happy Holidays!