How to: Use a GPS watch, XML and Satellite photos 98
ptorrone writes "Engadget.com has a How-to article about using a Garmin Forerunner 201 watch and XML to export a runner's tracks and place them over Hi-Res Satellite photos. The author plans to run 10 miles, in 10 cities over the next 10 weeks and print out all the images."
Sounds like a perfect way (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Sounds like a perfect way (Score:3, Insightful)
I mean, "why"?? Does he run in really complex patterns so he can't remember them and draw them on a map by hand? What's he going to use the maps with his joint cartilage destroying routes superimposed on for?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an ugly thing. Combined with a fetish for electronic gadgetry it gets expensive, too.
Then I RTFA, and saw that it was an art project, and it all makes sense (well, it's explained anyway). Maybe this little detail could have been mentioned in the Slashdot story?
Re:Sounds like a perfect way (Score:4, Insightful)
Plus you can do all those other geeky things in the 23 other hours, like automatically download the XML tracks, and plot it on sattelite imagery.
oh great... (Score:3, Interesting)
okay, so there are other uses. I'm not really meaning to troll, but GPS has stuck in my craw ever since.
Re:oh great... (Score:5, Interesting)
Admittedly though, if you remember to set a waypoint for where you started, you can get back quite quickly by just running in a general direction, and checking how I am doing every 2 minutes or so.
Re:oh great... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:oh great... (Score:2)
Re:oh great... (Score:2)
> out where you were when you get back.
well, *you* know that and *I* know that, but you'd be surprised at how many knuckleheads there are who will use it as their sole method of orientation.
Re:oh great... (Score:2)
But I have my orienteering compass, and a knowledge of USGS maps. So I have no problem finding him. Funny thing is, when he was my age, he could do the same thing.
I prefer the old-school method of navigation.
Re:oh great... (Score:2)
I like that also. very little can go wrong.
my other pet peeve involves the expense and ruination of the wilderness experience caused by people who have to get "rescued".
I think that we should have certain areas designated as no-save areas: if you get into trouble, you have to get yourself out. that means self-evacuation if you break your leg, for instance. it'd keep a lot of people out of those areas that have little business being there.
of course, y
Re:oh great... (Score:2)
In the woods, I use it more for mapping out honey-holes than getting rescued. It's a tool, like any other. It depends how you use it.
How Long (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:How Long (Score:2)
the eOlympics....
Re:How Long (Score:2)
See wallhacker run.
Run, wallhacker, run.
See wallhacker break nose on wall.
Re:How Long (Score:2, Informative)
Portable defibrillator (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Portable defibrillator (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Portable defibrillator (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Portable defibrillator (Score:2)
Yeah, it's called the "server room" (a.k.a. "basement").
Running for Geeks (Score:3, Interesting)
It would have taken all of 1.5 minutes to check that.
And I never usually bother, but when I saw the Engadget article myself a day ago I almost knew this would happen.
Give timothy a break tho...it *is* Saturday.
Re:Running for Geeks (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Running for Geeks (Score:2)
(b) i didn't do a byte-by-byte comparison, but it's pretty much a dupe with some extra bits. Not even sure if it's worth a slashback.
(c) i'm desperately hoping the good moderators with points to spare mark this and
Re:Running for Geeks (Score:1)
(b) it wasn't available at the time of the original article, therefore not a dupe, which, around here is *almost* worth arguing about
(c) this I can definately agree with. I hadn't had my coffee yet is my only excuse, so I'm sorry if I came across flaming, but I would rather reply (even in haste) than mod down.
-dr b
Re:Running for Geeks (Score:2)
as for (c) - major kudos! the level of wrong moderation due to not following you bit of wisdom is, unfortunately, rising. maybe the changes cmdr taco is planning will help. time will tell.
it ought to be fun seeing what the mods do to this.
Motorcycle use (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:4, Interesting)
You ever come across something real neat, like a covered bridge in the middle of some great mountainess terrain, and have never been able to find it again?!
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:2)
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:2)
Anyone got any ideas? I'm going to give USAPhotoMap a try, but would love to know how to get the data onto a street map. (
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:2)
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:2, Interesting)
I used GPSBabel [freshmeat.net] to convert my NMEA data to GPX format, uploaded it to GPS Visualizer, and voila! Thanks!
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Motorcycle use (Score:2)
Do This (Score:1, Insightful)
Then, you'll go down in history as the person who won the largest simulation of Tron light cycles ever!
GPS my cat (Score:5, Funny)
Re:GPS my cat (Score:2, Funny)
Dead kitties tend to wander less.
Re:GPS my cat (Score:3, Funny)
A cat responds to a can opener, not its name.
