Using a GPS Receiver in the Car

HappyWheels · 26th September 2009, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by gigy

Off late my gps receiver is taking lot of time locking on to satellite in mumbai, is anyone else having similar issue in mumbai?

First usage after my last use in Kerala. Had updated AGPS data twice in between. Slightly cloudy. Took close to 4 minutes for a position lock the first time.

gigy · 26th September 2009, 14:55

It used to take 2-5 minutes earlier but now it takes 15-20 minutes when in motion.

HappyWheels · 26th September 2009, 22:37

Gigy,

When in motion, there will always be a slightly more delay in getting a fix. What I usually do, it first get a fix before I start rolling, since once a fix is got, then it tends to stick on to it.

DerAlte · 27th September 2009, 18:14

It is not the satellite fix that takes longer, since at any point of time, there are actually 5-6 satellites signals which are seen. It is the stabilization of the internally calculated results that takes time to give a reliable reading. The calculated results are readings from one satellite with respect to the others. If the conditions (due to reflections etc.) are such that the results are inconsistent, the receiver does not give a go ahead - this is another logical signal that the software receives from the GPS receiver unit. With a moving vehicle there is a better chance that the conditions change, and hence the chances of reaching fix resolution.

You can try this by walking with the unit, or even moving around in one place, as opposed to standing in one place when you have just come out of signal shadow.

nishad.hameed · 27th September 2009, 19:46

a cold start is recommended. use the supplied software for the same, will get a quick fix after the cold start...

airwolf9211 · 10th October 2009, 23:51

a very nice information for the team members
infact a good post !!!

anjuna mark · 13th October 2009, 13:18

Ok, I admit I haven't read through all 74 pages of this thread; anyway it starts from the middle ages.
I started using GPS in India earlier than that though; in 2002.

In case anyone cares, here’s my system.
Hardware;
I use a handheld garmin GPS mounted to the windscreen pillar of my camper van; it’s powered from the onboard electricity.
The antenna is on the roof, as the unit really won’t work from inside a vehicle with a vertical windscreen [it works on the dash of a car ok].
The garmin feeds data to my laptop, which is mounted above the windscreen.
On my European camper [which is nowhere near as nice as my Indian one] I refined the system by adding a flat screen monitor, so I can keep my laptop in a better location with less vibration. I got the screen secondhand, and stripped out the power supply [220-12V], and wired it to the onboard power [I used 2 diodes to strip off 1.2V].

Software;
I use several navigation programs, but in India only Ozi explorer.
Ozi lets you use any map image, and you can then calibrate it yourself.

Map data;
In 2002, available map data was, as far as I could find, zero.
I use Nells maps for highway, and they’re pretty good.
Recently, I’ve been compiling google earth photos into maps; these are better than any data or paper map I found for where I am now [Portugal].
Of course, it’s time consuming and only suitable for relatively small areas. For off road, ideal.
The google photos, calibrated and loaded into Ozi explorer, will show where I am, with some ground features, etc. and every back track is visible.
I’ll go into the procedure if anyone asks. I used the free version of Google earth.

I can save my routes, export and share them, even modify them. It records speed and altitude too.
I used this system to expose a land swindle someone was trying. I marked out the borders with the GPS, then uploaded it into the laptop, displaying the points on the Google photo map. It’s that good.

Advantages; the massive power and memory of the laptop, flexibility of programs, large screen.
Disadvantages; you need a laptop. Fiddly to set up each time you use it, probably no place for the screen in a car. No driving instructions.

