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Berserk
Sweden
1 Posts |
 Posted - 15 déc. 2007 : 00:16:44
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I just received my Gisteq Phototrackr Lite (DPL700). I haven't found any reviews of it so I decied to do a quick write-up of my first impressions. This is my first GPS unit.
Package (from left)
- AA battery
- PhotoTrackr
- Software CD (8 cm)
- Quick Start Guide
- Carabiner
- USB cable
Hardware
The unit is fairly small: A 75 mm high triangle shaped with sides of 33 mm. The battery compartment opens at the bottom in a two-motion way, push sideways-fold down. I don't think it will open by itself, but it doesn't feel like it is made to open either, and on a unit with a battery time of 15-20 hours (according to Gisteq, haven't tested myself) it will be opened many times. Also on the bottom is an exposed mini-USB connector.
The silver power button on the front requires a two second push to turn on or off, but I wouldn't have minded a little more resistance.
The three lights next to the power button indicates satellite search, satellite locked and low battery. They also flash when turning on/off.
Installation
I installed it on a Windows XP system. The installation went fairly smooth. You need to get a new Google Maps API key to get the maps. As has been said elsewhere the correct URL to use is http://maps.gisteq.com. I had to go into the Device Manager to find which COM-port the device was attached to (I don't understand why they don't make the device behave like an ordinary USB memory stick).
I also don't understand why the program needs to be activated with a code printed on the CD envelope. I can only presume that it is some kind of piracy protection, but IMHO it could have been solved much nicer. For instance, why not let the PhotoTrackr identify itself. After entering the activation code the program showed a hardware code so it is obvious that that code could have been used to avoid the program being used without a PhotoTrackr present (it would be enough to identify the presence of a PhotoTrackr once).
Unfortunately at this stage I forgot to sync the PhotoTrackr time with my camera's time meaning that the photos I took couldn't be positioned.
Test Walk
I took a short walk (2.5km) around town to test the accuracy of the unit. The environment is mostly buildings with 2-3 stories, some open areas and a path along a river with overhaning trees. I had the unit attached to my belt, using the carabiner, under a winter jacket. It has a minimum operation temperature of -10C, at the time it was -3C (not sure how this would affect performance). This is the result [GPS in purple, actual in yellow] logging every five seconds, walking clockwise:
Apparently somewhere along the river, under the trees, things began to get difficult. Before that I think it did very well, even getting the small deviation to walk on the cross walk. However, it seems as if once it has misjudged position it maintains that error for quite some time, in this case pushing the remaining of the route some 20-30 meters towards the NW. Next I guess I should test it in a more hostile (i.e. somewhere with higher buildings closer together).
One of the main reasons I got this is to track bike rides, but I don't think I'll be on bike for two or three months. However, one obvious use would be to use the altitude data to make elevation profiles. The actual minimum elevation of my test walk is probably 3-4 meters above sea level and maximum maybe around fifteen. The altitude data graphed looks like this:
That is one useless elevation profile. It is close to the correct elevation to begin with but after ten seconds it's lost never to be found again.
Software
On my system (AMD Athlon 2000, 512 meg ram, four years old) the start time for the PhotoTrackr software is very slow (it got way better after rebooting after the installation had finished though). I also find it a bit hard to use; it forgets which folders photos were added from and the latest used Photo Group leading to lots of repetitive clicking. The builtin implementation of Google Maps also tries to be smart with the log file, using only a few points. The log file of my walk included almost 300 points, but the map only showed 30 or so (the map and elevation profile above are made with GPS Visualizer). I haven't found any sensitivity adjustment for that - I would like to see the raw data immediately.
First impression is that it is quite cumbersome to use. I will probably make my own software and only use the supplied program to download log files and sync the time.
Summary
It is a fairly cheap product (US$120 including international express mail) and it is obvious that it won't last for a very long time (I'd guess a couple of years with frequent use).
I realize that this review might look negative, but it is much too early for me to judge how well it does its job. So far, I'm mostly disappointed in the elevation data and the software. The battery door is the worst designed part of the unit, but with care I hope it will last. |
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rakerman
Canada
30 Posts |
Posted - 16 déc. 2007 : 10:47:31
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I have also had a first look at the DPL700. I like the combination of the hardware and software a lot for photo geocoding. I still have to do some tests against the CD111 though, along with other GPSes (it was too cold to walk around too much today). The main thing I dislike is the AA battery, I'd much rather have a built-in rechargeable. I agree with you that the battery door is also a big problem, very stiff and hard to open and close.
I think for people looking for an all-in-one photo geocoding solution, this competes directly with the Sony GPS-CS1, and the GiSTEQ unit obviously has a much better chipset and software. I do wish GiSTEQ had made it a USB drive though (so called "driverless"). The fact that the DPL700 is yet another GPS device that doesn't have Mac support is frustrating. Here's my review: link |
Richard's Tech Reviews - GPS Loggers and Geotagging Photos |
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
Posted - 18 déc. 2007 : 01:18:38
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@Berserk - nice review, thanks for sharing. The accuracy is not too impressive. Had you let it get a good fix before heading out? It might be another case of using a small antenna that results in low signal levels and poor accuracy, especially since it is being worn on a bel with interference from the body.
