What is the best link how to correctly setting up GT-31 for speedsurfing.
I looked at GTC, there is only for GT-11
Is this the same procedure and parameters or ?
Thanx
Also find this: http://mtbest.net/setting-up-navi-GT31.htm
but it is very difficult to figured out, on gtc for gt-11 is much better
explained...

A good question warrior, I too can't figure this stuff out, the Garmin seemed quite easy in comparison. In particular I'd like to know.

* when using Navi Link whats the difference between Navi Data and Logger Data. The Logger Data that downloads gives me 4 Files, a GPX, a KML, a SBP and something else, which should I be using?

* How do I know if I'm getting doppler or trackpoint data?

* Can I still use the Realspeed version I was using with the Garmin?

* Is it automatically saving everthing to the card or do I have to "save to card" every session?

* I can't find how to erase whats already on the card

Thanks

today i've got mine gt31 and i will try to setup with this 2 link so far i have.
i let you know, and i'll try to do list of parameters, and then we will see
the corrections after i post it here. ok ?

Select to expand quote

sailpilot said...

A good question warrior, I too can't figure this stuff out, the Garmin seemed quite easy in comparison. In particular I'd like to know.

* when using Navi Link whats the difference between Navi Data and Logger Data. The Logger Data that downloads gives me 4 Files, a GPX, a KML, a SBP and something else, which should I be using?

* How do I know if I'm getting doppler or trackpoint data?

* Can I still use the Realspeed version I was using with the Garmin?

* Is it automatically saving everthing to the card or do I have to "save to card" every session?

* I can't find how to erase whats already on the card

Thanks

Phil if I remember (old age) I'll ring you next week and talk you through it, too easy

I set all parameters by guide on GTC of GT-11
(works fine on GT-31), parameters are the same

1. Also I figured out that GT31 may be ON and don't write track
if on:
Memory Card
LOG SWITCH:__________ON-FIX is set to "OFF"
(that is usefull if you want to stop GPS when you are out of water and you don't
wan't to turn it off. I f you goin back to water, put the log switch to ON-FIX.

2. GT-31 got USB cable, but after instaling USB drivers, in software
(navilink, gps results.... GT31 must be on COM3 port, not USB)
I don't know why, but all programs with GT31 works only as GT31 stays on COM3

I've got today my GT31 and that is what I figured out today...

to be updated

Anyone knows, what is the difference between:

Memory Card
LOG SWITCH:__________ON-FIX

and

Memory Card
LOG SWITCH:__________ON

what "FIX" means ?

thanx


Ehhh, I find it, sorry:

OFF: disable card logging
#1048708; ON: activate card logging, all points will be logged
#1048708; ON-FIX: active card logging, only points with valid position
and speed above [MIN SPEED] is logged

There are different ideas about "on fix"
Sailquick says that it can cause glitches in the data as it switches on and off, and his advice is to use "on"

My experiences seem to be the reverse, so I leave it "on fix", I'd be interested to hear of anybody else's experiences.

On:



On-Fix:




I prefer not to have spikes all over my tracks thanks

picture is the best explanation, thanx neb

as I said: use OFF to off, and ON-FIX to ride :)

Select to expand quote

OPH said...

Guys, have you had a look here.

www.speedkiting.org/site/

Left hand side menu >>Downloads > GT-31 Setup guide (Basil Cambanis's guide)

Here's a link to the pdf guide

http://www.freight-focus.com/download/gt31_manual.pdf

good wind and speed

H

Thanks OPH, what a great guide! I've added it to this page:
gpsteamchallenge.com.au/pages/guides

Cheers

Yess Nebbian, I also use this as a base and translate important parts for my
Croatian new GT users (We got 20 new GT users these days, and getting
much more interests for speedsailing from day to day)
MY CROATIAN Manual is here: http://windsurfing-koprivnica.net/page.php?94

Cheerz

i wonder did you use this procedure:
1. Take new session, with on-fix setup
2. Save to card after session
3. Data Logger>CLEAR to got clean device for new session

and if I get it right, that CLEAR option deletes internal flash memory, not data
saved on SD card

Also options: in SPEED mode, how to use Reset/Save/Restore/Clear
This is only for history? to save or restore max and avg to history, and
Clear only delete all history ?
This CLEAR is not CLEAR in Data Logger for cleaning flash memory ?
If I CLEAR from Data Logger history stays, or that option clears all

Thanx

Warrior, The data logger doesn't really need to be cleared, new data comes in at the top, old data goes out at the bottom, so you always have the latest data in the logger. But that can be quite a few sessions, which you have to separate, so clearing it will save that job.

The clear, reset, save, restore, menu in speed is for speed genie. It doesn't affect the niormal data logger stuff, but I assume it's a separate file on the internal memory.
A guide for that should be on Tom Chalco's Mt best site I think.

