iGolf stuff I've learned/deduced.

[Wayneo]

Hey guys I posted this on WRX and figured I'd post it here as well. Sorta like an iGolf FAQ for all their units.

* Mappings

Bunkers are mapped to the center of the bunker, or bunker cluster.

Front green mapping - based on the fairway leading to the green.
Center - What you'd expect.
Back - based on the fairway leading to the green.

Mapped points are based on Google. They can be up to 5 years old, so if the course has had 'Green' changes, the points could be off. Google maps can also be slightly off as well, so the entire file's yardage might be consistently wrong.

Don't trust those fairway or tee box markers. I've found more wrong than right. When you reach the questionable point (Front center back "bunker center"), if it's shows you're within a yard or two on the gps, the mapping was correct.

* Abbreviations

I don't know if you've seen all their abbreviations but it follows this format. Although they can use 6 characters, they usually only use 3.

Character 1, usually general side of mapping. Such as L left, M middle, or right.
Character 2, shows where. Such as F fairway, G green.
Character 3, usually what. Such as B bunker, W water.
Character 4, so far only the carry distance. C carry.

So you end up with :
RFW - Right side, fairway, water.
RFWC - Right side, fairway, water, carry.

The only 2 abbreviations that do not follow this format are CRK for creek, and EOF for end of fairway on a dog leg. That's for iGolf created files. On the unit there are other choices such as LAYUP.

* File Management

Changing the name of the file on your computer will not affect the displayed name on the unit. So you can append a date (if you modify a file) to differentiate between originals and modified files.

I actually end up keeping multiple copies of the files from them. They're only 7k each so you shouldn't have any file size issues, only the management of them. Here's how I store mine.

'From iGolf' - all original files and from them.
'MeModified or Created' - as the folder name states, where I'll put files from them that I modified (mapped extra points), or created from scratch.
'Backups' - Where files are moved back from unit to computer.
And finally 'on the unit' where I'll keep a copy of files that are currently on the unit.

The backups folder is usually kept empty, and only used as a temporary area until the file is either deleted by me, or moved to the 'modified' folder.

I copy my files from the iGolf or Modified folder into the 'on the unit' folder. And then upload everything from that folder back onto the unit. So I essentially end up with all unique files stored once, except for the 10 duplicates that are in the 'on the unit' folder.

* File Downloads for paid members

Courses with multiple nines cause you to download each one separately, hence a 3 nine course counts as 3 downloads not 1.5.

You can re-download any courses you already have without affecting your available credits. Good idea is to do a mass download shortly before your membership expires. Max of around 25 in a 24 hour period, or your downloading priviliges gets locked for 24 hours. You can check this by looking at your profile before and after downloading a file you've already done before.

* Membership - Paid or Free ?

Free allows you to download 'scorecards' for the course if it's in their system. Scorecards are copies of their gps files without the lat/longs but all the custom points they mapped if a 'gps' version is available, otherwise just all blanks, with Front Center and Back for each hole.

You can sign up as a paid member allowing 100 downloads in a year. Download 'em all or lose the credits within that time period. Your membership will revert to a free membership afterward.

* Settings

I've had great success with WAAS ON, and stabilizer off.

WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) allows for more precise location.
Wide Area Augmentation System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stabilizer means the unit will continually update your distance once you stop walking. I normally carry mine in my pocket so I figure when I reach my ball and yank it out it'll get a better GPS signal.

* Miscellaneous

I have found that v3 of the sync software (Java based) sometimes will only upload/display the first NINE holes of a course. You can check this when up upload a file to the unit, by just using the arrows on the unit used to go from hole to hole. If you hit the up arrow and only see hole 9, you know the back nine will not be displayed.

v1 of the Neo firmware will show yardages up to 9999. v2 will only show 999. So if you're on the way to the course and the unit is on, it won't count down your yardage to the hole till you're really close.

There's no use in comparing any company's GPS yardage to another. Each company will map independently, so mappings can be different.


Hope this is of some benefit to you iGolf GPS users.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Wayneo

* File Management

Changing the name of the file on your computer will not affect the displayed name on the unit. So you can append a date (if you modify a file) to differentiate between originals and modified files.


* File Downloads for paid members

Courses with multiple nines cause you to download each one separately, hence a 3 nine course counts as 3 downloads not 1.5.

