GSM (ie cellular based) GPS trackers

[buggsubique]

Hey all,

A while back I posted a poll on whether riders would use a SPOT locator or a PLB / EPIRB (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/116611-Epirb-Spot). I personally haven't been doing enough riding to warrant laying out $6-700 for a modern PLB with "I'm OK" capability, but I do still intend to purchase one in the near-mid term.

But on a tangent, what do you guys think about these GPS trackers you can get on Trade Me (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/SearchResults.aspx?searchType=all&searchString=gps+tracker&type=Search&generalSearch_keypresses=11&generalSearch_suggested=0)

Now, on here they're being re-sold at a moderately high margin at around or over $200, but I have an account with the supplier and depending on number purchased there is an economy of scale that can bring a high quality unit in at around the $100 mark.

My pick would be this one (http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/trackpro-mini-global-gps-tracker/). This unit provides GPS loc, heading, speed. Also still acts as a cell phone if required with three pre-programmed emergency numbers (but most of us have a phone anyway). My thoughts:

-cellular based (not satellite like PLB or SPOT) so limited to "90whatever% of the places kiwis work live and play". BUT if you text the unit, it will respond as it comes back into reception.

-Cheap! I mean, compared to hundreds of $ for a GPS enabled PLB or ongoing $115 per year for SPOT, it is dirt cheap...but limited to cell coverage.

-Get a 2 degrees sim with 9c texts, it would be a faaaarken cheap way for Mrs Jatz to check if that carb is holding together on Mr Jatz's steed...or Buggs is going to be down off mt Patriarch in time for tea... or where the f*ck your riding buddy is as he's 20 mins late and not answering his phone....

-We could set up an Adv rider SOP or contact list to monitor a rider's progress (eg DB1k teams).

-Wives and families might also get some peace of mind from texting hubby's locator and seeing that he made it to Hanmer Springs etc.

-Many of us ride with GPS's so by texting a rider's locator it would respond with lat & long and whether he was static (needs help?) or moving (also what speed & bearing). You could then programme into your GPS and see where he is and if any safety action is required.

I know not a lot of us have wads of spare cash laying around, but welcome your thoughts. I might get a couple in and have a play.

[NordieBoy]

Velly interested...

[dino3310]

Hey all,


-We could set up an Adv rider SOP or contact list to monitor a rider's progress (eg DB1k teams).

.

does that mean Safe Operating Proceedure

[Gremlin]

problem is the amount of cell reception in the backwater places. I go there for great riding, but its rare the areas have coverage

[zeRax]

years ago i had the idea that you could bug all highway patrol cars with these and have a screen in your car showing where they all are, hahaha

[buggsubique]

does that mean Safe Operating Proceedure

Standard Operating Procedure.

[reofix]

purchased one a month or two ago ... i spend a lot of time down backroads and tracks by myself usually without phone reception... I figure its cheap insurance ... bleeding to death in a gully would be the pits and rather final .. cost was 399 plus 150 per annum . Has a nice bunch of message possibilities .. 1 .. send the helicopter now for me ... 2 ... send the helicopter for this other guy i found... 3 ... can you bring a trailer im broken down ... 4 ... all ok

[ducatijim]

Gotta Spot, can't see the point in a system that will NOT have coverage in 90% of the places that adventure riders are 'likely' to need to call for help from?

Wot price to do you put on ur life( or loved ones peace of mind?).....spend the pingers and don't be cheap with ur most important asset( FFS, youall spent more than a spots worth on a new 'flash harry' helmet wouldn't ya!!!!).

2c's

[slofox]

(also what speed & bearing).



Not sure I want all of that information available to others...:shifty:

[NordieBoy]

Not sure I want all of that information available to others...:shifty:

Yeah. I don't want others knowing the state of my bearings.

[buggsubique]

Yeah. I don't want others knowing the state of my bearings.

You mean marbles Nordie and the fact you've actually lost em? :wari:

[buggsubique]

Gotta Spot, can't see the point in a system that will NOT have coverage in 90% of the places that adventure riders are 'likely' to need to call for help from?

Wot price to do you put on ur life( or loved ones peace of mind?).....spend the pingers and don't be cheap with ur most important asset( FFS, youall spent more than a spots worth on a new 'flash harry' helmet wouldn't ya!!!!).

2c's

Yep agreed - but this isn't intended to be a life saver...it's really jsut a cell phone with a bit of location trickery chucked into it. In terms of safety, pretty minimal, more just a location information device. But again, look at the cost. F*ck all $ for a lot of handy functionality and a bit of cool factor. Certainly can't be relied upon as a SPOT or EPIRB equivalent for safety purposes.

[hayd3n]

take a look at this
http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/safe-text

[buggsubique]

Well, they arrived within a few days from Chinaland.

