GPS Notes
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April 30, 2005
GPS and EXIF
The other day I blogged about RoboGEO, a program that allows you to add GPS waypoint information to digital photographs. This seems like a good idea to me and so I did a little digging and I came across this... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 3:23 PM. | TrackBack
Non-technical explanation of DOP
How accurate is GPS? This excellent article explains what is meant by dilution of precision. Note that this article talks about the deliberate errors that used to exist in the GPS signal (called Selective Availability or SA) but this is... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 9:56 AM. | TrackBack
April 29, 2005
No serial port - no problem!
Want to connect your GPS to a PC but you don't have a serial port? No problem! Pfranc.com now make a USB to Serial adaptor to solve your problems. If you're in the UK you can buy this from Lynks... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 3:21 PM. | TrackBack
Garmin firmware releases for April 05
There have been a number of firmware revisions from Garmin so far this month: cf Que 1620 April 19, 2005 eTrex LegendC April 21, 2005 eTrex VistaC April 21, 2005 GPS 10 April 19, 2005 GDL 30 April 14, 2005... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 9:26 AM. | TrackBack
April 25, 2005
RoboGEO
I blogged earlier about the UK "Geograph" project, a project that is undertaking to photograph every square kilometer of the UK. If you want to participate in this project/game then one bit of kit that you might find useful is... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:56 AM. | TrackBack
"Geograph" the British Isles!
If you are in the UK then here's something new, interesting and different that you can do with your GPS (and a camera). It's called "Geographing" and this is a project that anyone can take part in. The ultimate aim... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:09 AM. | TrackBack
April 21, 2005
Google Maps UK waypoint extraction
Yay! With Google introducing Google Maps UK Badsegue.org has released an updated and upgraded script that handles waypoint extraction from the UK maps. The old script didn't work for the UK and an update was required that allowed the scripts... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:08 AM. | TrackBack
April 20, 2005
Google Maps - UK
It was less than a week ago that I made an entry here saying how I wished Google would release mapping details for the UK ... well, it looks like they were listening! Google Maps UK and Google Local UK.... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 1:03 PM. | TrackBack
April 19, 2005
GPS user tips
One question that I get asked a lot is "How do I learn how to use a GPS?" and the great thing about a question like that is that for someone who has been using GPS for years it's refreshing... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 9:40 AM. | TrackBack
April 15, 2005
GPS snakeoil?
In the 1800s there used to be traveling salesmen in the US who would travel from from town to town in a horse drawn wagon, selling various useless tonics and patent medicines. When questioned as to the origin of these... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 7:03 PM. | TrackBack
Insurance companies jump aboard GPS bandwagon
Pay-as-you-Drive, a new scheme by Norwich Union, insurance comes to the UK. A useful way to get cheaper car insurance or a spy in your car? You decide. I can see some potential pitfalls already: - Who has access to... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 7:00 PM. | TrackBack
GPS in the news ...
GPS jail "But Jones is more skeptical about using [GPS tracking] bracelets as alternatives to jail. The jail has plenty of room, but the county has had trouble affording the $60-per-day cost of housing each inmate. While the bracelet monitoring... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 11:22 AM. | TrackBack
GPS tracking
What surprises me nowadays reading the news online is how many articles there are that contain a reference to GPS. It seems like it has gone from having the occasional coverage when a cruise missile or smart bomb was used... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 11:20 AM. | TrackBack
April 14, 2005
GPS is BIG business!
"The global sales for GPS equipment surpassed $3.5 Billion in 2003; however, it is predicted to expand to an anticipated $22 Billion in 2008 and $757 Billion by 2017 according to a report published by a market research firm. Additionally,... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 9:55 AM. | TrackBack
Google and MSN waypoint extraction
Here's an interesting link I came across from Badsegue.org that demonstrates script code that pulls GPS waypoints from MSN Yellow Pages and Google Maps results using a scriptlet in Internet Explorer (previously there was a script that worked only in... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 9:48 AM.
April 13, 2005
GPS firmware upgrade
A lot of people are frightened of carrying out a firmware upgrade on their GPS receivers - they can see it is beneficial because it adds new features and fixes existing bugs but they are worried about doing it wrong... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:44 AM. | TrackBack
Preventing lightning damage
Whenever you put up an antenna of any sort you are inviting lightning damage. Here are a few interesting articles that cover GPS equipment protections. Unavco Comm-Omni Comant Symmetticon lightning supressors And if you want to predict a storm, here's... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:25 AM.