adzegeek · 21st October 2009, 13:33

High-speed chase ends when OnStar halts stolen SUV
By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer - Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:54AM EDT
DETROIT -
When two Visalia, Calif., police officers swung their cruisers behind a sport utility vehicle that had been carjacked at gunpoint early Sunday, they prepared for a dangerous high-speed chase.
The 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe roared away with officers in pursuit, but shortly after the suspect made a right turn, operators at General Motors Co.'s OnStar service sent a command that electronically disabled the gas pedal and the SUV gradually came to a halt.
The flustered thief got out and ran, but was quickly nabbed after he climbed several fences and fell into a backyard swimming pool, police said.
It was the first time since OnStar began offering the service in the 2009 model year that it was used to end a chase that could otherwise have had dire consequences.
"He wouldn't have pulled over if OnStar hadn't have shut the vehicle down," said Visalia Police Sgt. Steve Phillips. "Generally pursuits end in a collision."
The whole thing began when Jose Ruiz, 33, of nearby Lindsay, Calif., was sitting in his Tahoe in a lighted parking lot about 3 a.m. Sunday while his cousin was talking on a cell phone in the passenger seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Ruiz saw a man walking toward him.
"He already had a gun out," Ruiz said Monday.
The man pointed a sawed-off shotgun at Ruiz and ordered both men to get out of the Tahoe and empty their pockets. Ruiz's cousin at first refused, but Ruiz told him to obey, knowing that OnStar could find the stolen truck with a global positioning system.
"I was afraid he was going to shoot my cousin. My cousin was arguing with him," Ruiz recalled.
The cousin relented and the man sped off in the truck. Ruiz then sprinted for a nearby pay telephone to call police, but ran into a sheriff's deputy on her break who notified Visalia police.
Officers quickly contacted OnStar and got Ruiz's permission to find the vehicle. Police spotted it a few miles away, but as officers made a U-turn to pursue it, the Tahoe sped off at a high speed, Phillips said.
The suspect made a turn, and police dispatchers told the pursuing officers that OnStar was about to disable the Tahoe. It then rolled to a halt, and the robber was quickly captured.
The 21-year-old suspect was jailed and faces preliminary charges of robbery, carjacking, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest.
OnStar President Walt Dorfstatter said it took only 16 minutes from the time OnStar was notified for the vehicle to be stopped.
Visalia Police Chief Colleen Mestas said the new technology kept officers, other motorists and even the suspect out of a dangerous chase.
"Considering the violent crime that this suspect was wanted for, I was just amazed," she said.
Police chases often end in death, many times for the people in the pursued vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Last year, 334 people were killed nationwide in crashes that stemmed from police pursuits, including five police officers, 235 people in the chased vehicles and 77 who were in cars or trucks not involved in the chases.
Ruiz said police returned his Tahoe, cell phone and wallet to him that night. The only thing they didn't get back was some cash taken from his cousin.
The stolen vehicle slowdown feature isn't offered on all GM vehicles yet, but the company hopes to expand it to the entire lineup as models are updated. For 2010, the feature is on 18 of the 30 models equipped with OnStar, a communication service that also can give directions or call for help if a car is in a crash. Dorfstatter said it will take several years for all GM models to get the feature.
Mestas, whose city is about 50 miles southeast of Fresno, hopes that both technology like OnStar and more police aircraft can minimize the dangers of chases.
"It would be nice to have a day in law enforcement that you didn't have to actively pursue suspects at high speeds," she said

jassi · 21st October 2009, 13:42

^^ good technology, but has the potential to be hacked and mis-used.

Swift_ICE · 15th November 2009, 13:26

Guys, I have been looking for a PND which will work in Bangalore city mostly and sometime for weekend trips.

What is the best solution? I have an option of getting stuff form the US. Can you please guide me with the model numbers etc? I am hoping for a solution sub 10k.

Thanks,
Naresh

@400Kph · 20th November 2009, 15:09

Hi All, I must confess i dont know much about the GPS devices , but i have an urgent question which needs answer.
Black friday sale is coming to wal mart on friday and they have good deal on TomTom XL325-SE GPS device (89 $ only !! ).I would like to know whether we can use this in india ??

nairrk · 20th November 2009, 15:18

Any TBHPian from kerala using GPS?
If yes, how is the coverage in kerala roads and how accurate the routings are?

Awaiting

Thanks

tsk1979 · 20th November 2009, 15:23

If the tom tom does not run an unlockable Windows CE core, its will be useless for India usage. I suggest you stick to something like mio C320(100$ approx in holiday season), and get that.

jkdas · 20th November 2009, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by nairrk

Any TBHPian from kerala using GPS?
If yes, how is the coverage in kerala roads and how accurate the routings are?

Awaiting

Thanks

Have seen diablomk use it on his Safari. He was happy it seems.Its the mapmyindia's unit. I too liked as it showed the route I thought it might not show! I tested it on Thaneermukkam-Shertalla route.

HappyWheels · 20th November 2009, 18:49

I am happy with Google maps and it is OK in Kerala; at least it gives you right direction to the nearest major road. But it will never help in giving you directions.

