The 200LX and the Global Positioning System

I ran across a new piece of software that combines the HP Palmtop (something I'm very familiar with) with the Global Positioning System (something I want to learn about). This program, by COMACS Enterprises, is called GPSCGA and allows you to integrate a handheld GPS receiver with your HP 100/200LX to view moving maps in real-time. I was hooked...

(Added 19-MAR-02 by D. Hertrich: There is also the program LXGPS by Greg Renda, click here!)

I trolled around the sci.geo.satellite-nav USENET group for a few days and learned about Garmin's newest unit called the GPS II which is pictured above. I was still skeptical when the GPS II arrived, but I cobbled together a cable and walked out onto my deck to see if it would work. I was amazed when the map jumped right to my location. The little black dot right above Cincinnati is me!

The program will also track you as you move as this next capture of a simulated trip shows. Notice the high speed of this track; most handheld GPS receivers won't track that fast as a lot of their firmware cuts off above a certain speed to discourage their use in aviation.

GPSCGA also has a database of 4490 cities and 5857 airports. By choosing one of these locations then viewing the GPS data at the same time, you can see exactly how far you are from that point and at what heading you are traveling in relation to it.

The software is shareware, but the only difference between shareware and registered versions is the addition of a map converter. GPSCGA uses a proprietary map format (CGA) that you build from PCX files. This allows you to capture any map from the screen or CD mapping package and use it on your palmtop after a quick latitude/longitude entry of two points on the map. This calibrates the map and insures that it shows your correct position.

The newest version of GPSCGA also works with the new Delorme Tripmate, an inexpensive GPS receiver that is packaged with Delorme's newest Street Atlas 4.0 (about $150 US) mapping software. I have sent a Tripmate to the COMACS development lab so they can make sure that they have it working correctly.

COMACS has agreed to offer the registered version of GPSCGA at the reduced cost of $39 to members of the HP Palmtop Mailing List.