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user13371

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    mac and gps

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Dakboy:

     

    You are correct about MacCaching; didn't; work very well even when it was being actively developed/updated a couple years ago, Regarding current offerings in the Mac AppStore, there are two: iCaching, which is I've already mentioned here, and Geocache Manager -- which seems even more expensive and less capable.

     

    I *know* GSAK has more amazing ways to slice and dice data than any one person is likely going to use. But speaking for myself, in my rather limited gepcaching needs, I'm satisfied by Geosphere.

     

    -Lee

    mac and gps

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Dakboy: I have tried without success to get GSAK8 running under Codeweaver's Crossover (commercially packaged WINE).

     

    I haven't found anything on the Mac with a set of filters comparable to GSAK, but I've also found I don't need *everything* GSAK does. I can manage from Geosphere on the iPhone. Those who don't have an iPhone/iPad/iPod_Touch might also want to look at iCaching.

    vista hcx, etrex 30, dakota 20

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    John: I don't know WHY, exactly, but this wasn't just the Summit HC versus the Vista HCX. In that family of older Garmin units, the HCX models were *all* advertised with much longer battery life than the HC models. The most obvious hardware difference was the inclusion of a memory card slot in the X models, but I don't know how that would influence battery life.

    Dedicated GPS Better than a Smartphone?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist

    I might have to backtrack here. Last time I looked for one (some months ago), there wasn't anything that would should satellite positions. This conversation prompted me to look again and came across this: P-track

     

    Of course, it doesn't answer the earlier comment about live signal status -- but it does show satellite positions. For 99 cents I figure it'd be worth a donwload just to play with it.

     

    edit to add... not so much. guess I wasted 99 cents :)

    Dedicated GPS Better than a Smartphone?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist

    I haven't dug around in the SDK myself, but since nobody seems to make an app that shows realtime sat positions and signals strengths I'm guessing there aren't supported calls in the location manager for that. Most every app just shows a position and a accuracy estimate - no details exposed to the user about how it was derived.

     

    Real-time sat positions and strengths are in that "Gee, I wish I had this..." category. And then when I think about it, I don't really know if it matters. I'd more like something like Trimble GPS Planning utility on the iPhone.

    Dedicated GPS Better than a Smartphone?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist

    ...Maybe you're thinking of GLONASS support? I remember reading that it has it, but I also remember reading that nobody has ever actually seen it use GLONASS sats.

    Nobody has actually seen an iPhone use GPS sats either :)

     

    I haven't found an iPhone app that shows satellite positions or real signal strength;; just the basic "yes, you have a fix" or "no you don't." On the other hand, the folks at LabSat have run their GPS+Glonass simulator against the iPhone 4s and say it is able to use GLONASS signals.

    Glonass

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    RamblinBear, i think you're oversimplifying.

     

    "Marginal" or "Good" conditions can be described mostly by how many satellites you have in view, arrayed over the widest possible area. More is better.

     

    Having GLONASS reception by itself doesn't do anything for either of those. But being able to use both GPS and GLONASS together absolutely does improve how many satellites you'll have in view at any time, as well as how widely distributed they are across your view of the sky. Also, since GLONASS orbits are more inclined than GPS (65 vs 55 degrees), those at extreme latitudes will see a better distribution overall.

     

    I think this makes a bigger difference in accuracy than I think most folks realize. And for me at least, this is more important than a fast time to first fix or how complex a map I can display on a handheld.

    Glonass

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    ...Speculating here but it's going to take the token year, at least, before Garmin refines the new eTrex firmware enough to make having GLONASS an observable advantage. By the time Garmin intro's something like the Montana but with GLONASS and refines the firmware enough, we're talking years.
    Observing, not speculating: My eTrex 10 is the most accurate handheld GPS I've ever had, and there's a definite improvement with GLONASS enabled.

    Handheld GPSr or Bluetooth puck?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Yup - a handheld, stand-alone GPS is going to be a better solution than a bluetooth dongle paired with any device.

     

    But if you were going to upgrade your iPod Touch anyhow, and you're already carrying some kind of cellphone, I'd say ditch both of those and get an iPhone. My current gear is an iPhone 4 & and eTrex 10.

     

    The eTrex 10 is inexpensive, accurate, small/lightweight, with amazing battery life. No maps, but does handle paperless caching details. I don't care about lack of maps on the eTrex because I have the iPhone for that. But I'm mostly an urban/bike path/fair weather kind of cacher. If I was out more in the rough, I'd probably opt for a higher-end GPS (maps & color, like the eTrex 20) and keep my phone in an inside pocket more often.

    should we have a ignore all caches by x

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist

    ...I think it more likely that since there is already a function in place that does the job, albeit a slow, cloodgie one, then it is not a current priority for Groundpspeak. There are other more important features that people have been clamoring for and so there focus is on that.

    I'll go along with part of this -- the tools exist to do it already and Groundspeak folks have their priorities looking elsewhere.

     

    But I'd differ on the "slow, cloodgie" part. There are MANY ways to get this done. Not all of them are slow, and cloodgie isn't a word :)

    should we have a ignore all caches by x

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist

    I'm done here.

    Promise?!? :D

     

    Actually, I like your bridge analogy and can follow along. Building a bridge, adding features to a website, absolutely the same thing. It's cool if you want to build a bridge (well, you want soeone else to build it for you, but close enough). But your advocacy doesn't help someone get from point A to point B today. And folks who CAN get there today (knowing how to use what's available already) aren't sure why you're fussing. Not that you're advocating for a bridge (I get that part) but that you're so opposed to people pointing out there are other ways to go.

     

    Another way your analogy works is that some folks will have a different view of progress. I don't mind if your bridge gets built, even though I'm comfortable swimming for now. But I'll bet some people will argue against it in terms of cost or performance.

    should we have a ignore all caches by x

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist

    The GC app.

    Darn. From here I'd have no choice to but to suggest an obscure tool to you. Geosphere would let you do a lot more than the GC.com app, but it costs $8 and you'd have to learn how to use it.

     

    It would let you download your pocket queries to your phone, bulk select/highlight/ignore/delete any of them by text in the descriptions or by the owner's name, and do a lot of filtering similar to what the more expensive and (to some folks) "more obscure" GSAK program would do. My most frequent use is to sift through the entire collection I have on my phone and export just a subset that will fit on my Garmin. There's a bunch more it can do, but those are the points that seem relevant to what you've already mentioned (ignoring blocks of caches and getting them onto your Garmin).

     

    Your choice: Spend another $8 and learn how to use a tool that's available now, or wait for GC.com to build these features into the website and/or the iPhone app they already sold you.

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