GPS Software for Nokia N95

[westonwanderers]

I've written a GPS app for Nokia Phones, with built in GPS (ie, N95). Its more suited for Geocaching than the built in one, as you enter the coords you want to go to in H DD MM.MMM format.

 

It should work on any Mobile phone with a built in GPS.... But, not on ones that require an external bluetooth GPSr.....I've only tested it on N95 though.

 

Let me know what you think!

 

Instructions:

 

To download, point your Phone wap browser to here:

 

http://www.tonywestonuk.plus.com/GPS-ME.jad

 

alternatly, download the jar from here, and transfer to your phone using Bluetooth.

http://www.tonywestonuk.plus.com/GPS-ME.jar

 

 

* - change centre view of GPS

# - update waypoint, on waypoint screen.

 

[+The Lavender Hill Mob]

Downloaded it to my N95, just checking the home coords cos they seem to be a little bit out!

 

I'll get back to you.

[+The Lavender Hill Mob]

Downloaded it to my N95, just checking the home coords cos they seem to be a little bit out!

 

I'll get back to you.

No, the home coords on the phone are spot on, it's the home coords on the geocache web site that are way off!!

 

I'll give it a go tomorrow. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Thanks.

 

TLHM

[+Matrix]

Any chance of a version that uses a bluetooth GPS receiver ?

[+La Fifi]

Luvly jubbly....have downloaded but cant be *****ed going outside to test.

 

Will have a go tomorrow....in between the christmas shopping and card writing.

 

Cheers!

[+Cryptik Souls Crew]

Works on my N95 using internal gps or bluetooth gps

[+Matrix]

Any chance of a version that uses a bluetooth GPS receiver ?

 

Mmmmm just tried it on my N73 with an external bluetooth receiver and it worked first time but was a little of my home co-ords , but I just tried it again and it cant get any satellite data from the receiver

[westonwanderers]

Any chance of a version that uses a bluetooth GPS receiver ?

 

Mmmmm just tried it on my N73 with an external bluetooth receiver and it worked first time but was a little of my home co-ords , but I just tried it again and it cant get any satellite data from the receiver

 

I can assure you, that there is definitely *no* code that supports external GPS receivers in there (yet!!....I 'll add it at some-point soon!).... So, the question is, how the heck did your N73 know where it was, without a GPS??... ~After some digging, i discovered that the N73 can actually triangulate its position using cell towers, instead of GPS... The accuracy will be poor, but, well, its better than nothing!

 

Cheers,

Tony.

[+Matrix]

I can assure you, that there is definitely *no* code that supports external GPS receivers in there (yet!!....I 'll add it at some-point soon!).... So, the question is, how the heck did your N73 know where it was, without a GPS??... ~After some digging, i discovered that the N73 can actually triangulate its position using cell towers, instead of GPS... The accuracy will be poor, but, well, its better than nothing!

 

Cheers,

Tony.

 

Well it works

 

If I start the program it prompts for bluetooth to be turned on (if its not already on ) and then it says "Allow GPS-ME to use positioning data?" then the phone pairs with the external receiver and the data starts to stream . If I cover the receiver it reports "Lost Signal " and I have even tried it with the phone in Offline mode and it still works (so no cell tower triangulation going on ) the arrow does tend to jump around a little if you stand still but my home co-ords are N **° 38.588 W ***° 57.669 and the phone shows N **° 38.590 W ***° 57.670 so its not far off

 

Cheers

 

Matrix

[+Team Sieni]

Great stuff! I look forward to trying it out. ... when real life allows me to get out and to a bit of caching ...

 

Soon I hope

[westonwanderers]

Well it works

 

If I start the program it prompts for bluetooth to be turned on (if its not already on ) and then it says "Allow GPS-ME to use positioning data?" then the phone pairs with the external receiver and the data starts to stream . If I cover the receiver it reports "Lost Signal " and I have even tried it with the phone in Offline mode and it still works (so no cell tower triangulation going on ) the arrow does tend to jump around a little if you stand still but my home co-ords are N **° 38.588 W ***° 57.669 and the phone shows N **° 38.590 W ***° 57.670 so its not far off

 

Cheers

 

Matrix

 

Well, fair enough, it looks as though it is using the bluetooth GPS then. I am surprised, though!... On my Sony K800i it doesn't run at all, even with an external gps, it only works on the better half's N95!!

