Thanks Neil for this discussion of Bluetooth GPS. I was having a similar discussion on the phone with Mike Osbourn just before reading your post. I agree that this is a technology that is going to make major changes in our field, in fact I am about to upgrade to new smart phone and Bluetooth combination. I am hoping cables in the field (or in the office for that matter) are going away.
I would also suggest that folks take look at the MI based GBM Mobile data collection software from Exa-Min Technologies, www.geobasemap.com. It works well with the new Bluetooth receivers and interfaces with MapInfo Pro seamlessly. The ease of field form design and creation makes arc pad look silly. The utility and portability of the blue tooth/Smartphone data collector makes this a very realistic situation for change methodologies for a broad range of field data collection. The amount of storage on smart phones is something that an old guy like me is just not prepared for. Having an MI based data collector with ortho photos and working tables on it is something that I still find beyond belief, but it is reality. Thanks again for your discussion. Jim James C. Henry JCH GeoInfo Solutions 2726 Croasdaile Drive Suite 207 Durham, NC 27705 (919)493-9339 v. (919)321-4903 f. (919)819-8307 m. [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.jchgis.com > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Neil Havermale > Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2006 4:47 PM > To: David Reid; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Mapinfo-L > Subject: RE: [MI-L] GeoTracker and Garmin GPSMap76CSx > > I would suggest the end of the era of a cabled GPS device > needs a bit more exposure. While personal hand-held > navigation units like the Geko and other-like dedicated > devices still need serial connections, Bluetooth versions do > not. Either the UI device has Bluetooth built in (most smart > phones, PDAs and leading PDNs)or you can buy a Bluetooth\USB > dongle for $40 for your laptop that will manage up to seven > other Bluetooth devices in a LAN diameter of 30-40 meters. > > I would suggest you then consider any number of Bluetooth GPS devices. > Cost for a 3m RMS static average accuracy statistic with WAAS > capable navigation, that is rechargeable, manages up to 20 > GPS satellites by massively correlated synchronization, > providing 8 hours duration, and 10m Bluetoothed GPS > transceiver comes in around $295US ($120 street) for > SiRFstarIII GPS-chipped units. > > For Nokia and other Symbian OS users, a smartphone navigation > application like MgMaps.com can give you state-of-the-art > personal navigation with on-the-fly access to internet map > sources like Google Maps, Yahoo, Open Maps, and others. For > $150 and an appropriate smartphone data service, you have an > excellent GPS unit plus a personal navigating application > able to access worldwide road/image/hybrid backgrounds. And > you can also download KML tracks. PDNs and PDAs with like > features would cost you as much as $700 with maps delivered > on a CD map pack. And if you want to add your mobile > personal location Bluetooth GPS to a lap top, just add a > Bluetooth USB port - $50. > > Bluetooth versus USB-serial adapted connection should be, > IMHO, the norm. Yes, there is a bit to learn about Bluetooth > pairing configurations for security reason as well as > allowing more automatic connection to other peripherals > within your personal Bluetooth aura. It is getting more easy > as time goes by; the apps themselves take care of the > Bluetooth connection. > > MidNight Mapper > aka neil > http://redhen-iswhere.blogspot.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of David Reid > Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 4:28 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Mapinfo-L' > Subject: RE: [MI-L] GeoTracker and Garmin GPSMap76CSx > > Tony, > I'm still using a Garmin 12cx but I'm sure the communication > protocols would still be the same. > > Although I'm not running MI 8.5, I recently received a new > laptop and was forced, kicking and screaming to leave Windows > 2000 and finally accept Windows XP AND the fact that my new > laptop had no serial port either, so I too had to get a > USB/serial adapter. > > At first, I had similar problems but mine manifested by > making the pointing device go berserk. I found that XP was > recognizing my GPS as some