Now I need some help to trouble shoot the lat long I'm getting from the unit when I SMS the unit.

On one mapping system (Freshmap) the WGS84 coords a bang on and the location comes up within a few meters on the screen.

But when I enter it on Google Earth of Google Maps the position shown is miles out (ie Pelorus Bridge instead of Blenheim).

Have a go for yourselves if you want. THe unit is defaulted to WGS 84 so all should be fine. Any thoughts?

To get my location text: W000000,000 to 0220343659 and you'll get a $GPRMC string back with lat long, time, bearing etc....which all needs to be interpreted obviously.

Any mapping / NMEA guru's out there who can assist with this Google Earth discrepancy would be appreciated.

Matt

[NordieBoy]

I get "W05,000," as my return txt.



To get my location text: W000000,000 to 0220343659 and you'll get a $GPRMC string back with lat long, time, bearing etc....which all needs to be interpreted obviously.

Any mapping / NMEA guru's out there who can assist with this Google Earth discrepancy would be appreciated.

Matt

[buggsubique]

I get "W05,000," as my return txt.

fault code for an incorrect prompt. Capital "W" followed by six zero's, comma, three zeros. no spaces. so you type in "W000000,000" without the quote marks.

[NordieBoy]

Just tried again. Same result.
Checked the sent items and they're all W000000,000

[buggsubique]

Just tried again. Same result.
Checked the sent items and they're all W000000,000

That's odd then...I just checked with two of my own phones and it's working fine. Will forward you a message with coords myself.

[NordieBoy]

Some of the units let you ring them and then they reply with a txt. Is yours one of them?

[buggsubique]

Yep, can speak on it like a phone too. I've programmed it to hangup after 4-5 rings...try that once, let me know and I can extend it but then it might switch...ah its ringing now...

[NordieBoy]

Goes to the answer phone.
That would be the better way as people don't need the password and can't change settings :D

[NordieBoy]

Voicemail after 3 rings this time.

[buggsubique]

OK, hold off till I repost...Just swapped units and need to re-programme it... Thanks for tryin it out though.

[NordieBoy]

Flick me another txt from your normal phone (I deleted the last txt) and I'll reply so you can check if my phone is adding any characters to the message.

[buggsubique]

OK, have programmed it up. W000000,000 should get a text back of a GPRMC string. Or calling and hanging up before 9 Rings (goes to voicemail) will also get a text back. Working fine for me, let me know how it goes for you.

***update...I've just tried it from my wife's XT phone and no joy. Get the W005 error you have been getting Nordie....must be a network crossover issue??***

You may receive a code back. The likely ones if dialling in would be W003,000 (wrong format), W005,000 (wrong prompt) or W008,000 (no GPS), all while ringing or texting for a location


Message return format: W**,###
###: Prompt number
**: Error Hint
00: Get OK
01: Setting OK
02: Setting Fail
03: Message format Error
04: Password Error
05: Prompt Number Error
06: Modify Password Error
07: Parameter data Error
08: No GPS data
09: Not Support Protocol
10: Over Speed
11: Beyond the Field
12: Invalid GPS data
13: Open Port Error
14: Over time
15: Refuse
16: Get GPS Error
17: Momery arrange Error
18: Auto Alert
19: GPRS OK

[NordieBoy]

Txt - nope.
Call - 41 32.1545s 173 57.7880e Carlyle off Redwood?

[buggsubique]

Must be a network thing on the text b/n 2 Deg and XT... and musta been me balsing up entering the coords into GEarth. Our house is on the inside corner. But not bad for sitting inside and still getting a GPS fix.

Just tried again and yeah, for some reason texts from Telecom are coming through to the tracker as an error. But then calling works fine. Voda and 2 deg no issues at all.

[NordieBoy]

Pretty good accuracy then.
Wonder what it's like with tree coverage.

I'll be up for one for sure.

[buggsubique]

Pretty good accuracy then.
Wonder what it's like with tree coverage.

I'll be up for one for sure.

You can also programme em by the minute to provide auto updates (eg every hour, every 5 mins or up to 999 mins). All programmed by text remotely. Can also set up GPRS connectivity for live tracking.

There are others, but this appears to be the best value with voice calling incorporated. Eg SOS button could SMS your coords same time as calling your ICE number.

Other flasherer units are made to be wired into vehs but are around twice the price. Allows remote control of veh (eg alarm, horn, ignition etc) through hardwiring the control circuits in. Just another application really.

One of the units has a faulty switch so have asked for a replacement. Will list the other on Trademe to gauge market price. Will also take orders at cost if anyone wanting one on the Adv forum and will make a bulk order to keep shipping down.

