Magellan GPS - Magellan Meridian newbie question(s) (& Fugawi)

Author

Magellan Meridian newbie question(s) (& Fugawi)

twitter

2006-11-10, 7:33 am

Hi

Q1. Is there a way that I can set the 'range' of a waypoint? i.e.
the distance that the GPS recognises that I've reached the waypoint?
For example, I set a trial route on my Meridian Color but I was a bit
sloppy with one of my waypoints which turned out to be in somebody's
garden. The Meridian continued to route me towards the garden instead
of on to the next waypoint. So is there a setting for 'OK you've more
or less reached this waypoint' and if so where is it? And what is a
sensible figure for hiking? OK thats more than 1 question but.....

Q2 I have been trying to use Fugawi to set routes and save them onto
the SD card using the GPSbabel.gui. However, I can't see the Fugawi
files in gpsbabel. I've got round it by saving the Fugawi route as a
Lowrance file and converting from Lowrance to Meridian SD in GPSbabel -

this can't be right! What should I save the Fugawi route file as in
order for GPS babel to recognise it? Does this have any impact on Q1
above?

thanks for your time

Peter

Jack Erbes

2006-11-10, 10:33 am

twitter wrote:
> Hi
>
> Q1. Is there a way that I can set the 'range' of a waypoint? i.e.
> the distance that the GPS recognises that I've reached the waypoint?

There is not anything like that. Garmin has something called a
"proximity waypoint" that will sound an alarm if you get within a range
you can set but Magellan does not.

If you are using the right data boxes on your Meridian you can see the
distance and bearing of the current waypoint in a route until the point
where the GPS decides you have reached it.

The Meridian's software decision on your having reached a waypoint and
changing to the next one is made in software of course. I've read a
description of the logic of that but can't remember where (on the old
Magellan FAQ pages maybe?).

It was something like this. When your location crosses a line
perpendicular to the heading from the current destination waypoint to
the next waypoint in the route it changes to the next waypoint.

It would be something like this if ASCII art is working for you:

X
|
|
0====== A----------------B
|
|
Y

You are at 0, your next waypoint is A, from A you're going to B. Line
X,Y is perpendicular to line A,B and the GPS advances the current
waypoint from A to B as soon as you cross line X,Y.

> For example, I set a trial route on my Meridian Color but I was a bit
> sloppy with one of my waypoints which turned out to be in somebody's
> garden. The Meridian continued to route me towards the garden instead
> of on to the next waypoint. So is there a setting for 'OK you've more
> or less reached this waypoint' and if so where is it? And what is a
> sensible figure for hiking? OK thats more than 1 question but.....

There is no such setting.

Did you cross the X,Y line described above? If so, I think it should
have advanced to the next waypoint at that time.

As you can see, track error complicates things on the rollover from one
waypoint to the next. Unless there is no track error the heading to the
waypoint will change constantly as you approach the waypoint. And the
closer you get the faster the heading changes. The rate of the heading
change is a factor of the track error offset, your distance to the
waypoint, and speed of approach.

In the real world, if you are traveling in the blind (say in a boat in
heavy fog, looking only at the GPS and radar), as you get closer to a
waypoint the constantly changing heading to the waypoint can be
unnerving. When I've been in that situation, I mentally factor in
things like the amount of track error and the distance to the waypoint
as far as actually steering the boat. I don't "chase" the waypoint
heading if my heading will take me near it, I just hold a steady heading
until the waypoint rolls over to the next one.

Of course there are a lot of other considerations involved in the real
world process. What you see, what you hear, what you know about the
things around you, etc.

I can't help with Q2.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

pmg

2006-11-16, 10:33 pm

question:
as far as the waypoint being set in the garden-
couldn't you open the route in "map send" program on pc. move/relocate the
point, edit route?
I have a Meridian gold, like it a lot, but haven't really used other gps
'cept for a time or two on a friends boat.
wanted to upgrade to a color meridian, e-mailed thales, ask them if they
would consider trade value for my old unit if I bought a color meridian from
them. they e-mailed back they would give me some ridiculous amount like
"a-dolla-three-eighty", I answered back to make sure I understood, and there
was a reply very much felt like "f*%-off"
I e-mailed back if there was a grown up I could talk with......
"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:uvSdnSjAPpEHGsn
YnZ2dnUVZ_o2dnZ2d@ad
elphia.com...
> twitter wrote:
>
> There is not anything like that. Garmin has something called a "proximity
> waypoint" that will sound an alarm if you get within a range you can set
> but Magellan does not.
>
> If you are using the right data boxes on your Meridian you can see the
> distance and bearing of the current waypoint in a route until the point
> where the GPS decides you have reached it.
>
> The Meridian's software decision on your having reached a waypoint and
> changing to the next one is made in software of course. I've read a
> description of the logic of that but can't remember where (on the old
> Magellan FAQ pages maybe?).
>
> It was something like this. When your location crosses a line
> perpendicular to the heading from the current destination waypoint to the
> next waypoint in the route it changes to the next waypoint.
>
> It would be something like this if ASCII art is working for you:
>
> X
> |
> |
> 0====== A----------------B
> |
> |
> Y
>
> You are at 0, your next waypoint is A, from A you're going to B. Line X,Y
> is perpendicular to line A,B and the GPS advances the current waypoint
> from A to B as soon as you cross line X,Y.
>
>
> There is no such setting.
>
> Did you cross the X,Y line described above? If so, I think it should have
> advanced to the next waypoint at that time.
>
> As you can see, track error complicates things on the rollover from one
> waypoint to the next. Unless there is no track error the heading to the
> waypoint will change constantly as you approach the waypoint. And the
> closer you get the faster the heading changes. The rate of the heading
> change is a factor of the track error offset, your distance to the
> waypoint, and speed of approach.
>
> In the real world, if you are traveling in the blind (say in a boat in
> heavy fog, looking only at the GPS and radar), as you get closer to a
> waypoint the constantly changing heading to the waypoint can be unnerving.
> When I've been in that situation, I mentally factor in things like the
> amount of track error and the distance to the waypoint as far as actually
> steering the boat. I don't "chase" the waypoint heading if my heading
> will take me near it, I just hold a steady heading until the waypoint
> rolls over to the next one.
>
> Of course there are a lot of other considerations involved in the real
> world process. What you see, what you hear, what you know about the
> things around you, etc.
>
> I can't help with Q2.
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

twitter

2006-11-20, 7:33 am

Yes you are right - I could have done that. Incidentally since that
first test glitch I have had no further problems. The device operates
as you suggested and although initially tries to route me to 'off
track' waypoints, at a certain cut off it then chooses the next
waypoint in the route.

thanks for your advice. Maybe you can help me with my latest question!

cheers

Peter

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