GPS Data Logger Software - BT747

With these settings you would log a position every 500 ms.  Planes fly rather straight and a position every 500ms is not really needed.

You can take the duration of the flight and use that to estimate the number of positions you will log.  If the flight take two hours, you would log about 2x3600x2 = 14400 positions.  If you do not want to use that much memory, you'll have to change either the log condition or the fix period.

At 800km/h, the plane does 222 m per second.  So if you set the distance condition to 100m (and no speed condition), you would still log two positions per second at full speed.  If you set the speed condition to 700km/h (and no other condition), you would log only at full speed - that is surely not what you want.  Therefore, the distance condition is the best condition according to me.  You could associate a time condition of 60 seconds to make sure that you get a position at least every minute (when you are sitting still somewhere).

To work properly, the logger device needs to be locked before getting on the plane.  That is because in order to lock, a stronger signal is required.  With AGPS data this is supposedly avoided.  Further, the use of electronic devices on board is subject to regulations.  The logger is not necessarily a passive device : when bluetooth is active, it is emitting even without a connection.

Tried on today's flight from North America to Eastern Europe. B767-300, seated in the middle row. Locked before the plane, tracked throughout. Altitude of 10km+ and speeds around 950km/h. Lost signal around Iceland. Before then, 100% accuracy.

On the European leg of the flight, tracked 99.9%. A319, seated in the aisle.

Basically, no problem (except for the lost signal that I am most likely responsible for) on two of the planes and I wasn't even seated anywhere close to the window.

Approach and landing @ DME: http://tinyurl.com/26yojwx

Extremely satisfied with my results!

However... unless I specify "absolute" or "relative" Altitude mode in KML/KMZ, it doesn't show the track when in flight. It's cool yet annoying to see the altitude bar throughout the track. Any idea how to clamp everything to ground?

Thanks.

I've owned a Garmin Geko for about 5 or 6 years, and I usually log the complete takeoff and landing sequence for all the airports I've been to.  I set a waypoint for all the runways I've landed or taken off from (I probably have about 100 airports).  I can't get a GPS fix with the Geko unless it's pressed up against the window of the plane (so naturally I will need a window seat, and hold a newspaper or book over the Geko so that the flight attendants don't see it when they walk by during takeoff and landing). 

I've tried my Photomate 887 a few times, and it's reception ability is much better.  I can have it sitting on the open seat-back tray in a seat beside the window seat and it will get a gps fix.  I've also tried a garmin Nuvi while on a plane and it works ok and it can be a few feet from the window.

It's usually the case that the pilot will say during pre-flight that we will be flying at some altitude, but my Geko will tell me something different - maybe a difference of several thousand feet.

I've thought about seeing if I can replace the GPS receiver module inside my Geko with a more modern one.   Anyone know if it's possible?