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Earthmate GPS Blue Logger Brief Review

25 November, 2009 12:47

Earthmate GPS Blue LoggerMy Geo buddy gave me his Blue Logger GPS device along with his DeLorme Topo USA 6.0 license - thank you Brian!  The Earthmate Blue Logger is a bluetooth enabled portable GPS device.

My main objective for establishing a purchase, or being gifted with a bluetooth GPS device was for two reasons: portable street navigation and topology for hiking and camping for my netbook, and integration with CacheMate on my Windows smartphone.

DeLorme Topo works as it should in all aspects of a NMEA compliant serial GPS device.  The only quirk I have seen is the com port negotiation.  If the GPS unit is not started, paired, and connected when starting up the Topo USA application, your serial port is not visible under the selectable COM ports for communication.  This is not a bug, though a wish for a feature, which in all terms and respect to my version, it might have been changed in more recent distributions of DeLorme Topo USA.

CacheMate is also a seamless user experience.  Make sure the device is paired, use the Windows Mobile bluetooth stack, choose your GPS connection method in CacheMate, and success.  You are now able to find nearby caches and also navigate to the Geocaches if you so wish to do so.  I would rather not ruff up my smartphone, so I use my old reliable GPS device for the actual Geocache find.  However, a belt clip bag is available for the unit from http://shop.delorme.com/.  A multitude of accessories such as AC chargers, and base chargers are also available.

Here are the Blue Logger specifications:

  • NMEA 2.0-compliant 12-channel receiver
  • WAAS-enabled
  • SiRF starIIe/LP low-power GPS chip set
  • Cold Start: < 45 seconds; warm start: < 38 seconds
  • Hot Start: < 8 seconds
  • Power, Logging GPS only: ~90mA at 3.7V
  • Power, Logging GPS with a Bluetooth connection: ~118mA at 3.7V
  • Maximum Velocity: 1000 knots
  • Maximum Altitude: 60,000 feet
  • Battery Life: 8 hours (charge up to 500 times)
  • Operating Temperature Range: –20° Celsius to + 60° Celsius
  • Supports SBAS (WAAS / EGNOS / MTSAT.)
  • Blue Logger weight (without battery): 1.7 ounces (47 grams)

Here is what is in the box with a retail purchase:

  • Earthmate Blue Logger GPS with 3.7V Li-ion battery
  • DeLorme Blue Logger Manager software
  • Mobile charger
  • A/C charger
  • Charging cradle
  • Carrying case 

In conclusion: I am happy with its startup time and position acquisition time.  It has a battery life of 8 hours, has a 12 channel receiver, and is NMEA compliant.  It does the job and works as a receiver from this brand type should function.

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Cache Stats - Geocaching Statistics Application

07 August, 2009 12:50

Cache Stats is the perfect utility to keep track of your Geocaching find statistics. 

I have purchased and use GSAK, however this application is better suited to keep record of your Geocaching finds allowing you to view numerous statistics, graphs, find logs, ratios, and most other data that can be generated by importing your finds Pocket Query (Geocaching.com membership required) into this computer program.

Here are a couple screen-shots of Cache Stats 3.0

 Cache Stats

 Cache Stats

What has interested myself the most to utilize this application was its ability to generate an HTML output with graphs and images of your Geocaching find statistics.  You can find my current export here: http://journeys.geo-jots.com/page/content/stats   For the purpose of an example within this post, here is the HTML output as of the day of this post:

Myside's Geocaching Find Statistics

My Cache Stats as of 6/26/2009 (Generated by CacheStats 3.0. Get your own stats at www.logicweave.com)

Cache Finds
Total Found: 84 (# found/attended logs) Find Rate: 0.209 per day (1.5 per week, 76 per year)
Caches: 84 (# unique caches visited) Avg. difficulty / terrain: 1.94 / 1.68
# Archived: 7 (8%) FTFs: (unknown)
Avg. in 1 day: 1.3 Oldest Cache: Good Things Come In 3's (GCEB95 placed 3/23/2003)
Most in 1 day: 5 (8/13/2008) Most in 1 month: 16 (8/2008)

Days Cached
Total days cached: 63 (every 6.4 days or 15.7%) Most consecutive days with a find: 4 (10/27/2008 - 10/30/2008)
Most in 1 month: 9 (8/2008) Most consecutive days without a find: 43 (6/25/2009 - 8/6/2009)

History
Year Total Found Rate Days Cached / Frequency
2008 54 0.295 38 / every 4.8 days
2009 30 0.137 25 / every 8.8 days

