August 20, 2010
black rock city gps map 2010
here's my version of black rock city, garmin gps street map for 2010. i've added items, gate road, confirmed porto-potties locations (not all placed yet), medical locations.
got off to a late start publishing this year, since the survey appears off a degree or two from 'true' north. it happens. so i've been adjusting and confirming points as i drive around.
this is a garmin formatted street vector map, you can use with most garmin gps models. upload the map using the sendmap.exe program, or copy the file to your memory card if you have a newer model with a memory card
black rock city 2010 img file
sendmap20.zip (contains to sendmap20.exe).
August 14, 2009
2009 black rock city gps map
here's my version of black rock city, garmin gps street map for 2009. i've added items from there, gate road, confirmed porto-potties locations (not all placed yet), ranger and medical locations. i'll be updating as the city starts to take shape, check back for the latest.
this is a garmin formatted street vector map, you can use with most garmin gps models. upload the map using the sendmap.exe program, or copy the file to your memory card if you have a newer model with a memory card
black rock city 2009 img file
sendmap20.zip (contains to sendmap20.exe).
August 11, 2008
2008 Black Rock City GPS map
here's my version of black rock city, garmin gps street map for 2008.
this year i've taken calculated data from willivolt (rather than planner's survey). that map was pretty close and reasonably well finished. initial survey has the city roads just about right with a few things are off here and there. i've added items from there, corrected gate road, 8-mile entrance, fence points 1,2,3... etc.
still to come are the porto-potties locations (not all placed yet), stuff like that. i'll be updating as the city starts to take shape, check back for the latest.
this is a garmin formatted street vector map, you can use with most garmin gps models. upload the map using the sendmap.exe program, or copy the file to your memory card.
black rock city 2008 img file
sendmap20.exe (rename this to sendmap20.exe).
January 10, 2008
etrex legend hcx
i've been thinking about replacing my old model (falling apart really) with a new one; those color screens are nice, easier to read)... it looks like Garmin has finally put out an e-trex model with a high sensitivity SiRF Star III chip (some reports say 'high sensitivity antenna'. seems like it's the *same* patch antenna --but with the new chip).
while poor reception is not an issue out on the playa (works quite well there), the original model had trouble in other areas, like thick forests and in the city. been a sore point in an otherwise great all-around series. better reception will make it more dependable. so that's a plus, and welcome news.
the new version also sports a micro-SD slot for map data, making interfacing with a computer and downloading/transferring maps and tracklogs even easier. so that's another plus. might be worth upgrading given these new features.
i'd still like to see a mapping gps in a smaller form factor --Garmin never expanded on the trim Geko line, too bad really.
August 23, 2007
2007 brc gps map -updates!
trapper has taken the map and added some nice features i haven't fussed with yet --i've added/updates a few more points as well. this version includes better shading for color models and routing --not a critical feature, but pretty cool!
please note that most garmin models will only hold one contiguous map, so uploading this map means your other maps may not display (on the Nuvi you may have to disable the current map to get this one to display)
folks can also stop by playainfo at the event, if you need assistance programming your garmin gps.
black rock city 2007 img file v2
sendmap20.exe (rename this to sendmap20.exe).
August 17, 2007
2007 BRC GPS MAP
here's my version of black rock city, garmin gps street map for 2007 --a bit delayed as i was waiting for the data from city planners then corrected by the survey crew. i've also been confirming the data while working with DPW, plus adding new features to the map.
this map includes potty locations (checked 'em all except the ones not placed yet!), extended gate road (from highway 34), and other new features from prior years.
this is a garmin formatted street vector map, you can use with most garmin gps models. upload the map using the sendmap.exe program, or copy the file to your memory card.
i may throw in a few updates as the city starts to take shape here, check back for the latest. also just changed sendmap to version 2.0, seems to work better.
black rock city 2007 img file
sendmap20.exe (rename this to sendmap20.exe).
August 23, 2006
2006 black rock city map by gps
Here's the data... black rock city by gps for 2006 "the future"
this is a garmin formatted street vector map, you can use with most garmin gps models.
