GPS Notes
Category: Using GPS
Sat-navs 'harm railway bridges'
February 9, 2008
In-car sat-nav devices have in many ways made road travel quicker and safer, but it's still vitally important to keep an eye out for signs and the overall condition of the road. Millions of pounds worth of damage is being... Read on ...
Beware - Stolen satnavs can lead crooks to you home!
August 23, 2007
Plugging in "Home" into your GPS receiver might be a bad move: Police have warned drivers not to leave their journey home programmed into their satnav systems following the theft of a device from a car at Alton Towers theme... Read on ...
Will Google meet GPS on the golf course?
May 28, 2007
Interesting article: If Google really is serious about “organizing” all the world’s information, the “Universal” search engine needs to start searching for ways to help golfers “organize” all the information they need to successfully master the links. While Google is most... Read on ...
Funny GPS video
April 26, 2007
Testing several GPS receivers simultaneously can be a lot of fun! Recalculating ...... Read on ...
Motorists switch satnav on, brain off
December 22, 2006
Drivers obeying directions given by a sultry satnav voice have crashed into rivers, construction sites and roadside toilets in Germany, and had similar accidents in Britain. "It's hard to understand how these things can happen," said Maximilian Maurer, spokesman... Read on ...
Gifts for GPS Geeks - OS maps of Britain's National Parks for under £20
December 13, 2006
Here's a gift that many GPS geeks in the UK would love to get their hands on: Ordnance Survey maps of Britain's National Parks for under £20! This exclusive product includes OS Landranger 1:50,000 maps of all of Britain's National... Read on ...
Does snow affect GPS accuracy?
November 17, 2006
With winter fast approaching (it's already present in a number of places!), many people want to know the answer to the following question: Does snow affect GPS accuracy? The answer is no, snow doesn't affect the accuracy of your GPS receiver... Read on ...
Disguise your home address in your sat nav
November 9, 2006
Are you going away to visit family or friends over Thanksgiving? Do you have your home address entered into your car's sat nav device? Is it under the heading "home" by any chance? If so, you're not alone, but this... Read on ...
10 GPS myths
August 28, 2006
GPS Review debunks 10 GPS myths: The Government can use GPS to track my movement. GPS receivers don’t work well when it is cloudy. Garmin is the only manufacturer of GPS devices. You should only buy a GPS device if... Read on ...
Solve your Magellan RoadMate 800 blue screen lockups
August 9, 2006
Are you getting blue screen lockups on your Magellan RoadMate 800? If so, you need the Magellan RoadMate 800 Recovery Utility. However, only use this utility if you are having problems with your RoadMate locking up. Equipment needed to run... Read on ...
Cyclists create their own GPS maps
July 12, 2006
Sometimes, people have no choice but to create their own maps: "Dutch cyclists union ENFB has launched the first door-to-door route finder for bicycles, which is the result of a large volunteer project inspired by the collaborative Internet project Wikipedia.... Read on ...
GPS could be used to predict weather
July 10, 2006
"Weather forecasts should be improved by a technique to track the variable depth of the atmosphere's lowest layer, using the distortion to signals sent between satellites. The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is one of the most important layers for... Read on ...
Worthy of the Batmobile!
June 30, 2006
"Los Angeles, car capital of the country, is notorious for its epic police chases. O.J.-style pursuits may make for exciting TV, but the fatality statistics are sobering: Police chases kill, on average, one Californian every week. Now the Virginia-based... Read on ...
Don't just blindly follow what your GPS tells you to do!
June 12, 2006
BBC News has a cautionary tale for all GPS road users (especially if you pull a caravan or trailer!): Satellite navigation systems are being blamed for caravanners getting stuck in a narrow lane in a Gwynedd village. People in the... Read on ...
wikiHow article - How to go geocaching
April 29, 2006
wikiHow has an excellent introductory article on geocaching. It does a good job of covering all the basics (what is geocaching, what you need, where to get cache information) before going on to offer a huge number of tips, warnings and... Read on ...
Europe beats US in car GPS numbers
April 28, 2006
The American Business Review Online has published an article that that gives figures on in-car GPS usage in the US and Europe. It's showing that Europe beats the US when it comes to in-car GPS receivers - 13% of cars... Read on ...
Geocaching with the GPSMAP 76CSx
April 25, 2006
The Garmin Blog has a story from a happy geocacher who geocaches with a Garmin 76CSx. The highly sensitive Garmin 76CSx is ideally suited to geocaching because it is able to maintain a signal lock even under heavy cover.... Read on ...
