[STK]

Hey All,
Is there a GPS Application to show the satellites you are connected to? I'm curious to know my signal strengths etc.

[STK]

Anybody?

[Exocet]

GPS satellites rarely push out satellite ID numbers, just timecodes. Lots and lots of timecodes

[KevL]

Originally Posted by Exocet

GPS satellites rarely push out satellite ID numbers, just timecodes. Lots and lots of timecodes

Every gps device I've used has been able to display the current constellation along with Sat id numbers before it actually gives a position lock.
Garmin etrex handhelds, gpsVPxp on my laptop along with oziexplorer , iGo8 and TomTom units etc will show the satellite view, satellite number and signal strength. Without the id number the unit cannot provide a location as it doesn't know which sat is sending what timecode.

All this aside, I haven't been able to find any iphone app that displays this info unless one of the mobile navigation apps eg Sygic does. Standalone nav units such as TomTom, iGo8 etc can display it.

[rustyshelf]

The reason that you don't see apps that do this is that Apple doesn't expose that information in their GPS API. You get a location, and it's associated precision (hdop, etc), you get direction, and you get number of satellites, but no info on the individual satellites themselves.

Edit: Just re-read your original question. If you just want satellite count then there'd have to be an app for that. I can build that in under an hour in xCode, so some other chump out there must have done it already

[Danoss]

Isn't there an app that will at least inform you of the GPS satellites that are in range of your location? I know there is one for Windows Mobile that can show you the satellites in range and their coverage area that are used for satellite phones.

I would have thought one similar to that would be available, if not relatively simple to make.

[KevL]

Originally Posted by rustyshelf

The reason that you don't see apps that do this is that Apple doesn't expose that information in their GPS API.

That would explain why this feature is missing from the apps.
The upcoming TomTom app may address this as it supposedly has a separate gps chip in the mounting bracket.