+sundogranch Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 So far I have found very few negative things said about the Cobra 1000 GPSr. Only thing people seem to be wanting is a way to download the .gpx-.loc files with a program like GSAK. Why not make a program for this GPSr unit? You can put a 1gig SD card into it! Seems like Geocachers might be better off with other choices than the Big Two- both of which have their own problems. Cachers are pretty brand sensitive (To what they are using) and I think an open mind is a good thing. If someone made a way to download .gpx to this they could start a revolution! Quote Link to comment
+sundogranch Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 (edited) Does this mean you're working on an application for the Cobra 1000 that would solve our problem?- seems like close mindedness is the main factor to overcome with this GPSr. People report much better accuracy than "Garmin" which seems to be lacking in the antenna dept... Edited January 3, 2006 by sundogranch Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Well, you got one, win us over. (Accuracy issue isn't going to work on a Lowrance user.) Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Actually it doesn't look like that bad of a unit. I'd have to use one a while to really know, but it does seem to cover the basics well. Look at details here. Quote Link to comment
+sundogranch Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 I did buy one and I'll compair it to my Explorist 200, as far as accuracy and ability to find signal and lock in goes- thats going to be a tall order though. I can only hope I find a way to download to it. I figured any GPSr I bought with a USB would be able to download from GC.com...so far dosn't look like it unless you punch them in one at a time- argh! Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Does this mean you're working on an application for the Cobra 1000 that would solve our problem?- seems like close mindedness is the main factor to overcome with this GPSr. People report much better accuracy than "Garmin" which seems to be lacking in the antenna dept... Ive said before that I'd do Cobra interfaces for GPSBabel (which would then propogate to GSAK) if someone funded it or if someone else would write it, document it, contribute it, maintain it, and support it, I would check it in tonight. Cobra (or anyone else) is welcome to send me specs, evaluation units for development, and/or code. That's the way open source software works - anyone that wants it can make it happen. As it stands, I've seen almost zero official requests for Cobra support, no published interface specifications, and very few reports from Cobra owners that didn't regret buying one. It's just not a combination that motivates programmers to build it. Quote Link to comment
+GOT GPS? Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Cobra is too new, whereas Garmin and Magellan have been on the market for about 15 years, so they had time to really know how to better design. Surprised you did not get an Explorist 210 or 400 GEOFF Quote Link to comment
Grfxboy Posted November 6, 2006 Share Posted November 6, 2006 As it stands, I've seen almost zero official requests for Cobra support, no published interface specifications, and very few reports from Cobra owners that didn't regret buying one. It's just not a combination that motivates programmers to build it. Well, I for one would like to go on record as requesting Cobra support! As to why there aren't more requests, I can only think that those who are buying the Cobra haven't been Geocaching long enough to get tired of manually entering waypoints. I bought the Cobra 100DLX thinking that since it had a memory card, it could upload waypoints. Wrong! Any support coders could give would be entirely helpful! Thanks! Quote Link to comment
GreatCanadian Posted November 6, 2006 Share Posted November 6, 2006 (edited) So far I have found very few negative things said about the Cobra 1000 GPSr. Only thing people seem to be wanting is a way to download the .gpx-.loc files with a program like GSAK. Why not make a program for this GPSr unit? You can put a 1gig SD card into it! Seems like Geocachers might be better off with other choices than the Big Two- both of which have their own problems. Cachers are pretty brand sensitive (To what they are using) and I think an open mind is a good thing. If someone made a way to download .gpx to this they could start a revolution! Brand sensitive?? I don't think it's brand sensitive. I believe you pointed out the WHY in your own post!! why would I buy a Cobra that I CAN'T use with GSAK, instead of a Garmin or Magellan that I CAN!! Perhaps you could have stated that GPS users in general might be better off with other choices. But to state "seems like geocachers might be better off with other choices that the Big Two..." and then point out the main reason why they wouldn't, doesn't seem logical to me. I am not saying Garmin or Magellan are better GPS's than Cobra, but for geocaching, they are more convenient. However, I certainly hope that the quality of the Cobra GPS's is better than the quality of my crappy Cobra 2-way radios! However, I do agree with you in that if the Cobra GPS were compatible with the waypoint managing software that the others are, they could indeed be as good or perhaps even better for geocaching. Edited November 6, 2006 by GreatCanadian Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted November 6, 2006 Share Posted November 6, 2006 (edited) Cobra is not well recieved as a GPS by either owners or other geocachers. Yes we cachers can be brutal on a GPS maker for making crap. Geocachers tend to be power users of GPSs. We are always looking for a better GPS that does useful things and does the job. If in doing the job they make it harder, we don't have a lot of use for the GPS. Along the way the Big 2 became the Big 3. Lowrance had started making a lot of good press by geocachers. Brunton is showing potential in the innovation department but has a way to go. Cobra had their shot. They need to go back to the drawing board. You would think that people who buy them would like them, they don't. To give you some credit, you are the first who likes their Cobra. Take your Cobra Back and get about anything else you can find. Edit: ARRG! I was sucked into the old topic vortex...Must find fresh topics... Edited November 6, 2006 by Renegade Knight Quote Link to comment