I just received a test unit and was happy to find it was compatible with MiniGPS (links in the MTK thread) so it can be set to output data at 5Hz, I also found that it was running the V2.0 MTK firmware, the second device with that version after the Qstarz Q-1200. |
Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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xanteen
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 28 déc. 2007 : 08:46:06
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| Can someone plug this thing into a mac and see if it does anything? Thanks! |
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rakerman
Canada
30 Posts |
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xanteen
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 07 janv. 2008 : 03:21:26
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| Fingers crossed! Thanks for your effort. |
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rakerman
Canada
30 Posts |
Posted - 23 janv. 2008 : 12:46:21
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| Bad news, Mario (mdeweerd) had a look and it appears the GiSTEQs are using a custom protocol for log downloading. Unless someone can find it fully documented somewhere, it would need to be reverse engineered. |
Richard's Tech Reviews - GPS Loggers and Geotagging Photos |
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mdeweerd
798 Posts |
Posted - 09 avr. 2008 : 20:09:31
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| Finally, BT747 may get support for GiSTEQs - I've impelmented some stuff in a beta version that needs validation. |
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
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mdeweerd
798 Posts |
Posted - 11 avr. 2008 : 21:47:41
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Yes: http://bt747.sourceforge.net/BT747_J2SE_only.jnlp .
Not all functions work yet, but converting and downloading does.
The extension of the raw data log file should be set to '.sr'. Then, connect to the device (button at the bottom of the interface) while selecting the right port (you can type the port if it is not proposed in the list). Once connected, click 'Download from Phototrackr'. You will not see anything happen (for the moment), but in the end, the '.sr' file should be filled.
When you have a '.sr' file, select the device time from the list (i-track-Nemerix, ...) and then you can convert.
For the moment, the download for this device is not confirmed and may need debugging. |
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
Posted - 18 avr. 2008 : 19:46:18
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Thanks, had missed your post. Not sure how to run it, it seems to be stuck on "2. download components", can it run with run_rxtx.bat?
BTW, why the reference to NemeriX ? The Gisteq Phototrackr Lite is based on the MTK chipset I believe. |
Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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mdeweerd
798 Posts |
Posted - 18 avr. 2008 : 22:32:42
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For the moment run_rxtx.bat does not give access to the functionality. I do not remember if I added run_j2se.bat .
I refer the Nemerix because the download method should be compatible, but the format slightly different. This would make downloading for these devices available on non-windows systems . |
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
Posted - 19 avr. 2008 : 16:48:17
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| Ok, managed to download and launch the app, I'm really bad when it comes to understanding how java apps work ;-) Anyway, the tracker was on COM25 so I forced it down to COM16, but I can't seem to be able to connect or download the log, anything I should check for ? |
Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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mdeweerd
798 Posts |
Posted - 19 avr. 2008 : 18:54:18
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I made uste an update that is available through http://bt747.sourceforge.net/BT747_J2SE_only.jnlp
or you could replace the jar in your dist directory with http://bt747.sourceforge.net/BT747_j2se.jar .
You can connect to COM25: by typing this port name in the area where you can select the port in stead of selecting it from the list ;-) .
What helps me currently would be a trace from a serial port sniffer like "HHD Free Serial Port Monitor" . That gives something like:
quote:
Port opened by process "Data Logger.exe" (PID: 2428)
Answer: 22/01/2008 7:27:52 PM.18764
57 6F 6E 64 65 50 72 6F 75 64 20 54 65 63 68 2E WondeProud Tech.
20 43 6F 2E 20 42 54 2D 43 44 31 31 30 0D 0A 00 Co. BT-CD110...
Request: 22/01/2008 7:27:52 PM.18764 (+0.0000 seconds)
57 27 50 20 43 61 6D 65 72 61 20 44 65 74 65 63 W'P Camera Detec
74 00 t.
Answer: 22/01/2008 7:27:52 PM.18764 (+0.0000 seconds)
57 50 20 47 50 53 2B 42 54 00 WP GPS+BT.
Request: 22/01/2008 7:27:52 PM.18764 (+0.0000 seconds)
63 B7 00 00 00 00 00 c·.....
Answer: 22/01/2008 7:27:52 PM.20264 (+0.0156 seconds)
00 00 40 00 ..@.
Request: 22/01/2008 7:27:52 PM.20264 (+0.0000 seconds)
57 50 20 41 50 2D 45 78 69 74 00 WP AP-Exit.
Port closed
The above is a partial trace with the original application and an actual device. |
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mdeweerd
798 Posts |
Posted - 24 avr. 2008 : 00:34:01
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Thanks to some some help from a user to try the SW with his device, BT747 can now download a log from the Phototrackr. It may not be perfect yet, but it is getting close.
In the 'PDA' interface, set the correct device in the 'Device' menu and the raw datalog extension to '.sr'.
In the 'new' desktop interface, click the correct button and set the correct device type for data conversion.
This is currently implemented as a 'debug_release' on the BT747 download page (BT747_1.48b5_en_full.zip). |
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Marakuz
4 Posts |
Posted - 25 mai 2008 : 07:37:46
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Would anyone know how many datapoints the unit can store? I cannot seem to find this info anywhere.
I also wonder if it is possible to charge the battery through the USB port. |
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[TOPIC] Gisteq Phototrackr Lite - User Reviews
