Beelinegps Anyone?

[+The Neverlanders]

At the risk of sounding stupid, what is needed to run BeeLineGPS? Their pages seem vague to me. By that I mean they explain WHAT it will do with great screenshots but not HOW it does it. In other words - I have a Meridian color and an iPaq 2215 - what cables, etc do I need to use the program? What are your experiences with the program? Will this give me a better screen to work from than my Meridian color? Can I bluetooth the units (I see you can buy a bluetooth hookup for the meridians so it could go in a backpack with an external antenna)? I use an Otter box for my iPaq so I'm not worried about that. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

The Neverlanders

[+IVxIV]

I hadn't seen that software before,, it looks interesting.

 

Instead of a tiny PDA, I do that sort of pre-planning at home on my full size PC screen, using Micro$oft Streets & Trips instead. I transfer my 500 cache pocket query from GC.com to it via Utopia software, then can see graphically on the screen where all the "not founds" are. And, sorta do a basic connect-the-dots using that info.

[+leatherman]

(I see you can buy a bluetooth hookup for the meridians so it could go in a backpack with an external antenna)

I don't see that. Provide some links or more info.

[+The Neverlanders]

Instead of a tiny PDA, I do that sort of pre-planning at home on my full size PC screen, using Micro$oft Streets & Trips instead. I transfer my 500 cache pocket query from GC.com to it via Utopia software, then can see graphically on the screen where all the "not founds" are. And, sorta do a basic connect-the-dots using that info.

 

I have done it at home also (sorting and preplanning) but nothing beats the "tiny PDA" in the field. This would allow just a bit more information than I presently have available (and besides, all the latest stuff is cool to play with).

 

The Bluetooth setup is from a different vendor:

 

http://pc-mobile.net/bta.htm

 

 

the Neverlanders

[+IVxIV]

... nothing beats the "tiny PDA" in the field

 

Yes I agree, and use a Sony Clie PDA & Cachemate out in the field

 

However to get a nice big "graphical" picture of all cache sites within 80 miles of my home, I use Streets & Trips on my home PC instead of the little PDA screen.

[+RumJungle]

Hi "The Neverlanders",

 

BeeLineGPS (other GPS software as well) uses a serial connection to gain access to the GPS receiver. A standard communication protocol called NMEA (NMEA web site) allows third party applications to communicate to the GPS. Bluetooth can be considered as a wireless serial port when communicating to the GPS receiver. There are specific commands within the NMEA protocol that GPS software looks at. BeeLineGPS requires the following:

 

GPGGA - Global Positioning System Fix Data - reports time, position and fix related data

 

GPGSA - GNSS DOP and Active Satellites - reports which satellites are being used for navigation and DOP (dilution of precision) values

 

GPGSV - GNSS Satellites in View - reports the signal to noise ratios (signal strangth) for each satellite tracked as well as the azimuth and elevation of each satellite

 

GPRMC - Recommended Minimum Specific GNSS Data - Reports position, speed over ground, date and year

 

There can be many different ways of connecting a GPS receiver using the PPC. Your question was specific to bluetooth. On the pocket PC, the bluetooth manager will start when connected to the serial port associated with the bluetooth device from the GPS application. Select the GPS bluetooth device shown in the manager and the connection will be complete.

 

You could use a cable from the PPC to the Meridian, but you will be living with cables dangling. If you do use cables with the PPC and GPS, then again, you would connect using the serial port. In most cases serial port 1 on the PPC is the external port that a cable connects to.

 

This is somewhat a techi answer. Hope it answered your question.

 

Have fun caching!

 

RumJungle

[+TetrAmigos]

I personally love my BeeLineGPS setup. I use a Dell Axim X30-Mid Pocket PC with integrated Wifi and Bluetooth, so when I finally took the leap into GPS, I bought a Bluetooth Holux GR-230 GPS receiver. Bluetooth GPS will communicate with BeeLine using one of your PDA's com ports (via wireless), which BeeLine will extrapolate data from your receiver, just like your standard GPS receiver (as RumJungle noted).

 

For geocaching, I use only my PDA and my Holux BT GPS receiver and the following programs:

 

1. Mapopolis - fantastic door-to-door driving utility with audible spoken driving directions.

2. GPXToMaplet - a freeware utility that extrapolates GPS caches from a .gpx file, and overlays them on my Mapopolis maps so I can see where caches are in relation to common landmarks (roads, highways, etc). Also makes it handy on those multiple-cache days, becuase I can see quickly what caches are around and where (eg. hill, park, road, etc.)

3. BeeLineGPS - Once I leave the car, I turn off Mapopolis and turn on BeeLineGPS to fine tune EXACTLY where I need to be heading. In most cases (assuming the cache-placer plotted correct coordinates for the cache) I can nail it down to within 2-4 feet of the plotted waypoint using this program.

4. GPXSonar - Then upon arrival at the waypoint I switch to GPXSonar, which allows me to read up on the finer details of each cache using .gpx file import, just as I would if I was sitting at home veiwing geocaching.com and looking at the individual cache page.

 

This benefits me becuase I already had my PDA for business use, so adding small elements and programs to it seemed more functinal in my case vs. the purchase of a dedicated GPS unit.