Re:GPS my cat (Score:1)
http://balabol.ru/cat/cat_drunk.jpg
Re:GPS my cat (Score:2, Insightful)
There is no way you are gonna catch your cat.
Re:GPS my cat (Score:5, Funny)
tinfoil-hat economics. (Score:1)
cool. rock on Consumerica!
GPS are fun... (Score:5, Informative)
I recommend Geocahing.com [geocaching.com] for more fun and games, as well as other games : GPSGames [gpsgames.org]
My little yellow Garmin, my Palm m130 and I keep ourselves quite happy thanks... GPS has quite a following in NZ - GPS.org.nz [gps.org.nz]
GPS units can do a lot (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:GPS units can do a lot (Score:3, Informative)
Re:GPS units can do a lot (Score:1)
Call me jesus (Score:5, Funny)
For Linux users wanting a similar program... (Score:2, Informative)
GTK-based program that will overlay tracks and waypoints onto TerraServer images. Development has been coming along nicely...
Inspiring... (Score:1)
Alpine skiing (Score:3, Interesting)
You'd wear a GPS antenna on your shoulder and a unit in your pocket would record where you were at what time. Then they'd print it on a topo map styilized for 3D and color code where you were going and at what speed. They'd also calculate your top speed, average speed, vertical feet, etc...
I think they're out of business now, sadly, but they were good people and it was a cool idea, for sure.
Re:Alpine skiing (Score:2, Funny)
Plotting on aerial photos, topo maps etc (Score:3, Interesting)
It downloads Terraserver aerial photos for a selected region at two resolutions, the associated topo maps, and allows seamless zooming/switching between all images and topos.
Check out the Nevada testing grounds for some outstanding pics. I've used the system to plot all the missile silos in the western US: after a while, it's almost possible to guess where they'll be.
Another interesting route is the Ridge Route from Castaic.
A hobby seen in the UK (and I assume, therefore, elsewhere) is to define jogging and cycling routes that draw the outline of an animal or other object on an existing urban road network. Some people have way too much time.
Re:Plotting on aerial photos, topo maps etc (Score:2)
Re:Plotting on aerial photos, topo maps etc (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Plotting on aerial photos, topo maps etc (Score:2)
But it's still worth using USA Photomap to follow the Ridge Route.
Re:Plotting on aerial photos, topo maps etc (Score:1)
RTFA and you won't need to provide a link.
Free Mapping Tool (Score:2)
It's not open source and only for Windows, but it's free: USAPhotoMap [jdmcox.com]
I wrote about it a couple monts ago in my blog [boonedocks.net]. It may be better now...haven't had a chance to try it lately. My main complaint at the time was that the Terraserver maps were not publishable, legally speaking, but I later learned they are.
Any open source tools out there that do something similar? I'd love to build
Re:Free Mapping Tool (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Free Mapping Tool (Score:2)
GIS + GPS it's a routine (Score:1)
ERDAS [leica-geosystems.com]
It reminds to me... (Score:4, Interesting)
recommendation? (Score:2)
Re:recommendation? (Score:2)
Re:No heart-rate monitor? (Score:1)
You're going to need it when your sweat short-circuits all that gear you're wearing.
Re:No heart-rate monitor? (Score:2)
Ironically enough, the Motorola V60s I just got (yeah, it's cheap, but it can do MIDI ringtones and it was a buy-one-get-one-free offer) has a mp3 player or FM tuner accessory. I just can't see what use I would have for another mp3 player. Back to my point, most new cellphones tout the aGPS (assisted GPS) feature when you first turn them on or in the manuals for location "$ervice$" or for Enhanced911. Now I understand
XML is Perfect for This Job (Score:2)
An even quirkier solution (Score:1)
Its free, and platform-independent. (Unfortunately, Adobe's SVG Viewer doesn't get along well with Mozilla for Windows, but it's fine in WinIE or in any browser in OS X.)
After a day of playing with USAPhotoMaps (Score:2)
1 - Go to GPS, Comm port, and select the com port your Forerunner is connected to,
2 - Go to GPS, Protocol, and select Garmin
3 - Go to GPS, Route, Receive
And that's it. You can import your waypoints that way also.
What's even cooler is that can even send locations that you can mark based on topgraphic maps that USAPhotoMaps can download for you if you switch to topographic mode by pressing T.
Yes, but only for the US :( (Score:1)
linux software? (Score:1)
i just got my gps and havent had time to make it work with my laptop yet. i look forward to netstumbler.
myren
How did this make it to slashdot? (Score:1)
If it was 8 miles in 16 cities over 32 weeks I might be interested. Decimal is so outdated...