[talk-au] New member, need a mentor.

[Graeme Wilson]

Hello All,
 
I need a mentor, preferably in the Canberra region.
 
I am a drive test technician and monitor mobile phone coverage across Australia. I do approx 120,000km + per year and I have been collecting masses of GPS data in two formats. 
 
Firstly, which I will process last, from October 2007 to June 2008 is data in Excel format. The 'problem' with processing this is how to eliminate the periods of time when I am stopped. I'll worry about that later, but I will need someone to advise me on how to convert Excel format data to gpx or whatever it is, and then up load it.
 
Secondly, which I want to do firstly, all data recorded since June is straight ASCII text from the RS232 port of a Garmin eTrex. I can process this info to eliminate the stationary info, and can extract lat and long easily to form another text file, from which I could import to Excel and then up load, or even to directly make gpx files myself. I can write console applications in Delphi to do simple conversions of text to text, and I would prefer to make the gpx files directly from the straight text.
 
I need to know:
 
1: Just what is needed in the gpx files, particularly the header? I have a basic understanding of xml and html (it's all text). The header is what's holding me up at the moment.
 
2: Is the date and time stamp needed? I presume not.
 
3: One of my main 'holdups' is that I wanted to upload altitude as well as lat and long, but I have been told that altitude is deleted by OSM. Is it OK to upload altitude or is this just overloading the system with unnecessary info? My thoughts are that lat long and alt will give 3D pix for some future generation of OSM, but if the general opinion is not to upload it, then I wont.
 
4: I see references to GPSBabel, but cannot make any sense of it. I downloaded something, but it doesnt work.
 
5: Are there any clubs/groups/meetings of OSM people in the Canberra region who meet on a regular basis? 
 
Thanks,
 
Graeme Wilson VK1RE
 
 
 
 
 
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