GPS Data Logger Software - BT747

What do you mean with 'consistently'? The Q1000X is as far as I can see indeed as good as same as the 747A+. I have the 747A+ and it can be configured to log a point every second, at the interval you like. I would say the shorter interval the better if you are at the speed of a motorbike and you want to have accurate logging over short distances with lots of curves. And better to have long interval for long travels. So it's nice that you can configure the 747A+

My opinion it is also really sensitive. I can hide it in any place in my house and it gets a GPS fix within half a minute. It is a very powerful/flexible device, certainly in combination with the software from this site.

There are many dataloggers out there. You may want to find the most rugged one for travelling on a motorbike?! For ruggedness I would consider the 747A+ as average.

Thre are some users using the iBlue 747 A+ or its predecessor for motorbike cross logging.

Some loggers do not keep the 5Hz setting once you set it, but the iBlue 747A+ does (until you remove the battery) and you can also log at 5Hz.

Regarding ruggedness you obviously need to be carefull - it sure is not as fragile as the Holux GR245 or the Holux M241, but it is not something to be thrown at the ground at more than 100km/h.

Thanks for rapid response guys - that's the first set of informative responses I've managed to get in two weeks of searching the net. Glad I've found this site!

Re what I mean by "consistently", mdeweerd hit it spot-on with "Some loggers do not keep the 5Hz setting once you set it". Ideally I don't want to have to reset the device each time I ride.

I am looking for a device that will be suitable for logging lap times at ride-days on a local (short) track. Average lap times are around 60 seconds, so resolution of less than one second is essential for any meaningful analysis. These ride-days only occur once a month and I only participate in fine conditions. And I definitely don't plan to trow the bike down the track! As such, I guess my "ruggedness" requirements aren't quite the same as if I was using the device every day, in all weather conditions.

The  iBlue 747A+ certainly looks attractive at $US39.00. Any suppliers that you would recommend or any other models that I should consider?

Thanks again.

Hi

Several devices are a derivative of the iBlue device - I do not intend to recommend devices I do not have although there surely are some recommendable ones.

Further I do not want to go into favoratism which is why I made a list of places where loggers can be bought.  This list is updated as users provide references.:

http://www.bt747.org/node/169

I have been suggested to offer iBlue 747 A+ loggers directly from this site and they would be sent from Spain while resulting in some donation here.  Anyone who wants to comment on that is welcome ;-).

I think you are well within your right to get "kickbacks" for recommending a seller, as long as you have checked out what they are selling.

We all know the 747A+ is a VERY good logger, and thus it's not like you are recommending something this isn't very good.   What I am saying, is your hard work needs rewarding, and if that means buying from a seller that points a donation your way, I'm all for it..

Hi,

mdeweerd say :

Some loggers do not keep the 5Hz setting once you set it, but the iBlue 747A+ does (until you remove the battery) and you can also log at 5Hz.

I have a iBlue 747A+, for motorcycle log i set "5hz fix + log" (fix and log time is 0.2s) with "BT747 - MTK Logger Control" on Pocket PC.

But when i shutdown and power up my iBlue 747A+ (i don't remove the battery) or simply activate/desactivate log switch (no shutdown),  my iBlue 747A+ keep the 5hz setting but LOSE the log time 0.2sec ! (auto re-init to 5sec)

Why ??? buggy ??? not made for that ???

Hi

I'll give that a test on mine - can you share the SW/firmware version of you device?

Kind regards

Mario

View in GPS DATA with BT747 App

model : 000F (iBlue 747 A+)

Firmware : AXN_1.30-B_1.3_C01(TSI_747A+)

SW : V1.39

remark : i edit my precedent post for more precisions

Hi

I did not test yet, but it looks like the FW of the iBlue 747 A+ checks the log interval and considers 0.2s invalid.

As a workaround, I suggest that you use speed and/or distance as a condition.  If you set 1 meter for distance and 1 km/h for speed, you should essentially get 5Hz logging if the fix period is set to 200ms.

Hi mdeweerd,

You've found the solution !

I tested with speed condition, my iBlue 747 A+ don't lose the log time 0.2sec. YES !!! 

