Generating reports involves 3 steps:

1)Sail with your GPS.

2)Download data from your GPS to a GPX file. Make sure to "save as" GPX file format.

3) Fill in the Tracks Upload Form , results are produced in about 10 seconds.



FAQ How do I get GPX files from my GPS
My What can I do to get the most accurate analysis?
What the heck is a VMG Plot
Can I save the images to my computer?
The wind direction shown was not the wind direction I sailed in. Why?
How long will my tracks stay on the website?
What future enhancements are planned?






How do I get GPX files from my GPS?
Many GPS programs have the ability to save in GPX file format. A very good free tool is Ron Henderson's G7 to Win .
GPS Utility GPS Util is a low cost tool that performs some plotting.

What can I do to get the most accurate analysis?
1) Some GPS’s allow you to set the track reporting level. A 2 meter setting works well.
2) Sail a full circle, or spend a minute sailing deep downwind. This will help with the wind estimate.
3) Break very long sessions (over 2 hours) into smaller files.
4) Do not record your drive to your launch site.




What the heck is a VMG Plot?
Velocity Made Good see: Polar Diagram Legend



Can I save the images to my computer?
Yes, just right click on your mouse and use “Save Picture As”.



The wind direction shown was not the wind direction I sailed in. Why?
There are a couple of reasons this can happen.
1) Any significant change in the wind direction will increase the error amount.
2) Little or no time spent sailing deep off-wind or downwind. Tracks3 needs to understand how fast you could sail at different points of sail. To ensure a good wind direction estimate, sail a full sailing circle.



How long will my tracks stay on the website?
Only 100 of the newest sessions are saved, after that they are deleted.



What future enhancements are planned?
-An optional, advanced upload form that enables wind direction to be specified.
-confidence indicator of wind direction estimate will be added to all graphs that show wind direction.
-fastest 500 meter average
-support for other GPS file formats




Support,Questions? email Lindsay McRory

OceanPilot home