I’m looking at doing a long bike trip through Africa and want to store my positions with timestamps during the journey, by synchronising my camera and video clocks I will be able to overlay photos and movie clips onto a map afterwards.

I’ve been looking at the zumo 550 but you have no way of backing up GPS sail trail (trip log) without a computer. I want life on two wheels simple and not farting about looking for PCs!

I’ve been pointed in the direction of independent GPS Data Loggers, separate from the navigation GPS. Has anyone ever used one, have info on them or can recommend a model?

Or maybe someone else can enlighten me how to achieve this with a navigation GPS using memory cards?

Thanks in advance for all advice!!.
(((I’m working on a vessel, so connection is slow and can’t get long enough to research this without someone hassling me)))

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http://www.travbuddy.com/mrduck
Don’t believe everything you hear! People love to tell a good story...

Maybe not what you want, but don't some of the Sony cameras come with GPS data loggers, I'm sure I've seen them. Can't remember whether it was built in, or an add on though.

Perhaps that might be another way to do it?

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I mightbe turning into a gear-head but i've a phone that does GPS logging. Its an "O2 XDA Orbit". I am sure there are other phones out there that do it too though if you prefer something else. Just something to consider. What software do you use to tag the photos? I never seemed to find something simple that just did tagging rather than a whole lot of other stuff.

Neil

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Belfast to Kathmandu on a Diesel motorbike 2010/11 www.suckindiesel.com

I don'tt know the Zomo .. but on the 60Cx you can sent it to save teh 'active track log' to teh memory card .. the max size memory card is 2G and the maps for africa would be in the order of 0.4G .. my logs (set to 'automatic - most detailed') take someing like 0.3M .. so there is quite a lot of room on the 2G card.

For a data loger try http://homepages.tig.com.au/~robk/datalogger.html

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

I love my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. With a 2gb card you virtually have limitless datalogging even if you logged points every 5 seconds. Just save the "tracks" at the end of the day otherwise it fills up after 10,000 points and will either "wrap" or just not record any more.

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AtlasRider.com
Sport Touring Blog

If you set your 60Cx to save the active track log to the data card automatically ... the track log on the card is not limited to 10,000 points - thus keeping all the information .. and it keeps the altitude information too .. the file saved to the card inculdes the date information in the file name - at midnight it sarts a new file ... all automatic so you cannot forget .. one less thing to do!

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

I fancy a separate stand alone system to log my GPS position, redundancy if my navigation GPS fails/stolen/confiscated. I’ve found an Ozzy data logger that seems just the ticket, wire it in and then forget all about it!! (think I can use the separate navigation GPS receiver in parallel with it):

DGPS-XM4-ALT GPS Data Logger - GPS Datalogger, NMEA Datalogger, GPS Track Logger

Easily configurable 332000 to 393000 track points with a manual event button to log particular events (fuel/water stops maybe…? Or marking positions for getting out the old tyre levers for the dreaded ‘P’ word!!). Also has other memory saving settings. Seems to be a well engineered device and does what it says without any gimmicks. Reckon I’ll fill the inside of the device with some 3M Scotch Cast making it more water proof and the electronic components less prone to failure through vibration.

I’m planning a route from Cairo to Dakar and then down through Africa so mobile phone GPS is out of the question (got a Blackberry Pearl with GPS built in – doesn’t bloody work!!)

I need to find a reliable navigation GPS for the trip. I’ve been looking at Garmin and was thinking about the zumo550 but you guys seem to like the GPSMAP 60CSx.

What is so good about the GPSMAP 60CSx??

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http://www.travbuddy.com/mrduck
Don’t believe everything you hear! People love to tell a good story...

It is designed for hiking-
Small
Great battery life
Rugged
Has all the bells an wistles for tracks, routes, sunrise/set, odometer, trip meter, elevation ... maps ...

If you ever want to walk around the place (city/town/souk) you want somethng small, protable, and light ... the 60 is that.

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You could use a 60Cx as your data logger ... take two - one for you to use that other as the data logger .. that way you have redundancy. Note that waht ever you have it will need an antenna that can 'see' the sky... so people will know you have one.

PS I think the S version is a waste of maoney and battery life ... unless you reallly need a stationary compass and/or a baromter you have to recalibrate everytime the weather changes..

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

I also have 60CSx, very nice for virtually unlimited and automated logging. But it's screen is small and graphics poor compared to newer units (Zumo). I don't complain too much as I like to use paper maps as well for better overview of region and for walking away 60 is nice smaller size.

With this unit you don't need separate data logger and the GPS itself will be always logging to microSD card, separatly from you day logs, if set up that way.

But dedicated logger may be also good. I have one in my car, in hidden position. So it basically will switch on when engine is running and data can be downloaded over Bluetooth after the trip or when required. Also can double as wireless Bluetooth GPS for laptop in and around car. For bike you'll need to find hidden and weatherproof location for it, it can be done. But 2 different units on bike is probably a bit too much.