[boarder]

Hi,

Seems like a sweet unit for the price, but I think based on the limited GSM coverage in the areas we typically go to the GSM tracking would only be a secondary feature. So, the question is can this unit be used as a GPS logger, i.e. can it record tracks with an entry every x seconds or y meters and can the track logs be read out by USB? Doesn't look like it from the description but thought I ask. If it did I wouldn't mind the extra cost for the GSM features thrown in.

Cheers

[buggsubique]

Hi,

Seems like a sweet unit for the price, but I think based on the limited GSM coverage in the areas we typically go to the GSM tracking would only be a secondary feature. So, the question is can this unit be used as a GPS logger, i.e. can it record tracks with an entry every x seconds or y meters and can the track logs be read out by USB? Doesn't look like it from the description but thought I ask. If it did I wouldn't mind the extra cost for the GSM features thrown in.

Cheers

No, not as a logger, but it can be programmed to send automated texts of location for a mobile tracking purpose. Remember, this is really just a peace of mind toy - "oh yes, I see he's in Hanmer, so he's obviously through the Molesworth" then 4 hours later "I haven't got a text location ... must still be in the Rainbow..." a text would then be released once back in reception eg 6 hours later "oh he's in between Rainbow and St Arnaud, so something held him up, but he's through and must be getting gas" etc etc.

Not a GPS logger, not an EPIRB/PLB, Not a Spot, not a cell phone per se just a cheap in-between of most of them.

[agricon]

There is a company called PhoneBeagle (www.phonebeagle.com) who produce a piece of software that you download onto your smart phone. It is primarily designed to allow parents to keep an eye on their kids and what they are up to but I think it has some useful features for adventure riding. The software tracks the whereabouts of the phone but using either GPS signal & the phone built in maps or the signal from GSM triangulation calculations. The results can be viewed on a secure web page. http://www.phonebeagle.com/demo.htm
The cost of the service is $50.00 US a year which considering what you get is pretty good value for money.

[.chris]

There is a company called PhoneBeagle (www.phonebeagle.com) who produce a piece of software that you download onto your smart phone. It is primarily designed to allow parents to keep an eye on their kids and what they are up to but I think it has some useful features for adventure riding. The software tracks the whereabouts of the phone but using either GPS signal & the phone built in maps or the signal from GSM triangulation calculations. The results can be viewed on a secure web page. http://www.phonebeagle.com/demo.htm
The cost of the service is $50.00 US a year which considering what you get is pretty good value for money.

I have a similar sys, but more aligned around the phone sending to the net, rather than the net requesting from the phone. www.gpsed.com

Works pretty well, and keeps good tracklogs, only problem is on a average day ride of 400km+ it creates a 8mb tracklog file which is too large to upload via 3g, so if you want it live to the net you need to segment your day. But nice peace of mind for my solo adventures, at least people can work out roughly where I am/was last on a mobile network.

Has the ability to send SOS etc but only work when you are in cellphone range.

[boarder]

No, not as a logger, but it can be programmed to send automated texts of location for a mobile tracking purpose. Remember, this is really just a peace of mind toy - "oh yes, I see he's in Hanmer, so he's obviously through the Molesworth" then 4 hours later "I haven't got a text location ... must still be in the Rainbow..." a text would then be released once back in reception eg 6 hours later "oh he's in between Rainbow and St Arnaud, so something held him up, but he's through and must be getting gas" etc etc.

Not a GPS logger, not an EPIRB/PLB, Not a Spot, not a cell phone per se just a cheap in-between of most of them.

Thanks for the info. While interesting, this particular one is probably not for me then. I don't see the value for me personally but at this great price it may just be the set and forget solution for many.



Quote Originally Posted by agricon View Post
There is a company called PhoneBeagle (www.phonebeagle.com) who produce a piece of software that you download onto your smart phone. It is primarily designed to allow parents to keep an eye on their kids and what they are up to but I think it has some useful features for adventure riding. The software tracks the whereabouts of the phone but using either GPS signal & the phone built in maps or the signal from GSM triangulation calculations. The results can be viewed on a secure web page. http://www.phonebeagle.com/demo.htm
The cost of the service is $50.00 US a year which considering what you get is pretty good value for money.
I have a similar sys, but more aligned around the phone sending to the net, rather than the net requesting from the phone. www.gpsed.com

Works pretty well, and keeps good tracklogs, only problem is on a average day ride of 400km+ it creates a 8mb tracklog file which is too large to upload via 3g, so if you want it live to the net you need to segment your day. But nice peace of mind for my solo adventures, at least people can work out roughly where I am/was last on a mobile network.

Has the ability to send SOS etc but only work when you are in cellphone range.