WebUpdater - Taking the stress out of Garmin updates
April 18, 2006
Want to keep up to date with firmware updates for your Garmin GPS? Download and install the Garmin WebUpdater. Once you have this installed all updates will be downloaded automatically and installed onto your GPS when you choose. Excluded from... Read on ...
Voltiac Messenger Bag
April 8, 2006
Now I've seen it all - a bag that charges you gadgets when you're on the move! The Voltiac Messenger Bag uses three solar panels to charge a 2,200mAh Li-Ion battery pack which, in turn, can be used to charge... Read on ...
MapTools
Here's a really useful GPS related website for all you mapping fans out there - MapTools. MapTools provides GPS users with the tools and knowledge to fully utilize geographic coordinates. MapTools produces grids, corner rulers, roamers, and rulers to assist... Read on ...
Cabspotting
Another interesting GPS application - Cabspotting! Cabspotting traces San Francisco's taxi cabs as they travel throughout the Bay Area. No specific application, just an interesting view of life that's made possible through GPS.... Read on ...
USDA Forest Service GPS Home Page
The USDA Forest Service (US Department for Agriculture) has an excellent GPS-related home page with loads of GPS related information. Much of it is to do with forestry but it's interesting and well worth reading nonetheless. Welcome to the Forest... Read on ...
Garmin StreetPilot 7200
April 7, 2006
PC Mag has an excellent review of Garmin's StreetPilot 7200. What's so amazing about this GPS receiver? Well, let's start with the 7-inch screen (yes, that's SEVEN inch!). Pros: Amazing 7-inch screen! Integrated XM satellite radio Weather/traffic data Cons: Price... Read on ...
GPS Visualizer
March 25, 2006
GPS Visualizer is a free do-it-yourself mapping utility: GPS Visualizer is a free, easy-to-use online utility that creates maps and profiles from GPS data (tracks and waypoints), street addresses, or simple coordinates. Use it to see where you've been, plan... Read on ...
Advantages of SiRFstarIII
March 23, 2006
What are the advantages of buying a GPS that makes use of the SiRFstarIII chipset over other chipsets? The advantages are twofold: Faster signal processingHaving a GPS unit capable of faster signal processing not only means a more efficient GPS that... Read on ...
Don't cook your GPS in your car!
March 21, 2006
Mounting a GPS on a dashboard is a good way to make use of a GPS in-car. However, in warmer climates or during summer months don't let your GPS cook in the heat because this will do no end of... Read on ...
Sanyo MM-7500 & MM-9000 - Add gps location data to your pictures
March 20, 2006
The Phone Scoop has some interesting information for Sanyo MM-7500 / MM-9000 users - you can add GPS data to the EXIF information stored in the pictures you take with the phone: From the main menu select Pictures (don't use... Read on ...
What is the scale of Garmin MapSource maps in the US?
February 4, 2006
“What is the scale of Garmin MapSource maps for the US?” There are two scales of Garmin MapSource maps available for the US. Garmin MapSource Topo maps for the US are based on the USGS 1:100,000 paper maps. These... Read on ...
Cheap NiMH rechargeable batteries for UK readers
January 31, 2006
If you are looking for cheap NiMH rechargeable batteries for your GPS (or any other device that needs rechargeables) then take a look at the great deals from 7dayshop.com. I've just bought a stack of 2500 mAh AA and 900... Read on ...
Convert WGS 84 coordinates into OSGB36 National Grid
January 26, 2006
A special tip for those in the UK. A number of people (geocachers usually) have emailed me wanting to know how to convert WGS 84 coordinates into OSGB36 National Grid. There are a number of ways you can carry out... Read on ...
SnowRanger electronic ski resort maps
January 16, 2006
Like skiing? Use a GPS? This might be for you! Mountain Dynamics have a series of complete ski resort maps that you can download to your Garmin GPS. These maps cover ski resorts in Colorado, New Mexico and California. You... Read on ...
Got a GPS for Christmas? Part 1
December 27, 2005
Got a new GPS for Christmas and you want to get up to speed on using it? This new set of posts is for you. Over the next few days I'll give you a few tips on making the most... Read on ...
Installing a customized POI database on TomTom GO
December 5, 2005
Club TomTom have a post on how to go about installing a customized POI database on TomTom GO. If you have a TomTom GO and you haven't loaded custom POI databases onto it, you don't know what you're missing. Before... Read on ...
