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Joined: Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 310 Location: Plymouth
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:
Well that's great....I won't be getting it today because the postman couldn't get to Action Outdoors to collect the post due to a fire in the street _________________ I like mapping, I like mapping, I like mapping and I like to map!
Joined: Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 310 Location: Plymouth
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject:
It's arrived!!!!!
Expect an indepth review tomorrow.
Went shopping in London today....eventually went round Covent Garden and to the two plces listed as sellers. Did they have it? Nope!!! _________________ I like mapping, I like mapping, I like mapping and I like to map!
Joined: Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 310 Location: Plymouth
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject:
Ok, maybe I'm being thick. I've plugged the USB cable in to my Windows XP PC and the Satmap and up pops Removeable Disk G (I have rather a lot thanks to an inbuilt card reader) and the first time I plugged it in the PC recognised the Active 10 but how do you upload GPX files to it?
The SD card is not locked, Disk G just appears to be an empty card reader. I also took the SD card out and copied a GPX file to the card, put it back in and tried to view the route but it's not listed.
Plugging the unit back in to the USB cable clicking on Disk G says the Disc in Drive G needs formatting and asks whether I want to to or not....it says this whether the SD card is in the unit or not.
Anyone know anything? _________________ I like mapping, I like mapping, I like mapping and I like to map!
Joined: May 22, 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Hampshire - UK
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:53 am Post subject:
robs1972 wrote:
Ok, maybe I'm being thick. I've plugged the USB cable in to my Windows XP PC ......
Exactly the same with my SOs W2k setup. Unit is recognised as Active10 when first plugged into USB, but then not able to view card or load a GSX(?) route from Memory-Map. M-M doesn't recognise unit either.
Also tried a separate SD card with some MP3s on it - not recognised.
Am wondering if it requires a "net access" prog similar to the TomTom Home.
She's off out on the bike at the moment and is very pleased with the realtime GPS/mapping stuff, but loading routes etc is a must.
I guess there'll be a few phonecalls to Satmap on Monday about this.
Thank you for part 1 of your review.
Could you when in communication with Satmap get a clear answer to the putting of planned routes from PC to device.
This is imprtant to a good number of people who would like/wish
to purchase this device.
Personally speaking I have Anquet for several areas (Peak
and Dales) and at a pinch could use Oziexplorer for several areas
I note that part of the map coverage (1:25) for counties seem
not to work .
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:07 pm Post subject:
This is not a way forward for PC interface but it might prod a few in the right direction:
Go out for a short walk with the unit displaying your trail (where you have been)
On the device convert the track to a route, then select Edit / Copy Route to SD Card
Remove the SD card and put it in a card reader, you will find the Route info file on the card which can be viewed using Word Pad (Note pad just makes a mess of the data as it cannot read the end of line terminations correctly)
Now you can see the format the data is stored in, the positions appear as X/Y coordinates rather than lat / long values but this is easy to work out.
As I said this is a clue, I have yet to try loading a home made route, but it doesn't appear too difficult, a little reverse engineering was needed to discover this, quite a large amount of information is stored in the file including max speed (which might be why I will not produce a screen dump of the data, I wasn't driving on a public road honest, but the max speed is showing as 96 point something!)
Nice write up Rob, but you need to use the device in anger to really appreciate what it can do, part two should be a longer write up! at the moment I am testing a number of different battery cells in the device for duration and cost effectiveness, the supplied Lithium cells are about the best you can buy, but at 5.25 for three this is quite costly, NIMH cells are not very good from what I have seen, but the old Copper Tops seem to offer the best value for money at the moment. Results from this testing will be posted later in the week as I have around 8 sets of different cells to kill. - Mike
Richard, I would be interested to hear how you found the duration with these batteries installed, the lower voltage per cell of the NIMH cells could make quite a significant difference to the switch off voltage resulting in lower durations than expected.
So far I have tried a set of NIMH cells and I have to say I was not too impressed, I will try at least three or four sets/ charges and discharge cycles prior to posting any sorts of results table.
Well as promised I said I would report on rechargeable battery life and although I have still not received my map, I took it with me in the car for the last couple of days. As expected with the screen on constantly and 100% brightness the batterys only lasted about 5 hours.
My next test will be to have;
Backlight - 70%
Auto Power Saving - Always On
Auto Screen Turn Off - Off after 1 minute
Alert When Screen Off - Off
Hopefully I will get my map this week and check out the full functions properly.
noneoftheabove
Quote:
I note that part of the map coverage (1:25) for counties seem
not to work .
I have not heard about this, could you expand on your statement as I have just bought and waiting for a county map. What is the problem, does it affect all counties?
I note that part of the map coverage (1:25) for counties seem
not to work .
I have not heard about this, could you expand on your statement as I have just bought and waiting for a county map. What is the problem, does it affect all counties?
well i have just been on the Satmap web site and there appears to have been some alterations. I now can't find any reference to 1:25 maps ;all
the 1:50 seem to have a coverage area shown (well i only sampled a couple).