It was designed because of the difficulty of using the joy stick in an aquapac. People who wanted to reset the max speed display at the end of a speed run were having trouble.
Speed genie does this automatically. If you are in >speed >max speed, it will display your max speed so far, until you reach the speed set in >settings >speed genie. It then resets max speed and starts a new recording.
I try to set my speed to something I will go over on a speed run but won't go over on the trip back upwind. That way I can check my speed while I'm waiting for the next gust.
Some people find it vary useful, others don't like it.

so if i get it right
if i want clean gt for every new session i can clear internal memory every time before session with: data logger>clear
this will start new session after clearing ?
will i need save to card every session before i clear for the newone ?

Hey Warrior,

Here's what I do before every session:

1) Turn GPS on
2) Go to Trip Meter, forward a couple of screens to Trip Odometer, then hit the button twice to zero it. This lets me check how many miles I've done in a day.
3) Go back to the menu, and select Speed -> Max speed. Hit the button twice to reset it.
4) Go forward one click to 10s max average and reset this as well.
5) Go back a screen to max speed, and leave it on this to go sailing.

I've never deleted a session off my card, and it's still got 90% free. 1 Gig is a lot of storage space! You don't need to clear the data logger either, any of the good GPS software packages will let you split a file by date pretty easily.


******** For advanced users *********
I actually lied a bit in step 3. I not only reset but clear as well.
After a run, if it's a good one then on the way back upwind I'll save that speed, then reset it. This lets me see the results of each run, even if it's not as fast as a previous run.
Clearing gets rid of all the speeds that I saved last time out.

The Speed Genie will save these automatically, but I find reading the screen when it's in genie mode really challenging when you're bouncing over chop. I can get a half second glance at the screen, but to figure out where in the cycle you are, you need to watch it for a lot longer...
So I check the speed, hit the toggle, then down, then toggle again. This saves the speed.
Then a double tap on the toggle, quick glance to confirm it's at 0 knots, and back to the top mark for a screaming gybe... no time lost at all

Select to expand quote

nebbian said...


I've never deleted a session off my card, and it's still got 90% free. 1 Gig is a lot of storage space! You don't need to clear the data logger either, any of the good GPS software packages will let you split a file by date pretty easily.

DATA LOGGER > CLEAR .... that don' t delete sessions on SD card, that only
clear all internal flash memory of GT

so, if I hit SAVE TO CARD after every session, and hit CLEAR in data logger
i don't need to reset all separatly

And that speed, max, avg, that is stored in HISTORY, so if you hit CLEAR in data logger, all data on SD stayes, and that not clear history.
History are dleted only in case if you hit in Speed -> Max speed > Clear

Or I am wrong ?

Didn't know about Trip meter, good advise to have distance as well shown

btw, my card is 2Gb, and I think it's hard, very hard to fill it up full, hehehe

One more question, i tested now with car, driving in one way with ON-FIX, and then turn the data log to OFF driving other way home, and now in GPS Results there is both path, even that one back, wich was setted to OFF and can't be written. What is a secret od OFF setting ??? Why on OFF he writes back tracks ?

Now as I tested more and read more, seems to i don't know nothing.
Everithing now confused me. I am now lost between many of Resets and Clears.

Please, Neb, write me in simple words:

1. If I got clear GT, nothing on card, memory card set on ON-FIX:
I turn GPS ON, choose speed mode and I may go sailing, right ?
2. If I want to save this session to SD card after sailing I press SAVE TO CARD
3. May I now Clear the data logger and go sailing new session, or
when i press clear in data logger i loose my first sailing that day ?

YOU WROTE:
1) Turn GPS on
2) Go to Trip Meter, forward a couple of screens to Trip Odometer, then hit the button twice to zero it. This lets me check how many miles I've done in a day.
(may i zero all parameters here or trip odometer is enough?)
3) Go back to the menu, and select Speed -> Max speed. Hit the button twice to reset it.
RESET OR CLEAR ? you wrote down that u use CLEAR
4) Go forward one click to 10s max average and reset this as well.
5) Go back a screen to max speed, and leave it on this to go sailing.

and after sailing what to do, if u need to save data and go another clean sailing,
in case that i give gps to other sailor, or i want new session etc ???
how to be shure that forst session is in memory and gps is clean for second
THERE I AM CONFUSED...... so try to write in simple, i don't know english good
as u know :P

If ther is any option to load data from SD directly from GT or I need to take card out and put it into reader

Also I try this now:
Clear all in GT, go to Speed screen and record some tracks
after that I press Save to Card (there is message NEW FILE)
Again on Speed and record further, again Save to Card (again NEW FILE message)
and records third part... after I load data to pc, there no 3 sessions, only *uckin one.........that is what I ask U

How to record hour of sailing, save data, then record 2 hours of sailing, save data
and for example sail 3 hours more in the evening - all in one day and got 3 sessions

"On-fix" vs "On"

On-fix: means on satellite fix, aka satellite lock. You can tell when it has a lock, by looking at the power-level screen -> you will have at least 5 full-black vertical bars (under some scenarios it can drop to 4 bars)

Nebbian, the reason for the big spikes are because the GPS wrote data (specifically, invalid data) every second; for your clean-track it sometimes didn't write data.