ExtremeTech reviews Juice rechargeable batteries and charger
November 30, 2005
ExtremeTech reviews Juice NiMH rechargeable batteries and AA/AAA charger. Not much information in the review (other than the usual NiMH info - rechargeable 1000s of times, no memory effect, cheaper in the long run than disposable batteries ...), the only... Read on ...
MacGPS Pro 6.1.0
November 28, 2005
The excellent MapGPS Pro has been updated. The latest version (MapGPS Pro 6.1) adds USB support for Garmin devices, as well as adding support for the latest Garmin firmware updates. There's also new mapping features, including integration with Google Maps.... Read on ...
Excellent Magellan RoadMate 760 review
TidBITS have an excellent review of the Magellan RoadMate 760. The main complain seems to be that the software isn't Mac-friendly and the maps can only be updated from a PC running Windows. A real let-down for Mac users. The... Read on ...
What are datums?
November 23, 2005
What are map datums? Well, if the earth was perfectly round then we wouldn't need datums but it isn't so we need mathematical models called datums to describe this and compensate for the bulges in the earths crust. But it gets... Read on ...
Datum errors
GPS users (especially geocachers) know that it is important to make sure that you have the right datum for the co-ordinate system you are using. But how much error can you expect to see if you have the wrong datum... Read on ...
Memory-Map 5 and Anquet version 6 reviews - Coming soon!
November 18, 2005
Detailed reviews of new mapping software from Memory-Map and Anquet will be coming to Hacking-GPS soon. We will be releasing in-depth reviews of both Memory-Map version 5 and Anquet version 6 shortly - just in time for you to make... Read on ...
Easily take screenshots of your GPS screen
Every wanted to take a screenshot of your GPS when it was plugged in to your desktop PC or when using it with a Pocket PC device when on the move? No problems, all you need is G7toWin or G7toCE... Read on ...
Use the lanyard on your GPS
November 12, 2005
Most handheld GPS receivers come with a lanyard that you can fit - what staggers me though is how few people actually seem to fit them! It may not seem like it but the lanyard is a vital bit of... Read on ...
Lowrance iWAY 350C
November 11, 2005
This compact, portable color GPS+WAAS navigation system features built-in battery power, stereo MP3 music player, wireless full spectrum FM modulator, and a picture viewer. The iWAY™ 350C packs a lot of precise, easy-to-use turn-by-turn navigation with multimedia extras, and cordless... Read on ...
Clean your battery terminals
November 10, 2005
For the power to flow from your batteries to the device they are supposed to power there needs to be good connections at the battery terminals. With disposable batteries you were guaranteed new terminals each and every time you changed... Read on ...
Cleaning GPS screens
November 5, 2005
The screens of both portable and fixed GPS receivers seem to attract a lot of dirt and muck pretty quickly, making them difficult to read, especially under some lighting. Cleaning the screen is a crucial part of GPS maintenance but... Read on ...
Lost the manual for your GPS?
November 4, 2005
Are you struggling to use your GPS receiver because you've lost the manual for it? Don't worry, there are several laces that you can try online for an electronic manual. Note: Most of these manuals are in PDF format so... Read on ...
Trusting only your GPS is foolhardy
October 27, 2005
Aunty Spam has an interesting post about a vacation that turned into a nightmare because of a GPS unit in an Avis rental car. Car GPS units are supposed to help you navigate from here to there without a snag.... Read on ...
GPS and hurricanes
September 22, 2005
With Hurricane Katrina and now Hurricane Rita getting a lot of coverage in the media I thought you would like to see how GPS is helping to save lives by being used to measure wind speed and storm directions directly... Read on ...
Garmin nüvi GPS Travel Assistant
September 19, 2005
GPS receivers now look less like mobile phones and more like PDAs (both in shape and function) and the Garmin nüvi is another addition to the growing number of GPS travel assistants. As well as being a GPS, the nüvi... Read on ...
Antenna orientation
September 18, 2005
No matter what GPS you have, it's important that you hold it correctly in order for the antenna to work best. To know the best orientation of your GPS you need to know whether it has a patch antenna (found... Read on ...
Does battery power affect GPS accuracy?
August 31, 2005
A common question I get asked is whether battery power levels affects GPS accuracy. Low battery power doesn't usually affect GPS accuracy - after all, all the GPS receiver does is process signals it has received from the satellites in... Read on ...
Drawing with Google Earth and a GPS
July 3, 2005
Google has just recently released Google Earth, a tool that allows you access to their mapping and satellite imagary database. That's pretty cool (it's amazing to have a picture of virtually the whole globe right there in front of you!).... Read on ...