Slightly off topic: On my trip to Iran I carried a Thuraya sat phone and that phone could TXT the current GPS position to an email address. I wrote a piece of software that would reverse geocode the GPS coordinates (i.e. match the Lat/Long to a name/geographical feature), find points of interest around these coordinates on wikipedia, compile a message out of these articles, and email that to a list of friends. That way I had a bunch of guardian angels keeping track of my whereabouts. The wikipedia info in the email kept them interested: -)

The danger with the cell phone is of course if you go in and out of range folks receiving these position updates get more worried than they should or they get so used to you dropping of the coverage map that they will simply not care after a while. So, for a safety feature I'd be very hesitant.

All that being said, with modern smart phones with GPS, that many may carry already, it shouldn't be much of a problem to implement just that. I know that software to report the position of iPhones/Android phones upon receiving a TXT exists. It is meant for lost/stolen phones. There is also software that reports the position to a website, for a fee, and you can follow it on a map (meant for paranoid parents).

It would also be fairly simple to write a software that sends position updates at predetermined intervals to either a private web server or just as TXT to another phone, w/o paying an annual subscription. When I get my hands on an Android phone I'll plan on doing just that.


Cheers

[.chris]

Thanks for the info. While interesting, this particular one is probably not for me then. I don't see the value for me personally but at this great price it may just be the set and forget solution for many.



Slightly off topic: On my trip to Iran I carried a Thuraya sat phone and that phone could TXT the current GPS position to an email address. I wrote a piece of software that would reverse geocode the GPS coordinates (i.e. match the Lat/Long to a name/geographical feature), find points of interest around these coordinates on wikipedia, compile a message out of these articles, and email that to a list of friends. That way I had a bunch of guardian angels keeping track of my whereabouts. The wikipedia info in the email kept them interested: -)

The danger with the cell phone is of course if you go in and out of range folks receiving these position updates get more worried than they should or they get so used to you dropping of the coverage map that they will simply not care after a while. So, for a safety feature I'd be very hesitant.

All that being said, with modern smart phones with GPS, that many may carry already, it shouldn't be much of a problem to implement just that. I know that software to report the position of iPhones/Android phones upon receiving a TXT exists. It is meant for lost/stolen phones. There is also software that reports the position to a website, for a fee, and you can follow it on a map (meant for paranoid parents).

It would also be fairly simple to write a software that sends position updates at predetermined intervals to either a private web server or just as TXT to another phone, w/o paying an annual subscription. When I get my hands on an Android phone I'll plan on doing just that.


Cheers

Was that software with the wikipedia stuff for windows mobile? sounds like something I would enjoy using.

I have a windows mobile phone (which can run adroid 2.2 if I want, buggy but functional) keen to keep an eye on the software you end up making, keep us updated eh!

[boarder]

Was that software with the wikipedia stuff for windows mobile? sounds like something I would enjoy using.

I have a windows mobile phone (which can run adroid 2.2 if I want, buggy but functional) keen to keep an eye on the software you end up making, keep us updated eh!

It didn't require any modification to the phone. The phone had a built in GPS receiver and one could TXT the GPS coordinates to either another phone or to any email address. The messages looked like this:


GPSWPT 090801081033 Lat N 050 Deg 003'038.652" Lon E 019 Deg 056'029.904" Alt 00662m 06:07:28Z 01.08.09
Most GSM providers offer TXT to email for free. Vodafone used to do that as well in NZ. You could just txt to 021010099 and put the email address in the first line and it would email the TXT to that address. Haven't used that in years and I am not sure if it still exists. There are free services like http://www.gpstrack.xtremeweb.de/w/faq/lang/en/ for that as well. Obviously not ideal for NZ, as you wouldn't want the extra cost (30c/TXT w/ Vodafone) of txting to Germany (it would work though), but something similar could exist here. If you do TXT coordinates in any of the supported formats (http://www.gpstrack.xtremeweb.de/w/formate/lang/en/sid/1284620018cUcpT/) to +4915156914243 you'll be able to view them on a map, for example http://www.gpstrack.xtremeweb.de/w/show/id/98/lang/en/sid/1284620018cUcpT/

Back to the system I used: Once the email was received by my mail server, it would run the program automatically, which is just a Perl script, and send out the emails to the list. This was all done from a shared web hosting server, which I pay for anyway. So, no extra cost involved at all. The script basically takes the text above as input, looks up all the stuff, formats an email and sends it out (would be quite trivial to add it to a map hosted on the web server instead). The emails I generated and sent out looked something like this:

Steffen is on the road and he is currently at latitude N 33° 29' 7.08" (33.4853&°) and longitude E 48° 21' 37.78" (48.3605°) at an altitude of 1247m. This position was sent at 15:44:27Z 18.05.09 via satellite phone.