GreatCanadian Posted November 6, 2006 Share Posted November 6, 2006 ARRG! I was sucked into the old topic vortex...Must find fresh topics... Me too!! It's only after reading your comment that i checked that date of the post and realized how old it is.! Quote Link to comment
topografix Posted November 6, 2006 Share Posted November 6, 2006 I've had a fair number of requests for Cobra support in EasyGPS, ExpertGPS, and GeoBuddy. My answer has always been the same - contact Cobra tech support and ask them to release an official document describing the computer interface that 3rd parties can use to transfer waypoints, routes, and tracks to/from the GPS. Garmin released their transfer protocol spec first. Magellan was second. Lowrance/Eagle was third. Everyone else - tied for last. Funny how that mirrors their sales rankings, huh? Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted November 6, 2006 Share Posted November 6, 2006 All indications are the Cobra has exited or is exiting the handheld business. Their quarterly report refers to liquidating that line and the woot sale seems to fall in line with that. See the paragraph above the one you quoted for ways to add support for Cobra (or pretty much anything else) to GPSBabel. Quote Link to comment
Grfxboy Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 Thanks for the info, all. I guess I'm still on the look out for the perfect (read inexpensive) GPS. BTW, sorry for dragging you all in to the old post vortex.... but it was new to me! Quote Link to comment
Neo_Geo Posted November 7, 2006 Share Posted November 7, 2006 I seem to get a feel that owners of the Cobra 1000 model were generally happier with that model than owners of the previous models. The biggest complaint about the 1000 is no supported software applications. Well, I guess Cobra just totally blew it by putting out absolute garbage to begin with. If they'd put out a decent product from the git-go, they might have enough of a customer base to get software developers to support their brand. Coming out with the 1000 model was too little too late. Magellan has shown us that you gotta build good stuff first, THEN put out the garbage! Quote Link to comment
+darus67 Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 I picked up one of the Cobra units in the Woot deal, a few weeks ago. For the price I paid, (~$95) its not a bad unit, except for the fact that there is no 3rd party software. Now if I'd paid full MSRP (over $300 for the pkg I got) I'd be mightily disappointed. Quote Link to comment
zecatfish Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 I have 2 Cobra GPs's the 1000DLX and a 500, I wouldn't recommend one to anyone, both have quit working. They'll power on and locate satalites but WILL NOT TRACK. They're worthless!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get a Garmin or for very long tracks I love my Lowarance IFinder Pro. I think the Cobra 1000 is a rip off of the Lowrance products. Quote Link to comment
+HaLiJuSaPa Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 I have 2 Cobra GPs's the 1000DLX and a 500, I wouldn't recommend one to anyone, both have quit working. They'll power on and locate satalites but WILL NOT TRACK. They're worthless!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get a Garmin or for very long tracks I love my Lowarance IFinder Pro. I think the Cobra 1000 is a rip off of the Lowrance products. Yes, it kind of is a ripoff of Lowrance. Also, Cobra has stopped making handhelds (and thus have discontinued the 1000 as well), they only make "car GPSr"s now (for which they actually have a decent reputation), so the odds of Cobra GSAK files every happening are pretty low..... The 1000 was the only handheld by them that was even semi-decent to begin with...... Quote Link to comment
+Mojoski Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 (edited) Well, I've done some open source programming, and have even written drivers that work over the serial port before. (Ancient submission to the GPhoto app for supporting the Kodak DC25 camera.) I wouldn't mind taking a stab at the coding to get way points or POIs to upload. I am completely new to Geocaching however and would like some pointers on what the best tool to try to add this to. I just got my Cobra 1000 on the Woot-off last week and just started geocaching for the first time this week. Putting the waypoints in by hand is a slight pain, and I'd be willing to work to get it supported by some geocaching app. Any suggestions on what app would be the best for me to try to add this to? I use a windows laptop usually but have a Linux machine if that is needed. I believe I got the GPhoto driver working by setting up a virtual serial port under linux and monitoring the traffic on that port to figure out the protocol for moving images from the DC25. Would something similiar be appropriate for sending way points to the Cobra? The only way I know to do it now is with the StreetFinder software under Windows. Does anyone know of a virtual serial port driver for Windows that will let you log all traffic on the port? That might help us figure out what StreetFinder is doing when it uploads a waypoint. Thoughts? Anyone else interested in helping me out on such a program? UPDATED: It looks like this software might be a good first step. Anyone else want to help me figure this out? If so, email me and let me know! Mojoski Edited November 23, 2006 by Mojoski Quote Link to comment
+Jeffster83 Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Anyone else interested in helping me out on such a program? UPDATED: It looks like this software might be a good first step. Anyone else want to help me figure this out? If so, email me and let me know! I can't program, but I am interested in helping the GSAK export to the Cobra 1000. I have the StreetFinder software, and I am willing to download the serial port monitor and send a few Streetfinder files through it to the Cobra. Would that be a useful starting place? The StreetFinder can import CSV files of addresses. I'd be willing to edit CSV files by hand, just to be able to bring them into StreetFinder and then into the Cobra 1000. The help file doesn't describe the format of these CSV files, though, and I don't know if they include the latitude and longitude. I get the impression that the CSV files are ones exported from other RMcN applications. I don't have any other of their apps, though. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
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