The firmware must first check the condition of speed before the log interval.

Many thanks !

Edit message (2010/02/28) :

 Sorry, I'm confused ... I was wrong !!!

I tested many combinations of conditions speed and/or distance ... when it activates the switch side, the FW of iblue 747A+ always reset log time to 5sec. And elsewhere the Firmware don't accept value  < 1s !

Solutions : Hack FW ??? or simply turn the log time to 0.2s after switching in log !

 Thanks anyway, Mdeweerd.

Hello,

you can use this new 6 Hz device with hardware swith for 5Hz.

http://variotek.de/?p=242

Gruss Joern Weber

Hi Joern

I did not see 6Hz specified in the documentation.

I can not be sure, but from the looks of it it probably is supported by BT747.  It is probably just a firmware change.

Kind regards

Mario

Hello, I'm back.

It's about the log interval setup to 0.2s (5hz) with iblue747 A+ .

I have intensively tested the recording function of the Iblue747 A +. Now I am sure of myself !
It's rather difficult to find the settings for the iBlue keeps the log in 5hz after a power off.

In FMT we must activate the millisecond field, is normal you may say.
In CTRL : don't check time speed !
In CTRL : check the box speed and enter the value you want, I tested successfully 1km/h, 5km/h and 10km/h.
If satellite reception is poor (<8 SAT) does not go below 5km/h, otherwise you'll save garbage values.

Well, with this setting the iBlue keeps log in 5hz. It was long but it works well.

Oooops, as usual I'm in the moon, I forgot to identify myself and I post under Anonymous.

You must rectify this "In CTRL : don't check time speed !"  by "In CTRL : don't check time !"

Excuse me.

Hi,

is Hugos solution still the only one? This is only a workaround and I would like to be able to get data points at 5Hz regardless of moving or not. Maybe there is a bug in the String conversion or so because for all values without "." work fine. And if i type "0,2" instead of "0.2" Java says that for 0,2 log conditions apply. Actually we want float numbers, to get the stuff behind the decimal pount, don't we? I guess all values with a "." get somehow rounded or simply stored wrong and thus get reset by the logger.

Well, just a thougt, shame on me if all that is crap ;)

Greetings

Felix

Hi Felix

I tried your suggestion using BT747 and my 'virtual' device to understand what happens faster.

When 0.2 is set for the log period, BT747 sends the correct command to the device.  The value sent to the device does not have any kind of decimal point - it is an int value that is sent which is expressed as multiples of 100ms.  So 0.2 converts to 2.

when I try '0,2', I get the 'Numberformat' exception.  I see that the translation title in German should be 'corrected'.   The text 'Apply log conditions' is an indication where the error happens - ideally that text would be more  user friendly.

Your suggestion was interesting and might have been the case, but it is not.  The device itself does not see any decimal point so because there is no issue in BT747, the problem is really in limitations defined in the firmware regarding the accepted values for the log conditions.

If you set both the distance and speed conditions to the minimum (0.1 and 1, values that are hopefully accepted) then you should get pretty close to logging all the time.  Unfortunately this is surely a firmware restriction.

Hi mdeweerd,

alright, too bad these devices are advertised with 5Hz logging. Anyway it is porbably exact enough to set the speed to 1km/h.

One point: Setting the distance to 0.1 as you suggested does not work for me. After switching the device off and on again the distance setting is totally gone. Only setting TIME to 1s and speed to 1km/h seems to work.

Btw my Device Info:
model: 0002 (iBlue 747 A+)
Firmware: AXN_1.30-B_1.3_C01 (TSI_747A+)
Logger-SW: V1.39

Ok - I forgot this thread applied to the iBlue 747 A+.  I have to make some tests myself on that device.  That's an action I still have open.

Kind regards

Mario

After this long time, I got around to making the test myself.

It is possible to program the device to 5Hz fixing and 5Hz loggin, but after an on/off cycle, the device sets itself to 5 second logging.

Therefore, the only workaround (known) is the one given above: set speed/distance logging to small values (1 m and 1km/h) and fix to 200ms (5Hz).  It will be practically as 5Hz logging.