Google seems to think that these coordinates correspond to the following location:

A81, Khorramabad, Iran
(This is really just a guess and could be a location nearby or just plain wrong. The map below should make that clear.)





http://maps.google.com/staticmap?markers=33.4853,48.3605&zoom=10&size=512x512&maptype=hybrid&key=ABQIAAAAMGYl3moXkeTFTjLkupbHDhRjiBAr69Gq_mfbZI Pqpq31To6PjRT8AwPUdB5U5J-mM75FC8aoUwRTTw (http://maps.google.com/?q=33.4853,48.3605&z=10)



Click on the image above or follow the link below for an interactive map:
http://maps.google.com/?q=33.4853,48.3605&z=10





I found 5 Wikipedia articles relevant to this location:



Khorramabad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khorramabad)

'''Khorramabad''' (Luri: '''Khurramabad''', also '''Khorram Abad''', Persian:??? ???? ''Khorram Ab?d'') is the capital of Lorestan, a province in western Iran. It had an estimated population of 339,759 in 2005.[http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Iran.html]. It is situated in the Zagros Mountains. Khorramabad Airport is 3 km south of the town proper (...)
Khorramabad Airport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khorramabad_Airport)

'''Khorramabad Airport''' is an airport in Khorramabad, Iran. (...)
Lorest?n Province (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorest%C4%81n_Province)

'''Lorest?n''' (Persian and Luri ??????; also '''Luristan''') comprises a province and a historic territory of western Iran amidst the Zagros Mountains. The center of the Lorest?n Province is the city of Khorramabad. Borujerd is another major centre. The population of Lorest?n is calculated 1,739,644 people in 2006 [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg (...)
Alashtar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alashtar)

'''Alashtar''' is a city in the Lorestan province, Iran. The population was estimated to number 28,949 residents in 2006 (...)
Borujerd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borujerd)

pronunciation: ''vor?gerd'', also ''bor?gerd''; Borujerdi Dialect: ''v?riyerd'') (Name spelling variations: Boroujerd, Borudjerd, Boroojerd, Brujerd, Burujird, Borugerd) is a city in Lorestan Province of Iran. The city is the center of Shahrestan-e Borujerd (Borujerd County) and inhabits 270,000 people. Borujerd is one of the oldest cities in Iran reported at least from 9th century A.D (...)






Read more about Steffen's travels on OnTheRoad.Adventure-Antarctica.de (http://OnTheRoad.Adventure-Antarctica.de).


The script I used is really simple (email addresses and API key changed):

#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use LWP::Simple;
use Text::ParseWords;
use MIME::Lite::TT::HTML;
use XML::RSS::Parser::Lite;
use HTML::Entities;

my $RECIPIENTS = 'x@abc.com, y@xyz.com';

my $MAP_API_KEY="ABQIAAAAMGYl3moXkeTFTjLkupbHDhRjiBAr69Gq_mfbZIPqpq 31To6PjRT8AwPUdB5U5J-mM75Fdfdjkfjdkfjkd";
my %params;
my $thuraya_email;
while(<>){ $thuraya_email .= $_; }

my @chars = ( "A" .. "Z", "a" .. "z", 0 .. 9 );
$params{rand} = join("", @chars[ map { rand @chars } ( 1 .. 20 ) ]);

# Latitude
$thuraya_email =~ /Lat\s+(N|S)\s+(\d+)\s+Deg\s+(\d+)[^0-9]+([\d\.]+)/;
# print "DEBUG: $&\n";
$params{lat_dir} = $1;
$params{lat_deg} = sprintf("%i",$2);
$params{lat_min} = sprintf("%i",$3);
$params{lat_sec} = sprintf("%.2f",$4);
$params{lat_dec} = sprintf("%.4f",(('N' == $1 ) ? 1 : -1) * ($2 + $3 / 60.0 + $4 / 3600.0));

# Longitude
$thuraya_email =~ /Lon\s+(E|W)\s+(\d+)\s+Deg\s+(\d+)[^0-9]+([\d\.]+)/;
# print "DEBUG: $&\n";
$params{lon_dir} = $1;
$params{lon_deg} = sprintf("%i",$2);
$params{lon_min} = sprintf("%i",$3);
$params{lon_sec} = sprintf("%.2f",$4);
$params{lon_dec} = sprintf("%.4f", (('W' == $1) ? 1 : -1) * ($2 + $3 / 60.0 + $4 / 3600.0));

# Altitude, time, Comment
$thuraya_email =~ /Alt\s+(\d*)m\s+(.*\d)\s*(.*)/;
$params{alt} = sprintf("%i",$1);
$params{zulu_time} = $2;
$params{comment} = $3;

