GooPs Real-time GPS Tracking and Navigation for Google Earth -Version 2.5.13 Released

**JimM** · 01-13-2007, 11:58 AM

Hey folks. I just found out about GooPs, but I haven't yet bought a GPS system for my laptop. I downloaded GooPs and tried it with GE, and it looks incredibly slick. Much thanks to David for doing this.

Anyway, a couple of questions....

I noticed GooPs wants NMEA output, but I don't think the Garmin GPS 18 I'm considering does NMEA using the USB connection. Is that a problem?

Also, I'm wondering for those who don't have an internet connection while on the road, how do you handle the issue of caching the hi-res Google Earth images along your trip? Is everyone just scrolling along the path while at home prior to leaving for your trip to build a cache file?

Thanks.

**cauchy** · 01-13-2007, 05:37 PM

GooPs is the application which I was searching for a long time! The demo function works fine and it looks fantastic

Unfortunately, it doesn't work right with my explorist 210. The actual position is rarely but correct updated. Usually I have to wait a few minutes until the next update appears.
Can anybody help? I have Goops v1.9 and GE v4.0.2722.
Thank you!

**davidhite** · 01-14-2007, 12:19 PM

Thanks Jim,

I cache the data manually before a trip (you can use the GE Driving tour feature to make this easier. There is also a program available here on the forum that does this (Google Earth Voyager).

GooPs does require an NMEA stream. Apparently there is software available for the GPS 18 to enable NMEA over USB here:

"The USB version is probably the best model to buy, if your primary use of the GPS 18, is to use it for what it is designed for, as a laptop car navigator. That way, there is only one connection required to the computer. The USB version includes USB 2.0 interface and the unit is powered through the USB connection. With the USB cable, you could easily add a standard USB extension cable as well, if you need more length. As of July of 2006, Garmin added a free software download to make the USB version compatible with most non-Garmin GPS and mapping programs using the standard NMEA GPS language. It is known as Spanner and according to Garmin.com:

Spanner allows you to use your GPS 18 USB with most NMEA 0183-compliant mapping programs. It adds a virtual com port interface to your GPS 18 so that you can send NMEA data to other programs.
Spanner works only with GPS 18 software version 2.90 or later. Be sure to load the latest GPS 18 software before using this program
You can download the Spanner software by following this link."

Originally Posted by JimM

Hey folks. I just found out about GooPs, but I haven't yet bought a GPS system for my laptop. I downloaded GooPs and tried it with GE, and it looks incredibly slick. Much thanks to David for doing this.

Anyway, a couple of questions....

I noticed GooPs wants NMEA output, but I don't think the Garmin GPS 18 I'm considering does NMEA using the USB connection. Is that a problem?

Also, I'm wondering for those who don't have an internet connection while on the road, how do you handle the issue of caching the hi-res Google Earth images along your trip? Is everyone just scrolling along the path while at home prior to leaving for your trip to build a cache file?

Thanks.

**davidhite** · 01-14-2007, 12:33 PM

Hi Cauchy,
Sorry your having problems.
Since it works fine in demo mode you obviously have your Google Earth Fly-to setting set correctly.
Is there an NMEA update rate selection on your GPS? If so make sure it's set correctly.
Can you try it with another GPS?
If you press the GooPs "Save" button does it show your current position?

Originally Posted by cauchy

GooPs is the application which I was searching for a long time! The demo function works fine and it looks fantastic

Unfortunately, it doesn't work right with my explorist 210. The actual position is rarely but correct updated. Usually I have to wait a few minutes until the next update appears.
Can anybody help? I have Goops v1.9 and GE v4.0.2722.
Thank you!

**JimM** · 01-14-2007, 07:33 PM

Thanks David.

By the way, since I assume most of you use GooPs and GE with your laptop while driving, let me stray a bit OT...

For the first time I took my laptop with me in the car, and found out that on a sunny day it's virtually impossible to see my screen even with the brightness turned up to MAX.

Does anyone have a recommendation for some type of glare screen? The only thing I found so far is a $50 privacy screen, which I'm not sure would do the trick.

Thanks.

