Warning

 

Close
Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Cancel Confirm
AR15.COM
9/22/2015 9:49:39 PM EDT
I am not the techiest guy around but I am pretty handy. I want to use an Arduino or Raspberry PI with appropriate shields and 7" or 9" screen to make a topographical GPS to install in my truck. I want it to have my location and the locations of others that have a locator.  Is this possible?
9/23/2015 1:36:42 AM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
I am not the techiest guy around but I am pretty handy. I want to use an Arduino or Raspberry PI with appropriate shields and 7" or 9" screen to make a topographical GPS to install in my truck. I want it to have my location and the locations of others that have a locator.  Is this possible?
View Quote


Yeah, pretty much off the shelf, though on the app side I think Xastir leaves a lot to be desired, it will do it.
You'll have to mess around with map files to get the topo to display right, but this is completely within the
ability of a Pi, in fact it'll be loafing along at almost no load doing it.

It would be a huge undertaking with an arduino, I love the atmega, but that's a microcontroller and not a
computer capable of easily handling a full OS and display management etc. For a Pi, it's nothing.

You can get a TNC Pi, or just use a regular TNC and let the Pi process the I/O for it. I think it's easier to use
a conventional (or micro KISS TNC) just due to case availablility and managing pins for shields etc.
9/23/2015 12:47:04 PM EDT
[#2]
Hmm.  You've got the wheels turning on my end.  This would be a neat project to mount in my side by side.  Although the APRS infrastructure where I ride is zilch, so I'd have to build some portable digis, too.  


Hmmmmmmmm...
9/23/2015 4:00:09 PM EDT
[#3]
how are you going to track others without some sort of cell service or radio sending the others data?
9/23/2015 4:00:31 PM EDT
[#4]
double tap.
9/23/2015 5:52:59 PM EDT
[#5]
Where's your map data gonna come from in this build?

If you have a phone with a wifi hotspot, you can find an android tablet with GPS, or a tablet with bluetooth and a Holux Bluetooth GPS reciever and use AppDaddy Technologies Tactical NAV app.

There are also APRS apps for android.
9/23/2015 9:56:25 PM EDT
[#6]
I haven't been able to find client for Linux that actually is worth the time of using it for GPS (I want Topo...call me weird).

Lowrance chartplotters have the ability to be used along with NEMA 2000 and in some cases NEMA183. NEMA0183 is the version most TNC's are capable of. Garmin makes two sub $400 handhelds which can send and receive NEMA 0183 as well...but for the extra $200 you could get a Lowrance with a 6" display...capable of navigation.
9/23/2015 10:33:25 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote History
Quoted:
Where's your map data gonna come from in this build?

If you have a phone with a wifi hotspot, you can find an android tablet with GPS, or a tablet with bluetooth and a Holux Bluetooth GPS reciever and use AppDaddy Technologies Tactical NAV app.

There are also APRS apps for android.
View Quote


Easiest way would be to download the topo maps (yay for free USGS data), convert to bitmap, and then put the appropriate header data in
the .geo files for Xastir to use (see here). I think there may even be
tpop maps in TIFF format available already.

Of course I'm an offline-compute freak, so if you've got network access other apps will do it better.
9/23/2015 10:59:35 PM EDT
[#8]
Delorme still has products, but run on windows.
http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtdItemDetail.jsp?item=32746
9/24/2015 2:49:20 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote History
Quoted:


Easiest way would be to download the topo maps (yay for free USGS data), convert to bitmap, and then put the appropriate header data in
the .geo files for Xastir to use (see here). I think there may even be
tpop maps in TIFF format available already.

Of course I'm an offline-compute freak, so if you've got network access other apps will do it better.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Where's your map data gonna come from in this build?

If you have a phone with a wifi hotspot, you can find an android tablet with GPS, or a tablet with bluetooth and a Holux Bluetooth GPS reciever and use AppDaddy Technologies Tactical NAV app.

There are also APRS apps for android.


Easiest way would be to download the topo maps (yay for free USGS data), convert to bitmap, and then put the appropriate header data in
the .geo files for Xastir to use (see here). I think there may even be
tpop maps in TIFF format available already.

Of course I'm an offline-compute freak, so if you've got network access other apps will do it better.


My experience with Xastir...it always crashes or freezes. No matter what.