Thanks for the info,

Tony.

[+Cryptik Souls Crew]

On the N95 (and presumably other N series phones) if you go to Tools > Settings > General > Positioning > Positioning methods then you can select what methods it will use for positioning. If I choose internal GPS it uses that, if I select bluetooth receiver then it uses that. As far as I know this will work with any application which uses positioning eg Google Maps mobile or your GPS app etc.

 

I used to use this all the time cos the internal GPS was hopeless on the N95, but with firmware 20.0.015 it now gets a lock in about 5 seconds.

[+dino-irl]

Also works well on the E50 with BT GPSr

 

Combined with Smart GPX it turns my phone into a perfect paperless caching device

[+T.R.a.M.P.]

P of T.R.a.M.P here -

 

I popped it on my N95 Silver (v12 firmware) and had a play.

 

I've dabbled with similar things on the N95, and can answer you with why it works on the N73 - you're querying the phone's positioning API, which is universal code - which is very much the correct way to do things. In case the phone doesn't have a built in GPS, the API will try to find a bluetooth one, hence it'll work. It won't use cell-tower positioning unless the network supports it, and none in the UK do as far as I know.

 

As for the program, it's great, but a few pointers -

 

- It could do with a menu along the bottom of the screen. The current navigation is a little confusing and everyone loves menus.

- At one point, the display became scrambled and shoved everything in to the top left corner. I'm not sure how to recreate that, but it's a tiny bug.

- A satellite status page would be fantastic.

 

Great work, though! I'll be keeping an eye on the project

Edited December 9, 2007 by T.R.a.M.P.

[westonwanderers]

As for the program, it's great, but a few pointers -

 

- It could do with a menu along the bottom of the screen. The current navigation is a little confusing and everyone loves menus.

- At one point, the display became scrambled and shoved everything in to the top left corner. I'm not sure how to recreate that, but it's a tiny bug.

- A satellite status page would be fantastic.

 

Great work, though! I'll be keeping an eye on the project

 

Cheers for the feedback... Hmmm... I'm not sure about 'Everybody loves menus' - I find them a little 'Wordy', especially on a mobile device. For example, to update the waypoint, you press # on the waypoint screen, and then 'overtype' the current wp. Job Done!

If this was done with menus, then, you'd press the menu key, scroll down to 'update waypoint, that might take you to a new screen, when you enter new waypoint details, then 'ok'. As I say, wordy! But, saying this, I will add a menu for configuration details,(for example, adding a bluetooth GPS, on mobile phones that do not support the location API, the user might need to scan for a GPS). Also, if (eventually), you need to scan online for nearby caches, then this option will be via a menu. I think, I would rather keep the primary GPS functions via hotkeys though, so it 'feels' like a typical handheld GPSr, and not a mobile phone, trying to emulate a GPSr.

 

I Have seen the shove eveything in the top left hand of screen bug. I guessing its because The location API is supplying me with invalid heading details, as it only happens when 'Signal Lost' is shown. I'll investigate further!

 

A satellite status page would be good, though, As Im uncertain if I can get this info via the Location API, I guess it might not be possible.

 

Cheers,

Tony.

[+snaik]

Works great on N73, any chance of a metric version! as dont work in £sd

 

[+perth pathfinders]

Any chance of a version that uses a bluetooth GPS receiver ?

 

Mmmmm just tried it on my N73 with an external bluetooth receiver and it worked first time

 

 

 

Works great on N73, any chance of a metric version! as dont work in £sd

 

 

After extensive research using N73 and external bluetooth, this position seems the best to catch a signal - just need to brush up on poise and deportment now ..........

 

[+Matrix]

 

After extensive research using N73 and external bluetooth, this position seems the best to catch a signal - just need to brush up on poise and deportment now ..........

 

 

You just need a hat with a mesh pocket in the top

 

[Phantom piggy]

I have downloaded this software onto a Nokia 5800, unfortunately its a touch screen phone so i cannot enter any co-ordinates. Am i missing something here???