26th September 2009, 14:55	#1097
gigy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 1,321 Thanked: 47 Times	It used to take 2-5 minutes earlier but now it takes 15-20 minutes when in motion.
	() Thanks

26th September 2009, 22:37	#1098
HappyWheels Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,143 Thanked: 566 Times	Gigy, When in motion, there will always be a slightly more delay in getting a fix. What I usually do, it first get a fix before I start rolling, since once a fix is got, then it tends to stick on to it.
	() Thanks

27th September 2009, 18:14	#1099
DerAlte Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 8,069 Thanked: 2,919 Times	It is not the satellite fix that takes longer, since at any point of time, there are actually 5-6 satellites signals which are seen. It is the stabilization of the internally calculated results that takes time to give a reliable reading. The calculated results are readings from one satellite with respect to the others. If the conditions (due to reflections etc.) are such that the results are inconsistent, the receiver does not give a go ahead - this is another logical signal that the software receives from the GPS receiver unit. With a moving vehicle there is a better chance that the conditions change, and hence the chances of reaching fix resolution. You can try this by walking with the unit, or even moving around in one place, as opposed to standing in one place when you have just come out of signal shadow. Last edited by DerAlte : 27th September 2009 at 18:17.
	() Thanks

27th September 2009, 19:46	#1100
nishad.hameed BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: bangalore Posts: 91 Thanked: 24 Times	a cold start is recommended. use the supplied software for the same, will get a quick fix after the cold start...
	() Thanks

10th October 2009, 23:51	#1101
airwolf9211 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Manali (H.P.) Posts: 64 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	a very nice information for the team members infact a good post !!!
	() Thanks

13th October 2009, 13:18	#1102
anjuna mark BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Goa / Portugal Posts: 64 Thanked: 48 Times	Ok, I admit I haven't read through all 74 pages of this thread; anyway it starts from the middle ages. I started using GPS in India earlier than that though; in 2002. In case anyone cares, here’s my system. Hardware; I use a handheld garmin GPS mounted to the windscreen pillar of my camper van; it’s powered from the onboard electricity. The antenna is on the roof, as the unit really won’t work from inside a vehicle with a vertical windscreen [it works on the dash of a car ok]. The garmin feeds data to my laptop, which is mounted above the windscreen. On my European camper [which is nowhere near as nice as my Indian one] I refined the system by adding a flat screen monitor, so I can keep my laptop in a better location with less vibration. I got the screen secondhand, and stripped out the power supply [220-12V], and wired it to the onboard power [I used 2 diodes to strip off 1.2V]. Software; I use several navigation programs, but in India only Ozi explorer. Ozi lets you use any map image, and you can then calibrate it yourself. Map data; In 2002, available map data was, as far as I could find, zero. I use Nells maps for highway, and they’re pretty good. Recently, I’ve been compiling google earth photos into maps; these are better than any data or paper map I found for where I am now [Portugal]. Of course, it’s time consuming and only suitable for relatively small areas. For off road, ideal. The google photos, calibrated and loaded into Ozi explorer, will show where I am, with some ground features, etc. and every back track is visible. I’ll go into the procedure if anyone asks. I used the free version of Google earth. I can save my routes, export and share them, even modify them. It records speed and altitude too. I used this system to expose a land swindle someone was trying. I marked out the borders with the GPS, then uploaded it into the laptop, displaying the points on the Google photo map. It’s that good. Advantages; the massive power and memory of the laptop, flexibility of programs, large screen. Disadvantages; you need a laptop. Fiddly to set up each time you use it, probably no place for the screen in a car. No driving instructions.
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 13:33	#1103
adzegeek BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Special admin z Posts: 284 Thanked: 29 Times	Cool use of OnStar.... High-speed chase ends when OnStar halts stolen SUV By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer - Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:54AM EDT DETROIT - When two Visalia, Calif., police officers swung their cruisers behind a sport utility vehicle that had been carjacked at gunpoint early Sunday, they prepared for a dangerous high-speed chase. The 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe roared away with officers in pursuit, but shortly after the suspect made a right turn, operators at General Motors Co.'s OnStar service sent a command that electronically disabled the gas pedal and the SUV gradually came to a halt. The flustered thief got out and ran, but was quickly nabbed after he climbed several fences and fell into a backyard swimming pool, police said. It was the first time since OnStar began offering the service in the 2009 model year that it was used to end a chase that could otherwise have had dire consequences. "He wouldn't have pulled over if OnStar hadn't have shut the vehicle down," said Visalia Police Sgt. Steve Phillips. "Generally pursuits end in a collision." The whole thing began when Jose Ruiz, 33, of nearby Lindsay, Calif., was sitting in his Tahoe in a lighted parking lot about 3 a.m. Sunday while his cousin was talking on a cell phone in the passenger seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Ruiz saw a man walking toward him. "He already had a gun out," Ruiz said Monday. The man pointed a sawed-off shotgun at Ruiz and ordered both men to get out of the Tahoe and empty their pockets. Ruiz's cousin at first refused, but Ruiz told him to obey, knowing that OnStar could find the stolen truck with a global positioning system. "I was afraid he was going to shoot my cousin. My cousin was arguing with him," Ruiz recalled. The cousin relented and the man sped off in the truck. Ruiz then sprinted for a nearby pay telephone to call police, but ran into a sheriff's deputy on her break who notified Visalia police. Officers quickly contacted OnStar and got Ruiz's permission to find the vehicle. Police spotted it a few miles away, but as officers made a U-turn to pursue it, the Tahoe sped off at a high speed, Phillips said. The suspect made a turn, and police dispatchers told the pursuing officers that OnStar was about to disable the Tahoe. It then rolled to a halt, and the robber was quickly captured. The 21-year-old suspect was jailed and faces preliminary charges of robbery, carjacking, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest. OnStar President Walt Dorfstatter said it took only 16 minutes from the time OnStar was notified for the vehicle to be stopped. Visalia Police Chief Colleen Mestas said the new technology kept officers, other motorists and even the suspect out of a dangerous chase. "Considering the violent crime that this suspect was wanted for, I was just amazed," she said. Police chases often end in death, many times for the people in the pursued vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Last year, 334 people were killed nationwide in crashes that stemmed from police pursuits, including five police officers, 235 people in the chased vehicles and 77 who were in cars or trucks not involved in the chases. Ruiz said police returned his Tahoe, cell phone and wallet to him that night. The only thing they didn't get back was some cash taken from his cousin. The stolen vehicle slowdown feature isn't offered on all GM vehicles yet, but the company hopes to expand it to the entire lineup as models are updated. For 2010, the feature is on 18 of the 30 models equipped with OnStar, a communication service that also can give directions or call for help if a car is in a crash. Dorfstatter said it will take several years for all GM models to get the feature. Mestas, whose city is about 50 miles southeast of Fresno, hopes that both technology like OnStar and more police aircraft can minimize the dangers of chases. "It would be nice to have a day in law enforcement that you didn't have to actively pursue suspects at high speeds," she said
	() Thanks

