Author Topic: Ambicom Gps Cf Card (Read 5829 times)

Jon_J · « **on:** February 27, 2006, 07:41:43 pm »

I just got my GPS card in the mail from Staples today. It seems to be a really nice setup.
This is my first time I've used a GPS unit.
I want to say thanks for these 3 very helpful threads
https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=14299&hl=
https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4264&hl=
https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4063
And the Zroadmap one in Cacko subforum.
I would have never got this working without this Forum
It's the AmbiCom GPS-CF
It's 3Â½ inches long and has a translucent cover. You can see the blue light flash when it's acquiring.
It also has a "Reset" switch on the side.
It comes with a detatchable magnetic antenna on a 8 foot cord.
It picked up 6 satellites from my window in my house in a tight neighborhood.
I used zroadmap and qpegps
It also comes with 3 CD's (one for installing Win CE stuff. The other 2 have maps on them).
The Illinois map, when unzipped is 100mb of data, but seems proprietary. It's not TIGER type maps.
I'm posting this because, the software requires a Win CE type PDA, and the Win CE sync software.
It seems to be, the only way to get access to the maps, is to install this software.
I have a Win XP machine, and I tried to "fool" the installer by plugging the GPS unit into my card reader.
That didn't work
It installed GPS Diag.exe and stopped.
But going further into the manual. I need to input a serial # and registeration key.
I didn't get to that stage of the install.
This soft will not completely install because I'm missing the CE sync soft.
The maps are accessed from the "Pocketmap Data Manager", which in my case, isn't installed.
Any ideas as to how mine the data from the maps CD's?

Thank you for reading this,
Jon

iamasmith · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2006, 08:49:28 pm »

You mentioned that you think the maps are in a proprietary format.

This is almost certainly the case. It won't be easy to make software for the Zaurus that will read those maps.

Typically mapping data is stored with high levels of compression and often with a certain level of obfuscation to discourage people from mining the data from the map software.

The reason for this is that the provider of the GPS/software will have licensed the maps (possibly from someone like Navtech) and the license will be based upon units shipped. As part of the licensing deal that they signed they will almost certainly have to state that the data will only be utilised via their software. They don't want these maps slipping into supporting other devices and potentially creating a pirate market - I know that isn't your intention but that's generally the feeling over mapping data.

-Andy

Jon_J · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2006, 10:08:14 pm »

Thank you iamasmith,
I just found out that there is another installer on CD1 of the 2 map CDs
I ran it, and installed all 50 states to my hard drive on my PC. Then I used
the program to just install one state onto a CF card. My choices were "Win CE PDA" or "Card".
Just installed one state, which was 100mb, ballooned up to almost 1GB on my CF card.
None of the files were usable though.
I'm going to try and load 'em into one of my many graphics programs
and see if they will open, or try to import them into a draw or paint prog.

EDIT: I abandoned the idea of using these CDs. They have been thrown in a box of old obsolete computer junk that I have....
Jon

xamindar · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2006, 02:33:53 pm »

where did you buy this card? And how much was it?

Jon_J · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2006, 03:06:48 pm »

xamindar,
Staples. Goto staples.com
It's here:
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...Name=Technology
I paid $94.99 plus $8.00 sales tax
Staples is kind of expensive, especially the local store here. No compition here.
They sometimes have sales/specials/closeouts. but not for what I'm usually looking for.
I bought this one because I didn't have to mail order it.
I just went to my local store and the clerk ordered it for me online.
I don't have a credit card, so I tend to buy things locally if I can.
Jon

xamindar · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2006, 01:16:45 pm »

Hey, I just got the card. Looks nice. How do you tell how many satalites it has aquired on the zaurus?

EDIT: nevermind, I guess qpegps tells me. But I'n not getting any location information yet. hmm.

Jon_J · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2006, 04:32:20 pm »

xamindar,
Whenever I plug in my Ambicom gps card under cacko 1.23 full, it is suspended.
I have to use console and issue this command:
cardctl resume

Jon

xamindar · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2006, 06:35:09 pm »

Yeah I got that part. Actually qpegps does it for me. Do people write scripts to resume it and start gpsd automaticly?

Is the external antenna waterproof? It doesn't look like it is. It's raining outside right now and I want to try it

Jon_J · « **Reply #8 on:** March 10, 2006, 06:43:37 pm »

I was using zroadmap and qpegps. qpegps didn't resume it for me.
I don't know how to write scripts, but it would be more convient to use GPS without
needing to enter commands into the console when out on the road.

I don't know if the antenna is waterproof. Put it into a ziploc bag.
It's supposed to be able to be placed on the rooftop of a car, so it should be waterproof.
I haven't used mine outside yet. I placed it in a window on the front of my house when I first got it.
I plan on using it on my motorcycle. I'll stop and get it out of the saddlebag and use it.

Jon
BTW, have you tried using the CD's?

News:

Author Topic: Ambicom Gps Cf Card (Read 5829 times)