Milestones
Number  Date Cache # Days between
#1 7/1/2008 Perrot Sunset Cache  

Size Breakdown
Size # Found Percentage
Micro 32 38.1
Regular 30 35.7
Small 18 21.4
Not chosen 3 3.6
Large 1 1.2
Type Breakdown
Type # Found Percentage
Traditional Cache 72 85.7
Multi-cache 5 6.0
Mystery 4 4.8
Event Cache 2 2.4
Letterbox Hybrid 1 1.2

Difficulty Breakdown
Difficulty # Found Percentage
1 18 21.4
1.5 25 29.8
2 12 14.3
2.5 14 16.7
3 10 11.9
3.5 3 3.6
4 2 2.4
4.5 0 0.0
5 0 0.0
Terrain Breakdown
Terrain # Found Percentage
1 15 17.9
1.5 38 45.2
2 20 23.8
2.5 10 11.9
3 0 0.0
3.5 0 0.0
4 1 1.2
4.5 0 0.0
5 0 0.0

Difficulty / Terrain Combinations
  Terrain
Difficulty    1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
1 11 7 - - - - - - -
1.5 1 16 3 4 - - 1 - -
2 - 5 6 1 - - - - -
2.5 - 5 7 2 - - - - -
3 2 2 4 2 - - - - -
3.5 1 2 - - - - - - -
4 - 1 - 1 - - - - -
4.5 - - - - - - - - -
5 - - - - - - - - -
 
21 out of 81 combinations found

Locations
US States (5): WI (64), WY (6), MN (10), NV (1), IL (3)
Countries (1): United States (84)


(map from world66.com)

 

via [http://www.geocachingonline.com/]

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Garmin GPS - Source Code & Platform

04 August, 2009 10:06

moved from http://myspew.com/

Garmin, one of the big players in GPS (global positioning system) devices and applications has released the Linux source code for their Nuvi 8xx and Nuvi 5xxx-series devices.

The source code hints that the Linux version of these Garmin series devices is linux-2.6.17.7 and are configured to use 64MB of ram.

Here is a full list of libraries, applications and dependencies for the released source:

BSD: GPS Software & Hardware Architecture fontconfig-2.4.2 libogg-1.1 libpcap-0.9.3 libtheora-0.9+1.0alpha7 libvorbis-1.0.1 speex-1.1.7 tremor-20041119 BSD+GPL: flac-1.2.1 ppp-2.4.3 BSD-X: libfontenc-1.0.4 libxcalibrate-0.0+git20070607 libxcursor-1.1.8 libxfixes-4.0.3 libxfont-1.2.8 libxrandr-1.2.1 libxrender-0.9.2 libxsettings-client-0.10 xrandr-1.2.0 BSL: boost-1.33.1 bzip2: bzip2-1.0.2 freetype: freetype-2.1.10 GPL: alsa-lib-1.0.14 alsa-plugins-1.0.13 alsa-utils-1.0.14 apmd-3.2.2 base-files-3.0.14 base-passwd-3.5.9 blob-1.13-daisy-2.80 bluez-libs-3.4 bluez-utils-3.4 busybox-1.01 dbus-1.1.2+cvs20070620 dbus-glib-0.74 dpkg-1.13.24 gcc-cross-4.1.2 gconf-dbus-2.10.0+svn20061219 gdbm-1.8.3 gnome-common-2.4.0 gnome-mime-data-2.4.2 gnome-vfs-2.16.3 gnupg-1.4.2.2 initscripts-1.0 ipkg-0.99.154 ipkg-link-1.6+cvs20050404 kexec-tools-1.101 libid3tag-0.15.1b libmatchbox-1.9 libtool-1.5.24 libxkbfile-1.0.4 libxv-1.0.3 linux-daisy-2.6.17.7-daisy-2.80 linux-libc-headers-2.6.20 lzo-1.08 makedevs-1.0.0 matchbox-wm-1.2+svn20070417 module-init-tools-3.2.2 netbase-4.21 prelink-20061027 psplash-0.0+svn20070529 readline-4.3 settings-daemon-0.0+svn20070728 shared-mime-info-0.16 sysfsutils-2.0.0 sysvinit-2.86 tinylogin-1.4 udev-103 update-alternatives-cworth-0.99.154 update-modules-1.0 update-rc.d-0.7 wireless-tools-29 wpa-supplicant-0.6.3 xserver-kdrive-common-0.1 xserver-nodm-init-1.0 GPL+LGPL: foinse-tag-indexer-0.0.9 libgcrypt-1.2.3 libgpg-error-1.0 libsigc++-2.0-2.0.6 jpeg: jpeg-6b LGPL: atk-1.10.3 foinse-0.23.84 foinse-theme-0.5.96 garmin-audio-service-0.7.23 gconfmm-2.14.1 geoclue-0.9 glib-2.0-2.12.11 glibc-2.5 glibmm-2.12.10 gnutls-1.6.3 gst-plugins-bad-0.10.5 gst-plugins-base-0.10.14 gst-plugins-good-0.10.6 gst-pulse-0.9.4 gstreamer-0.10.14 gtk+-2.10.12 gtk-doc-1.0 gtkmm-2.10.10 libexif-0.6.16 libsdl-image-1.2.3 libsdl-mixer-1.2.6 libsdl-ttf-2.0.3 libsdl-x11-1.2.9 libsndfile1-1.0.16 pango-1.16.4 pulseaudio-0.9.5.17 qt-automake-0.0.20 speechrec-0.9.2 startup-notification-0.8 texttospeech-0.7.2 tslib-1.0 LGPL+MPL: cairo-1.4.8 cairomm-1.2.4 libpng: libpng-1.2.26 MIT: beecrypt-3.1.0 curl-7.16.2 dropbear-0.49 expat-2.0.0 ipkg-collateral-1.0 libatomics-ops-1.2 libxml2-2.6.26 modutils-collateral-1.0 ncurses-5.4 popt-1.7 xdpyinfo-1.0.2 xmodmap-1.0.2 xserver-kdrive-1.3.0.0 MIT-X: bigreqsproto-1.0.2 calibrateproto-0.0+git20070607 compositeproto-0.3.1 damageproto-1.1.0 diet-x11-1.1.1 dmxproto-2.2.2 fixesproto-4.0 fontcacheproto-0.1.2 fontsproto-2.0.2 inputproto-1.4.1 kbproto-1.0.3 libdmx-1.0.2 libice-1.0.3 libsm-1.0.2 libxau-1.0.3 libxdmcp-1.0.2 libxext-1.0.3 libxft-2.1.12 libxi-1.1.0 libxinerama-1.0.2 libxmu-1.0.3 libxp-1.0.0 libxt-1.0.5 libxtst-1.0.1 libxxf86dga-1.0.1 libxxf86misc-1.0.1 libxxf86vm-1.0.1 printproto-1.0.3 randrproto-1.2.1 recordproto-1.13.2 renderproto-0.9.2 resourceproto-1.0.2 scrnsaverproto-1.1.0 util-macros-1.1.5 videoproto-2.2.2 xcmiscproto-1.1.2 xextproto-7.0.2 xf86bigfontproto-1.1.2 xf86dgaproto-2.0.2 xf86miscproto-0.9.2 xf86vidmodeproto-2.2.2 xineramaproto-1.1.2 xinit-1.0.3 xproto-7.0.10 xtrans-1.0.3 openssl: openssl-0.9.7g OSL: elfutils-0.108 PD: modutils-initscripts-1.0 sqlite3-3.3.7 various: liboil-0.3.9 xrdb: xrdb-1.0.3 zlib: zlib-1.2.3

