[organman]

Downloaded the free GPSed tracking software for my 8830. I am very impressed on how accurate the tracking is, based on several recent trips in the last couple days. It even shows the "loop" off the route when I've gone to a gas station or convenience store right off the road. Also, my progress can be viewed on any computer in almost real time.

Observations:

Using my keychain 2000 GPS puck, it latches on to it perfectly - no disconnection. However, it prevented my Nav4All program to "find GPS" if the GPSed program is already running.

In similar fashion, if I started the Nav4All program first (successfully) and THEN turn on the GPSed, then GPSed can't latch on satellites!

Side benefit: when I only have the GPSed successfully working, I can turn on GoogleMaps at anytime, and it has NO problem latching to the GPS and providing me continuous precise map location.

Normally, I have problems with GoogleMaps STAYING connected and refreshing the GPS.

Can't explain all these quirks, but perhaps I might not be having these problems if only VERIZON UNCRIPPLED the built-in GPS!!

[jeffh]

[QUOTE=organman;229897]Observations:
Using my keychain 2000 GPS puck, it latches on to it perfectly - no disconnection. However, it prevented my Nav4All program to "find GPS" if the GPSed program is already running.

In similar fashion, if I started the Nav4All program first (successfully) and THEN turn on the GPSed, then GPSed can't latch on satellites!

Side benefit: when I only have the GPSed successfully working, I can turn on GoogleMaps at anytime, and it has NO problem latching to the GPS and providing me continuous precise map location.
QUOTE]

That's a key observation, organman. Based on what you're describing and what I've observed, GMM doesn't capture the GPS puck. Blackberry Maps and Nav4All both do. Exit either program without stopping it while it's tracking your position and you'll see that the Bluetooth icon on your 8830 shows bidirectional mode. Exit GMM when it alone is running, and you won't see the bidirectional mode. That's why GMM can't stay sync'd to the puck. Apparently the pucks (since it's not just Freedom keychain users) can only lock bidirectionally to one program at a time. Hence, either GSPed or Nav4All, but not both. Since GMM doesn't lock to the puck, it can run with either, and as long as some other application is keeping the puck satisfied, then GMM will work.

This explanation fits the observed evidence.

[patrick.waugh]

I was able to get it to track me fine, but I could not get Pictures to geo-sync.

I wonder if it is possible to use both the internal GPS (say to navigate with TeleNav), AND use a puck to do additional tracking.

[jeffh]

No camera on the 8830, so no pix, and no working internal GPS on Verizon, so can't check that either. Be interested to hear if anybody's tried that.

[organman]

Thanks Jeff for that explanation regarding bidirectional Bluetooth communication. That certainly makes sense.

Encountered serious problem with GPSed tracking software as I travelled to Canada this weekend. At some point it just stopped tracking (the running travel time stopped..) Attempts to Stop Track or Exit GPSed just kept giving me this error:
uncaught exception: java.lang.nullpointer exception.

Rebooting my 8830 (pulling battery, etc) did NOT resolve that issue. Will try to contact GPSed about that. Up to that point, it tracked me very accurately, with my progress watchable online.

[FF22]

re: gps-ed

How is your progress displayed online - you do have to manually upload your track, correct? I've had it running on a cross-country ski trip for just under 6 hours but maybe due to the slower speed, I did not tax its capacity to store tons of data at automotive speeds???

[organman]

When the program is running properly, you do not have to manually upload. It will do so automatically - you choose the frequency: every minute, every 30 minutes, etc. If you're out of phone coverage range, the data will be temporarily stored in your phone until it can be transmitted to the website. When you "stop track", it forces all the data to the website right up to that point.

The online observer will see a red circle superimposed on GoogleMaps showing the approximate location of the traveller. Typically, there was a 5-minute or so delay in posting the correct position, with the traveller in a moving vehicle.

[organman]

Encountered serious problem with GPSed tracking software as I travelled to Canada this weekend. At some point it just stopped tracking (the running travel time stopped..) Attempts to Stop Track or Exit GPSed just kept giving me this error:
uncaught exception: java.lang.nullpointer exception.

Rebooting my 8830 (pulling battery, etc) did NOT resolve that issue. Will try to contact GPSed about that. Up to that point, it tracked me very accurately, with my progress watchable online.

In fairness, I must report that after some research on that error message, the above error message apparently happens with other programs too, so it may be a bug in the 8830 OS. I did delete the GPSed program and re-installed it and it seems to be working fine...

[jeffh]

I have seen it once on my 8830, with no GPS software running. It was right after I'd done the memory optimization steps, so I wondered if I'd removed something and caused it. It occurred when I was talking on the phone and another call came in. So far, it's only happened that one time. I don't think I've had another call-waiting occurrence since it occurred.

[WelshSage]

Encountered serious problem with GPSed tracking software as I travelled to Canada this weekend. At some point it just stopped tracking (the running travel time stopped..) Attempts to Stop Track or Exit GPSed just kept giving me this error:
uncaught exception: java.lang.nullpointer exception.

Rebooting my 8830 (pulling battery, etc) did NOT resolve that issue. Will try to contact GPSed about that. Up to that point, it tracked me very accurately, with my progress watchable online.

Just wanted to add my two cents here. I use GPSed with my 8130's internal receiver. I noticed that GPSed stops the track and does not resume it anytime the GPS loses all the satellites. GPSed is aware of this problem, and they say it will be fixed in the next version.