I just wish the company would engage brain and get things sorted
well i have just been on the Satmap web site and there appears to have been some alterations. I now can't find any reference to 1:25 maps ;all
the 1:50 seem to have a coverage area shown (well i only sampled a couple).
I just wish the company would engage brain and get things sorted
The shop is closed, but the site speciifically refers to the 1:25 still.
http://www.satmap.com/about.php
Over 150 map titles will be available at launch, covering the whole of Great Britain at 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scales. The country has been divided up into logical regions, so you no longer have to worry about what map number you live on: simply buy the map of your area.
* National Parks (1:25k AND 1:50k)
* National Trails (1:25k AND 1:50k)
* Regions (1:50k)
* Counties (1:25k or 1:50k) _________________ Doug Weller
Doug's Skeptical Archaeology site:
http://www.ramtops.co.uk
[quote="robs1972"]I don't like the sound of this reply to my above problem one bit!!!
Me neither.... There was no mention of a PC program required to upload GPX routes on their website. Indeed the only references are in the FAQ section
Quote:
Can I download routes from my PC based digital maps? Yes. The Active 10 accepts routes in the standard GPX file format. This format is supported by most providers of digital mapping.
No mention of needing an application to do so.
And I wonder if this will be a Windows based application, thereby instantly knackering the product for those that don't use windows.
I've had the unit now for about five days. It is good, there are a few niggles:
1) the joystick is sensitive, this seems to be calming down now, I don't know if I've gotten used to it or if it's getting used to me
2) On delivery the battery compartment had wires poking out of it. One wire was trapped under the battery case seal and has left an imprint over the seal ( a bit like a furniture imprint in a carpet). I wonder if this will affect environmental sealing, but as I have no intention of swimming with the unit, this shouldn't be a problem.
3) The options screen could be better laid out, and it should be easier to clear the 'snail-trail'.
4) Why does the device default to showing a specific location when a map card is inserted (North Britain defaults to Glasgow and apparently South Britain defaults to Leicester)?
5) My unit doesn't auto detect one of my cards on start. The first card seems to be able to be seen when I start the unit up. If I start the unit up with the other card in I have to eject and re-insert the card for it to be seen
Apart from these small problemettes, the unit is good. It's sensitive (the SirfSTAR III chipset is good) and the unit is responsive. When zooming in from a great height there can be a slight delay (i presume as it switches over to the map card data) and if you are scrolling around you may have areas of white tiles (bit like zooming and scolling in google maps). Laying tracks using the device is a little fiddly (because the joystick is sensitive, or I have sausages for fingers), but it is intuitive and easy to get the hang of.
If anyone has specific questions, fire away. Battery life seems good. I am going to get their rechargable pack when it's available... but this goes back to my original plea.... COMPLETELY RELEASE the WEBSITE SATMAP!! Sorry..was I shouting..
I so so so hope this GPX transfer thing doesn't turn into a problem with it being window only, or not working properly... They seem to have thought the unit out well, lets hope it doesn't fall because of these small problems.
Very good review, i must add that i agreed with a lot of it and see it as the way i have also found it.
Now batteries, I have already had problems with the 3 Energiser LITHIUM batteries supplied.
On the first day of receiving my Active 10, after the unit was on for over three hours, i could not get rid of a heavily flickering screen, also it did not lock onto satellite once retaining a red cross in the top left hand corner.
The unit laid for these three hours on a table outside, slightly angled on a box looking skywards.
After sending the unit back it seems to be that the supplied battery's can be over the permitted charge of 1.5v to 1.8v, this apparently is within the permitted voltage of the unit, but as I found can lead to other problems.
I can only state as I find, but during this unfortunate set back, my dealings with Satmap on the phone were first class, they fell over backwards to help me with several phone conversations and after a day of tests sent the unit back (next day) with several sets of different battery’s to experiment with, and a complete rechargable charger unit with four 2500mah battery’s.
At present I’m using the 2500mah batteries and all is well, I will just have to compare times with other results left here.
Although they are not available yet, the promised rechargeable Lithium polymer battery pack will hopefully be away forward here.
My concern is the same as mikealder – the batteries, getting the correct type and the longest times, is the most important issue here, particularly if used in the winter below zero temperature.
Generally comparing battery power times though will be difficult, as with mobile phones, the more you use it (and fiddle with it) the quicker the battery power will go, also they are affected by temperature, it would need laboratory conditions to be able to compare times accurately.
I have found the "loose" cover over the usb connection at the base a pain I have already lost two, this could prove a problem in wet or dirty conditions and I am looking to see if I can better this.
robs1972 I'm looking forward to part two of your report. _________________ TomTom Go 60
Garmin Nüvi 660, Firmware v4.90
Drive-Smart GPS with Loader v1.4.16
HTC Advantage X7500 MS 6.1 Tchart Speed Sentry
Satmap Active 10, Software v1.16
Fuzion 32 HUD Bluetooth GPS receiver
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