[pct-l] update on Blackberry GPS

[Ken Powers]

tpx appears to be a graphics filetype for Photo Express. As such it would 
have nothing to do with map datums.

Ken
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim & Jane Moody" <moodyjj at comcast.net>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 11:57 AM
Subject: [pct-l] update on Blackberry GPS








Several days ago I posted for feedback on the gps app for Blackberry , 
TopoExplorer .  Thanks to Postholer, Halfmile, Gadget, Gottawalk, peanut 
eater, token civilian, Lance Marshall, and others for their info and 
advice. I also asked several questions of Skylabs Mobilesystems, who offer 
TopoExplorer , and got the answers below. If you are con sidering adding 
T-E gps to your B'Berry, take note. It seems to have minimal usefulness on 
the PCT.



1. Advice, instructions, help - No instruction manual, printed, online, 
etc. is available. If you have a question, you're to email the company (in 
Hong Kong). If you have no cell service, you're SOL.



2. Waypoints - "topoexplorer does not track waypoints." I'm assuming that 
this means you can't add them nor can you download them.  If you can 
download a track or waypoints, it seems you couldn't display them. This 
could be a slight drawback.



3. Display of location - T-E displays the location of the device on the 
on-screen map. I asked if the coordinates of the location were displayed in 
lat/long, UTM, both, or some other projection and got no answer.



4. I asked if TopoExplorer maps were displayed in WGS84 or NAD27 datum 
format? The answer was that " topoexplorer uses .tpx maps." Not being a 
professional cartographer, I don't know if this is a sufficient answer or 
not.




SUMMARY -Â TopoExplorer gps for a Blackberry doesn't seem to be adequate for 
even basic use. If anyone out there has conflicting experience, please 
share it. One responder suggested that Blackstar GPS seemed to have promise 
for use on a B'berry. The learning process continues.



Thanks,

Mango


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