What is a data logger you might ask?  Well it logs your GPS co-ordinates.  It doesn’t provide you with turn-by-turn directions or have a screen to show you where you are.  It is however,  very useful if you like to track where you’ve been.  Most GPS’s have track logging capabilities but they are usually much bigger and drain a lot of power.  My Mio 300C GPS probably lasts about 2 hours if it’s not plugged up. Knowing that, it’s not very useful when you just want to do track logging.

A data logger is a very simple device and just does one job only.   It saves your co-ordinates and time to it’s flash memory every few seconds.  it can even log speed and elevation if you choose.  With this information, you can then download this to your computer and map it on your favourite mapping software like Google Earth.  Whenever I go traveling, I love to find out where I’ve been by mapping it on to Google Earth.  It’s really cool to see where you’ve been from a over-the-head view and mapped a satellite view.  I just turn on the data logger and put it in my pocket since it’s so small.

Another use for a data logger is for photos.  Called “geotagging”, you can add geographical identification metadata  to images.  Most cameras don’t have GPS capabilities.  However, they do time-stamp each photo into the EXIF information of the picture.  A data logger also time-stamps each of the co-0rdinates  it saves to memory.  With the right software, it’s able to then add the GPS co-ordinates to the EXIF information of the photo based on time.  It basically correlates the data from the data logger with the photos.   You know exactly where and when you took that photo.  So for avid photographers, this is a really useful tool.

I got my Holux 1000C from Dealextreme for about $70.  The battery on it lasts about 30 hours!  It is bluetooth capable so it can communicate with your PC wirelessly or via USB cable.  It can be used without being attached to a PC.  The only time you hook it up to a PC is to download the GPS data it saved.

Another great feature of the Holux 1000C is that it can be used as a “GPS mouse”.  If your pc/notebook doesn’t have GPS, you can hook it up and use it as a GPS receiver for applications like Microsoft Streets and Trips or Garmin Mobile PC.  Basically it turns  your computer into a huge GPS for turn-by-turn directions.

The great thing about this device is it uses a standard common Nokia BL-5C/A cellphone battery.   If you have Nokia’s lying around like I do, you’ll most likely have one to use as a spare already.  If not, these batteries are very cheap, around $4 each!

The 1000c uses a very common chipset and there are a number of applications that will work with it.  It includes ezTour but I also use an app from http://www.bt747.org/.  Most of the apps will just export the data saved on the device to any format  you choose.  GPX files and KML (Google Earth) are very common formats.  ezTour has the ability to geotag your photos.  Check out Locr, it’s a site with software for geotagging as well.

A data logger is not a replacement for a full blown GPS device like a Tom Tom, Garmin or Mio.  It has other uses though.  I use it primarily to keep track of exactly where I went on long trips or even just while  hiking.  I even mount it on my radio controlled cars and helicopters to see how fast they go since it will also track speed.  If you wanted to find out where someone went, just drop it in their car’s glove compartment!  The battery last a full day and since it’s so small, they would never know it was there.  From track logging, geotagging, spying, the possibilities are endless.

Features

1. Built in MTK MT3329 Low power consumption GPS chipset.
2. 2M Bytes Flash memory for 100,000 log data recording
3. 66 parallel satellite-tracking channels for fast acquisition and reacquisition.
4. Superior sensitivity up to -165 dBm.
5. Built-in WAAS/ EGNPS Demodulator without additional any hardware.
6. Compatible with Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) completely.
7. Small, sleek, and lightweight design easily fits in your hand.
8. Built-in rechargeable and changeable Lithium-ion battery lasts for 20 hours

Specifications

Chipset：MTK MT3329 chipset
Channels：66 parallel satellite-search channels
Frequency：1575.42 MHz
Receiver：L1, C/A code
Acquisition Time (refer to MTK chip specification)
Reacquisition：0.1 second.
Cold start：< 36 seconds.
Warm start：< 33 seconds .
Hot start：< 1 second

Physical
Size：62.5 × 41 × 17.1 mm
Weight：< 53 g

Battery Removable Li-Ion battery 850 mAh.
Battery Life： 20 hours (Bluetooth, Logger enable)
Battery Life： 30 hours (Logger enable only)

Software：

EzTour™ for viewing logger path
Showing path on Google Earth™
Log criteria：Time or Distance

3 color-LEDs indicator：
Red：GPS navigation
Blue：Bluetooth
Green：Battery/Charge

I/O interfaces:
Bluetooth™：V1.2 compliant, Class2
USB 2.0 High speed (mini USB Connector)