Is there a GPS receiver that exports into open, usable format?
September 4, 2006 11:11 AM Subscribe
I will be going on several data collection trips to the sierras. I need a device that will constantly monitor my location and also allow me to note special points of interest. Seems most GPS devices do this already but I need to be able to move the collected info into my PC for analysis afterwards. A GPS receiver that exports into an open XML format would be ideal. Any recommendations? This info might need to be used on many platforms for which tools will be written.
What you want to do is record a constant track and also record waypoints. These will be saved in two separate files on your GPS with two seperate memory limits. Any brand sold at a surveyors supply store is OK (Garmin, Trimble and Magellan are the ones I've used most) just make sure that if you get a cheapie handheld it doesn't only output in some silly proprietary format. Other than that they pretty much all output in tabular raw or txt files and you can put it in tab delineated text, word, excel, Fox etc very easily. The data is some combination of time/ date/ lat/ long and for waypoints you also get waypoint name/ comments/ additional data. If you need additional data (like elevation or distance from start) make sure you can set it to do that in tracking mode.
Your main consideration for a specific unit is probably memory. Most handhelds will do about 4 to 10 tracks of varying sizes and 500 waypoints. Once you hit the limit of each kind of memory they typically start to overwrite your old data without telling you. Bad times.
The tracks are recorded as points at preset time intervals with a best fit curve inbetween. Recording your location more often and getting a more accurate track = more memory and more $$. If you are hiking a handheld is fine for days worth of tracks. If you are flying or driving huge distances you might want to rig it for continuous download to your PC.
I've found that the handlelds are just unreliable enough at recording the tracks that it's really worth carrying two.
posted by fshgrl at 12:30 PM on September 4, 2006
Your main consideration for a specific unit is probably memory. Most handhelds will do about 4 to 10 tracks of varying sizes and 500 waypoints. Once you hit the limit of each kind of memory they typically start to overwrite your old data without telling you. Bad times.
The tracks are recorded as points at preset time intervals with a best fit curve inbetween. Recording your location more often and getting a more accurate track = more memory and more $$. If you are hiking a handheld is fine for days worth of tracks. If you are flying or driving huge distances you might want to rig it for continuous download to your PC.
I've found that the handlelds are just unreliable enough at recording the tracks that it's really worth carrying two.
posted by fshgrl at 12:30 PM on September 4, 2006
One other thing to consider is the GIS software you will be using and the kind of analysis. Some kinds of analysis need more data points than others to be accurate. You need to know that before you buy!
posted by fshgrl at 12:33 PM on September 4, 2006
posted by fshgrl at 12:33 PM on September 4, 2006
And on the subject of .GPX, theres also Easy GPS if you get a Garmin, Magellan, or Lowrance GPS.
posted by a. at 5:14 PM on September 4, 2006
posted by a. at 5:14 PM on September 4, 2006
The "GPS Utility" at http://gpsu.co.uk/ will probably be able to extract your data from any cheap GPS unit. After it is in GPSU, you can export to any imaginable format. That program is not free, but look around.
Most GPS units make tracks, and can save waypoints. A track us made of psedo-waypoints made automatically as you move. I use tracks made on a cheap MAP 330, for plotting bikign trips on Google Maps. Works great and is $-cheap
example: http://ryaske.weck.net/
Good luck
posted by Ryaske at 9:49 PM on September 7, 2006
Most GPS units make tracks, and can save waypoints. A track us made of psedo-waypoints made automatically as you move. I use tracks made on a cheap MAP 330, for plotting bikign trips on Google Maps. Works great and is $-cheap
example: http://ryaske.weck.net/
Good luck
posted by Ryaske at 9:49 PM on September 7, 2006
Sorry, this is my second post.
Here are those two links in clickable format:
posted by Ryaske at 9:51 PM on September 7, 2006
Here are those two links in clickable format:
posted by Ryaske at 9:51 PM on September 7, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
Hinterm Horizont
Maybe Google Translations is also able to help you to comprehend. However this article will also be avaible in English soon - as announced on the author's website
Articles in English.
Hopefully I was able to help you.
Bye
posted by pu9iad at 12:30 PM on September 4, 2006