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georgio8
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Joined: Dec 31, 2006
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 12:04 am Post subject: Questions about latest firmware |
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Hi all,
I have been waiting to buy a Satmap device because of a couple of weaknesses that were present at launch time. The latest firmware announcement is tantalising in that it doesn't really make it clear whether these issues have been properly solved. I can't get a reply from Satmap support. Does anybody here know the answers:
• Trip Data: A more accurate record of the trip data.
At what frequency is it now possible to log? Are there any facilities for 'intelligent' tracking by omitting points that are very close together?
• Raw Track Data: The ability to download the raw track
data from the Active 10 onto a PC (via SatSYNC).
What about downloading tracks to a Mac? As an experienced Macintosh user who also has a lot of experience with digital mapping, I would be happy act as tester of the Mac version of your SatSYNC software. But failing that also wonder whether I could read the raw log files (NMEA?) by removing the SD card from the SatMap and inserting it in a card reader connected to my Mac. |
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PloddinPedro
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Joined: Mar 25, 2007
Posts: 229
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 9:37 am Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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I'm not able to answer all this, but here's my contribution:- | georgio8 wrote: | | ... Trip Data: A more accurate record of the trip data. At what frequency is it now possible to log? |
Sorry, I don't understand this question. | georgio8 wrote: | | ... Are there any facilities for 'intelligent' tracking by omitting points that are very close together? |
Not in the A10 itself - you can edit the raw data files later on a PC, e.g. by filtering the trackpoints down to a lower number. | georgio8 wrote: | | ... What about downloading tracks to a Mac? |
I don't think there is Mac support yet. | georgio8 wrote: | | ... failing that also wonder whether I could read the raw log files (NMEA?) by removing the SD card from the SatMap and inserting it in a card reader connected to my Mac. |
Routes created in the A10 can be saved and copied or moved to the SD card but, maddeningly, the raw data .gpx files also generated at the time the route is saved do not also transfer to the SD card, so the only way of accessing these is via SatSYNC and that only works if you have a valid connection to the A10. You could get access to the .map route file via the SD card and a card reader but this has limited data and is not readable off the A10. So far as I am aware, there isn't a "translator" currently available that will convert Satmap's .map format into .gpx |
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georgio8
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Joined: Dec 31, 2006
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 9:54 am Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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Thanks for that helpful response. I really like the look of the SatMap, but I'm not willing to switch my MacBook Pro over to Windows everytime I want to upload a route, so I guess I'll have to wait for a Mac version of SatSYNC.
| PloddinPedro wrote: | | georgio8 wrote: | | ... Trip Data: A more accurate record of the trip data. At what frequency is it now possible to log? |
Sorry, I don't understand this question. |
In the original SatMap firmware I believe the trip log was recorded only at 30 second intervals. What is this interval for the latest firmware version?
(One of my uses for the SatMap would be to add data to Open Street Map and to do that on a bike you need GPS fixes at least every 2 seconds).
George |
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PloddinPedro
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Joined: Mar 25, 2007
Posts: 229
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 10:43 am Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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| georgio8 wrote: | | In the original SatMap firmware I believe the trip log was recorded only at 30 second intervals. What is this interval for the latest firmware version? |
It hasn't changed. When the A10 records a trail it lays down trackpoints at between one and about five seconds. However, at the end of the journey you need to "convert trail to track" to generate a saved "route". This process creates a .map file and a .gpx file. Both of these can be copied off the A10 and saved on a PC. This process converts the .map file into .gpx format, since the .map format is not readable by anything other than an A10. The .map.gpx file is small and has sparse data - fewer trackpoints and no date/timestamp etc. while the .gpx file is rich and has everything. The .gpx file was created by Satmap after myself and others expressed the wish to able to edit and analyse recorded data as we could with a Garmin generated track etc. As a cyclist, I have found the route created as .map a bit "coarse" - it tends to cut corners and isn't quite as readable as a Garmin created equivalent - but it is perfectly usable. I had thought that I would simply use the data rich version for re-loading into the A10 but the import process converts the file back to .map format, stripping out much of the data and the unit struggles to cope with larger route files. The revised software that is currently undergoing testing is said to address this, but we have to wait and see. |
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rothers
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Joined: Mar 28, 2007
Posts: 134
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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| georgio8 wrote: | | What about downloading tracks to a Mac? |
No you can't directly, SatSync in Windows only. However the usual solution to running Windows only progs on a MAC without rebooting is Parallels or VMWare Fusion
http://www.parallels.com/
http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/
Cheers
Neil |
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trowe
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:34 pm Post subject: Satmap & Parallels/VM Ware |
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Has anybody actually got the Satmap Satsync software working under Parallels or VMWare with XP. I've only managed to get it working thru bootcamp (and then it works fine) but I don't really want to keep rebooting to use the Satmap.
