---
name: "v.in.gpsbabel"
section: "1grass"
platform: "linux"
package: "grass-doc"
version: "6.4.4-1"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/v.in.gpsbabel"
---

# v.in.gpsbabel(1grass)

Import waypoints, routes, and tracks from a GPS receiver or GPS download file into a vector map.

## NAME

**v.in.gpsbabel**  - Import waypoints, routes, and tracks from a GPS receiver or GPS download file into a vector map.

## KEYWORDS

vector, import, GPS

## SYNOPSIS

**v.in.gpsbabel**\
 **v.in.gpsbabel help**\
 **v.in.gpsbabel** \[-**vwrtpk**\]  \[**input**=*string*\]   \[**output**=*string*\]   \[**format**=*string*\]   \[**proj**=*string*\]   \[--**overwrite**\]  \[--**verbose**\]  \[--**quiet**\]

### Flags:

- **-v**

  Verbose mode

- **-w**

  Import waypoints

- **-r**

  Import routes

- **-t**

  Import track

- **-p**

  Force vertices of track or route data as points

- **-k**

  Do not attempt projection transform from WGS84

- **--overwrite**

  Allow output files to overwrite existing files

- **--verbose**

  Verbose module output

- **--quiet**

  Quiet module output

### Parameters:

- **input**=*string*

  Device or file used to import data\
   Default: */dev/gps*

- **output**=*string*

  Name for output vector map (omit for display to stdout)

- **format**=*string*

  Format of GPS input data (use gpsbabel supported formats)\
   Default: *garmin*

- **proj**=*string*

  Projection of input data (PROJ.4 style), if not set Lat/Lon WGS84 is assumed

## DESCRIPTION

*v.in.gpsbabel* allows the user to import waypoint, route, and track data from a locally connected GPS receiver or a text file containing  GPS data of many common formats. Translation is done via the  *GPSBabel* program.

This software is not intended as a primary means of navigation.

## NOTES

*v.in.gpsbabel* automatically reprojects data using the  projection settings of the current location. The default input data projection is lat/lon WGS84. If your GPS outputs data using another projection or map datum, you may include the  *PROJ.4* parameters defining your projection in the **proj** option and  *v.in.gpsbabel* will reproject your data accordingly. Great care must be taken to get these parameters correct! The automatic transform may be skipped by using the **-k** flag in which  case the data will be imported unprojected, as it appears in the **input**.

Route and Track data may be uploaded as a series of points by using the **-p**  flag, otherwise they will be imported as lines. You can run *v.in.gpsbabel* multiple times and merge the line and point vectors with the *v.patch* command if you want, but take care when merging dissimilar attribute tables.

## EXAMPLES

### GPS device connected via USB adapter

Import waypoints, tracks, routes from /dev/ttyUSB0 and save to a GRASS vector map:\
 `v.in.gpsbabel -w input=/dev/ttyUSB0 format=garmin output=waypoints`\
 `v.in.gpsbabel -t input=/dev/ttyUSB0 format=garmin output=tracks`\
 `v.in.gpsbabel -r input=/dev/ttyUSB0 format=garmin output=routes`\

### GPS device connected via serial adapter

Import waypoint data from a Garmin GPS connected at /dev/ttyS0 and save to a GRASS vector map named *waypoints*:\
 `v.in.gpsbabel -w input=/dev/ttyS0 format=garmin output=waypoints`\

### Import track data from a GPX

Import track data from a GPX text file and save to a GRASS vector map  named *tracks*.\
 `v.in.gpsbabel -t input=gpslog.gpx format=gpx output=tracks`\

### Import route data from GPS connected at /dev/gps

Import route data as a series of points from a Garmin GPS connected at  /dev/gps and save to a GRASS vector map named *routePoints*:\
 `v.in.gpsbabel -r -p file=/dev/gps format=garmin output=routePoints`\

## SEE ALSO

*db.execute,* *v.in.ascii,* *v.in.garmin,* *v.db.connect,* *v.patch* gpsbabel from gpsbabel.org\
 cs2cs from PROJ.4

## AUTHORS

Claudio Porta and Lucio Davide Spano, students of Computer Science at University of Pisa (Italy).\
 Commission from Faunalia Pontedera (PI)\
 Based on *v.in.garmin* for GRASS 6.0 by Hamish Bowman\
 and *v.in.garmin.sh* for GRASS 5 by Andreas Lange\

*Last changed: $Date: 2011-11-08 10:42:51 +0100 (Tue, 08 Nov 2011) $*

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