[geeks] Good GPS data logger for photographic use

[Jochen Kunz]

On Wed, 4 Feb 2009 22:55:32 -0500
Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com> wrote:

> Have you used this to download a log to your computer?
I bought the etrex H purely to do this: Download the track log from
the device to my computer and do post processing. So obviously: Yes.
I can mail you some GPX files if you want some for testing.

> The description I've seen says "feature: downloads: no".
Download to the GPS device or download to your computer?
Download what? Maps? Routes, tracks, waypoints?
The etrex H does not support maps, so you can't download them. Maybe
they meant this. The etrex H uses a RS232 and the funky cable needed
for the RS232 is not included. Maybe this was meant.

If you can't get a cheap pre-build RS232 cabele for the etrex H and if
you know how to handle a soldering iron: http://pfranc.com/
I use a self made cable with pfranc connector, works well.

The other etrex devices (Legend, Summit, Venture and Vista) have USB
and the USB cable is included. (AFAIK they use a standard Mini-USB
plug.)

The Legend HCx and Vista HCx feature also microSD cards. I read in a
forum that they can store tracklogs as GPX files to the microSD card.
So you will get nearly infinite tracklog storage. Legend and Vista use
a newer GPS chipset then the Summit and Venture. (AFAIK MTK vs.
SirfIII) This newer chipset needs less power, extending battery life to
over 20 hours.

The suffix decodes as follows:
H is the high sensitive receiver
C is color display
x is expandable by microSD.

The other features are easy to compare using the compare function on
the Garmin website.
--


tsch|_,
       Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/