For me, the satsync software just sits there saying please connect, a USB mass storage device is found (which has error code 10 against the driver) and not much else happens. I've disabled the device and reinstalled it again, but no joy. Anybody got any ideas |
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GSer
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, just purchased my Active 10 at the weekend and am now trying to get SatSync work under XP running in VMware Fusion. Under the USB sub menu of the "Virtual Machine" menu I can see "Satmap Systems Ltd active 10" and can connect it to the PC. However like the previous poster I only get the Windows 'mass storage device connected' system tray alert but the Satsync software does not see the device and the icon doesn't change to green. Trying to unmount the storage device does not work.
It's almost fair enough that Satmap haven't made a Mac version yet (pure economics in terms of customer numbers) but to have made the first bit of PC software I've discovered that won't work on a Mac under PC virtualisation is a real pain. I only have XP running under Fusion and cannot boot directly into XP (I didn't partition for Bootcamp) and so can't verify that it will work on a Mac booted into Windows. |
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trowe
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Joined: May 26, 2008
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:46 pm Post subject: satmap and parallels |
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| Update: just installed vista under parallels and satmap satsync works fine, so now you know! |
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Darren
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Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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I was just about to say it's working for me under Vista on my MBP.
_________________
Darren Griffin |
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jonesbach
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Joined: Jun 07, 2008
Posts: 185
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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| georgio8 wrote: |
• Raw Track Data: The ability to download the raw track
data from the Active 10 onto a PC (via SatSYNC).
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Not raw data as such but the internal .gpx can be read as xml by most browsers and contains, as said in previous post, data taken every few seconds.
The data contained is
lat & lon i.e. 51.555787,-4.701025
time 2008-06-20T10:52:57Z
height 48
speed 0.0 kmh
There are already parsers available that can read this data for you. The internal .map file is more problematic and you would need your own parser. It is sampled about every 30 seconds but is richer in data.
I trust that Satmap will not object to the use of these files, after all they allowed them to be copied out, but it will do no harm to confirm with them before hand. |
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PloddinPedro
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Joined: Mar 25, 2007
Posts: 229
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:37 am Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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| jonesbach wrote: | | ....There are already parsers available that can read this data for you. The internal .map file is more problematic and you would need your own parser. .... |
OK, a question from a dumb novice at all this - what is a "parser" and where do I get one?
On second thoughts, since I may well not understand the answer, what I'm really asking is how do I read the data in the richer internal.gpx file, specifically the time and date of each trackpoint. |
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Darren
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Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 10:05 am Post subject: |
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A parser is something that can interpret the contents of a file.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsing
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Darren Griffin |
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PloddinPedro
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Joined: Mar 25, 2007
Posts: 229
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:23 am Post subject: |
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| I'd glanced at the Wiki data, that's why I thought I'd never understand the answer! As a totally non-computer literate person, I need some software/application to use in the normal way, with which to open the Satmap [My trail].gpx file so I can see the time and date, etc. info. On my Garmin generated saved .gdb files I can see all this by simply opening the file in Mapsource but I cannot open the Satmap file in Mapsource. I can open it in Memory Map, but the route data doesn't include time and date. |
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jonesbach
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Joined: Jun 07, 2008
Posts: 185
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:50 am Post subject: Re: Questions about latest firmware |
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| Quote: | | how do I read the data in the richer internal.gpx file, specifically the time and date of each trackpoint. |
Note: .gpx - richer in points, .map poorer in points richer in other data.
Copy out the internal .gpx file to your hard disk. Right click on the file and open with either Firefox or Internet Explorer.(I.E. tends to show irrelevant items)
As far as reading the data into your own format or display I have two concerns. (1) I'm no lawyer and am unsure whether these files are 'owned ' by Satmap, i.e. proprietary. (2) Are Satmap bringing out any update to SatSYNC. I regret to admit belonging to the lazy brigade and would not want to put in a lot of work only to have it trumped by Satmap. |
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mikealder
Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005
Posts: 19638
Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:59 am Post subject: |
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| SatMap have always maintained they will be bringing out some sort of PC viewer/ planner application for the PC but I have seen nothing of this for a while now. Whether this will allow two way file exchange between the application and the device is not known but it wouldn't be of much use if it didn't - Mike |
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