Does anyone know of a nice simple way of taking some GPS coordinates and overlaying them onto a map like Multimap or similar? Any good bits of cheap/free software out there? Doesn't need to be too clever... just interested.

 

Streetmap gives you the choice of a few coordinate systems for the resultant map, although I'm not sure if any are the GPS system (OS grid, Landranger grid and Lat/Long are the 3 choices).

Not sure if that's any use at all... ??:

Derek

 

You need a bit of software that supports NMEA format messages, and a GPS that outputs in that format. Amongst other things, MS Autoroute will do this, as will GPSS. Bear in mind that it's a long time since I've played with this sort of stuff, but if it's for Scoob use IIRC the NMEA standard only supports speeds up to 102.4 knots.

 

InfoMap & MS MapPoint do this

 

Cheers guys. Any other suggestions, post em up. It's not for Scoob use so the speed thing shouldn't be an issue

 

I was using a Magellan 330X feeding my laptop with Autoroute 2000 on it last summer while charging around France.

It *certainly* does work above 102kts. Like about 35kts (indicated) above...

Great piece of kit.

Provided your GPS outputs in NMEA standard (I think the current release is NMEA1.2?) and you can capture the data you *should* be able to use it in almost anything. I'm led to believe it's just a text string. Of course, I could be talking b*llocks here, though. In which case, sorry

SB

 

It is just a text string -- the NMEA format is quite unsophisticated. Maybe it was 204.8 knots then (could have been an earlier version). I used to work with military GPS receivers and we were trying to kludge something up (one of the softies wrote an RS422 to NMEA converter) -- it didn't work too well with the 'fighter' dynamics profile on the GPS sim

 

Anyone know of any good routefinding software for the Palm OS? I have a magellan GPS addon to my Handspring Visor, and am using the Tomtom Route Europe 3 at the moment, but relatively new roads like the a1/m1 link road are not on it.

 

nmea is indeed just a text string with a defined set of characteristics. virtually all recent gps devices will output nmea.

there are various programs that will read the incoming data and display a moving map on a laptop or pda.

rich - what do you want to do?

Is this for a real-time viewing, or for reviewing a journey later on?

 

ideally like to be simply be able to track something and plot it, real time (ish) on a map.
No real reason, just interested.
So what would I need to be able to have something in my car and then see where it is at any time overlaid on a map?

 

Just plug a GPS into a COM port on your laptop. Then fire up MS MapPoint and select the GPS option. It will then track the GPS on the map. Easy squeezy.

 

I want to be able to sit at home and see where my girlfriend has taken the car and maybe how quickly
Can this be done fairly easily?

 

Yes

 

OK - a bit more...

Purchase a GPS tracking device from a specialist company - there are quite a few about - purchase a P&G sim, whack it in & then dial in with a modem into the device, extract the position, vector, speed etc etc & enter into a package like InfoMap.

Job done - simple, effect but quite costly as the units aren't generally cheap & data calls or SMS is an expensive way to run it.

 

I wouldn't tell your girlfriend either

Asking for trouble

So question what good that info is for you...

 

If you only want to see where the car has been after it has come back, rather than tracking it realtime, there is a widget available that logs GPS positions. You can then play them back afterwards. Of course, doesn't need any comms then.

Cheers

Ian

 

& that device is available from Jungle.com