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Add support for InReach Explorer bluetooth GPS

Febs shared this idea 8 years ago
Declined

Hello, this is very specific.


This device: http://www.inreachdelorme.com/product-info/inreach-explorer.php

is a GPS logger and Iridium satellite communicator.


But it lacks mapping.


It streams geographic informations via bluetooth (according to the developers, via NMEA) but on Android that only works with its app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.delorme.earthmate&hl=en


That app is very limited and useful only in the USA.


For that reason, it would be awesome to be able to use it along with Locus Pro.


So I am asking for support of this device to be added.

If necessary, I may help with sending any logs (logcat or whatsoever may be necessary for this to work).


Many thanks!

Replies (11)

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Good day Febs,


interesting device. On first sight it looks like some quite old Windows Mobile system inside.


It is almost impossible to add support for something similar devices directly. Anyway you wrote that this device stream NMEA messages. Did you tried to connect it to Locus over Bluetooth Manager? If so, what happen, what you saw?

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Thank you for your reply.


It is indeed a very interesting device. I was able to send my location and my family could see wherever I was moving where there was no cell phone coverage at all. Also I can text home and call for an SOS if necessary.


Paired with Locus would make that awesome. What happens is:


it connects happily (green box reading "Connected to: inReach blabla"), and after two seconds, it fails: orange box reading: "Device connection was lost".

This keeps looping over and over.


Thank you for your interest and help!

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Good day Febs,


understand, thank you for extra information.


In case it works as you wrote, it will be little bit problem. Best to solve such problems is to have this device in own hands and test it for a while, this is anyway not possible. So if you wants to do something with it, I see here two options:


1. you may try application called "Bluetooth GPS" from Google Play, which is specialized on this task. If your device will work there, you may then simply enable GPS inside Locus and Locus should use location received from GPS over "Bluetooth GPS" application!


2. If above won't work, you may try to create debug log with this method: http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:faq:how_to_create_debug_log , right after your connection in Locus fail. There should be any clue, why this happen.


Thanks.

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I was finally able to do that. For some reason, my tablet didn't generate any report. I am sending it to you via email. Thank you very much.

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Hmm may you tell me on which email you send it? Unfortunately I'm unable to find it. Thanks

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Sorry, I didn't send the attachment right after because the report got lost somewhere in the root partition of my phone. I recorded it over and just sent it to the address specified in the instruction link. THANK YOU very much for your support. Being able to use the Explorer communicator with the cartographic power of locus would make an extremely powerful and smart combination!

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sorry to bother, but I noticed that sending that email opened a new ticket. Are you the only one able to read it or is it public?


Thank you.

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Hello Febs, log received, thanks for it.


Unfortunately I see nothing useful inside. I hoped for some error message that gives me information, why connection failed, but seems it will be some internal Locus (maybe) problem, that is not printed. I'm then worried, that I won't be able to help with this problem.


Did you tried mentioned Bluetooth GPS application https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=googoo.android.btgps ? Because it is specialized app on this task, it usually works better then Locus.

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Yes, I did try that app, with no success as well. This sucks horrendously. On iOS, the unit is seen as the GPS device by any app, once paired. So I will end up buying one of those costly pieces of crap, maybe, because of this limitation. This is awful.


By the way, by having the device in your hands, do you think you would be able (and willing) to make it work? Just wondering.


Either case, thank you very very much for the time you spent looking at this!

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Because I'm not perfectly skilled with all these bluetooth stuff, there is a low chance I'll be able to implement this when even in BT GPS app it do not work.


If this works as you write on iOS that I may only envy, how easy life iOS developers has. Unfortunately on Android, every developer who wants to support BT GPS, has to write own system how to read and handle data from these units :/.


If I should have this device in own hands, I should do more of course. There is anyway more options what I may do either. For example some custom version of Locus that will print our more information into logs.


I hope you will understand, that this is quite a lot of work and result is quite unpredictable. And because of this, I'll leave this idea for now. Thanks.

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I bitterly understand. But be aware that I would consider shipping the device for you to test and play with if you will consider that. Of course this is likely if you also have the will to buy it and want to test with it. Cheers!

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Oki, let's try it once more if you have some time to test it.


1. check Locus directory in your device ... simply "Locus" directory in root of internal memory or SD card. If this directory contains sub-directory called "logs", just delete it.

2. install this special version of Locus Map Free: https://docs.google.com/a/asamm.com/uc?id=0B_Nr4CT8osmtVGZsYlFDeUNLY0k&export=download

3. after install, start it, and over Bluetooth Manager try to connect to your BT device. After same error as previously happen (Device connection was lost), close Locus

4. in "Logs" directory now should be two files, so please send them to me


Thanks.

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Good day Febs,


so thanks once more for a logs.


Unfortunately in logs it looks like Locus connects to your device, but then it always ends on "timeout". It means that it looks like connection works correctly, but then Locus waits on some data to read, but nothing is coming from your device.


Code that do this is quite simple and unfortunately I, as bluetooth non-expert, have no idea how to fix it. So I'm sorry.

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So bad :(.

I will really have to switch to the atrocious iOs..

On Jan 17, 2016 17:03, "Locus Map" <locus.map@asamm.com> wrote:

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Hi Febs,

I think you can try the app :

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=googoo.android.btgps

It can connect your GPS device then same time service for your all Map app.

So, you don't need any setup in Locus.

72e28fa7bece8c218d33c6b1c2bfe856

I hope get your good news if that is ok.

Because I am also like the inreach device however I don't buy it now.

Thank you very much !

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I've already suggested here: http://help.locusmap.eu/topic/add-support-for-inreach-explorer-bluetooth-gps#comment-23917 , anyway not sure if test was success. Febs?

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oh, very great , sorry I don't note your answer.

There are very many app's name same with Bluetooth GPS.

However the app is probably the best.

But it also often lost GPS connector,

Of course this is not a problem because I don't need always keep connect.

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Hello, unfortunately that does not work, too.


This is so dumb and frustrating. I mean, that the engineers behind that unit didn't think of that. Crap. Technology against humanity.

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