# Google Map link
$params{static_map_url} = "http://maps.google.com/staticmap?markers=$params{lat_dec},$params{lon_dec }&zoom=10&size=512x512&maptype=hybrid&key=$MAP_API_KEY";
$params{map_url} = "http://maps.google.com/?q=$params{lat_dec},$params{lon_dec}&z=10";

# Do a reverse Geocode lookup
my $url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?output=csv&ll=$params{lat_dec},$params{lon_dec}&key=$MAP_API_KEY";
my $response = get($url);
if(defined $response){
my @response = quotewords(',',0,$response);
if(200 == $response[0]){
$params{reverse_geocache} = encode_entities($response[2]);
# print "DEBUG: $response[2]\n" . $params{reverse_geocache} . "\n";
}
}


# Search for Wikipedia entries
$url = "http://ws.geonames.org/findNearbyWikipediaRSS?lat=$params{lat_dec}&lng=$params{lon_dec}&lang=en&charset=ISO8859-1";
$response = get($url);
if(defined $response){
my $rp = new XML::RSS::Parser::Lite;
$rp->parse($response);

$params{wiki_en_count} = $rp->count();
$params{wiki_en} = "<ol>";
for (my $i = 0; $i < $rp->count(); $i++) {
my $it = $rp->get($i);
# print "DEBUG: " . $it->get('title') . ": " . $it->get('description') . "\n";
$params{wiki_en} .= "<li><h4><a href=\"" . $it->get('url')
. "\">" . encode_entities($it->get('title')) . "</a></h4> "
. encode_entities($it->get('description')) . "</li>\n";
}
$params{wiki_en} .= "</ol>";
}

$url = "http://ws.geonames.org/findNearbyWikipediaRSS?lat=$params{lat_dec}&lng=$params{lon_dec}&lang=de&charset=ISO8859-1";
$response = get($url);
if(defined $response){
my $rp = new XML::RSS::Parser::Lite;
$rp->parse($response);

$params{wiki_de_count} = $rp->count();
$params{wiki_de} = "<ol>";
for (my $i = 0; $i < $rp->count(); $i++) {
my $it = $rp->get($i);
$params{wiki_de} .= "<li><h4><a href=\"" . $it->get('url')
. "\">" . encode_entities($it->get('title')) . "</a></h4> "
. encode_entities($it->get('description')) . "</li>\n";
}
$params{wiki_de} .= "</ol>";
}

my %options;
$options{INCLUDE_PATH} = '/home/iceflick/templates';

my $msg = MIME::Lite::TT::HTML->new(
From => 'no-reply@Adventure-Antarctica.de',
Bcc => $RECIPIENTS,
Subject => "Steffen's Position Update",
Charset => 'utf8',
Template => {
html => 'position_update.html.tt',
},
TmplOptions => \%options,
TmplParams => \%params,
);

$msg->send;



It will be a while before I get around writing anything for Android. I'll keep you posted though.

[Eddieb]

Here's a thread dredge but it seemed more suitable to carry this topic on than start a new one.

A guy in the states has built an Andriod app for GPS tracking with a number of other features, it's for sale in the Android market as 'Dual Sport Maps'.

Dualsportmaps.com
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=691537

On of the more interesting features as I read it is the ability to find any of your friends that are running the same software. there's some sort of process to define your friends and obviously they need to be in a cellular reception area for it to work.

[buggsubique]

oAndroids rule. That looks like a cool and worthwhile app. Be great for things like the dk1k.

I have yet to use google's circles or whatever it is, but as a freebie, google lattitude and another app called family locator or family gps or something may be another option...

[NordieBoy]

Can download it on the ZTE but not even listed in the Marketplace on the Sony...

[.chris]

Can download it on the ZTE but not even listed in the Marketplace on the Sony...

Probably depends on the version of android (it requries 2.2 and above)

I see the guy on ADVRider says its free for inmates, but I can't find that version, seems to be $24nzd for me. Any hints?

[Eddieb]

Probably depends on the version of android (it requries 2.2 and above)

I see the guy on ADVRider says its free for inmates, but I can't find that version, seems to be $24nzd for me. Any hints?

I believe it's $20 to purchase off the marketplace, or free if you go to his site and download the source code, compile the code and install it on your device yourself.

[buggsubique]

There's this one here which I have been having a tutu with. It is a freebie and has internerd support. Looks like a network of friends can be compiled in the app and you can see each other's location. This can be shared so others can view online... You can also upload messages with your location update for all to see.

anyone else have an android and wanna try it out?

App is here (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.greenalp.RealtimeTracker) (free).

My location link is here. (http://www.greenalp.com/RealtimeTracker/index.php?guestmode=1&viewuser=buggsubique)

The guy is a private developer so no guarantee of ongoing commercial support.

[Eddieb]

I've installed it but it doesn't like my username and I can't be assed trying to come up with another one tonight.