Changes for 2006 include a new location (mile north), new theme camp layout. I'll post more points --like portapotties and other key landmarks soon, check back for updates. i'll probably keep some portapotties (like the temple and by the Man) as waypoints.
black rock city 2006 img file
sendmap.exe (rename this)
December 12, 2005
haicom bt405iii bluetooth gps
i'm actually looking for bluetooth gps device that won't turn off automatically, as with the globalsat bt-338 model. this one might fit the bill. i plan to just leave this on, in my car ready for use, any time.
so, unlike the simple haicom bt401 "slipper" -- which is designed to dock with the 305iii (compact flash interface) version, this model (a complete bluetooth gps solution) features a power switch. good news is the 405iii does not auto shut off after ten minutes. not only that, if you leave it switched 'on' -- it stays on, comes back up when you re-supply power (after being off, batteries drained).
read more...December 06, 2005
pairing gloabsat bt-338 w/ acer c113
i'm noticing a trend here. when i pair up devices -- my acer c113 tablet pc (with cambridge bluetooth) tends to pair without setting a passkey. at least it doesn't
require (or appear to prompt) the user to set that, perhaps waiting for the device to connect first before prompting for that.
since the globalsat bluetooth gps unit requires the vanilla "0000" passkey -- you need to pair the device with that passkey.
i tried for a long time to get the gps connected, manually opening the com port associated with it, but it would *not* connect till i got the passkey set.
once you do that, it works like a champ. likewise with other devices no doubt.
December 05, 2005
globalsat bt-338 review
it's small. seems easy enough to use. once i got it paired up with my laptop it worked really well, good reception and quite accurate.
nice to see prices coming down on these devices. i'd like to see more features, like a power switch that let's you choose between auto shut-off, or always-on.
read more...November 11, 2005
how apgs works
AGPS uses a reference GPS receiver in each tower that sends SV data to
the mobile handset. The handset does not have a full GPS installed;
instead it uses the SV (space vehicle, e.g. the satellite) data to receive the time pulses from a single SV and sends the time delta to the tower. The tower is then able to compute the position of the phone via a differential calculation and log it for E911 compliance. It is typically accurate to 100m indoors and
15m outdoors.
November 05, 2005
stuck garmin data tracklog download
i had a full (10k point) tracklog in my garmin e-trex and various programs kept freezing up intermittently when i attempted to download the tracklog... sometime hanging after a few points, sometimes after fetching several thousand.
i don't think it's the software or the cable, could be my e-trex, not sure really. it's been like that for a long time, but i've never left so much data on the device without downloading it.
here's how i got the data.
read more...August 01, 2005
black rock city camp info
adapted from information posted on the web site, and placement data (thanks to roger for putting that part into a speadsheet).
i've extended / added more data so you you can search / filter / sort / find your friends and neighbors, list by camp hometown, etc. so you can connect with camps from your hometown ~ both on and off the playa.
read more...2005 black rock city map by gps
Here's the data... black rock city by gps for 2005 "psyche"
this is a garmin formatted street vector map, you can use with most garmin gps models.
.jpg)
Changes for burningman this year include a new distribution for streets, and new theme camp layout. I'll post more points like portapotties and other key landmarks soon, so check back for updates.
black rock city 2005.img
sendmap.exe (rename this)
June 28, 2005
earth.google.com
it took me a long time to piece together adding contours to satellite photos. then i discovered nasa's worldwind viewer... now google has added a viewer that's really works well (leveraging their acquisition of keyhole inc).
it's really easy and the basic viewer is free. one nice touch, it includes building terrain for metro areas (using polygon rendering). more advanced features like GPS integration are targeted for premium versions.
portland
May 25, 2005
aprs pocket tracker
after showing my aprs setup to sean - he was inspired to get into it. he also motivated me into building the byonics pocket tracker aprs radio. or maybe the other way around... you see he's got the mad soldering skills (sean is certified to work on the space shuttle), and i talked him into helping me.
read more...May 05, 2005
aprs network changes
so i suddenly wasn't getting my aprs packet data posted on the web site logs - i figured something was up with my transceiver and went to take a look. everything seemed fine, although it wasn't chirping as much, confirming that any packets were getting out.
on a whim i checked for messages. seems the northwest aprs digipeaters installed an upgrade, and the stock 'relay, wide' setting is no longer 'supported'. perhaps this is just a coincidence actually, but it made me change the stock setting in the radio.