nuvi880According to a blog by Henri Bergius, Gnome mobile (GMAE) might be its desktop environment. This includes C, C++, API's for features such as bluetooth, and other subsets of GMAE, and a standard Gnome GTK graphical toolkit. 

nuvi8xx-v2.xx-sources/
|
+-- GPL/
|    |
|    +-- linux-daisy-2.6.17.7-daisy-2.xx
|         |
|         +-- linux-daisy-2.6.17.7-daisy-2.xx.orig.tar.bz2
|         +-- linux-daisy-2.6.17.7-daisy-2.xx.diff.tar.bz2
|
+-- LGPL/
|    |
.    .
.    .
.    .

The source code is available here:

http://developer.garmin.com/linux/

For example, the Nuvi 800 has a base set of these operating system applications and environments:

  • gnome 2.4.0
  • gnome-vfs-2.16.3
  • xserver-kdrive-common-0.1
  • busybox-1.01
  • tinylogin-1.4
  • alsa
  • blueZ
  • matchbox window manager
  • geoclue-0.9

I use Trimble's Outdoors Platinum Java application for Geocaching and outback hiking and camping which is available for various cell phones.

Here are some features of this edition of this GPS navigation system:

  • plan routes and trips using nationwide high resolution (1:24,000) topographic, aerial, or street maps
  • create your own trips by modifying trips posted by other outdoor enthusiasts on trimbleoutdoors.com
  • add notes and pictures to your trip from your PC or digital camera
  • share trips with friends and family online
  • use your cell phone as a recreational GPS receiver
  • navigate with a digital compass
  • display speed, heading, altitude and latitude/longitude coordinate readout
  • track your route with scale information for creating a bread crumb trail
  • mark waypoints and navigate to waypoints
  • input notes and pictures into your trips from your PC and digital camera
  • wirelessly download trips, routes and waypoints to your cell phone

AND the platinum version includes these extra capabilities:

  • enjoy all the features and benefits of Trimble Outdoors Gold, plus
  • wirelessly download topographic, aerial and street maps to your phone (see the list of supported phones here)
  • wirelessly insert notes into trip from your cell phone
  • wirelessly insert pictures into trips from your cell phone (requires the use of a camera phone)

Resources used:

  1. http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8827997755.html
  2. http://developer.garmin.com/linux/
  3. http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/AboutGoldPlatinum.aspx

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Geocaching Software 2 - iSilo and GPX Spinner

03 August, 2009 17:51

Here you stand - no Net access and on your knees hoping a Geocache coordinate will fall from the sky.  You have a Smart Phone, like myself and you wonder how this could have been prevented and thus be caching instead of wishing?