**cauchy** · 01-14-2007, 07:39 PM

Hi David,

thanks for your fast answer!

Yes, the GE Fly-to setting ist at highest.

On my GPS I can set the baud rate, and the standard is 4800. In Goops I put the same rate. Also, I switched the rate at both, but this doesnt result in a difference.
But I think you mean another rate? With "HyperTerminal" from windows I can see, that every second lots of NMEA sentences (see below) are arriving at the COM-Port. Such a rate I cant set, but one per second should be enough.

Unfortunately, I got no more GPS to test with, sorry for that.

Finally, pressing the Save-button only shows the track which already exists in GE. The position of the cursor isnt updated.

Here is a snippet of the NMEA stream which the GPS sends every second:

$GPGLL,4834.6021,N,00855.7818,E,002004.104,A*37
$GPGGA,002004.10,4834.6021,N,00855.7818,E,1,04,2.0 ,00394,M,,,,*2E
$GPRMB,A,0.00,R,SIM001,SIM002,4836.9660,N,00855.78 43,E,002.4,000,021.7,V*37
$GPRMC,002004.10,A,4834.6021,N,00855.7818,E,21.7,3 58.5,150107,01,E*4D
$GPAPB,A,A,0.0,R,N,,,000.0,T,SIM002,000.0,T,,*13
$GPGSA,A,3,01,02,03,04,,,,,,,,,02.0,02.0,02.0*04
$GPGSV,3,1,10,10,61,219,,08,59,058,,29,51,299,,28, 49,134,*73
$GPGSV,3,2,10,26,37,296,,27,32,062,,24,12,243,,21, 10,321,*76
$GPGSV,3,3,10,19,06,044,,13,02,107,,126,32,159,,12 4,33,164,*7D
$GPGLL,4834.6021,N,00855.7818,E,002004.104,A*37
$GPGGA,002004.10,4834.6021,N,00855.7818,E,1,04,2.0 ,00394,M,,,,*2E
$GPRMB,A,0.00,R,SIM001,SIM002,4836.9660,N,00855.78 43,E,002.4,000,021.7,V*37
$GPRMC,002004.10,A,4834.6021,N,00855.7818,E,21.7,3 58.5,150107,01,E*4D
$GPAPB,A,A,0.0,R,N,,,000.0,T,SIM002,000.0,T,,*13
$GPGSA,A,3,01,02,03,04,,,,,,,,,02.0,02.0,02.0*04
$PMGNST,01.75,3,T,683,09.3,-00481,20*4E

Thanks and good night!

cauchy

Originally Posted by davidhite

Hi Cauchy,
Sorry your having problems.
Since it works fine in demo mode you obviously have your Google Earth Fly-to setting set correctly.
Is there an NMEA update rate selection on your GPS? If so make sure it's set correctly.
Can you try it with another GPS?
If you press the GooPs "Save" button does it show your current position?

**davidhite** · 01-14-2007, 10:41 PM

Cauchy,

That nmea looks alright.
If you go to the GooPs options dialog and press the "Record" button GooPs will dump the nmea it receives from the GPS to the file Play.Me.nme in the current directory.
If you could send me a few minutes worth of updates I can try to see if there is anything wrong with the data or the way GooPs is handling it.
My email address is mygoops@gmail.com.

**azorian** · 01-26-2007, 02:27 AM

Ok, so everything looks cool, I want to try this software and it says no internet connection is needed on the Goops home page. So how does Google get the streaming to display the pictures of where you are??? Do you have to use a cell phone with internet access?? How much are the phone charges? Any help would be great.

Dan

**morris_the_cat** · 01-26-2007, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by azorian

Ok, so everything looks cool, I want to try this software and it says no internet connection is needed on the Goops home page. So how does Google get the streaming to display the pictures of where you are??? Do you have to use a cell phone with internet access?? How much are the phone charges? Any help would be great.

Dan

Do a search for google earth voyager...

**Pendagon** · 01-28-2007, 06:16 PM

Has anyone had any luck with sending this info back to a website with google maps in real time. I want to be able to see the activity of my vehicle on my websight map. Any help would be great. Great job so far guys keep up the great work!