21st October 2009, 13:42	#1104
jassi BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 980 Thanked: 12 Times View My Garage	^^ good technology, but has the potential to be hacked and mis-used.
	() Thanks

15th November 2009, 13:26	#1105
Swift_ICE BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Currently in Houston Posts: 25 Thanked: 0 Times	Guys, I have been looking for a PND which will work in Bangalore city mostly and sometime for weekend trips. What is the best solution? I have an option of getting stuff form the US. Can you please guide me with the model numbers etc? I am hoping for a solution sub 10k. Thanks, Naresh
	() Thanks

20th November 2009, 15:09	#1106
@400Kph BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bengalooru Posts: 143 Thanked: 8 Times	TomTom XL325-SE GPS works with indian maps ?? Hi All, I must confess i dont know much about the GPS devices , but i have an urgent question which needs answer. Black friday sale is coming to wal mart on friday and they have good deal on TomTom XL325-SE GPS device (89 $ only !! ).I would like to know whether we can use this in india ?? Last edited by @400Kph : 20th November 2009 at 15:11.
	() Thanks

20th November 2009, 15:18	#1107
nairrk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kannur Posts: 2,441 Thanked: 676 Times View My Garage	Any TBHPian from kerala using GPS? If yes, how is the coverage in kerala roads and how accurate the routings are? Awaiting Thanks
	() Thanks

20th November 2009, 15:23	#1108
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,726 Thanked: 23,059 Times View My Garage	If the tom tom does not run an unlockable Windows CE core, its will be useless for India usage. I suggest you stick to something like mio C320(100$ approx in holiday season), and get that.
	() Thanks

20th November 2009, 18:49	#1110
HappyWheels Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,143 Thanked: 566 Times	I am happy with Google maps and it is OK in Kerala; at least it gives you right direction to the nearest major road. But it will never help in giving you directions.
	() Thanks