You can re-download any courses you already have without affecting your available credits. Good idea is to do a mass download shortly before your membership expires. Max of around 25 in a 24 hour period, or your downloading priviliges gets locked for 24 hours. You can check this by looking at your profile before and after downloading a file you've already done before.

* Settings

I've had great success with WAAS ON, and stabilizer off.

WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) allows for more precise location.
Wide Area Augmentation System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stabilizer means the unit will continually update your distance once you stop walking. I normally carry mine in my pocket so I figure when I reach my ball and yank it out it'll get a better GPS signal.

Very informative post. Just a couple comments from my experience in what I quoted.

1) I have the original Caddie model with the updated software, and mine will display on the unit the same as the file name.

2) It is a shame they did not state about the maximum downloads on their site. As stated in a prior thread, when I called they treated me basically like a criminal and it not only cost them my membership, but I called my CC company and had the charge refunded. Their customer support was always my biggest complaint. Terrible IMO.

3) On the WAAS and Stabilization settings, I have actually found the same success in what you mention, although if you live in a colder climate, I actually found that you will get better results by changing the WAAS setting or possibly both in the Colder, Winter months at least for my unit. If you notice in the cold months that it seems off, tweak these two settings.

[Wayneo]

Originally Posted by Pa Jayhawk

Very informative post. Just a couple comments from my experience in what I quoted.

1) I have the original Caddie model with the updated software, and mine will display on the unit the same as the file name.

Are you sure. If you change a filename on your PC to say 'blah.glf', then put it back on your unit, that's what yours will show?

Their tech support has always been my biggest peeve as well. Terrible is an understatement.

I'll have to check out your WAAS tip as I'm up here in the Great White North. We've had two weeks of summer this year, last weekend and this one.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Wayneo

Are you sure. If you change a filename on your PC to say 'blah.glf', then put it back on your unit, that's what yours will show?

Pretty sure, but it has been a while since I used it, maybe I manually changed them from the unit? It is actually in my wifes bag now as I have the uPro. Will check later when she is around, as we are playing at different times today..

[Pa Jayhawk]

You are correct, when I copy it over after renaming the file, it does still use the old name. Not sure why I thought it was different, could possibly be that the only time I used that method was when they still had the course creator that they did away with. Maybe there was an option in there to change the name file??

[scgamecock]

so once you modify course map files on your gps, how do you get the modified file back on the computer???

[fisher]

What I've learned from my experience with iGolf:

You get 3 mapping credits. Beyond that its F-You. Too bad if no other courses in your area are mapped. I would never recommend their products based on my experience with the iGolf Triton.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by scgamecock

so once you modify course map files on your gps, how do you get the modified file back on the computer???

Just do a unit backup

[Augster]

SCGC,

What they told me via email is that you just drag and drop it from the "On the Device" box in the software to the "On the Computer" box and it automatically updates the stored files.

I hope that helps.

Unfortunately, since you can't open the files on the computer, I would test it to make sure it works before you get too far into it. You don't even have to play. And you really only need one course loaded.

Go to the course and make one custom point. Maybe the first tee box. Whatever. Then hook the Neo up to the computer and drag and drop the course file back to the computer.

Unload all the courses off the Neo. Then reload the modded course from the backup.

Turn on the Neo, and check to see if your custom point is in there.


If the custom point isn't there, I'd email Igolf about an exact procedure to backup the courses.

[Wayneo]

Yup, If you're running v3 of the sync software that' all you have to do. Drag and drop from one area to the other. If you're running the prior version, I believe on the initial screen it was called 'save'. I don't believe it would actually 'update the stored files' but instead probably 'overwrite the original file'.

You 'can' open the files on your computer with either a text editor or hex editor. You can read (see) the words for your custom point, you just can't make out the lat/long. It'd look like gobbledygook around your custom point name.

If you've merely updated some of the points in a file from iGolf, rename the file on your PC to 'blahblah - original.glf', then after doing a backup from the unit, put that in the area that your PC reads for available files to load.

[warbirdlover]

What I've learned from my experience with iGolf:

You get 3 mapping credits. Beyond that its F-You. Too bad if no other courses in your area are mapped. I would never recommend their products based on my experience with the iGolf Triton.

fisher

Being a paid member I've downloaded almost 100 courses and requested two to be mapped. They were done in a week. Completely pleased with my neo.

And Lawsonia had two holes re-done since the Google mapping and they were way off as stated.

For $130 new what more do you need?

[fisher]

I have the new Triton not a Neo. They have to remap the courses for the Triton to work as it was intended.