Your answer is iSilo and GPX Spinner.  No, you do not need Windows Mobile, though it is one of the optional platforms supported.  First I will give a description of iSilo:

iSilo™ is a highly versatile document reader available for iPhone/iPod touch, Android™, BlackBerry® Touch, BlackBerry®, Palm OS®, Pocket PC, Windows Mobile Smartphone, Symbian S60 3rd Edition, Symbian Series 60, Symbian UIQ 3, Symbian UIQ, Symbian Series 80, and Windows® CE Handheld PC handhelds, as well as for Windows® and Mac OS X computers. You can find thousands of  ready-made documents downloadable immediately for reading with iSilo™ or you can create your own documents from HTML content using iSiloX. Some of the major features that will win you over to iSilo™ include:

  1. High text compression in iSilo™ format documents result in a 50% to 60% decrease in size, which is about 20% better than the Palm Doc format, allowing you to store more and larger documents on your handheld.
  2. Hyperlinks make it much easier to navigate through a document.
  3. Images add visual richness to documents, especially photo-quality color pictures.
  4. Tables allow the display of tabular data.
  5. Formatted text gives style to text for controlled emphasis. 

Here are the supported platforms with documentation links and examples:

So the basic idea behind using iSilo and GPX Spinner is to enable you to take a GPX file and convert it into an HTML (Web Page) document with Spinner to start, and then convert it into an iSilo supported document for viewing the exported web page on the above devices.

This software allows you to have almost a mirror of Geocaching.com within your created pocket query (PQ).  It really is just like browsing the web!

I purchased iSilo when I first started Geocaching, though I later switched to Cachemate which was mentioned in the Software Series 1 post.  However, I use it almost daily for reference documents and I even take it on the road and load a book or two on the device with iSilo when I will be on an extended trip.  Enjoy!

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Wireless Geocaching.com - Fancy Not Required

03 August, 2009 16:56

Most cellular users have the ability to log-in to geocaching.com to view and log cache listings.  All that is usually needed is a data plan on your phone.  If you do not have a data plan, watch out so your usage doesn't bite you when the bill arrives.

If you happen to have data service, I am sure you have found many limitations to your phone's built in Web browser and sometimes the inability to visit geocaching.com.  However, if you are satisfied with what your phone manufacturer provides for browsing the web, by all means stay with what works.  However if this is your situation and you are not able to access geocaching.com, you have an alternative called WAP.

Wireless Application Protocol (commonly referred to as WAP) is an open international standard[1] for application layer network communications in a wireless communication environment. Its main use is to enable access to the Mobile Web from a mobile phone or PDA.

A WAP browser provides all of the basic services of a computer based web browser but simplified to operate within the restrictions of a mobile phone, such as its smaller view screen. WAP sites are websites written in, or dynamically converted to, WML (Wireless Markup Language) and accessed via the WAP browser.

Before the introduction of WAP, service providers had extremely limited opportunities to offer interactive data services. Interactive data applications are required to support now commonplace activities such as:

    * Email by mobile phone
    * Tracking of stock market prices
    * Sports results
    * News headlines
    * Music downloads

- [Wikipedia]

You may access geocaching.com for simple tasks by pointing your cell phone's web browser to: http://wap.geocaching.com/ Here you are able to view, find, log a cache and look up a travel bug with a very simple text based menu interface.

Opera Mini Screen ShotIf you want the ability to access geocaching.com and all its provided features and options, and you have a Java enabled, or other supported phone application loaders, I suggest you give Opera Mini a try.

Opera Mini is almost a full fledged web browser and is supported on the majority of recently released cell phone models.  Opera Mini may be found here: http://www.opera.com/mini/download/

If you have a restricted phone and are having trouble installing Opera Mini, see this Blog Post for a work-around.  The title indicates that it is for the LG LX260, though the download link will work for many other brands and models.

If you happen to be a Sprint subscriber, you also have the option of registering your phone's ESN/MEID number on the Sprint Developers web site which will automatically enable your phone to download signed and unsigned apps not soley approved by Sprint.

Of course if you have a laptop with an open wifi network near by, you can hardly beat broadband Geocache access!

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