View Full Version : GPS-Russia's GLONASS
This is not a subject about which I know much, but I'm beginning to receive inspiration about how I might employ one usefully or even profitably. Se-Ed Bookshops seem to be offering a basic Garmin Receiver at 8,000 Baht on an order basis; in other words they often don't have a display model or someone with the time, experience, permission or patience to demo it. I have also noted that there are Laptop GPS 'twig' cards at under 4,000 Baht. Presumably, they may also bundle with simple mapping software for the laptop. Again, most computer shops don't know how to sell such products.
If you know about GPS receivers and where to buy basic receivers in Thailand, I'd/we'd like to hear your experience.
In my opinion, this is a little gem. http://www.dede.go.th/dede/report/majorriver.asp?m=
From The Dept of Alternative Energy Development & Efficiency, under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy.
jerryfin
08-04-05, 01:38 AM
A local source is the official Garmin dealer at:
ESRI (Thailand) Co., Ltd
CDG House, 202 Nanglinchee R
Yannawa, Chongnonsri
Bangkok 10120
Phone: 662 678 0707
Fax: 662 678 0321
They have a fair stock and there is a guy there who knows a lot about them and how to adapt/install the Thailand software.
To get the best prices and variety, check GPS units on amazon.com...but mostly Amazon will not ship outside the US. But searching on the web, you will find others who will ship overseas and plus courier charges, this is still far cheaper than any local prices.
Better still, ask a US resident to buy and ship to you...I bought mine at Wal-Mart and bought a "European" data CD that includes town and village data for Thailand and allows you to upload the data to the GPS. Mine is a Magellan GPS 315 and cost about $100 in the US.
There is a company called Bangkok Guide on On Nut, soi 34/1..telephone 023111439. They produce a good bus map and sell map making GPS kits. If you visit their office, you may be able to meet the brains behind the outfit...he is very interesting to talk to and loves showing people his kit and data bases and how he makes journeys updating new road positions using the GPS kit.
http://www.esrith.com/product/esrith/Tarcdata_product.htm# This site answers some questions. This is obviously the company who have tied up with SE-ED to provide Garmin GPS systems on an 'order' basis. They also publish a GPS compatible Road Atlas of Thailand in conjunction with SE-ED at a very sensible price of 290 Baht. It's all in Thai (that doesn't actually bother me much, personally speaking. A very limited ability to read a little Thai goes a long way!). I have been a little put of buying it by already having quite a number of atlases that ALSO/ALREADY contain a high number of careless mistakes.
Well I hit lucky! Someone gave me a (slightly-dated & unwanted) Garmin Etrex Vista for free. This should allow me to experiment for a while before setting out to buy a more up-to-date & fully-featured model. It also has a serial datalink, but lacks the software. (The owner said she can't remember receiving any software.) I also only have the 'Quick Start Guide' (the full manual has been lost), but I suspect a more descriptive guide may be available online. The built-in mapping for Thailand is absolutely minimalist at the moment; although I'm not too worried about this, as the idea is to use the stored data to produce my own basic maps. Most of the functions of this machine seem fairly intuitive.
Can anyone tell me whether it is possible to get gridded mapping paper with degrees and minutes? I dare say another way to do this is to convert the degrees & minutes to a decimal form with a calculator, or just use geometrical angles and distances. I suspect that it might be possible to get the coordinates in a decimal form, when I figure out all the settings for the machine. On the other hand, some software or freeware would make that job a whole lot easier. Any suggestions?
The manuals can be downloaded from:-
www.garmin.com
I think I'll leave the mapping issue alone until I've fully read the 84 page manual.
I have a Magellan SporTrak Map GPS I brought from the States a few years ago, but I find I can't often get a signal when driving through many of Bangkok's streets lined with shophouses. It did stop me from going the wrong way when I was on the highest point on Koh Phi Phi during a thunderstorm...
I'm finding the reception here reasonably good so far. For example, I find it works quite well left (well forward under the windscreen) on the dashboard of a car. Although one caution on that issue. Garmin tell users not to base any part of their equipment in areas where an airbag might be deployed. It would be rather ironic to be saved by an airbag, but then be undone by a fast-flying GPS. My wheels are BA (Before Airbag).
On a related issue; I also use a sattelite radio in the car with the dish in the same dashboard position. I tried this on a slightly more modern car (which also had a very 'forward-flanging' windscreen) and got no reception at all.
Is there perhaps something built into the windscreen of AA (After Airbag) cars that could prevent Sat reception?
Those 'tailored/targetted' Google links at the top of each forum page are sometimes quite useful. Whilst browsing this forum I spied above a Google link for:-
http://www.frontbasegps.com
There is a Trial Version available to use for one month. CAUTION!! I haven't actually tested it yet. It should at least allow me to test the serial link provided with the GPS.
Garmin Software
Frontbase GPS for Windows is an easy-to-use garmin software that makes it simple to transfer waypoints, routes and tracks between your Garmin GPS and PC.
