Can NMEA (GPS) Data Tracker Help Improve Signal Reception?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the use of NMEA (GPS) data for improving signal reception through a tracker that aims its antenna toward a signal source. Participants explore the calculations needed to determine the angle and distance between two geographical points, with applications in both GPS tracking and telescope aiming.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, Camerart, is developing an NMEA signal tracker and seeks assistance with calculations between the tracker and a target location.
  • Another participant, Dave, explains that while GPS data is used in telescope aiming, it primarily serves to determine the telescope's location rather than direct aiming.
  • Camerart clarifies that the second location for his project will be received via an antenna and radio receiver, and he needs a program to calculate the two locations for motor control.
  • One participant suggests that with two sets of latitude and longitude coordinates, it is possible to calculate the angle and distance between them using geometry, and mentions online calculators available for this purpose.
  • There is a discussion about the challenges of determining the starting orientation of the device and the required accuracy for pointing.
  • Camerart expresses a need for calculations to support the tracking of moving targets, indicating that the hardware will be designed to accommodate the necessary calculation speed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the feasibility of using latitude and longitude coordinates for calculations, but there is no consensus on the specifics of the implementation or the challenges related to device orientation and accuracy.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the three-dimensional aspects of the calculations and how to effectively track moving signals, as well as the accuracy requirements for the device's orientation.

camerart
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Hi,

I am making an NMEA (GPS) signal tracker. (NMEA data is sent from satellites, funcubes plus many more objects e,g, animal tracking) and will be used to aim it's antenna toward the signal for better reception. I assume that this is used for telescope aiming also.

The data includes location. Follow the link for information: http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm

What I am hoping for is a calculation between two of these points. 1/Tracker and 2/target. Is anyone willing to help me please?

Cheers, Camerart.
 
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HI
welcome to PF :smile:

I assume that this is used for telescope aiming also.

not directly in the aiming ... initially its more of a location of the telescope thing
My telescope is a "GOTO" scope. It has a GPS receiver in it and the scope computer uses that data and then the manual location of several bright stars and from that info the computer can locate any object in its database that is currently above the horizon
Pretty cool :)

What I am hoping for is a calculation between two of these points. 1/Tracker and 2/target. Is anyone willing to help me please?

not sure how to answer that, or if I even can ? do some more clarifying please
what 2 points ? are they both on earth? or is one of them the satellite ?

cheers
Dave
 
Last edited:
Hi, Thanks.

From what you say, your telescope has a GPS so that it can compare it's location with a database, for the aiming calculation.

I think the difference in what I want is, that the second location is received through an antenna and radio receiver. I need a program to calculate the two locations, to add to a PIC program, so it can tell the two motors which way to move. Very similar to yours.

Cheers, Camerart.
 
Yes, if you have two sets of lat/long coordinates, you can find the angle and length of a line between them with geometry. That's a basic component of navigation. Googling finds lots of online calculators for it, some that even include a cut-and-past math script to use yourself: http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html

Now, pointing the device is not a simple problem because it isn't necessarily easy to know the starting orientation of your device. Have you put any thought into that? How accurate does the pointing need to be?
 
Last edited:
russ_watters said:
Yes, if you have two sets of lat/long coordinates, you can find the angle and length of a line between them with geometry. That's a basic component of navigation. Googling finds lots of online calculators for it, some that even include a cut-and-past math script to use yourself: http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html

Now, pointing the device is not a simple problem because it isn't necessarily easy to know the starting orientation of your device. Have you put any thought into that? How accurate does the pointing need to be?

Thanks for the link, but as you say it looks to me like two dimensional, I need three (Correct me if I've wrong)

I'm hoping for someone, who can do the calculations, for feedback as my project moves forward.

My device will be aimed according to either visual or previous knowledge, or in the case of animal tracking, it will be scanned around till a signal is received.

The tracker need to be able to keep up with whatever it is tracking, some are faster than others, but the hardware will be built to cater for the calculation speed.

Thanks, Camerart.
 

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