Low-cost GPS jamming
GPS jammer Technical article on building a portable GPS jammer that affects the L1 carrier signal. This means that it would have no effect on the military L2 carrier or the P-code that that carries. It does however cast a... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:03 AM.
SiRFdemo for PC
Here is a link to an advanced configuration utility for SiRF based GPS receivers on GpsPasSion. "Why use SiRFdemo ? 1 - To take a peek at the advanced settings of your GPS receiver and to see how it was... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:00 AM.
April 12, 2005
Replacing damaged GPS screen
The screen on a GPS, especially the protective plastic, is prone to damage and while it doesn't render the unit unusable (unless the damage is such that it's gone through to the LCD screen) it can be pricey to fix.... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:33 AM.
Bluetooth enabled eTrex
This morning I received a Bluetooth enabled adaptor for a Garmin eTrex from the great people at Semsons & Co, Inc. This is a Bluetooth transmitter that allows you to hook up the GPS to any Bluetooth enabled device that... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:17 AM.
Good reception in poor weather
Make sure you keep the antenna area of your GPS as dry as possible in bad weather. Water - even in a thin layer - can have a tremendously adverse effect on signal reception. When using a handheld device this... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:14 AM.
GPS/GIS Technology Lecture
"The UTSA Department of Earth and Environmental Science hosts Retired USAF Col. Francis Kane for a presentation, "GPS: Past, Present and Future." Kane, referred by experts as the "father" of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology, spent 27 years in the... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:07 AM.
April 11, 2005
Ultimate GPS clock
In Hacking GPS I've looked at ways that you can transform a GPS into a clock. Because it involves hooking it up to a PC it's quite cheap - but here's a way to do it that doesn't involve a... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 7:00 PM.
April 10, 2005
Splitting/Amplifying a GPS signal
If you've got a GPS antenna on a boat or a big RV then you might find it useful to be able to pipe the signal received by one antenna to multiple locations. To do this you need a signal... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 6:43 PM.
April 9, 2005
NAVMAN mods
There are a lot of people out there running NAVMAN GPS receivers in conjunction with iPAQs - here's a great link showing a great (and cheap) in-car mod. PocketGPS.co.uk Quick and easy modification!... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 11:52 AM.
April 8, 2005
GPS to combat laptop theft
"To combat theft, the Kershaw County School District placed GPS technology into each machine that tracks its location, when necessary. If the Internet is accessed when the computer is reported stolen, area police can locate the machine." The Princeton Packet... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 7:12 PM.
GPS-guided drone
The military have some of the coolest GPS toys - take a look at this 7 oz, 13 inch drone built by AeroVironment, Simi Valley, California. "The Wasp has two cameras — one forward and one aft — that collect... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 9:17 AM.
April 7, 2005
GPS virus?
Many years ago I came across this newsgroup discussion entitled Virus infected GPS firmware. Is it possible? At the time it was safe to say "no" - wile it was possible to upload duff firmware to a GPS or even... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:49 AM.
Geocaching - Military style!
The US military are now planning to use balloons as cheap, very low altitude communication satellites. "The concept is simple. A tactical commander who needed 12 hours of coverage would fill a 6-foot wide balloon with helium or hydrogen, attach... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:43 AM.
April 6, 2005
GPS in the news ...
GPS used to collect fines "The state Supreme Court on Monday upheld Connecticut's ban on a car rental company's use of a global positioning satellite system to track customers and fine them $150 for speeding." More... The company in question... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 10:34 AM.
April 5, 2005
CITO on 16th!
Geocaching.com, in association with Trimble, have announced that April 16th is CITO day - that stands for "Cache In, Trash Out". CITO helps to encourage landowners to open up more land to geocaching and other outdoor sports by encouraging good... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 6:06 PM.
April 1, 2005
Launch Date! :-)
Hacking GPS (the book!) is launched. Get your copy today from your favorite real or virtual book store... Also got a mention on Chris's Blog over at Extreme Tech! Happy me! Technorati: Gps Book... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 4:02 PM. | TrackBack
Printing waterproof maps
Memory-Map (www.memory-map.co.uk) have announced that they now stock Toughprint waterproof paper. This paper is ideal for printing maps for outdoor use as it is waterproof, resists crumples and tearing and can be wiped clean. The micro-porous surface delivers vibrant colours... continue reading.
Posted by Kathie 3:37 PM.