Crappy Pretec Bluetooth GPS manual

d3f3nd3r · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 09, 2004 Posts: 38

Can anyone please explain the data-logger and settings in greater depth than what the manual does?

I would really appreciate it as I am not making much sense of the manual. It tells you that there is a tick box and it tells you if you tick the box then the function is switched on but it doesn't explain anything about the function!

Dave · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:47 am Post subject:

Once you have configured the datalogger then you will be able to record where you go when the Bluetooth is switched on and has a fix. When you get back to a PC or Pocket PC you can turn it on, and download the data and you can then use teh PC or Pocket PC Blue application to play back your route, open up a navigation program and re-play your route.

d3f3nd3r · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 09, 2004 Posts: 38

Hello Dave, thanks for the reply. Yep, everything you said I sort of knew. I just wandered about Pretec definition of 'record'. It says that it can store 30000 records but what does one record contain? I read another post on the Royaltek forum and it seems that a record contains the follwing:

=====================
Record: 1920
Event Type: 1
Year: 2003
Month: 12
Day: 17
Hour: 17
Minute: 42
Second: 35.406380
Latitude: 50.813495
Longitude: -1.871418
Altitude: 61.180511
PDOP: 2.309572
HDOP: 1.290930
Satellite No: 7
Speed(KMs/hr): 58.093414
Direction: 54.017052
=====================

I was worried that a record was simply one of these above elements like a waypoint and that if you tick the 'save altitude box' that that would be another record and so on. That would then mean that it actually stores far less information.

I have worked out that if you set your data logger to measure a record every 50 meters that it should be able to save information for around 600km or 375miles which isn't bad.

So hopefully if I now understand it correctly it will save 30000 proper records that contain all the info in the above column. If that is the case then I am happy as a pig in poo!

BBB · Regular Visitor Joined: Feb 24, 2004 Posts: 206

hi d3f3nd3r

I hope you are happy without the consequences

Just to put some perspective on this I think the handheld outdoorsy GPS units call these dot-like records crumbs and a whole bundle of them form a breadcrumb trail Forgive me if I have the teminology wrong - I may catchup by the time it moves on again

Anyway - some of the better spec handhelds hold about 10,000 crumbs

I am toying with the BT & datalogger concept any views, reflections, goods, not-so-goods and downrite awful observations will be greatly appreciated.

D'you wanna post in this review section?

Bagal

Dave · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2004 10:03 pm Post subject:

A record is basically all of the above you included. If you set the datalogger to log once a second then effectively you'll get 30,000 seconds or 500 minutes or 8.33 hours.

If you need more logging than this you can set the datalogger to work at longer intervals, e.g. 5 seconds which in most cases is good enough for walking but not driving.

d3f3nd3r · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 09, 2004 Posts: 38

Right, I took my Pretec cycling and now have 286 records. I understand it completely now. Thanks again Dave.

I still think the manual is very poor. There are absolutely no descriptions on anything. Pitty because I think it lets a good product down.

Never the less, I am very happy with my little blue box, it does what I want it to do and more. I had it replay my datalog on both MS Mappoint 2004 and Memory-Map and it works! Excellent!

Flying-Low · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 18, 2004 Posts: 17

Dave,

I've just got a Pretec bluetooth GPS specifically for the data logging capability when I go walking. Soory to seem a bit dim, but I cant work out how to get the info I want, which is just total distance, height and average speed. I've got TT3 installed on my Loox as well - do I have to go and buy more mapping software just to get the info I need? Question

Your help would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Barry

Dave · Posted: Sat May 15, 2004 8:01 am Post subject:

Getting this information will be difficult, you would really have to take the RBT log and re-arrange it into a CSV type file, plot it into Excel and create a graph over the whole journey. Unfortunately RoyalTek don't make it easy for you!

Altitude is in the log file that is generated, but be-aware that altitude in most cases can be a good 50-100 feet out as it's not deemed 100% accurate on all GPS's.

Lynz · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 05, 2004 Posts: 14

Hi

When I try to access the .txt or nmea file the data-logger creates with my Memory Map 2004, I get an error message saying I don't have a license for Professional Features.

Does MM2002 (which I had previoussly) read in the log files with no hassles? Or am I doing something wrong with the file of records I amtrying to import into MMN2004?

BBB · Regular Visitor Joined: Feb 24, 2004 Posts: 206

Hi Lynz - you may find GPS Utility (GPSU) a great way to get to grips with *.nmea files and how they work.

GPSU is a pleasant utility available as a freebie but with restricted functionality, try http://www.gpsu.co.uk

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