So you have a choice, a track that looks nice but contains random-unkown missing data, or a track that shows exactly where the sattelite lost signal lock.

The reason for the recommendation of using "on" (rather than using "on-fix") is that we have experienced tracks where we the run is clean, but contains occasional missing datapoints.

Since the memory card can hold heaps of sessions, it seems pointless to "save space".

Hi Mat,

It would be worth sharing that tech tip on the GP3S Tech Forum. As far as I was aware "on-fix" was the setting to be used.

best regards
H

Select to expand quote

OPH said...
It would be worth sharing that tech tip on the GP3S Tech Forum. As far as I was aware "on-fix" was the setting to be used.

I'm pretty sure that I, and others, have mentioned it a few times - but Googles' site-search hasn't been helpful since the site was updated to its new look... However, some of the tech-guys have done lots of manual checking of tracks -> some tracks loose the odd data-point here and there.

Obviously the big spikes seen in Nebbian's track, is a crap result -> when in "on" mode, the GPS probably should write data every second AND there should be a second option to "disable debugging" so that zero-values are written instead of random garbage (which is only really useful for the tech guys).

On-fix is a reasonable recommendation for normal users - you reduce the appearence of some of the errors within your data, but it can mask some true errors.

Hey gang, if I'm windsurfing and I want to see my distance, or the time of day, or how long I've been on the water, I find the gt-31 rather awkward. Each of these seems to require a push on the toggle to get the correct screen displayed. I've got a Paqua midi, which is nice and waterproof, but my little washer over the toggle button never stays on, so I've got to try and push the toggle gently sideways, but quite often I end up pushing the toggle in instead of up or down or sideways. This usually ends up with having to press the small power button so I don't accidentally clear or reset the menu. arrrrrghhhh... (and all this while I'm travelling at 50 , 40, 30, well, whatever speed...).

So, am I missing a setting somewhere that lets the user see these displayed as well as speed? or has everyone mastered the toggle push? (maybe I need new thumbs!!)

Select to expand quote

wkcwarrior said...

>>>>>>>>
2. If I want to save this session to SD card after sailing I press SAVE TO CARD
3. May I now Clear the data logger and go sailing new session, or
when i press clear in data logger i loose my first sailing that day ?

You don't need to press save to card, for the standard .sbin file, that gets recorded to card automatically as you go, depending on the "on fix" "on" or "off" setting.
"Save to card" dumps the current data logger data on to the card in the .sbp format.
This is only useful, if for some reason the card has failed to record the normal .sbin file. This is the file you should be using for speed results as it is uncompressed and has more data in it.

When you press >data logger >clear, it clears the data logger of anything stored in it, in my case could be 4 or 5 sessions. You don't need to do this.
As Nebs says, all you need to clear is the stuff in "trip meter" and the max speed and max average in "speed"

>>>>

Select to expand quote

and after sailing what to do, if u need to save data and go another clean sailing,
in case that i give gps to other sailor, or i want new session etc ???
how to be shure that forst session is in memory and gps is clean for second
THERE I AM CONFUSED...... so try to write in simple, i don't know english good
as u know :P

If I lend my GPS to a mate, I get him to run a round the park spelling out his initial, I can then find his session on the file.
Another way is to just turn the gps off and back on again, that will start a separate file on the card, you just need to note the time of change over, to get the correct file.

Select to expand quote

Also I try this now:
Clear all in GT, go to Speed screen and record some tracks
after that I press Save to Card (there is message NEW FILE)
Again on Speed and record further, again Save to Card (again NEW FILE message)
and records third part... after I load data to pc, there no 3 sessions, only *uckin one.........that is what I ask U

You should now have more than the 3 .sbp data logger files you saved to card, you should also have .sbin files as well depending on how many times you turned the unit on and off.
Are you reading from the card or from the unit??????

I'm fairly sure you can't read the card from the unit with the GT11, not sure about the 31.

Select to expand quote

How to record hour of sailing, save data, then record 2 hours of sailing, save data
and for example sail 3 hours more in the evening - all in one day and got 3 sessions

All you should have to do is turn the unit off at the end of one session and on at the next session.
You'll get a new file on the card every time you turn on and record data, (if you have set to "on" with "min speed 0" you get a new file on turn on).

By your questions I get the feeling you aren't using a card reader, I think doing so will make life easier for you.

