Finding ME with GPS

Finding Me – Not psychologically but geographically.. Yes with the help of GPS receiver that I installed in my PSP. A short description on this product.

I always like to use my PSP for some other purposes, other than gaming. Found out that it can be used as navigation device. As it has display, a small GPS receiver and software with maps loaded in the memory, helps to see the maps and track where we are and where we are heading.
I ordered this device – GPS Receiver official from Sony and hence cost little more, but very reliable. I saw some other cheap GPS receivers for PSP, but they required extra wires, which need be genuine, it seems. Also I realized from some forums, about the compatibly issues with other receivers. So finally decide for sony product which doesn’t need wires. I ordered from Play Asia, Hong Kong in this link.

It got shipped within few days by postal, as if you wish to track it by DHL or BlueDart, you can but paying price more than the product. It is relatively small compared to the device and it mounts on the top of the PSP perfectly. That’s it, its installed.

Now the Software for using this: You need two software, PSP mapping software and software for your PC to download maps. There are plenty of softwares for your version of PSP, luckily the software I downloaded first, worked for me. FYI my PSP firmware is 3.51 m33-6. I am using MapThis! Software in PSP for GPS Navigation and using GMDL0.5.04b software for downloading necessary maps (from Google Maps, Microsoft live maps, etc etc)

The Map This! Wiki Guide: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Map_This

The GMDL Guide: http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=60230

I downloaded the maps of south India and Bangalore covering my location and put it in my PSP. Then turned on my PSP, and opened Map This!, turned on my PSP. I couldn’t get any satellite if I sit inside my house. But I am able to get up to 13 satellites at the max when standing out. When I give some 3 minutes, I can get easily fixed to 4 satellites and able to get my position – longitude and latitude something like N 13` 04` 13` and E 77` 38` 17` . Now a tiny blue arrow shows my position, even if my map is somewhere, it centers it and shows my position.

So now I have the point where I am and If I move the point moves. The software just needs this, it calculates the speed, max speed, avg speed, distance travelled, trip time and different 3d views of map. I tried using it in my car, seems to be working, but couldn’t test it thoroughly as I was stuck in traffic that day. Will go home or somewhere with the map loaded just for testing this!! Here are some of the PSP screenshots of my location.