kind of "Microsoft Ball Point" > pointing device. I don't recall the exact device name and I > just carried my laptop to the truck and tried to find this in > Device manager and reproduce the problem but I think what > fixed everything else eliminated that issue too. > > My fix was quite simple and that was to find a usable COM > port to assign to my USB adapter/GPS, that was COM 6. You > would accomplish this in the Windows Device Manager. Then, > just as with a normal serial port connection, open Geotracker > Options and select the appropriate COM port you set previously. > Just make sure that the version of Geotracker that came on > your Mapinfo install disc is version 3.2 or greater. The > older versions only recognized COM ports 1-4. > > As far as the communications protocols, the USB connection is > not dependant on those, only the communication between > Geotracker and your GPS. I'm running Geotracker 3.2 and the > only two protocols available are NMEA > 0183 > and Trimble TSIP. My Garmin 12cx has two or three NMEA > protocols but no Trimble and I presume yours would be the > same. You may need to choose different NMEA settings on your > GPS until you hit on just the right one. > One > of the NMEA protocols on my Gar 12, will cause very erratic > behavior with Geotracker. > > Hope this helps, > > David Reid > Colbert County 9-1-1 > Colbert County, Alabama > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Tony Baylis > Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 12:28 AM > To: Mapinfo-L > Subject: Re: [MI-L] GeoTracker and Garmin GPSMap76CSx > > Thanks to Mike and Jon for your help but unfortunately I have > had no success. All things I had tried except maybe the > definitive step through. > I shall keep working on it and let everyone know when I work it out. > > Tony > > Cummings, Mike wrote: > > Check the settings/configuration of your GPS. If I remember > correctly, to > use a USB connection the GPS should be set to the garmin > protocols & not NMEA 0183. > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Tony > > Baylis > > Sent: Wed 10/18/2006 5:01 PM > > To: mapinfo-l@lists.directionsmag.com > > Subject: [MI-L] GeoTracker and Garmin GPSMap76CSx > > > > > > > > Morning all, > > > > Interesting rumour Bill...maybe it all got too hard!!! > > > > My problem is with the GeoTracker shipped with MapInfo V8.5 and > > connecting my Garmin GPSMap 76CSx to it for real time > tracking in the > > field. This is the first time I have tried connecting via > GeoTracker > > and I keep getting a 'Status is unavailable...' signal in the > > GeoTracker dialogue. > > > > The GPS is connected via USB as the laptop does not have a serial > port. > > I do have connection to the laptop via another application but > > cannot into GeoTracker. > > > > I have gone through the 'help' file, done the preferences stuff but > > with no success. Any assistance would be great. > > > > Tony > > > > > > Tony Baylis > > Resource and Exploration Mapping > > Suite 8, 290 Boundary St > > Spring Hill QLD 4000 > > Ph 3832 1600 > > Fax 3832 1603 > > Mob 0419 759 131 > > Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > www resexmap.com.au > > _______________________________________________ > > MapInfo-L mailing list > > MapInfo-L@lists.directionsmag.com > > http://www.directionsmag.com/mailman/listinfo/mapinfo-l > > > > > > -- > Tony Baylis > Spatial Information Specialist > Resource and Exploration Mapping > Suite 8, 290 Boundary St > Spring Hill QLD 4000 > Ph 3832 1600 > Fax 3832 1603 > Mob 0419 759 131 > Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > www resexmap.com.au > _______________________________________________ > MapInfo-L mailing list > MapInfo-L@lists.directionsmag.com > http://www.directionsmag.com/mailman/listinfo/mapinfo-l > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.408 / Virus Database: 268.13.5/483 - Release Date: > 10/18/2006 > > _______________________________________________ > MapInfo-L mailing list > MapInfo-L@lists.directionsmag.com > http://www.directionsmag.com/mailman/listinfo/mapinfo-l > > _______________________________________________ > MapInfo-L mailing list > MapInfo-L@lists.directionsmag.com > http://www.directionsmag.com/mailman/listinfo/mapinfo-l > _______________________________________________ MapInfo-L mailing list MapInfo-L@lists.directionsmag.com http://www.directionsmag.com/mailman/listinfo/mapinfo-l
