[PLUG] Anyone Using Garmin GPS Receivers?

[Rich Shepard]

On Mon, 19 Sep 2005, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:

> I have a Eagle MapGuide Pro and tried this approach with them a few years
> ago. I wanted to generate custom maps from GIS and other data. When I asked
> about getting the database format I was told that it was propietary
> information. The license made reverse engineering a sick bird.

Rod,

   The saddest part of this whole situation is that all the data they use are
freely available on government Web sites. I've been getting the latest
spatial data for years from state and federal agencies. If the companies
whose entire business is the sale of maps and the devices to display them
cannot provide either current data or the tools to convert from open standard
sources to their proprietary, internal formats, then we're part of the
problem by not making enough noise.

> I hope you have better luck with Garmin.  If you do I know what my next GPS
> unit will be.

   My sub-survey grade GPS (+/- 30 cm accuracy with real-time differential
corrections from the USGS beacon transmitters) has mission planning and
post-processing software that works only on Microsoft. The company won't
consider supporting linux even though it's only a relatively simple port.
Sigh.

   I'll let everyone know what I learn from Garmin.

Rich

-- 
Dr. Richard B. Shepard, President     |   Author of "Quantifying Environmental
Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc. (TM) |  Impact Assessments Using Fuzzy Logic"
<http://www.appl-ecosys.com>     Voice: 503-667-4517         Fax: 503-667-8863