I'm working on a web page that lets people plot their gps data on google maps -- schematic or satellite images. It's really quite cool. Check it out, and let me know if there's more features you'd like to see!
The reason I got a GPS unit in the first place was to map out some mountain bike trails (notably, the Don Valley trails in Toronto, which appear not to be mapped anywhere?). If you have gps data for some trails and you'd like to see it on satellite images, check out the above URL.
Well, not quite (at least, not as far as I know). What's original about this is that it is web based (Google just released this functionality to programmers at the beginning of July). It being web based means that it will be easy to share maps this way. Without this, GPS unit owners must use (and buy!) whatever proprietary software comes with their GPS Unit, and they can't share maps with others. I'm wanting this to be a standard way of sharing mountain bike trail maps...
I think a really cool other application would be for riders to record their position during races, and then compare their entire race with other people -- to see who's faster/slower during which part of the track. I'm really excited about the possibilities of (very accurate) GPS tracking + mapping + sharing that information.
I actually mapped out a trail last night, but I got home and realized I forgot to turn on the darn recording on my GPS unit. So look like I'll be back out there again tonight 🙂
Well, not quite (at least, not as far as I know). What's original about this is that it is web based (Google just released this functionality to programmers at the beginning of July). It being web based means that it will be easy to share maps this way. Without this, GPS unit owners must use (and buy!) whatever proprietary software comes with their GPS Unit, and they can't share maps with others. I'm wanting this to be a standard way of sharing mountain bike trail maps...
That's just not true. For example, my Garmin Etrex works with TOPO CD, Garmin, Topofusion and Mapquest just to name a few. I did have to buy software, but it's certainly not proprietary. If someone is telling you this, they are just wrong.
<[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I'm working on a web page that lets people plot their gps data on google maps -- schematic or satellite images. It's really quite cool. Check it out, and let me know if there's more features you'd like to see!
The reason I got a GPS unit in the first place was to map out some mountain bike trails (notably, the Don Valley trails in Toronto, which appear not to be mapped anywhere?). If you have gps data for some trails and you'd like to see it on satellite images, check out the above URL.
Jimmy
You may want to add or standardize on the GPx file format.
Well, there may be open formats (meaning, the same data can be loaded in different software), but are you free to (legally) distribute any of the software you mentioned above? That's what I meant by proprietary software.
And if you were able to legally distribute them, are any of them web based -- no software to install? I guess mapquest has maps online, but trackpoints can't be plotted on that, right?
I've added a couple of new maps, this time showing GPS data recorded while mountain biking.
It still only works for Internet Explorer. The first map shows my course going slowly, and the second going faster (still not that fast, I'm not that great a mountain biker 🙂 ). Going faster didn't seem to make the readings worse, so that's good news.
Unit, and they can't share maps with others. I'm wanting this to be a standard way of sharing mountain bike trail maps...
Well its nice that it shows the trail in relation to other roads. It doesn't give any indication of the topology, which can always be deceiving. The few trails I mapped out with a friend's GPS seemed to be better indicated in a 3-D view, e.g.:
BB: yeah, my original idea was to show the trails in 3D. But then, I fell upon the google maps stuff, and just had to do something with that right away.
You got your hands on a pretty good topo map. I assume the height values come from the map, and not the GPS unit?
"Jimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
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I've added a couple of new maps, this time showing GPS data recorded while mountain biking.
It still only works for Internet Explorer. The first map shows my course going slowly, and the second going faster (still not that fast, I'm not that great a mountain biker 🙂 ). Going faster didn't seem to make the readings worse, so that's good news.
Jimmy, nice map I take it you are using the pay version of Google Earth. My limited experience with Google Earth is that the resolution is good in urban areas and borderlining bad the more remote the areas.
You can add a re-radiating antenna http://pc-mobile.net/gpsant.htm I have used one in my truck with my Garmin Legend...they work very well. Without the antenna, I get good reception by placing my Legend; in my Camelback, on top off my water bladder, making sure patch antenna points up.
Having lost a couple of bike computers due to OTB's and bushwacking...is why I did not go the handlebar mount method.
"Dean A. Stepper" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:VKpKe.79237$ro.62876@fed1read02...
Quoted message said:
"Jimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I've added a couple of new maps, this time showing GPS data recorded while mountain biking.
It still only works for Internet Explorer. The first map shows my course going slowly, and the second going faster (still not that fast, I'm not that great a mountain biker 🙂 ). Going faster didn't seem to make the readings worse, so that's good news.
