Using a DeLorme Tripmate GPS unit with Google Earth (Windows)

[baron_army]

I just recently came into possession of a DeLorme Tripmate Hyperformance GPS Navigation unit that a former coworker (also a Ham) had discarded. I initially thought I would be able to just plug the sucker in and let it rip because it was a serial port (com) brick and, therefore, didn't require a driver and all that fancy computer nonsense. I was wrong.

Turns out DeLorme had a proprietary means of initializing the unit. Fortunately, Bev Howard had some of the code used to get the unit running (http://bevhoward.com/TripMate.htm). Using information gathered there, some easily available software, and help from my friend Dan Muller (a sysadmin), I was able to get the unit to start working with the free version of Google Earth.

This is still a work in progress so there will probably be bugs.

Required:

• Delorme Tripmate
  
  
• Laptop computer with serial com port (I used am IBM T23 Thinkpad running Win2k)
  
• Google Earth (http://www.earth.google.com)
  
• Visiting http://bevhoward.com/TripMate.htm
  
• Hyperterminal (included in Windows)
  
• Earth Bridge (http://www.mboffin.com/EarthBridge) -- donationware or GooPs 2.3 (http://goopstechnologies.com) -- freeware
  
• Gpsgate (http://www.franson.com/gpsgate) -- either the main version or the express version

Steps:

1. Install Google Earth, Earth Bridge (or GooPs), and Gpsgate
   
2. Configure Gpsgate to split com1 into as many virtual com ports as programs you will be using at one time (I think I have 3 com ports running)
   
3. Plug in the Tripmate
   
4. Open Hyperterminal and start a new session. Configure it to work with comX (where X is one of the virtual com ports set up in Gpsgate). Set the baud rate at 4800, data bits to 8, parity to none, stop bits to 1, and flow control to none.
   
5. Once you are in Hyperterminal (and if the Tripmate is connected) you should see a string of characters followed by "ASTRAL" over and over again.
   
6. As ASTRAL scrolls past, enter "ASTRAL" and hit return. Don't worry about not being able to see what you typed. This should initialize or start up the unit and GPS data should start coming out.
   
7. Visit http://bevhoward.com/TripMate.htm for more codes to enter to configure the unit further.
   
8. Minimize Hyperterminal and open Earth Bridge. Click on the Preferences tab and configure it to receive from one of the other virtual com ports set up in Gpsgate (use the same baud, etc. settings used in Hyperterminal).
   
9. Click the box that opens Google Earth when Earth Bridge make connection with the GPS unit.
   
10. Click on the "Connect to GPS Device" button. If you go to the GPS Status tab, you should start seeing data coming in. Give the Tripmate time. If you haven't preconfigured it to your latitude and longitude, it may take a while to get its bearings.
    
11. Google Earth will open and you should see a marker indicating where you are.

I also have NetStumbler on my laptop and it has a Tripmate setting so I believe it automatically sends the ASTRAL command to the Tripmate. I just assign NetStumbler to one of the virtual com ports and start it up. Next, I open Earth Bridge and so on. This way, I can wardrive and see where I am in Google Earth.

Edit:
Earth Bridge proved to be a heavy dog on my stupid little laptop (only 256 RAM) and I've opted to use GooPs. GooPs is quite a nice program! It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Earth Bridge but it reliably tracks my GPS data. I would recommend this program over Earth Bridge if you have a slow computer. I'm going to try using another program to graphically plot satellite signal strength and location.

This morning, I did my paper route and tracked the whole thing (well, from when the Tripmate started up).