May 02, 2005
kenwood d7a w/ e-trex & magellan 315
i have an e-trex legend, & a magellan 315. decided to hook up the magellan up to the kenwood (aprs) radio - for a few reasons. it doesn't have a built in map, it's bigger so i actually don't want to carry it around - but it has a much better antenna and better reception. it's perfect for a plain old gps receiver. although larger than say a gps-mouse unit, i have it tucked away in the corner on the dash. i'll save the e-trex for walking around, plus i don't need to buy anything new. this does require i leave the unit powered up (usnig 12volt adapter), but it shouldn't drain the battery.
while testing things out, i noticed when i lost satellite reception with the e-trex, the kenwood would start to **beep**. however with the magellan, it didn't...
March 21, 2005
kenwood d7a gps & data cable
so i picked up a kenwood d7a-g handheld uhf/vhf transceiver. mostly because it has built-in tnc and aprs. with decent reviews from other folks, seems like a versital handheld. that -- and i'm too impatient to build the tinytrak or pockettracker from byonics. i need a radio anyway - should be a good first all around radio.
the d7a is fairly easy to use, reasonably intuitive -- the features are straight foward as long as you read the manual. there are a few complaints : the battery is lame, it's huge and doesn't hold much power. the stock antenna is bad. again, it's the only ht with aprs built-in. not sure why other handhelds aren't coming out with a built-in tnc/aprs.
one other issue... the manual says not to over charge the nicad battery, but i plan to power it permanently attached to 12v power in my car. not sure about that. guess i'll find out.
anyway, after playing with the radio - the first mission was interface to my gps and computer. i decided to build the custom cables (but you can just find them on e-bay for ~$20). rs-232 is still the de facto standard. i have 2 different gps devices already -- wiring up the unique e-trex interface means not being able to use the magellan, or anything else. for my car, i'm thinking it might be wise to get a gps device w/ antenna i can stick on the roof.
read more...March 20, 2005
tech class radio license
i've had my eye on packet radio for some time. you need a license to use ham radios, and i didn't really know much about the test (used to require morse code!). i found books on the topic are full of acronyms and not well written. so i just put it off.
since i've gotten into mapping and gps, i've come up with a bunch of new geek projects. i've been looking for a way to track my car -- basically just for fun, let friends know where i am, whatever.
March 12, 2005
nasa world wind map viewer
Here's another cool app for rendering satellite photos and more. this one is by NASA lets you zoom, pan and select a wide variety of map overlays. it renders the map image over landscape contours, letting you pan and bank the camera's point of view. maps include whole-earth, landsat7, topo, urban area satellite and more. the map zooms and moves fluidly between perspectives. you can zoom in, from outer space right to your house.
it's certainly a lot of fun to fly & zoom over my house and around the globe. i can see my cooler in the backyard. read more...
November 17, 2004
3d maps: add contour to usgs images
you can project usgs topo and aerial images onto 3d contours using 3dem, from Visualization Software. first, you have to download the terrain data in a dem (digital elevation model) sdts (spacial data transfer standard), or srtm (shuttle radar topography mission) file manually, for the area you want to render.
  portland, sdts contour w/ usgs images. |
October 28, 2004
german tourist club
a fabulous place to get some old belgian style or german beer. hidden away in the trees, this 90-year-old Bavarian-style clubhouse has patio that overlooks Mt. Tamalpais and Muir Woods. great setting for beer, even for califonia. nice.
here are the coordinates ~ so you can plot you're own way there...
October 19, 2004
etrex power switch replacement
lots of electronic goods ship with cheap parts, like cheap switches. it's disappointing. most people probably wind up tossing out electronics that are in decent condition, except for simple problem like a faulty power switch. and on my trip to prague, my gps switch started to give out. was dead by the time i got home.
read more...August 22, 2004
vault of heaven, gps map
the vault of heaven black rock city gps maps are done . . .
April 01, 2004
large map printing (using mappoint)
I used mappoint to make a large 36x36" map print out using a plotter. to get some extra detail, i modified the mappoint binary to accept a higher pixel limit when generating the map image (using 'save as web page').
i used this to print out a wall (poster) size map of the entire greater portland area, including street detail. looks really nice.
read more...March 08, 2004
GPS map of Black Rock City
Details of my creation of GPS map for Black Rock City, Burningman 2003 (Beyond Belief).
read more...