Hi all, about time for an update to this thread… in case some of you are wandering what I bought.

Looking at your advice above and from a guy I done an 8day tour with in Morocco I went for the Garmin 60CSx. Used it for a month down Morocco and it is such a great unit once you once you get used to it. It automatically scales the map so for example once I was a few hundred km from Tarifa (south Spain) riding north I could see Tanger (Africa) but it does scale down when there is info you need approaching junctions (bet some one will tell me how to change this now…!). I really like this GPS and it is very rugged! Good for riding trails. Also has a fantastic battery life, it was south Morocco by the time I could fit the 12volt cable.

I got the 60CSx covered in mud, sand and very wet! (the GPS failed during a mental thunder storm over the Tizi-n-Tichka high mountain pass, too much static in the air but with one road to follow I wasn’t getting lost or stopping! Signal came back after a while…). Done about 1200km offroad during some tough sections (without panniers) and the GPS didn’t miss a beat. Also a very nice size.

Cheers for the advice guys!!!!

I might use lots of micro SD cards to store my track, can store 20logs on one card. Also thinking about storing them using my Archos AV400 hard drive. Using this portable hard drive you can download various memory cards to it BUT it will not work for micro SDHC technology, use the older SD card without HC (plus it’s cheaper!). You can also use the Archos to download photos on the move, play MP3 and movies! Can also interface with TVs (AV I/P & O/P). Another techie bit of info about these if you’re interested? you can easily upgrade the hard drive (AV400 -100GB and AV480 -80GB, these use standard laptop drive compared to AV420, AV440… which is different). I upgraded mine to 120GB a few years back after the hard drive failed, no problem. Was even thinking about upgrading it with a solid state hard drive to stop failures due to vibrations on the bike, no moving parts then! Reckon this could be done but solid state hard drives are not cheap!

Oh!!! If you ever buy one DON’T get the Touratech lockable mount!!! Go for the non-lockable version as it can still be very easily removed. I used a couple of rubber bands made from an old tyre tube to secure it at the top to stop it from un-mounting itself.

Duck
Freedom, Honesty, Trust, Love

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http://www.travbuddy.com/mrduck
Don’t believe everything you hear! People love to tell a good story...

You can set the 60csx to log directly to the data card. The etrex hcx models also do this. (it will still log to the smaller internal memory and can be set to 'wrap' which keeps the most recent track points in case you need to track back).

Look at page 26/27 of your user guide. (http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GPSMA...nersManual.pdf).

Or go to menu>tracks>setup>data card setup>
tick 'log track to data card'

I've set my etrex hcx up to record a track point every second.

I have a 2GB micro SD card with maps loaded for Western Aus, I went a bit over the top with maps from 4 sources (shonky maps, tracks4aus, OZtopo + Garmin City Navigator), these take up 121.6MB, leaving 1.7GB free.

This gives enough track storage for 270 days if I use the GPS 16 hours per day.

If you have more maps, or are going for a longer trip you can always buy more microSD cards (mine was only £2.55 delivered). The tracks on the microSD card are in GPX format and cannot be read by the GPS receiver.

Ian

The latest unit software now supports files greater than 2GB. This means 4GB and 6GB microSD cards can be used. Although I've got plenty of space for my needs with a 2GB card, if I used an 8GB card, with my Aus maps on board I could log a point every second, 24hrs/day for 1.5 years.

Cheers for the info Ian , i’ll look into getting the latest software when i get back to the UK in a few weeks (left my GPS at home) and have more of a play. I left the GPS logging on standard auto mode in Morocco, just bought the unit days before I left so didn’t want to mess it up (if it ani’t broke don’t fix it).

Good to know I can now put larger SD cards in it and your right about buying more SD cards to save tracks I’ve done (keep it simple!!!), I was thinking the same thing and also backing it up on my Archos.

I’m planning a trip around Africa in Sept so will need various cards for different maps. All I have to do now is source maps to put on the unit (and some paper maps). Time for map hunting…

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http://www.travbuddy.com/mrduck
Don’t believe everything you hear! People love to tell a good story...

Ian, i've updated the software no problem.

Am i right in thinking that GPX files saved on the microSD card don't store the date and time...? this was the info i was hoping to save also for synchronising my camera date/time.

The track log saved on the internal memory of the 60csx (10000 points, 20tracks) does have the date/time saved but you’ll need a computer to transfer this info before it starts to wrap around.

Is this thinking correct or can someone point me in the correct direction????

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http://www.travbuddy.com/mrduck
Don’t believe everything you hear! People love to tell a good story...

yes- you'll need Map Source software on your computer -
connect the 60CSX via USB to PC & choose 'upload from unit'