GPS Program Reccommendation (non-mapping)

[sofladavid]

I'm looking for reccommendations for a GPS application. I already use google maps for GPS mapping stuff, but what I am looking for is something simple that just displays:

Current position in LON/LAT
Compass Rose or direction of travel
Current Speed
etc

This is often reffered to as the "trip computer" screen on most handheld GPS units.

This would be used for Hiking / geocaching / etc


Thanks

David

[regression]

Check out GPSToday:

http://www.geoterrestrial.com/

It has all of what you want except the compass rose. It does have a direction of travel, but not sure if it as precise as you want.

[bornl33t]

I don't think a compass rose will work on our devices. It and only tell what direction we are traveling not which way the device is facing. That said try out GCz it was designed for geocaching and while it has a compass rose it relies on you to find true north and point your device in that direction.

[sofladavid]

It will not perform a traditional compass function when standing still like a magnetic compass, but as long as you are moving, the GPS knows which way you are moving and plots that on a compas rose (direction of travel, as you mentioned). That is basic functionality for most GPS units, and exactly what I am looking for.

I'm testing the GPS today program now. Looks nice, but kind of overkill for what I am looking for.

[sofladavid]

I found a couple of promising apps:

BeeLine GPS - http://www.visualgps.net/BeelineGPS/default.html

and GPSTuner - http://www.gpstuner.com/

Anyone have experience with either of these?

They both have Free trials, so Post up my thoughts after testing.

also found a free app that looks like it would be perfect, but can't get it to fire up. - http://www.wimobi.at/gpsdash/overview.ppc2.php

[tgreenstein]

I've used both GPSDash and GPSTuner (in fact, I reviewed an older version of GSPTuner for Aximsite years ago). Both have pretty much the same functions and both work pretty well. One of the neat applications of GPSTuner (and I believe that GPSDash will do this as well) is that you can take a paper map -- say, the hiking trails for a park -- calibrate it and use it as a moving map. Geocaching is pretty cool when you do this with satellite photos!

That said, I haven't tried either of them on my Omnia yet.

[Solange82200]

SoflaDavid, do you live in South Florida? If so, is google maps working for you? Im having trouble with it again, I live in Miami

[sofladavid]

yes, I'm in Miami

Worked for me using the "let windows manage your settings automatically" option

Are you getting an error or just "seeking" and not finding satellites?

GPSDash wouldn't run for me. It would give me an hourglass for about 2 min, then error out with a ".net" error. Probably because I don't have 3.5 installed.

I've been playing with GPSTuner a little bit and it definitely does what I am loking for. But not sure if I want to pay all that $$ for it. :cheapskate: LOL

[sofladavid]

Also. a tip for those having trouble with GPS.

The way GPS works, it that the receiver has to get a "fix" on where you are by receiving signals from at least three satellites. The sattelites are scattered through the sky all around the earth. Obstructions such as Buildings, trees, Roofs, etc will block the signal from being received by the GPS receiver Think about how weak these signals are that are traveling all the way from a satellite in outer space.

When you first turn the GPS on, it hunts around trying to find at least ONE satellite. At that point, the unit has no idea where you are, or what time it is, so it has no idea what sattelite it should be looking for , or where. It's purely trial and error, until it comes across one sattelite that it can communicate with. Once it finds one, it has to download what is called an "almanac". The almanac tells the GPS receiver which other sattelites are in the area and should therefore be listening for. The process of downloading this almanac takes about a minute. If you turn a corner, go under a tree, or otherwise interrupt the downloading of the almanac, the process has to start all over again. luckly, while the almanac is downloading, the GPS is still looking for other satellites and if it finds another one, it starts downloading the almanac from that satellite also. Once it has succesfully downloaded the almanac, then it uses that info to find the other sattelites in the area and determine your location based on the signals it is receiving from the different satellites based on the almanac. The almanac is kept up to date while the GPS is on and connected to the satellites.

If you turn the unit off and then back on a short time later, and you are still in the same general location, then the unit remembers the almanac and knows which sattelites to listen to so it can calculate your position very quickly. But, if it has been a while sine the unit was turned off, or you have moved substantially since the last signals were received, then the almanac is outdated and the unit has to download the alamanac again from scratch (longer time to getting a GPS fix)

This is a very leymans explanation, and I'm sure there may be a few discrepancies (or oversimplifications), but it may help some to understand why sometimes it takes a while to get a GPS fix.

Also, Googlemaps does not give alot of feedback as to what is going on in the background. all you see on the screen is "seeking....."

Most of the handheld GPS units (the GPS apps I am testing too) have a "satellite screen" which shows you what satellites the unit can see, and if they are in "acquisition mode" (downloading the almanac)

Pardon the typos. This is too long to proofread

[bornl33t]

Found my first geocache today using the Omnia. It's one not far from my house close to a wildlife reserve. The Omnia was amazing. I get a lock in less then 20 seconds and it litterally stoped me on the cache. I was disapointed with GCz though. It had trouble finding the cache online then it couldn't download the coordinates. It did however import the coordinates into google maps and that got me there. I also notived the compass was working....only it pointed in the opposide direction; south on the compass was actually north, until the phone went to sleep and I had to wake it up, then I worked fine?!?

Anyway, I need something better, so lets find out who made GCz and talk with them