Garmin eTrex 22x GPS and .kmz files for NSW R Licence

[yoshie]

Apologies if this topic has been covered before, I've had a quick search through the forum and can't see exactly what I'm looking for. I've been using Avenza on my phone for a while while hunting (NSW public land) and I'm finding it really drains my phone. I'm carrying a USB power bank and quite offen the USB-C disconnects at the phone or power bank and I'm almost always got a flat phone. Has anyone got any experience with the Garmin eTrex 22x GPS and uploading .kmz files. I can't find any detail on sites tha sell the units but Google says it is .kmz compatible. I need to find a better solution to Avenza and my phone. I don't want to buy a new phone because the USB port is loose, and I don't want to buy a $800+ GPS that I'll only use a few times a year.

Thanks

[Damo300]

I looked into this and I don't think they work, well not without a massive stuff around. I gave up and saved the $800.


I use "The Hunting App" now.

You can overlay the DPI map, over the top of Google Earth.
Can also import all your layers from avenza.

It's working really well.
I know that's not helping with the battery problem though.
My phone seems to handle a day of use okay. It's a 10yr old huawai though...

[Fester]

Garmin became a major hassle when the DPI dropped support and went with free Avensa, pretty much like everyone did.
The trick is supposed to be importing the KMZ map into your "custom maps" folder.
I can only seem to get the one forest map into custom maps, and can't get any more so it's still a headache.

The Avensa app company changed hands or something and stopped letting you import the external DPI maps into your free maps.
They did it before the rut this year and left most of us stranded with no way to comply with our digital mapping requirement, unless we subscribed to Avensa pro at about $ 60 pa

I missed the rut, but don't like the extra hunting pressure at that time anyway, fuel hit $3.30, and the Hwy broke, so I gave the rut a miss.
Then I succumbed and subscribed, but unchecked auto-renewal payments, as I was waiting for those blokes to get their hunting app going. The benefit is easy DPI map downloading and not limited to the 3 free maps; I can now have 20, from memory.

A week later the hunting app is up and running, and it's great. One of their aims is ease of use, and easy it is.
I am no geek, and had it working with no issues. Even sussed that feature where you can mark the spot you shot the deer, to find blood if it ran off. If I could get that working easily, anyone can.
They are committed to keeping a free version, and it's more than just a mapping and tracking app; it's a full hunter's app.
They intend to do a full tiered subscription thing, and add lots of cool features to make it worthwhile for the blokes that want to do the monthly payments.

The phone battery life is how they all get us; as the phones get old, they update the fast drain to force you into a new phone.
The bigger-screen phones seem to have a bigger battery.
Putting it into aeroplane mode may help you, as the phone stops searching for a signal constantly. I haven't had to go to that extent yet.

After having an iPhone 6 for so long, I needed a big screen for forest driving with Avensa because it leaves my car screen Hema maps for dead but I was not paying thousands for a fkn phone. Got an Android Motorola for about $250, and it was great for a few years, then it won't even answer a call.
Got a Samsung for near $400, and it is heaps worse; I hate it, and Android.
Will just have to suffer until it dies now, after transferring all my stuff.
Back to Apple next, but they also shaft us bargain hunters that don't need a phone zombie phone, just something that works and does the basics.

I also do the Google Earth Pro thing to suss hunting areas on the bigger laptop screen; you just turn the hunting zone map layer on and off as you suss the area out.