BlackStar - Waypoint Management and Navigation, Geocaching App
- I downloaded version 1.3 that I found on this site. I just went to the downloads folder and touched on Blackstar.05-08-09 04:12 AMLike 0
- After searching a little more, I found version 1.4 and it seems to be working. (I need to learn how to use it).
It looks to be pretty cool!!
Thanks for trying to help!05-08-09 04:18 AMLike 0 - I've used it successfully on a flight from Phoenix to Pittsburgh, it gave me the altitude +/- 200 ft of stated cruising altitude (note the pilot is allowed +/- 100ft, I think), airspeed was as expected, and miles to go agreed with what the pilot stated at one point. I'd set the destination to the midpoint of one of the runways at PIT, and the red arrow was quite believable. So altitude read to 36000+ ft, speed read to 600 mph, miles to go read over 1700; looks like you guys have done your programming to accept these wide ranges quite well.
(Note not all airlines allow the use of GPS, check the magazine in your seat.)
I also used it on a walk we took at a local park yesterday, which was "in the woods". Not a real thick canopy, and no steep landscape to block the sky. I noticed an occasional problem where it seemed it could not figure out what my heading was even when we were moving - I'd expect that sort of problem when I'm stopped. But in general it performed very well, and with few exceptions pointed the way back to the car.
Some of these problems could relate to the quality of the GPS chip in the Storm, and some to the satellite "constellation" & reception.
In general, I'm lovin' the app and looking forward to improvements.05-11-09 09:20 AMLike 0 - I like the app as a whole, connects to the GPS much quicker than cacheberry, like everyone else, I have a few suggestions....
Suggestions:
*numeric heading with 3 Character Compass Direction inside the compass. N N/NW NW W/NW W W/SW SW S/SW S S/SE SE E/SE E E/NE NE N/NE could be handy as well.
how about the possibility of also adding in military coordinate tracking for those of us using military grid maps?
beyond that, there isn't much I can think of....05-25-09 11:13 AMLike 0 - Do you have any control over how the file is created? It sounds like the file is not formatted exactly the way BlackStar is expecting it.05-26-09 01:22 PMLike 0
- I think I'm having some problems with BlackStar..
I installed it, and as I clicked the app, It said Seaching for Satellites.
I let it do it's searching, only to realize that it's still searching after 15 minutes.
I was at 362 last I looked.
I closed the app, thinking there was a problem, and it did the same.
I've never had any problems with any GPS apps before so I know my provider didn't block anything like some Blackberry providers.
Is it something that I'm doing wrong?05-26-09 02:53 PMLike 0 - I think I'm having some problems with BlackStar..
I installed it, and as I clicked the app, It said Seaching for Satellites.
I let it do it's searching, only to realize that it's still searching after 15 minutes.
I was at 362 last I looked.
I closed the app, thinking there was a problem, and it did the same.
I've never had any problems with any GPS apps before so I know my provider didn't block anything like some Blackberry providers.
Is it something that I'm doing wrong?05-26-09 03:10 PMLike 0 -
So, you will not be able to use BlackStar, or any other third party GPS app, with your Verizon Pearl unless you get a bluetooth GPS.06-02-09 07:03 AMLike 0 - I am a newbie Blackberry Storm 9530 user, Verizon plan, and a fairly new geocacher. I want to use my B to pick up caches "on the run," ie., if I find myself sitting somewhere with some time to kill. I would not have downloaded caches from the internet before I got there. Can Blackstar retrieve caches that may be, say, 1000 feet from my present location? Also, would I have to activate VZ navigator and pay Verizon the $5/month or whatever it is in order to use Blackstar? Sorry for such a basic question, but I'm a little out of my league here! I'm not even sure how to post/respond etc in a forum.06-02-09 03:43 PMLike 0
- I am a newbie Blackberry Storm 9530 user, Verizon plan, and a fairly new geocacher. I want to use my B to pick up caches "on the run," ie., if I find myself sitting somewhere with some time to kill. I would not have downloaded caches from the internet before I got there. Can Blackstar retrieve caches that may be, say, 1000 feet from my present location? Also, would I have to activate VZ navigator and pay Verizon the $5/month or whatever it is in order to use Blackstar? Sorry for such a basic question, but I'm a little out of my league here! I'm not even sure how to post/respond etc in a forum.
There are two types of files you can get from geocaching.com, GPX and LOC. THe GPX files will contain all of the cache information, including description, coordinates, hints, and last 5 logs. LOC files only contain cache name and coordinates. You must be a premium geocaching.com member to get GPX files, which costs on average $3 per month. Any member can create an LOC file.
If you are a premium geocaching.com member, then you are able to run pocket queries which can be set up to extract GPX files automatically. bcaching.com is a free website that allows you to store pocket queries online. You can have a pocket query set up to get the closest 500 caches and run daily and have the results sent to bcaching.com. Then from BlackStar, you can use the "get closest Bcaching GPX" menu item on the List Waypoints screen. It will send the current GPS coords to bcaching.com which will create a GPX file based on the caches you have loaded and send the file back to BlackStar. BlackStar will then load the file automatically and you are ready to go.
