"The Blue Logger is a handy wireless Bluetooth
GPS receiver, which I keep in the glove box of my car, ready to GPS-enable mapping
programs I use with my Laptop, PDA and cell phone.."
- Doug
DeLorme Blue Logger
Published: December 2005
With wireless bluetooth connectivity and a 10,000 datapoint memory, DeLorme's Blue Logger is a useful device in your GPS toolbox. I use mine to GPS enable moving map programs on my laptop and Palm PDA. Occasionally, I'll use it as a self-contained passive tracking device that I can use to map my families travels.
Step-by-step, these are my impressions and advice for using DeLorme Blue Logger.
Installation
Note: Before you begin, charge the Blue Logger in its cradle overnight, with it turned on - to charge the back-up battery for the first time (more about the backup battery later).
Getting ready to use Blue Logger begins with installing Blue Logger software on your PC. If you haven't installed any software for use with Bluetooth devices, then you will find Blue Logger Software installation a little more complicated than simply clicking "Next... next..."
The Blue Logger must be on to compete the installation, and until you get used to it, turning the Blue Logger on and off is sometimes a little tricky.
To turn on: Hold the power button until the GPS green light comes on and then turns off, then release it while it's off.
To turn off: Hold the power button until the GPS green light comes on and release it immediately while it's on.
My first time through the installation, I paused to scratch my head a couple of times when it asked about "available blue tooth devices"... PINS... etc., so you might want to keep your written instructions handy.
During installation you'll notice the status lights that tell you what the device is doing.
Blue
Blue flashing, no wireless connection
Blue solid, connection
Green
Green flashing - 3-D Satellite Fix.
Red
Red light = low battery or charging.
Set-Up
All set up is done through the Blue Logger Manager Software.
Logging
Logging parameters are set under the Logging Tab of the Blue Logger manager software. These settings determine how frequently datapoints are recorded under what conditions. Optimum settings depend on your particular application. There are a couple of white-papers available on the Delorme Web site which give good advice on how to set the logging parameters for tracking teen drivers and geocaching.
These are the settings I use for general purposes:
Faster than... 75 miles an hour, log every .2 mile. I do this because 70 mph is the highest speed limit of any road I know and speed over 75 is dangerous. I use a distance measurement because you can cover a lot of ground in one minute at 75 mph and I want to know whether the violation was just a passing situation or more of a tendency to speed.
Slower than... any speed, I don't bother tracking. The only reason I can think that you would want to use this setting is to see how long a driver sat idle somewhere.
Otherwise... I record a track point every 30 seconds. For walking, that's about every 100 feet. At highway speed that's about two data points every mile. Driving around town that's about one data point every quarter mile.
Note: Otherwise means: all the time. With 'otherwise' checked, the unit will log even when you are standing still. However these standing-still data points area easily filtered out during the download procedure.
Enable Logging
You do not need to enable logging if you are going to use the Blue Logger as a wireless GPS receiver in conjunction with moving map software running on a PDA or laptop computer. However you will need to enable logging if you want to deploy the Blue Logger as a self-contained passive tracking device.
There is no light on the Blue Logger that indicates when the Blue Logger is enabled for logging. The button that you 'press' in the software to enable logging appears as either pressed or not-pressed.
Once you have setup the Blue Logger to your liking, you can turn it off until you are ready to deploy it. All your settings will be retained in memory.
Note: The flashing lights on the Blue Logger are bright and can be distracting. These indicators can be disabled through the Blue Logger Manager software.
Deployment
It is a good idea fully charge the Blue Logger before extended field use. There are two batteries in the Blue Logger. The main battery charges in the charging cradle regardless of whether or not the Blue Logger is on. But the back-up battery will only be charged when the unit is on in the charging cradle. So before taking the Blue Logger out for a spin, turn the unit on and place in the charging cradle for a couple of hours.
When in use, the Blue Logger should have a clear view of the sky. If you are tracking a car, place the Blue Logger on the front or rear dash. If you are people tracking, put the device in a purse or camera bag.
Recovery
Once you are back within wireless range of the Blue Logger you can connect to the device and download the data using the Blue Logger Manager PC software.
When you select "Get Data from Device" you get the get a choice of which format to save the data. For use with DeLorme Street Atlas or Topo software, you will most likely want to save the data as a Draw file. In the Create Draw File Dialog you will have some options. I like to download everything faster than 1 mph so that I don't get any points while standing still. I don't like Point Labels because they clutter closely spaced points, but I do like to use Log Type Point Icons so that I can quickly see speeding violations.
Now you know pretty much all you need to know to get tracking. This article concludes with my list of Blue Logger Pros and Cons. Read my article about DeLorme Topo 5 to learn more about using Blue Logger with DeLorme's off-road mapping program.
Pros and Cons
Conn: Blue Logger Manager software does not retain settings. After spending a lot of time getting the Logging Settings the way I wanted them, it was very frustrating to launch the program and find that the setting had reverted to default. It is some consolation to be able to retrieve the settings from Blue Logger.
Conn: When the battery runs low strange things might happen. Once I could not connect to device and the unit would not turn off by using the push button. And, every now and then I have problems connecting. It is like the Blue Logger manager software "forgets" how to connect to the device. If this happens restart your computer and check to make sure you can connect to the device by double-clicking the Earthmate Blue Logger properties icon in the "My Bluetooth Places folder. If you are still having problems, try re-booting the Blue Logger by taking the battery out for a few seconds and then replacing it.
Conn: As mentioned previously, the Blue Logger will lose data when the unit is turned off if the back-up battery is not charged.
Conn: Also regarding batteries, the main 3.7V Lith-ion battery is a good, long-life battery, but if the 12 volt adaptor is not handy, and the red LED comes on, you only have a few minutes of power left, and since the battery is not a standard AAA or AA you can't just swap out and keep going. So, you might consider purchasing another battery.
Conn: Also as mentioned previously there is no indicator on the Blue Logger that the unit is recording data. It would be nice to have some confirmation that data was being recorded.
Pro: The Blue Logger is a handy wireless Bluetooth GPS receiver, which I keep in the glove box of my car, ready to GPS-enable mapping programs use on my Laptop, PDA and cell phone, or just to record logs when I don't have access to any of those.
Pro: The beauty of using it with a PDA is that you can save the PDA's battery, especially when your hiking, and keep it in a safe secure place, and when you need to confirm where you are, just fire up the PDA and because the Blue Logger already has a fix, your fix on the PDA will be instant.
* * *
I hope this helps!
Contact me if you have questions.
- Doug
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Read more about my experience with DeLorme Street Atlas Software in these articles:
DeLorem Street Atlas 2007 Car Navigation Software
Mouse-type GPS Receivers for Laptops
