# Alabama Public Reefs - is it me?



## willie mckoy (Oct 20, 2010)

Is it just me or has anyone else had trouble downloading and using the reef coordinates posted by the state at 

http://www.outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs

I can't seem to get it to work and wondered if anyone else has been able to? I know you can pay someone to do it or buy a card with them loaded, but its the principal of the thing...being a taxpayer and all.

For what its worth, below is my best attempt to describe the process I have used so far:

When I click the GPX download it loads a webpage rather than an actual data file. I tried to use it and Homeport did not recognize it. I also tried converting the KMZ and XLX files to GPX but no luck there either. I then had our GIS technician at work look at it, and even called the person with Alabama Marine Resources at Dauphin Island that maintains the points. He pretty much told me to do exactly what I have been doing....following the relatively simple procedure using HomePort software to load the data onto an SD card and then onto my unit. Not working. I'm not a techie by any stretch but I have a basic understanding of GIS and GPS units and I am stumped. It seems to me that I would need to download a true file rather than an html webpage with the data.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

If you have a basic understanding of anything GIS related and can't make this work then it's not you, it's them. 

I haven't tried this particular file but I am a 7-year ARCGis user and feel your pain.


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## Mark Collins (Dec 27, 2012)

use this and it will work http://www.strikelinescharts.com/index.php/public/#Alabama , I also tried the ones from the Alabama website and couldn't get them to load


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## willie mckoy (Oct 20, 2010)

Man that was easy as pie. Thanks, Mark! 

I've always wanted to fish Weiss Lake. May have to give you a shout next winter.


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## Will_R (Jun 28, 2015)

willie mckoy said:


> When I click the GPX download it loads a webpage rather than an actual data file.


Right click, Save Link As... Then save that file for Homeport.



willie mckoy said:


> I tried to use it and Homeport did not recognize it.


Your browser thinks it recognizes it. I'm assuming you right clicked (or went to File -> Save) the new page that pulled up, clicked save as there, and your browser slapped a .xml extension after the .gpx extension. After that, Homeport doesn't know what to do with it. You can rename the file, remove the .xml from .gpx.xml and Homeport should be able to open it just fine.



willie mckoy said:


> It seems to me that I would need to download a true file rather than an html webpage with the data.


You're correct. The "problem" with GPX files is they are nothing more than XML files which browsers can display natively, so if you let them (by simply left clicking) they will try to display as a webpage.

Also, worth mentioning since you're using Homeport anyway and not just dropping the GPX file onto a GPS unit, Homeport supports KMZ files.


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