The second method is to use the geocaching.com closest caches menu item on the main BlackStar screen. This will open your browser to geocaching.com list caches page with you current coordinates. It will list the closes cache to you coordinates. You can then go to the bottom of the page, click the check all and then download waypoints buttons. This will download a LOC file to your phone, you must rename the file so the filename ends with .LOC. You can then import this file into BlackStar. Note: you must first have logged into geocaching.com from your BB browser and clicked the "remember me" checkbox.06-03-09 07:25 AMLike 0 -
i also tried to reformat the file using gpsbabel, but the problem is still the same.
Here's the XML-Code:
Code:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <gpx version="1.0" creator="GPSBabel - http://www.gpsbabel.org" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0/gpx.xsd"> <time>2009-06-03T14:54:17Z</time> <bounds minlat="50.003590000" minlon="8.444130000" maxlat="50.009990000" maxlon="8.456460000"/> <trk> <trkseg> <trkpt lat="50.009990000" lon="8.444520000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009440000" lon="8.444730000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009490000" lon="8.445010000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009320000" lon="8.445030000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009210000" lon="8.445600000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009010000" lon="8.445600000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009010000" lon="8.445730000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.008200000" lon="8.445840000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.008140000" lon="8.446750000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007820000" lon="8.448360000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007630000" lon="8.448130000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007530000" lon="8.448420000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007230000" lon="8.448900000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007070000" lon="8.448960000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.006330000" lon="8.449720000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.005700000" lon="8.450450000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.006980000" lon="8.453990000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.004980000" lon="8.456040000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.004570000" lon="8.456460000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.003880000" lon="8.455230000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.003590000" lon="8.453540000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.003760000" lon="8.453360000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.003920000" lon="8.453210000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.003980000" lon="8.452560000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.004090000" lon="8.452090000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.004540000" lon="8.451440000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.005040000" lon="8.450680000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.006040000" lon="8.449630000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.006280000" lon="8.449750000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007060000" lon="8.448970000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.006640000" lon="8.448420000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007010000" lon="8.447690000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007310000" lon="8.447130000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007470000" lon="8.446560000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007510000" lon="8.446010000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007520000" lon="8.445640000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.007940000" lon="8.445180000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.008770000" lon="8.444460000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.008810000" lon="8.444260000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009180000" lon="8.444130000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009440000" lon="8.444360000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009440000" lon="8.444720000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> <trkpt lat="50.009980000" lon="8.444530000"> <ele>0.000000</ele> </trkpt> </trkseg> </trk> </gpx>
Thank you06-03-09 10:08 AMLike 0 - Groundspeak, which owns geocaching.com, does not have a public interface. It only allows certain companies to have access, such as Trimble. BlackStar can only load in caches from files. With that said, there are stll two ways you can get geocaches "on the run".
There are two types of files you can get from geocaching.com, GPX and LOC. THe GPX files will contain all of the cache information, including description, coordinates, hints, and last 5 logs. LOC files only contain cache name and coordinates. You must be a premium geocaching.com member to get GPX files, which costs on average $3 per month. Any member can create an LOC file.
If you are a premium geocaching.com member, then you are able to run pocket queries which can be set up to extract GPX files automatically. bcaching.com is a free website that allows you to store pocket queries online. You can have a pocket query set up to get the closest 500 caches and run daily and have the results sent to bcaching.com. Then from BlackStar, you can use the "get closest Bcaching GPX" menu item on the List Waypoints screen. It will send the current GPS coords to bcaching.com which will create a GPX file based on the caches you have loaded and send the file back to BlackStar. BlackStar will then load the file automatically and you are ready to go.
The second method is to use the geocaching.com closest caches menu item on the main BlackStar screen. This will open your browser to geocaching.com list caches page with you current coordinates. It will list the closes cache to you coordinates. You can then go to the bottom of the page, click the check all and then download waypoints buttons. This will download a LOC file to your phone, you must rename the file so the filename ends with .LOC. You can then import this file into BlackStar. Note: you must first have logged into geocaching.com from your BB browser and clicked the "remember me" checkbox.06-03-09 04:25 PMLike 0 - nothing on the storm needed to get it work, but, I'm playing with both B* and Cacheberry, I'm genuinely torn on which I like better, but, the fact that I can go pull a GPX from geocaching.com live from the BB incase there's a new cache that I don't already have in my lists makes cacheberry easier cause I can just overwrite my existing lists with the new GPX instead of needing to go to the computer and upload the file to the website to be able to search it.....06-03-09 07:47 PMLike 0
- I jumped on 1.5 and tried saving tracks and pulling them up in Google Earth. Got both KML and GPX files just to be sure. But even though the tracks in B* said they had umpteen points, only 1 came thru in the KML file (it's text, I looked) and Google Earth won't import the GPX file (unless I'm doing it wrong).
Am I messing something up here?
BTW, nice new version, I thank the authors!
Tom
ETA: For some reason, the only one I tried had only 1 point in it. I am now tracking happily. Very nice work! Suggestion, lower distance threshold for when I'm walking, 10 m anyway...Last edited by Grumpy Old Tom; 06-09-09 at 01:56 PM. Reason: New info - tracking export really works!
06-03-09 08:53 PMLike 0
- Forum
- Popular at CrackBerry
- General BlackBerry News, Discussion & Rumors
BlackStar - Waypoint Management and Navigation, Geocaching App
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD