SHS Testing - TangoGPS, GPS Antenna - zero byte PNGs! => solved

[Philip Rhoades]

People,


On 2010-11-04 04:49, Philip Rhoades wrote:
> People,
>
>
> On 2010-11-04 04:17, Philip Rhoades wrote:
>> Mariusz, Nikolaus, Sebastian,
>>
>> Thanks for the fast responses!
>>
>> See inline responses:
>>
>>
>> On 2010-11-04 03:27, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller wrote:
>>>
>>> Am 03.11.2010 um 17:08 schrieb Philip Rhoades:
>>>
>>>> People,
>>>>
>>>> I wanted to start using the GPS facilities on my FreeRunner but there is
>>>> a Catch 22 situation:
>>>>
>>>> - If I am inside, there is too much concrete to get GPS signals
>>>>
>>>> - If I am outside, I don't have a connection to download maps
>>>>
>>>> I thought if I could get an external GPS antenna connected and lead it
>>>> outside to my balcony, I could get GPS reception while I was still
>>>> inside (it is not always convenient to go out to the balcony and use
>>>> WiFi).  I assumed (!) the little antenna connection on the top right
>>>> edge of the freerunner was for a GPS antenna but when I went to buy one
>>>> the guy told me the connection is for a 3G antenna . . if I look at:
>>>>
>>>> http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo_FreeRunner_GTA02_Hardware#GPS_Antenna_Performance
>>>>
>>>> it seems to suggest that there IS an external connector for GPS?
>>>>
>>>> Can someone clarify?
>>>
>>> The guy is definitively wrong. The Freerunner doesn't support 3G...
>>>
>>> There is a connector for an external GSM antenna just near one
>>> of the two Torx screws. You can see it when you open the battery cover.
>>>
>>> The golden connector is a "MMCX" type and provides approx. 3V 15mA for
>>> an external antenna.
>>>
>>> I am using a Navilock antenna similar to this one (sorry, it is in German):
>>>
>>> 	http://www.ddcom24.de/shop/artikel_artikel_8556_name_Navilock-GPS-Zusatzantenne-NL-70ATW-MMCX-90%B0-gewinkelt.html
>>>
>>> Please make sure you get a MMCX (and not a MCX) connector.
>>
>>
>> Right.
>>
>>
>>> For the GPS performance tests we do, I simply place the Freerunner
>>> on a window board so that it looks upright and the upper part of
>>> the Freerunner looks outside. You may have to use one or two
>>> books (e.g. Shakespeare complete edition...).
>>
>>
>> My balcony windows face more residential blocks - in the past I have had
>> to go out on the balcony and put the FR near the railing to get anything . .
>>
>>
>>> This is not optimal for satellite reception with the built-in antenna,
>>> but much better than inside a room. With that setup you usually get a fix
>>> within 2 minutes (sometimes it may take 15 minutes since the
>>> receiver can only see less than half of the sky and there may not be
>>> enough visible satllites).
>>>
>>> After getting a fix, the receiver is sensitive enough to track even inside
>>> a room.
>>
>>
>> I am hoping that I can get an antenna connection and connect it to a
>> wire going outside?
>>
>>
>>> Finally, you can download the important maps off-line onto a SD card.
>>
>>
>> I now have 611 dirs and files under ~/Maps but I have tried all the zoom
>> levels and tried dragging around on the screen but I can't get any
>> pictures . .  Is there a way of (conveniently) setting my long and lat
>> and then downloading so that I know the maps I am getting are from my area?
>
>
> I have found out why I can't see any maps - they download but all the
> PNG files are zero bytes in size!?


I downloaded the map dir from my Fedora desktop - now I can see something!

Regards,

Phil.
-- 
Philip Rhoades

GPO Box 3411
Sydney NSW	2001
Australia
E-mail:  phil at pricom.com.au