GPS - Global Positioning Systems
GPS General Information
GPS Software
GPS Hardware Projects
GPS Vendors
Mapping and Maps
Online Interactive Maps
FREE Canadian Maps (Natural Resources Canada)
Maps for downloading
Mapping Software
Quick introduction to GPS and Mapping:
Many Amateurs are using GPS systems to interface to mobile APRS
equipment to send their location through the APRS system, and PCSAT.
There are many good web sites out there with information on GPS and GPS
equipment so see the links to see these pages.
Most GPS' now comw with colour maps and turn by turn text to speech. Some
will take memory cards to let you play music and/or hold maps. Also it
is nice to have local maps that you can use to preplan waypoints,
routes, etc for uploading to your GPS and for use with your flavour of
APRS and/or GPS navigation programs.
It has been easy to get good maps of the United States as they have
digital format maps that are free or low cost, while in most countries, including
Canada, you pay the government high prices for these digital maps, if available.
In the Mapping Links you will find a source of Canadian maps that you
can download for FREE and use for yourself form the Canadian government.
How about a 'Geocaching'
style foxhunt?
Combine fox hunting and using a GPS to find hidden transmitters and
caches. Hide a series foxes and caches.
Find the first fox and it will give you a location to find using the
GPS.
That cache will give the frequency for the next fox and so on.
GPS - Global Positioning System
GPS systems have become very popular over the last few years and
will help you navigate from Point A to Point B. Amateurs have been using
a GPS interfaced into a computer and TNC, or to a standalone tracker
interface to send their static and mobile positions to other Amateurs
around the world.
Remember even though the United States has turned off the built in error
for civilian GPS, it can be turned back on at any time. Also you
should not rely solely on a GPS for navigation. If it breaks down
or batteries go dead, can you use a compass and map to bring you back to
civilization?
SA
(Selective Addressing Error) has been off since 12:04AM EDT May 2, 2000.
Read
about it HERE
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GPS General Information
Joe Mehaffey and Jack Yeazel's
GPS Information Website (excellent site for info and sources)
GPS Navigator Magazine
An On-Line Magazine for GPS Enthusiasts
GPS Primer
Simple explanation of how the GPS system works
How GPS Works Trimble's Excellent tutorial
GeoCaching Use your GPS in a worldwide "stash" locating program
Global
Positioning System Overview Peter H. Dana, The Geographer's Craft Project, Department of Geography, The University of Colorado at Boulder
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GPS Software
APRS Amateur Radio - Automatic Position Reporting System
OZI Explorer Interactive, scanned map, trip planning software
GPS Trackmaker Communication Program for GPS, Map and Data Treatment
Many GPS models supported (Free) Lots of features!!!
Waypoint + Interfaces a Garmin GPS to a Win95/NT PC
GARtrip PC Software program for Garmin GPS Receivers
GPS Utility A program for manipulating GPS information
GPSS In-car navigation by GPS and GSM,
with speech and voice recognition
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GPS Hardware Projects
Larry's pPlug for Garmin GPS Build your own
Garmin PC Interface Cable and power cable using pPlugs you can
order through a local distributor in your Prov, State, country
VA3KGB's Building
a Data/Power Cable for Garmin GPS using the Pplug and a dead
mouse
Another Build your own
Garmin PC Interface Cable
Build your own PC Interface Cable
Tiny
Trak Byonics GPS to Radio Tracker
Interface, a GPS position encoder which, when connected to a GPS and a radio, will transmit its location at an adjustable rate
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GPS Vendors
Garmin,
Magellan,
Delorme,
Leica,
Thales,
Eagle,
Lowrance,
Trimble
Mapping and Maps
The following links will take to to maps available for use online
interactively, downloadable maps and to
mapping programs so that you can make your own maps.
Online Interactive Maps
FREE Canadian Maps (Natural Resources Canada)
Maps for downloading
Mapping Software
Online Interactive Maps
You may want to try several of the interactive maps below as some
will have very detailed satellite images of some areas while the other
ones will have very low resolution imagery. The different online maps will have different resolutions of the same area!
Google Earth,
Flash Earth,
Marble,
NASA World Wind,
MapSphere
Google Maps: English francais
Ontario Road Maps PDF format maps
Atlas of Canada English francais
MapQuest
Also check out GeoGratis
at Natural Resources
Canada, a web site and FTP site that distributes geospatial data of Canada. Data is available for download, without charge!
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Maps for downloading
APRS Maps Index Kingston ARC Map listings for DOS, WinAPRS, UI-View
maps, (various formats)
APRS Maps Links to various sources of APRS Maps
USGS DRG Home Page
USGS FTP Site DRG maps from the USGS
Mapping Software
GPS Trackmaker Communication Program for GPS, Map and Data Treatment.
Many GPS models supported (Free) Lots of features!!!
dlgv32 Pro is a limited-feature version of
commercial software called Global
Mapper The USGS has obtained from Global
Mapper a license
to freely distribute this limited-feature version.
MICRODEM is public domain FREE software for
Windows 95 and NT. It was originally designed for display and
analysis of digital elevation models (DEM). It will display USGS
DRGs, DEMs, and DOQs, including the creation of 3D block diagrams
with the imagery draped over the DEM. It will interface with a
NMEA GPS. It can also display a variety of other imagery and DEMs.
ERDAS MapSheets Express is the FREE
viewing tools from ERDAS for imagery and vector data from popular
software packages and vendors such as the USGS. It is based on the
popular Microsoft Office Compatible Geographic Imaging tool, ERDAS
MapSheets, and allows users to view, manipulate and map data
easily and quickly. MapSheets express supports data in a variety
of formats including ERDAS IMG, GeoTiff, TIFF, JPEG, and ShapeFile.
It can create maps in HTML format for use on web site or sharing
over networks, as well as allowing users to copy and paste maps
into popular applications such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint,
Corel WordPerfect, etc.
GPSy / GPSy Pro GPSY - List price $50.00US Features:
GPSy is a sophisticated Macintosh GPS communications and GIS
mapping program. GPSy connects your Macintosh to a broad range of
Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational units and has
advanced mapping, logging, and data transfer features. GPSy has
extensive support for USGS DRG topo maps, Internet DGPS-IP
servers, GPSyLinks to Internet Map Servers, StreetAtlas 4, and
IPC's MapFan II, as well as user-scanned maps, Magellan and
Lowrance/Eagle data transfer protocols, Sony IPS protocol,
Rockwell Zodiac/Tripmate binary protocol support, Trimble TSIP
support and much more.
GPSy Pro - List price $100.00US Features:
Same as GPSy above, but adds NOAA/BSB, Maptech, Canadian NDI, and
Swedish BSB chart support as well as nautical charts and numerous
speed and memory optimizations.
DEMWorks is a free Windows application
for visualizing DEM and GeoTiff/DRG files. The application can
show relief shading, shading by height, 2D (point-to-point)
terrain profiles, line of sight analysis, 3D regions, 3D regions
with texture overlays (such as aerial photography), and 3D regions
with line of sight analysis overlays. DEMWorks also provides
several printing options
Terrain
Tools Freeware Edition is a quick and easy mapping package.
Coordinates can be entered using the mouse, typed in, or imported
from external files. Scanned topographic maps, air photos and
other bitmap images can also be incorporated.
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