Collecting GPS & TackTick NMEA to a USB or Flash

[awaysailing]

Hi - Anybody worked out how to collect the NMEA data from a GPS unit and the TackTick System.

We have the NMEA interface, but what i want to do is collect the data on a USB Memory stick or flash, then suck it into some software afterwards.

I understand i could connect a laptop via a serial cable or USB/Serial cable, but the sportboat can get pretty wet below at times :>)

Mark

[Rick Willoughby]

I have used a pocket PC to download data to a file for later viewing.

You can also get robust computers like this one:
http://www.trimble.com/ps_recon.shtml

Probably cheaper just to get a little Garmin and carry it around. These are made for bicycles or running and is what I use:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=331
It records at 1 second intervals so very detailed information for position and speed.

There are cheaper ones that don't have the fitness data:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=142&pID=231

These are not outputting in the NMEA format but they give co-ordinates every second so it is easy to plot courses and velocity. The Garmin extraction software does some analysis to provide velocity but it is easier just to use co-ordinates and time in a spreadsheet for analysis.


Rick W

[bobg3723]

Handheld units are a very cost effective way to go. They can be mounted on secure ball mounts and are very conveniently powered for extended periods of time with a cigarrete lighter adapter. There are free software to download their waypoints on the web as well as from their respective manufacturer, or a third party software.

But you also said you want to read NMEA data, the data stream between the satellite and the reciever. Then you should also look into a GPS reciever 'pucks' or 'bricks' and read their NMEA datastream realtime for use by your laptop or pda software. Some provide that datastream to your PC via USB, others via Bluetooth, and still others can do both.

You can go with a stand alone datalogger GPS recorder, too. They can record thousands of datapoints at the type of interval (distance or time intervals) you chose to configure. There are models that transmit via Bluetooth the NMEA datastream to your Bluetooth equipped PC or PDA mapping software in real-time as well.

I recommend going Bluetooth wireless for reading real-time NMEA so your electronics are less vulnerable to dangling data cables.

You have many choices of software applications to choose from to read NMEA. Search the internet for moving map software such as OziExplorer, Fugawi, and others like them.

There are off the shelf cases you can put your Laptop or PDA in to keep your electronics dry. Check into a company called RAM. I use their case to house my IPAQ PDA.

I know nothing about TackTick so I can't help you there. And I don't know of any gps recievers out there that will download the waypoints to a thumbdrive, but there may be an oddball one or two. Typically, you download the data to a PC or PDA.

If you're worried about harm from water or spray, get the data from the gps reciver or dataloger via Bluetooth wireless into a RAM encased HP IPAQ with an SD card plugged in.