GPS Data Management

[LukeH 0]

i started logging flights with a GPS a while ago and quickly found that managing the data was a royal pain.

Paralog sounds like it may be good, but I don't really want to pay for it just to look at GPS data so i haven't tried it.

I've found various useful applications for displaying, manipulating and analysing GPS data, but still found that i have to go through way too many tedious steps to achieve fairly basic things.

so i've hacked together a horrible little application to take a GPS log file, identify one or more jumps in the data and allow output to KML, GPX, CSV or SRT file. the CSV file includes glide ratio between logged points, distance covered, v-speed h-speed etc.

it is quite basic and probably quite buggy. it is working ok for my purposes but i don't have the time to test it fully.

if anyone with a little experience in looking at WS GPS data logs is interested in giving it a try.. PM me.

It is for Windows only, and currently only accepts GPL log files (as that is what my GPS uses) you can convert data to GPL format using GPSBabel if you are using some other format.

[KrisFlyZ 0]

What GPS are you using?

The edge outputs history in XML format and that suits me very nicely. I use the excel sheet I posted in the other thread in conjunction with Garmin training center which is very cool for data management.

I'd like to give your tool a go.

Kris.

[LukeH 0]

I'm using the Earthmate Bluelogger http://www.earthmate.com/prod_bluelogger.asp

is the XML format GPX or a bespoke Garmin structure?

[nathaniel 0]

http://www.gpsbabel.org/

Converts between GPS data formats.

Use it, love it.

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

Paralog sounds like it may be good, but I don't really want to pay for it just to look at GPS data so i haven't tried it.

I take it you are not interested in its other features such as log book, gear tracking, Google Earth 3D track displays, Analysis of jump profiles from Neptune/protrac/GPS or export functions etc? You just want something to download raw GPS data from your receiver period?

For what it is worth, Paralogs fee is small compared to what it does. I can point you to plenty of other programs and/or developer sites where you can download progs for free or build on, but at the end of the day, your going to end up using several programs to extract and display your data when Paralog does it all for you with a click of the mouse. If anything, send Klaus an e-mail or download and take it for a demo spin as I think you will be surprised at how much it actually does.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[LukeH 0]

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I take it you are not interested in its other features

log book...nope
gear tracking...no i only have 1 rig
Google Earth 3D track displays...yes but my app does this.
Analysis of jump profiles from Neptune/protrac...no i don't own freefall computer, if i did i would buy it for this alone.
export functions etc.... my app exports in all formats i want(KML, GPX,SRT, CSV)

i have no doubt that Paralog is a great piece of software and great value.

i haven't used Paralog, but understand that the GPS features are a recent enhancement and not the primary purpose of the application. i also don't like the fact that to use multiple devices you must pay additional fees.

i have some spare time and could use brushing up my programming skills, so for now i'm going to tinker with the app i have already created. i'll look at paralog at some stage and would switch to it if the features i'm interested in are too much hassle for me to develop myself.

can Paralog take a GPS file, detect multiple jumps and separate out the WS and Canopy flights automatically?

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...You just want something to download raw GPS data from your receiver period?

no, the GPS came with software that can do that. i want the software to detect multiple jumps and extract only that data (ditching all of the aircraft and post landing data), then i want it to process the data and add information such as vertical & horizontal speed, glide ratio etc. and then have the option to save all of this in the various file types i've already listed.

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I can point you to plenty of other programs and/or developer sites where you can download progs for free or build on

that would be great, i've found quite a few, but i would be interested in seeing what else is out there. however i don't what to have a lot of different apps in the work flow, thats the original problem that i found. now i have 1 app to process the data into various forms and use CompeGPS Air, Google Earth or Excel to view the output, depending on what i want to do with it.

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

i want the software to detect multiple jumps and extract only that data (ditching all of the aircraft and post landing data), then i want it to process the data and add information such as vertical & horizontal speed, glide ratio etc. and then have the option to save all of this in the various file types i've already listed.

Paralog can do all of that, see HERE for specifics and interactive tutorials explaning each feature.See the section titled:"read logger/GPS" and "Jump profile"

Quote

now i have 1 app to process the data into various forms and use CompeGPS Air, Google Earth or Excel to view the output, depending on what i want to do with it.

1 application,Paralog, can and does all of this with a click of a button(s).

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[joni 0]

I agree with Scott. I have been testing out a GPS with Paralog which I had been using with my Neptune. It works just as simply with the GPS as with the Neptune. It gives you all the information with the click of a button, plus it serves as a log book and keeps tract of all you jumps, including video if you are that ambitious. Keeping a record of the GPS data lets you compare your data today to that 6mo ago, which is a nice way to see how much you have actually progressed. Additionally Klaus has always been quick to respond and very helpful whenever I have had a question. You get your moneys worth.

[KrisFlyZ 0]

Firstly, Klaus is great with support and the product and features are great. Definately well worth the money and more.

However, GPS data does not mean anything with out wind speed and direction( among other things ) taken into consideration.

This means that the actual path followed itself contributes to the numbers reported. This makes every jump unique. Comparing two jumps may not necessarily be meaningful.

Kris.

Kris.

[joni 0]

Agree wind speed and direction make a difference, but can be accounted for easily if known with a flight computer, either ahead of time or in a retrospective type flight plan. Pilots do it all the time. I have not bothered to do this as personally I am not that anal about the numbers in particular. Whether with the Neptune or the GPS, I look at the overall performance on a series of jumps usually before and after I have worked on something in particular. As I often jump alone it is sometimes my only feed back aside from the dive just feeling right. As long as I am making progress, it is good.

[KrisFlyZ 0]

Flying by feel is all good but the brain is a far less reliable instrument than a GPS. IMO overall performance on the jump is useless to gauge progress as far as glide is concerned unless flying in a straight line but YMMV.

Kris.