I've just upgraded from a Garmin 12XL to a GPSmap60csx GPS. That has
the added functionality of giving the current "Glide Ratio" and "Glide
Ratio to Destination". It seems most new Garmins have this feature,
which is obviously useful for us but does require that waypoint
elevations be specified. So I wrote a simple Perl program to convert
an on-line Soaring Turnpoint Exchange CAI file data into a wpx
waypoint file containing waypoint "elevation" fields. Since others
might have a similar need I've put it on-line at
http://www.drjack.info/MISC/SOAR/GPS/convert_cai2gpx.pl
though its use of Perl makes it useable only by a small number of
pilots.

I've been able to read its output file with Garmin's MapSource
software and use that to upload the waypoints to my GPS, but use of
G7toWin also works. I've only used this with the CAI file for my
local area and with my GPSmap60csx and so offer it on a "if it works
for you that's great" basis as I don't plan to worry about other GPSes
or possibly anomalous CAI files.

For the waypoint elevation I used the airport elevation plus 1000 ft
as a buffer (also putting the true field elevation in the comment
field as a reminder) but others may want to use other values. There
are some other caveats noted in the program - in particular, I had
some difficulty specifying symbols which would appear as other than
the default "blue flag" so while airports appear with an "airport"
symbol the non-landable waypoints use a "Glider Area" symbol which in
older GPSs appears as a glider but in mine appears as a
hangglider-like triangle.

Jack Glendening