GPS Data loggers, Part 2: GlobalSat DG-100
See part 1 of my data loggers posts to see what a gps data logger is and read about the Trackstick.
After losing my Trackstick somewhere in the bush and just before embarking on a trip to California I decided I’d like another data logger as they’re quite small and make adding trip points on Rimrocked quite easy. So I started searching online to see what else out there as I wasn’t completely satisfied with the Trackstick. After reading a number of reviews online I decided on the GlobalSat DG-100 and went to canadagps.com and purchased one. At $120 it was about $30 cheaper than the Trackstick (I’ve since seen the DG-100 for as low as $80, so shop around if you’re thinking of buying one).
I’m quite fond of this little GPS logger as it’s quite easy to use - it has a single on/off button, 3 lights (one to show that a satellite signal has been acquired, one to say it’s on, and one that lets you know when the onboard memory is getting full) and a switch on the side that allows you to switch, on the fly, from one of 3. There’s also a place for an external antenna if you so desire.
The provided software, in my experience, worked fairly well, the user interface was a little clunky and not terribly intuitive (GlobalSat let me know if you’d like some help, I’d love to work on a new GUI for stuff like this!) however it did as it should. From the software you can set exactly what you want the settings of the 3 position switch to do, using a combination of time intervals and distance travelled.
After taking the DG-100 with me to California and using it while driving from San Francisco up to the coast to Bodega Bay and throughout Sonoma/Napa for a week I’m quite impressed with it and highly recommend it if you’re looking for a GPS data logger device to track your movements, record where you’ve been on a trip.