[Eddieb]

Buggs

I played around with Latitude a bit, I could see your location updating regularly. I found my location didn't update even on my own device if I had Wifi turned off. It would only work if I had GPS and Wifi enabled, which is uesless if you are out of cellphone/wireless network range.

A device/operating system agnostic setup would be good, while I was doing my testing on an Android device thats actually my work phone so I can't rack up much data on it. My main phone is Windows 7 and of course there's lots of Apple fanboys out there.

[buggsubique]

Buggs

I played around with Latitude a bit, I could see your location updating regularly. I found my location didn't update even on my own device if I had Wifi turned off. It would only work if I had GPS and Wifi enabled, which is uesless if you are out of cellphone/wireless network range.

A device/operating system agnostic setup would be good, while I was doing my testing on an Android device thats actually my work phone so I can't rack up much data on it. My main phone is Windows 7 and of course there's lots of Apple fanboys out there.


Weird, shoulda been able to get simple AGPS location without GPS or wireless. Yep, obviously platform / OS has not resolved itself (and will it ever?) but I've found Droid is awesome for opensource titbits and good ideas.

As you say, something requiring Cell coverage is useless as an emergency device, but to track where say one or two riders are if they're running late to RV then it could be quite a good little extra once its all a little more mainstream. I'm sure with future cross platform support for good apps, and better data pricing it will be common as dog in the coming years.

[Eddieb]

Dad was showing me some pc parts stuff on a site yesterday and they have these listed:

Not quite the same but possibly useful for teh wife to make sure you are still moving.

Tramigo T22 Motorcycle GPS/GSM Tracking Device - Check location of your vehicle anytime, anywhere with text messages (SMS) 2Degree &Vodafone
http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=HHDTRA0023&name=Tramigo-T22-Motorcycle-GPSGSM-Tracking----Device

Tramigo T22 Personal GPS/GSM Tracking Device - Check location of SOMEONE anytime, anywhere with text messages (SMS) 2Degree &Vodafone
http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=HHDTRA0025&name=Tramigo-T22-Personal-GPSGSM-Tracking----Device----

[Reckless]

Funny enough I was loookin at these on Deal extreme today then stumble across this thread.

Here
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/gps-dualband-gsm-realtime-spy-anti-theft-vehicle-tracker-22968

And here
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/gps-dualband-gsm-gprs-realtime-anti-theft-vehicle-tracker-900mhz-1800mhz-34845

Both GPS based rather than cell coverage based. I agree even on the road bike we search for back twisty roads and I think GPS coverage is a must. Hate to get a device that relies on cell coverage then arse off on a back road without cell coverage and therefore render it useless :(

With so many MX bikes getting stolen thought it might be good for both the MX bike and the road bike as a security measure for theft and when out on a road trip?

Not sure if these cheapies are any good but the write ups seem quite in depth and not to bad??????

[buggsubique]

i have a similar device but dont use it...i used "where's my droid" on my ride up here to waihi bch. Family texted my phone with a key word and it sent back speed, bearing, lat long and a link to google earth. If i had a good gps signal it often sent an address too. Found it to be pretty good. Originally intended for finding lost or stolen phones but i found its perfect as a general locator app.

[buggsubique]

http://au.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=116

From the Find Me Spot product line comes this little device that apparently lets you use your smartphone as a messaging device by linking it to the satellite network via bluetooth transponder. Unsure on pricing or data plan / costs etc etc. Just came across it now so will look into it...

Manual can be viewed here (http://faq.findmespot.com/admin/gateway_main/getAttach/2/e4add1bcf0a9b4631cf61c1445e8ee51/43/SPOT%20Connect%20User%20Manual)

[gav24]

I am a self confessed idiot when it comes to most of this stuff, so please be gentle with your answers...
I am gonna need to upgrade my 10 yr old nokia soon and although I dont really see the need for most stuff on phones the idea of GPS on the iphone is speaking to me...
I have in the past considered GPS units, and Spot units, but neither do all I would like - and cost $$$.
From what I have read the iP 3 and newer have GPS capability - Assisted Gps actually, which uses the cell phone network as well as the "Satellites" to get a location.
Is that gonna work in NZ - out of phone coverage zones?
Will apps like the compass work out of network range?
can I use others apps like mapping to link with the GPS?
Do they make a decent case/cover/holder to attach to the bars of a bike?
I spose you couldnt send a message if you got stuck out of phone coverage range - or is there an app for that as well!?

All the benefits of GPS, plus a few extras seem to be available on the iphone - seems too simple what am I missing? - apart from 'Geek Knowledge' and an iPhone!

[buggsubique]

Also consider "Android" phones as the google equivalent of the Iphone. Wont go into it here, but the guts is Android is a lot more "open market" than Apple - ie people developing applications for free. KLR vs DR debate really.

