GPS Stuff

My Rojone Receiver

A receiver I built using an OEM GPS module. I've since moved on to a GlobalSat BT-338, but this in combination with my AirCable Bluetooth serial adapter is good as a backup.

NTP Server

A NTP server synchronized to the above GPS receiver. I developed this partly as a learning platform for Internet-enabling microcontrollers, and partly as a dedicated system for keeping my various networked computers on time.

Navigation

Currently, I'm using my Treo 650, GlobalSat BT-338 and PathAway software.

I've converted the entire NATMAP Raster Premium "250K Mosaic", "1M Mosaic", "5M Mosaic" and the 20M small-scale map into PathAway maps. The NATMAP exporter allows individual tiles to be exported. I exported each map at 50% and reduced to 256 colours using the palette included with the PathAway software. The maps fill the exported bitmap up to the edge and the fact that they use an equirectangular projection makes for easy calibration.

In total, the NATMAP maps are a touch under 2GB (565 files). They easily fit on my 8GB SD card, but I suspect they, plus the PathAway software itself, would all be able to (just) squeeze onto a 2GB SD. The breakdown: "250K Mosaic" (514 files, 1.45GiB), "1M Mosaic" (49 files, 337MiB), "5M Mosaic" (1 file, 17MiB), "20M" (1 file, 1MiB).

I also do a bit of cycling for exercise. For that I had scanned the Perth Bike Maps. I finally finished that in the middle of November 2006. Murphy's Law then dictated that freely downloadable electronic versions would be published two weeks later! Exporting the PDFs at 200dpi and converting them to the PathAway 256-colour palette results in file sizes totalling 213MiB (between 21.8 and 35.9MiB each).

Other Links

• GPS Information, Software, and Hardware Reviews (Psion GPS Software)
• PosNav GPS Antennas & GPS Receivers for OEM Systems Integrators
• Garmin connector project
• GpsOz - Australian GPS site
• GPS Shop
• Magellan GPS
• Ed Williams' Aviation Page
• NMEA
• Jonathan's Site - PsiGar3 and PsiGar5 software packages for connecting Psion handheld computers to Garmin GPS units
• GaRoute - Connect Psion Series 5 to Garmin GPS
• Psion software - Among others, software to connect Series 5 (EPOC) and Series 3a/c/mx (SIBO) to Garmin GPS
• GarmEdit for Series 3a/c/mx and Series 5
• PsiNMEA - Connect Psion Series 5 to GPS
• RealMaps - View raster-image maps with support for GPS tracking
• Dale DePriest's Navigation and GPS Articles
• PathAway - PalmOS navigation software that allows you to use your own scanned maps
• GPX - GPS eXchange Format. An XML format to allow track, route and waypoint data to be exchanged between applications.
• TatukGIS Free Coordinate Calculator - Coordinate conversion between various datums and projections.
• OziExplorer PLT to KML - Track conversion tool.

Mapping Related Sites

• Geoscience Australia
• USGS Coastline Extractor (worldwide)
• Hema Maps
• MapTrax
• Omni Resources

Geocaching

I've recently had the opportunity to plant two geocaches:

• Queen Victoria Spring
• Plane Wreck

Don't know what geocaching is all about? See http://www.geocaching.com/ for more information:

Degree Confluence Project

So far I've visited six confluences. I didn't know this project existed when I went on a trip during March-April 2002. There were several close to where I had been.

During a two-and-a-bit week trip in April 2003, I visited the following confluences:

1. 29°S 117°E - E of Morewa, SW of Mount Magnet, WA, Australia
2. 27°S 118°E - SW of Meekatharra, N of Mount Magnet, near Great Northern Hwy, WA, Australia (selected for the month of April in the DCP 2004 Calendar!)
3. 27°S 119°E - SE of Meekatharra, N of Sandstone, WA, Australia
4. 25°S 125°E - Gibson Desert National Park, WA, Australia
5. 27°S 125°E - E of Lake Wells, near Warburton Road, WA, Australia
6. 28°S 123°E - NE of Laverton, WA, Australia

For an explanation of the Degree Confluence Project, see the web site: http://www.confluence.org/.