Yes I test only from GT, now when i take the SD card out and put it in reader, there are many of files....I was only confused becouse i thoght that SD card is readable via GT31, but I as saw it's not. Card must be in readed. From GT via cable you only seeing data from his internal memory (data logger)
Second question: I just bought GT31 (so far I have Garmin FR205) and my version
of firmware is 1.2 (B0922) (which is the latest international version shown on locosys site)

On MT Best there is a much newer firmware 1.2 (B1405), and what I saw in readme there is many more options in trip meter and sound genie (extra sounds for max s or max avg or accelerate......), many bug fixes, etc.
May I use this firmware without fear of destroying unit, becouse that firmaware is not show on official locosys site ??? How Come ?

@Craiggoo - that is what Neb said, see in TRIP METER

SO IF I IN THE END OF DAY read data to PC and clear data logger
When I turn it ON only what I need is to:
1. Reset the TRIP METER (for have distance for that day)
2. Clear the MAX SPEED, and Clear the MAX AVG SPEED and go sailing
(what about on that screen option when is on MAX SPEED, press, DEL ALL ?)
Will DEL ALL clear max speed and max avg speed, or?
3. If I have clean new session, turn the GT off and on and go sailing again

RIGHT ?

Tom at Mt Best is heavily involved with producing windsurfing based firmware, I think the latest stuff on his site isn't always on the locosys site. But I'm sure it won't damage your unit.
Not sure about del all, I don't have that on my gt11.

I update it nowto version 1405x from mt best
working fine.

(37 seconds for update)

in MISC part now I have new options, choose what screens shown on speed genie, and I see there new options DELETE and SAVE TO CARD

I suppose, from here before sailing I may press DELETE then DEL ALL and there is no need to reset trip, max, avg part by part (that also delete data logger)

R I G H T ? ? ?

Trip Min Speed is also new option now here.

In Trip menu new option is DOWN COUNTER, and so on

Hell Yeah, COOL STUFF THERE, hehehe, thanx bros for supporting me in this questions and answers....

Select to expand quote

wkcwarrior said...

I update it nowto version 1405x from mt best
working fine.

(37 seconds for update)

in MISC part now I have new options, choose what screens shown on speed genie, >>>>>>

Think this may solve Nebs problem with speed genie, the old way was to display, max speed in big print, then average speed in big print, then both together in small print. Very hard to read while sailing, I think you can now get rid of the two together, and maybe even just have max displayed in big print.

Select to expand quote

decrepit said...

Think this may solve Nebs problem with speed genie, the old way was to display, max speed in big print, then average speed in big print, then both together in small print. Very hard to read while sailing, I think you can now get rid of the two together, and maybe even just have max displayed in big print.

Think you might be right there Decrep! I wanna 31....

Yes, now I have only BIG MAX and BIG AVG, I turn it OFF that other 4 together screens and some screens from history, also U can turn OFF avg and have only BIG MAX

Cool option here is "Screen Flip", if U R using 2 GT's, that must be "antena 2 antena" (that means that one GT in Aquapac need to be upside down),
In that case on that GT just flip the screen 180 degrees and VOILA !
You may read both displays but on GT is upside down :P

Select to expand quote

wkcwarrior said...

I update it now to version 1405x from mt best
working fine.

in MISC part now I have new options, choose what screens shown on speed genie, ...

Hey Warrior, (or others), I can't quite see what you mean by "choose what screens shown on speed genie" Can you get speed genie to show distance travelled or time on water?

Thanks,
Craig

No, and that will be good idea.

IN MISC SESSION HERE YOU GOT:

SPEED GENIE: You can choose between there screens to be shown:
max/ns max
history max
max speed
ns max avg

every of that four have ON or OFF to show

also here is new option for TRIP MIN SPEED
and:

DELETE : DEL ALL, TRIP METER, SPEED, TRACK, DATA LOGGER
SAVE TO CARD: SAVE ALL, TRIP METER SPEED, TRACK, DATA LOGGER

Any idea how to contact Tom Chalko ???

I contacted Basil Cambanis and here is the answer:

Basil Cambanis to me
show details 12:20 (28 minutes ago) Reply

1. Use the MISC menu to clear everything, no need to go one by one
2. I've asked Tom to allow for average speed over a custom distance (I need this for my event), but he said that it's very complex to do this (not sure why), so in a nutshell he said NO. Perhaps if enough of us ask for this they might include it in future versions of firmware.
3. The only way I know how to start a new session without switching it off is to go to the MEMORY menu and set the LOGGING off, then back on again (to 1 second). But it'll be quicker to switch the unit on and off again I think, I see that when doing this it find the satellites almost immediately, as though it has them still locked.

So that's it so far I know about GT in last few days...We will continue this thread, as we all get something new about tips'n'tricks, thanx to all so far for helping me out here