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SECTION B: Displaying GPS Data on a Map
Step 1: Connect the GPS unit to your computer.
Flip up the rubber cover on the back of the GPS receiver unit near the top and
insert the data download cable. The opposite end of the cable will be a serial
connector.
Next, determine what type of input ports are available on your computer.
If you have a serial port, this is the preferred method. If you have a USB port,
you'll need to use a USB/serial adapter cable.
Turn on the GPS unit. (Don't worry what the screen says; you can bypass the
screen which searches for satellites at this point.)
You may get the following message, if you are trying to connect the device via
your computer's USB port:
It's also possible that you will need administrative privileges on your computer in
order to use the hardware. Follow the instructions in order to get the computer to
recognize the device.
Step 2: Start up QGIS on your computer and check for the GPS Tools plugin.
Double-click the QGIS icon on the desktop to start the program. Check your
plugin manager to ensure that "GPS tools" is enabled. (See graphic below. If
you need help with this step, or need to "fetch" the correct plugin from the
internet, please return to Exercise 2: Explaining plugins. The GPS tools
plugin is part of the main plugin installer that comes with version 1.7.4.)
GPS data: ETrexQGIS
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