Use Frontbase GPS to
download waypoints, routes and tracks from Garmin GPS to a text file, Microsoft Excel file and to the clipboard.
upload waypoints, routes and tracks to Garmin GPS from a text file, Microsoft Excel file and from the clipboard.
make backups of your waypoints, routes and tracks.
The trial version will only download five links at a time; and probably only for a month.
The good news is that the software and the datalink both work with very little hassle. Co-ordinates can then be fed into some of those CD-Rom map software programmes to create modified, improved or updated local mapping.
It can also upload coordinate data.
www.garmin.com
This site also appears to have an updated version of the software I'm missing for this model. More anon!
Well I hit lucky! Someone gave me a (slightly-dated & unwanted) Garmin Etrex Vista for free. This should allow me to experiment for a while before setting out to buy a more up-to-date & fully-featured model. It also has a serial datalink, but lacks the software. (The owner said she can't remember receiving any software.) I also only have the 'Quick Start Guide' (the full manual has been lost), but I suspect a more descriptive guide may be available online. The built-in mapping for Thailand is absolutely minimalist at the moment; although I'm not too worried about this, as the idea is to use the stored data to produce my own basic maps. Most of the functions of this machine seem fairly intuitive.
Can anyone tell me whether it is possible to get gridded mapping paper with degrees and minutes? I dare say another way to do this is to convert the degrees & minutes to a decimal form with a calculator, or just use geometrical angles and distances. I suspect that it might be possible to get the coordinates in a decimal form, when I figure out all the settings for the machine. On the other hand, some software or freeware would make that job a whole lot easier. Any suggestions?
So, I have sucessfully updated the software on the GPS unit itself. One warning! When you run the updating program on your computer, you may want to untick the 'fast data transmission' function. The update locked up with this function. Luckily it was only a matter of restarting the unit and the program and deselecting this function. That way the process took over 20 minutes instead of the suggested 5-10 minutes.
I imagine that the 'Fast Data Transfer' is for USB Datalinks primarily. My machine only has a serial link.
You will probably lose existing data and have to reset the timezone after. It may also help to recalibrate the compass. But those things are no big deal!
I'm off to try and find some free mapping to upload.
The Freeware 'GPS Utility' seems to be well-worth the download. It is able to upload and download a lot more data; and is then able to do a lot of additional stuff like taking map scans, adding a couple of co-ordinates for known positions and then superimposing 'new' map data on the 'old' map image:-
http://www.gpsu.co.uk
http://gps.chrisb.org/en/main.htm
Another useful looking site. There are free programs to create maps with Garmin data, a 'Free Map' area that has some local mapping and a utility to send the maps to the GPS.
The Freeware 'GPS Utility' seems to be well-worth the download. It is able to upload and download a lot more data; and is then able to do a lot of additional stuff like taking map scans, adding a couple of co-ordinates for known positions and then superimposing 'new' map data on the 'old' map image:-
http://www.gpsu.co.uk
This 'superimposition' of new data on old works particularly well with the 'Thinknet' (GPS-compatible) maps of Thailand available in Se-Ed Bookshops. Thinknet maps are far from being perfect, but it is extremely easy to open one of these maps, set it at a sensible scale and then 'printscreen' it into (say) the Paint Program. Don't forget to check the co-ordinates of a couple of prominent landmarks. The resulting image can then be synchronised with the two coordinates in 'GPS Utility', allowing further 'waypoints' to be overlaid on the map. Then back to a graphics program like Paint to add the new map data in symbolic form.
applyboy
28-05-06, 02:47 PM
Yo everyone, how is it going? As I am a professional traveler, I love to go to many nice places around the world. Therefore I am willing to install a GPS system on my cell phone. Are there any professionals in this community? So far I know that Nav4All from Netherlands does not cost you much. Does anyone know this product? Thx!
Nav4All Worldwide Mobile Phone Navigation and Tracking & Tracing
You can have a look on www.Nav4all.nl
Dick
Welkom op nav4all
Met Nav4All raakt u nooit meer de weg kwijt, u bent altijd up to date en u heeft wereldwijd alle adressen binnen handbereik.
Nav4All het meest geavanceerde en meest voordelige navigatiesysteem ter wereld, gewoon op uw eigen mobiele telefoon, in uw eigen taal.
Russia adds more satellites to GLONASS
26/12/2007 -- 6:56 PM
Ha Noi (VNA) - Russia launched on December 25 a Proton-M rocket carrying three GLONASS navigation satellites to orbit from the Baikonur space-centre in central Asia's Kazakhstan.
The three new satellites were placed in orbit at 2300 GMT.
There are currently 18 GLONASS satellites in orbit covering most of the Russian territory, including 13 in use, three on maintenance and two about to be phased out, according to Itar-Tass news agency.
GLONASS, developed in the 1980s, is considered a competitor system to the US Global Positioning System (GPS), and Europe's Galileo. Ultimately GLONASS will include 24 satellites from 2009.–Enditem
http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/229374/Default.aspx
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