Ok so I got a GPS setup, and there is a trip planned for this weekend.

Anybody have the GPS location of the 1/4 mile of mud ?

Neil ? Tom ? Mike ?

 

Here you go gentle giant - have fun!!!

1/4 mile of mud:
N 39 45.747'
W074 39.653'

Apple Pie Hill
N 39 48.445'
W074 35.378'

Wharton TW (I think it means tower only 10 spaces to name waypoints )
N 39 38.446'
W074 35.377'

Caranza Memorial
N 39 46.636'
W074 37.886

 

thanks, Neil, your the greatest.

I will make a post of my setup later, but its Just like John (Griggs) setup. Actually it is identical minus he can transmit his postion to the net. I bought John's extra laptop, and he loaned me his handle GPS. John was nice enough to load up all kinds of software for me, including the photmaping software, with all the waypoints he had, the 1/4mile of mud was not one of them.

 

Thanks also, Neil. I lost those coordinates somehow and only discovered it while trying to lead the meet a week or so ago.

Don't bother giving Ben any other major Wharton coordinates for normal landmarks: he has them already, lol. I made up a big coordinate set of about 50 or so of them which he has in USA PhotoMaps and all he has to do is load them. WHY the 1/2 mile of mud isn't in there I have no idea. Did I accidently delete it? Did I not save the waypoint? Am I just a moron? Or is this all a dream from which I shall awake...

I'll post that list on here for everyone and I'll add the 1/4 mile of mud (no, really, I will) to it, lol.

 

John is all that photomapping software availble online for download. Or where is it available to purchase?

 

It's free: http://jdmcox.com (no 'www" on purpose)

Once you get it, it has no maps -- you need to be connected the internet (preferably high speed!) and put in a coordinate in an area of interest. After that, you can begin loading map data from that area.

Maps come in 5 forms basically:

1. USGS satellite photo maps in 1 meter per pixel resolution (for offroading)
2. USGS satellite photo maps in 8 meter per pixel resolution (for offroading)
3. USGS topographical ("topo")in 4 meter per pixel for offroading/general survey use
4. "Tiger Maps" street level maps
5. Urban topo's/photomaps of some sort -- never downloaded them

You will need at least the 1 meter and 8 meter photo maps, and I recommend the 4 meter topo's as sometimes the annotated information on them is useful, and they show elevations.

Why two resolution photo maps? Because when you zoom out, the 1 meter per pixel maps become large and unwieldy to scale back. The 8 meters paint faster to the display.

Anyway, it's a program that takes some time to learn all the features, but it's worth investigating and drilling with.

 

Beyond that software all you need is a antenna to hook to my laptop correct. Because for the price of free and an antenna off ebay I would be willing to do it. I take it doesn't take much of a processor to run the program. I have another laptop that may get put in the dash as a carputer and run it that way.

 

yeah the processer in mine is like 133mhz or something, but thats all I am going to use it for, and for what John sold it to me for I can't complain, great deal in my book.

 

Neil whats the wharton tower ?

 

Not just an antenna, Luke (you're a mechanical engineer, aren't you ) -- you need the GPS electronics with a serial port that connects to the laptop. An external antenna is a nice thing to have FOR sure because it means you don't have to put the GPS up on the dashboard, and you get more signal.

Also, most GPS run off of batteries so you either need a mobile power supply of some kind (it's kind of like what you use with a cellphone in the vehicle) or eat batteries every 6 to 12 hours (depending on your GPS). That's an additional expense.

Things I like to look for in a GPS.

1. A screen I can read without a magnifying glass -- less critical if it's mainly going to feed your laptop.

2. Lot's of memory for maps -- again not important that it can do mapping AT ALL if you're going to feed the laptop.

3. An external antenna port -- more rare than you might expect in a low cost GPS.

4. An "RS-232" serial port and not just USB.

5. The ability to communicated positions using the standard NMEA-0183 protocol and not just "proprietary" protocols that some software may not support.

6. Availability of some kind of decent mount -- most have them available, but few if any include it with the GPS.

My handlheld and "backup" GPS is on loan to Ben right now -- a Garmin eMap. It's fairly low cost, especially used, and has all the features I mentioned above. It's older and not as accurate as the newer ones, but it's fine for what I do with it.

I prefer Gamin GPS units after playing with several -- but others may feel differently about that.

My current GPS in the truck is dead right now. I had a failure of the position transmitter which ran the battery down and when I jumped the truck the GPS and positioning system no longer worked --OR-- it failed and took down the battery. Don't know what's chicken, and what's egg on this one.

So, right now, I have NO capability, lol, since I gave Ben my backup to use. Oh well...

Oh and there are GPS units that look like a mouse, more of less, with no display, that just plug into a laptop. The DeLorme "Tripmate" is an example of this. But remember: you need something that will work with USAPhotoMaps and that may limit your choices.

Also, USB units generally have 6 foot or LESS cables. Serial units generally have 10 foot or LONGER cables.

 

I have a Garmin GPSmap 76 right now. The problem I had with it was that it came with such basic maps that it really sucks. I didn't know where to go to get maps.
I thought Rand was running his laptop with a USB antenna and no external GPS. Either way, for now if I can get those maps on my handheld that will work for me.

 

Okay, I have software to give it maps if it has memory for it. Next time we get together I need to give that to you.

There is no GPS in Rand's laptop. His so-called "antenna" is actually one of those "mouse like" GPS units with all the electronics in one housing. If you want to do a permanent install, the USB units are limited with those short cables and extending them is not recommended.

 

John thanks for loaning me the hand held, I really appreciate it.

 

Yeah it has like 8 MB of internal memory. And really for what I have in mind that thing rand has would work for me. My old laptop has a burnt out screen so the plan was to mount a touch screen in the dash and the laptop where the glovebox is. So the short cord on that unit would reach to the dash and wouldn't bother me there and get half decent reception.

 

Okay. A PC cable for your GPSmap 76 would be fine also to get rolling.

Ben: No problem! It just seemed unfair to sell you a laptop preloaded with mapping software and map data and then you can't use it, lol! Just get yourself a replacement when you can so I can get it back, lol. If I can't fix my system, I'll need to meet you to get it back (at least for the one trip) for Centralia in October. Other than that, I don't have a lot of travel plans and don't need it right now. Have fun and learn the navigation because it means there's at least two of us trained on the system making it more likely that a "navigator" will be available on every Wharton meet.

 

By PC cable are you refering to the serial cable that came with it for loading maps and such.

 

I sent you a PM John, I saw garmin emap on ebay for $60 but can't find the serial port cables, is that something you rigged up, or can you find one for me ?

Does the garmin emap have an extenail antenna port ?

 

or is this it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

Edit:
if that is not it this is

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MakeTrack=true

 

If that one is for what you need then thats a nice cable with both the serial and power adaptor in one.

 

GPS must be big in the UK, I see alot of GPS stuff on ebay in the UK

 

Take a video camera! Sounds like fun

 

John N3ELZ put videos up from the last time, did you see them ?

 

I went to that GPS location today looking for the 1/4 mile of mud, I drove in a circle around the location, the dot on the map looks like its in the middle of the woods and not on a trail.

I am new to GPS and all this stuff so I am willing to bet I screwed up entering in the location. I know I was close though. I would love to re-take the same trail we took the time Sawred(Mike) and Rand were with us and we past the hole were Neil submarined and Sawred got stuck by train tracks, and the place where Rand had to winch out sawred. Anybody have any of the location of any of the above places ?

 

bump