As for strapping an iphone (or any smartphone) to your bike - I wouldn't. They're just not made for it.

My cheapie smartphone runs a navigation system similar to Navman so I do have a cradle for it in the car and it talks directions at you etc etc.

Yep, my GPS (and compass) works outside cell reception, but without cell ph reception your phone can't download and cache the maps. THe point here is that unlike a GPS unit (eg Garmin handheld) your phone does not store the maps - its more like a computer that you're on now and when you go to "Google Maps" and zoom in thepicture takes a few seconds to gain definition.

Just to complicate things, there are some smart phone applications around (reportedly a bit problematic) which allow you to store maps on your phone and then use it offline, but it aint the same as a good handheld GPS. And then if you're out of coverage you can't communicate anyway...

Hope I haven't over complified things~ Buggs

[NordieBoy]

Android with Dual Sport Maps installed.

[gav24]

Thanks Buggs.
So even if I had my android / iPhone in my pocket and I took it out occasionally to check my position on a map application, I could get my GPS co-ordinates, and which way was north, but would be looking at a blank map, as it needs the network to access the map? Am I on the right lines?
Nordie, explain your Dual Sport Maps and the need for network coverage / GPS please?

Next question is like asking what is the best bike / tyre / oil etc etc, but...
what phone?
I am a DR650, Michelin T63, cheapest oil in Supercheap rider, so dont be recomending any of your KLR, Trail wing, Castrol type phone technology!:shutup:
I do like the simplest option though - hence looking for a phone that will meet my GPS needs as well.

[buggsubique]

Actually, I'm going to take back some of the things I said, I just stumbled over Backcountry Navigator (https://market.android.com/details?id=com.crittermap.backcountrynavigator&feature=more_from_developer#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwMiw iY29tLmNyaXR0ZXJtYXAuYmFja2NvdW50cnluYXZpZ2F0b3IiX Q..) which I jsut installed on my phone (demo version = free, full version $12). After a 2 minute tutu with it, it seems awesome. I'm gonna have more of a play with it.

It has 1:50,000 topo maps and shows your location. Also, as you can see in the photo below I uploaded a KML file which I edited online to my phone which is shown in purple. Unsure if this route is navable as such, but it shows up.

All this is usable offline. I have not tried Dual Sport Maps yet... a bit hesitant to throw $24 at it with no demo...

As for phones mine is just a low spec LG Optimus One. They're a couple hundy on trade me, but mine came with a vodafone plan.

249287 249288

[gav24]

It has 1:50,000 topo maps and shows your location. Also, as you can see in the photo below I uploaded a KML file which I edited online to my phone which is shown in purple. Unsure if this route is navable as such, but it shows up.



Sounds promising, but I have to admit in this bit you only had me as far as "Also":blink:
The pics didnt show in your post, just annoying red x's, so maybe thats why...

Keep me updated tho. So far you have been WAAY more useful than the spotty kid in Dick Smiths!

[buggsubique]

OK, so those photos were .png files, not .jpg so some may not be able to see them...

Yeah its all a bit techy and I'm a newbie at it myself. When I said it has the 1:50000 topos it actually updates off the internet and downloads the relevant areas as you select and zoom in etc. You can select areas to download in advance if you are heading into an area of no cell coverage, but you would need to do this prior to going out of reception. I'd hate to think how much data a full 1:50000 topo of NZ takes up (Nordie probably has this off hand :blink:).

Happy to help, learning myself!

[sudman]

I have been playing with Backcountry Navigator for about 2 months now and find it works well, I just put phone flight mode and it's all good. Detail is good and it works well on my LG phone once the map is downloaded.

[NordieBoy]

Thanks Buggs.
So even if I had my android / iPhone in my pocket and I took it out occasionally to check my position on a map application, I could get my GPS co-ordinates, and which way was north, but would be looking at a blank map, as it needs the network to access the map? Am I on the right lines?
Nordie, explain your Dual Sport Maps and the need for network coverage / GPS please?

It does offline maps.
NZ roads are covered (OpenStreetMaps) as are most countries.
It'll also do offline versions of Google Earth maps and others too.

The best thing about it is that if you download a track from the dualsportmaps website, it'll automatically get the map tiles from along the track.

It'll work as a gps replacement or for the "out of your pocket" position checks too.

[gav24]

I have been playing with Backcountry Navigator for about 2 months now and find it works well, I just put phone flight mode and it's all good. Detail is good and it works well on my LG phone once the map is downloaded.

Make sure you bring it along next weekend and show me how it all works - especially out of mobile range using the GPS.
My OLD Nokia really needs to be put into retirement now...

[Pikey]

:woohoo: We wont get lost!!!