| PilotGPS |
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About PilotGPSPilotGPS is a new program that woks with any standard NMEA-0813 compatible GPS reciever and a USR Pilot. It was developed and tested with with a Delorme Tripmate. Users have had success using it with Garmin GPS 45 and the Trimble ScoutMaster (with these settings), as well.
Requirements
To use PilotGPS, you must have:
 Pilot 1000 or higher 9-pin null modem adapter and gender changer or Pilot modem cable Pilot cradle or Pilot Hotsync cable An NMEA-0813 compatible GPS reciever, or a DeLorme Tripmate |
News
The Alpha 2 version of PilotGPS is out!
Bug fixes include:
- There is now enough space to enter map ranges if you have more than 99 degrees of longitude
- Menu items now fit in their spaces on OS 2
- All known crashing bugs have been eliminated (including "field 7 error, line 559")
New features include:
- Waypoints
- Panning and zooming in the map
- Initial time/position are sent to the GPS (Tripmate only) to decrease startup time
- Map auto-range is implemented
- Your position on the map is shown as a blinking cursor
- Cruise control beeps when you re-enter the range
- Maps are saved when you exit the program.
Features
The current version of PilotGPS (Alpha 2) has the following major features (click the link to see a screen shot of that mode):
| Monitor mode | Shows most of the information the GPS is transmitting, including current time, date, number of satellites in view, warning status, latitude and longitude, altitude, speed (in MPH), and course. |
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| Mapping mode | Draws a map of where you have been on a selectable scale map. You can display the latitude and longitude of any point on the map using the stylus. |
| Compass mode | Shows your current heading on a cool-looking compass as well as your current position and speed. |
| Cruise control mode | Shows your current speed on a graph. You may set a range of speed between which you wish to travel, and the Pilot will beep when you exceed the maximum or go below the minimum. Very handy if your car doesn't have cruise control! It also keeps track of average speed and top speed. |
Future features
Features I plan to add include (in approximate priority):
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Remember map ranges across sessions Allow cruise control to work no matter what screen you're in Add a compass to cruise control and map screens Allow mapping to continue no matter what screen you're in Make it easier to set the map range Log trip information (speed, altitude, etc.) Synchronize Pilot's date and time with GPS Ability to find best route of several possible routes, by driving it several times and finding the best combination Download portions of street maps from the computer for mapping mode Integrate program to remember where you parked your car |
Current status
The current version of PilotGPS is Alpha 2. This is the second public release (as of 6/21/97). You may experience intermittent crashes, and it might erase everything on your Pilot. It comes with no gaurantees whatsoever. It works for me, and it should work for you, but you know how computers are. Since it's in extremely early alpha testing, I want to limit its availability so that the unwashed masses don't have crappy, undebugged software. If you consider yourself a member of the washed masses, or just want to test the software and don't mind risking your Pilot's memory, proceed to the download page. Newer versions of the program will be released periodically, depending on how much schoolwork/work-work I have to do.
Download
To get a copy of PilotGPS Alpha 2, I would like to get your email address so that I know who has it and can gauge the number of problems people have. I have no interest in sending you junk mail; I hate spam more than most people and would sooner sell my grandmother to an oprhanage than sell your email address to a company (or spam you myself). It's just for tracking purposes and so I can keep in touch with you (if you want me to). If you don't mind, proceed to the download page.