In-car satellite navigation
June 24, 2005
In car satellite navigation is a great invention. No more do you have to rely on paper maps and poor passenger seat navigators! Systems that used to cost thousands (substitute $ and £ or other currencies as required) now have... Read on ...
Fast waypointing
June 15, 2005
Want to create a waypoint fast? Easy! Most GPS units have a handy man overboard (or MOB) feature. This is designed to allow a waypoint to be set fast in the event of someone falling overboard (on a boat) so... Read on ...
Cool GPS project - High altitude balloon!
June 14, 2005
Here's a cool DIY GPS project. Take a GPS, a radio, a latex balloon, a digital camera and turn the whole lot into a high-altitude balloon system that can take photos, be tracked (using a radio transmitter to transmit the... Read on ...
NiMH battery rundown
June 9, 2005
Here are some of the highest power AA NiMH batteries available. These will give you the greatest "in use" time along with massive savings over buying throw-away AAs. MAHA POWEREX 2500 mAh Eveready Energizer 2500mAh DELKIN 2500 mAh ANSMANN 2600... Read on ...
Co-ordinates checksum
May 31, 2005
The next time you write down some coordinates here's a good way to make sure you can still read them when you're out in the field and make sure they're accurate - make a simple checksum of the numbers! This... Read on ...
RAM Mounts
May 18, 2005
One of the best GPS holders on the market come from RAM Mounts by National Products Inc. These are simply the best when it comes to in-car mounting of a GPS. "All RAM GPS mounts and cradles come standard with... Read on ...
Protecting your electronics outdoors
May 13, 2005
I've looked at how you can protect your GPS or iPAQ outdoor - the best small, waterproof, dust-proof, crush-proof boxes are, without a doubt, the Otterbox. But what about protecting bigger stuff, such as laptops or digital cameras? What's the... Read on ...
PDA protection
There are plenty of times when I like to use a PDA such as an iPAQ when I'm in the field but an iPAQ is better suited to an office than it is in the woods or on a mountain... Read on ...
GPS "states"
May 12, 2005
Sometimes GPS receiver seems to take longer than usual to acquire a position. GPS receiver have four internal states and these can dictate how long acquisition takes. State #1 Factory. The GPS has no idea where it is and is... Read on ...
The last 20 meters
May 10, 2005
Generally when you're navigating, an error of a few meters is not important (unless you are navigating through difficult and dangerous terrain) but there are times when you might want to find a spot accurately - one example of this... Read on ...
Social GPS
May 4, 2005
Here's an interesting project entitled "social GPS" by Rebecca Anema. The Java application enables her to locate friends with GPS-enabled cellphones using the example of a ski run. Locations and buddy lists are held on a central database. This is... Read on ...
Tip: External antenna connectors
May 3, 2005
If you are using an external GPS antenna then make sure that the connector between the GPS and the antenna is done up firmly. A loose connection can cause signal loss through attenuation which can cause poor signal lock. Do... Read on ...
Before each trip/after each trip
May 2, 2005
Here is a great article that covers things that you should do before and after a trip out with your GPS. Really useful advice ranging from changing your batteries to making sure the datum is set up correctly. One point... Read on ...
GPS games
May 1, 2005
Bored and want something fun to do? Take a trip over to http://gpsgames.org/ for details of new and exciting GPS games. Shutter Spot sounds like great fun! Take a picture and then players have to work out the coords of... Read on ...
The smallest GPS antenna available
"The MK4 (BS-2) is the smallest GPS antenna available on the current market. Low working power voltage and low power consumption makes it the most popular model in the market. Its state of the art technology allows for the small... Read on ...
Non-technical explanation of DOP
April 30, 2005
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... Read on ...
Garmin firmware releases for April 05
April 29, 2005
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... Read on ...
RoboGEO
April 25, 2005
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... Read on ...
GPS user tips
April 19, 2005
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... Read on ...
Bluetooth enabled eTrex
April 12, 2005
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... Read on ...
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... Read on ...
SD Card Reader
February 19, 2005
If you use a PDA in conjunction with your GPS then you might be interested in this new product from SanDisk - the SanDisk Ultra II SD PLUS, an innovative SD flash memory card with built-in USB connectivity. Now copying... Read on ...
Navigating Ireland
February 12, 2005
http://www.lookintoireland.com/gps.htm This article looks at GPS mapping in Ireland. Very much a cautionary tale to those planning a trip to the Emerald Isle with their GPSr and digital mapping software! The bottom line here is that unless you are using... Read on ...