Hi, RemyJ.

I am having similar issues... I have about 10-12 cell tower locations saved in my signalloc.kml file. When I try to VIEW ALL on map, I get an exception error (screenshot attached). If I try to view a single location on a map (Google Maps), it works. I have also saved the file, copied it to my computer and attempted to import it into Google Maps on my computer and it reported a different error, also attached. I took the liberty of sending you my file, as well.

Thanks in advance for looking at it.

Two issues.

Google Maps doesn't support the VIEW ALL feature, only BlackBerry Maps does.

The file you sent me was a CSV file not a KML file even though it was named .kml. In Options, set the export type to KML.

My fault. For some reason the last version I uploaded wasn't signed properly. I just fixed it so clear your cache and download again.

The two apps really aren't related. SignalLoc allows you to capture location and signal strength (along with other radio info) for network diagnostic purposes. Latitude is more of a social networking app.

Google Maps has a problem with View All. It just doesn't support it. Only BlackBerry Maps does.

Send me your KML file so I can take a look.

I set the option for KML output, but the file still looks like CSV. I don't know why that is, but it's what happens... I have verified the settings and even changed the file name to 'start clean'.

And rather than allowing the call to VIEW ALL and the program puking up a cryptic exception error, why not intercept the call when the map program is set to Google Maps and display an error message - much more informative and elegant that seeing the app puke on your screen.

The log file is different that the export file. To export in KML format, you have to do an "Export all to File" from the Locations or Cell Sites list. The continuous log is always CSV.

Fixing the error message is on my to-do list.

Thanks for the information.

Ok, here's the deal... The KML file has timestamp data in it so Google Earth displays a slider at the top of the map with a time scale. Only those landmarks which fall into the timescale are shown. You have to drag and split the slider to see all of the landmarks at the same time.

And FWIW, Google Maps does not appear to have that same behavior - I imported the KML file into Google Maps and it shows all of the landmarks.

Good to know. I'm adding an option to suppress the timestamps so Google Earth will display all of the locations at the same time by default. The time will still be displayed, there just won't be a separate Timestamp XML tag in the file.

Hello Remy we discovered our GIS group has an app that allows importing location points. So I attempted to make some saved locations with CSV file format and it did make a file with all the fields filled in for when it was set to generate by time but when I changed it to add a location by distance instead it stopped functioning. WHen it was set to do by distance I got the following in the file, heres one line, note also was huge spaces between each line of data

DLat,DLong,Alt,Speed,Course,Name,Satellites,FixQua lity,CellSite,Signal,Service,Comment,UserData,Expo rtDate,DateDiscovered
44.514,-69.57528,-36.0,23.0,130.78125,

A good CSV file as you know looks like this:
DLat,DLong,Alt,Speed,Course,Name,Satellites,FixQua lity,CellSite,Signal,Service,Comment,UserData,Expo rtDate,DateDiscovered
44.31908,-69.80378,-49.0,0.5,13.359370231628418,MyLoc-2009-04-29-14:06:43,11,1,Verizon-28-5-8646,-80, V D MDS WAP DOP,""test data","2009-04-29T20:50:04Z",2009-04-29-14:06:43

The only difference was the change I made to save locations by distance.

Thanks ~ Phil

I should have a new release out in a few hours that fixes these issues.

SignalLoc v 1.0 - Build 1.0.1230 - Released May 1 2009
**Fixed**
Made KML Timestamps optional
Fixed formatting issue with Name
Added check for BlackBerry Maps when perfoming a View All

Link: Signal-Location Utilities for BlackBerry

HI Remy thanks for figuring that out, I missed this entry. Ill try it in GoogleEarth again. What we want to be able to do is display the signal strenght right on the map. I can do that with an external map program and the csv file but if there was a way with Google Earth that would be easier.

I see u just posted a new ver, we are at ver 1.0.1223 ill download and test tomorrow thanks alot

Phil

I tried the .1230 ver today. We created both a csv and then the kml type. Created locations in the csv regularly per the distance setting.

Doing to a KML file and it imported into Google Earth fine, could see all of them, I also saw the time slidebar at the top. With GoogleMaps as the map choice in the program if I selected display all I still got an error instead of denying it. I thought your update would check and deny trying to display a vew all in google maps.

In the prefex field, is it possible use an locations detail variable so it dynamically applys one of the Site Location's details as a variable and display that detail field in the name? IE I would like to display the Signal detail in the name on the map. So I can see globally what the signal strengh is while looking at say a town coverage instead of having to click on each location to see what the signal strenght is?? IE so a locations name would be -87 MyLoc-20090502...

A few suggestions/requests

Allow program to run in landscape mode (For storm) Can use the full keyboard and is much easier.

When in Portrait mode, have program follow the preferred keyboard mode instead of always being SureType. (Allow it to do Multitap too) Appears to be doing Sure type even though I have Multitap selected.

Being able to have both csv and KML files would be useful, or is there a way to create a kml from csv?

Let me look more at the GoogleMaps vs BlackBerryMaps thing. I tested it but I'm not sure why it's nor working for you. I'll also fix the Storm compatability stuff although I don;t have a Storm to test with. Let me think about CSV/KML for a bit.

Good idea on the substitution variables. I'll work on it but it'll take some time to implement

FWIW, the error message IS displayed on my Curve when I try to "show all"...

I downloaded this to my 8220 a few days ago, and it works like a champ. Thanks for all of your efforts on this, RemyJ!

SignalLoc v 1.0 - Build 1.0.1236 - Released May 3 2009
-----------------------------------------------------
Added ability to use substitution variables in location name (see Options Help)
Removed Storm compatability attributes to allow the user to select.
Fixed issue where the auto add location distance wouldn't accept decimal points.

Link: Signal-Location Utilities for BlackBerry

Hello RemyJ the variable in the location name is great! We are manually manipulating the KML file after the fact to remove the date and time, not too much work but is it possible to choose not to display the date and time??

"Removed Storm compatability attributes to allow the user to select" - Program does not work in landscape mode if you were expecting this to allow that. Also still not doing multi-tap, its doing SureType even though Multitap is selected in the blackberry options. Using in landscape mode would be nice as it uses the full keyboard.

Is your name Remy? have you ever been to Greece, not may people with the name Remy.

~ Phil

Not much I can do with the date. It's needed to keep the names unique.

Not much more I can do with the Storm either unfortunately other than to suggest turning compatability mode on or off to see if it behaves any better.

Remy is a nickname after the famous French stunt driver Remy Julien. Back in the '70s he used to do a car commercial where he'd drive his Renault over a small waterfall then drive off. I did the same in a Toyota Corona in New Hampshire.

Thanks we can manually edit the date and time out and we can get through using the program in portrait mode, just tough to type file names in. My wife went when she was a teen with a guy named Remy, its a unique name.

So did your corolla survive??

Also in our KLM file, I had several locations that had not signal (value=0) and the lat/long were also zero. Could be coincidence but Im wondering if because there is no GPS its also not recording a signal value??

THanks for the hard work, great program I would think Cell companys would be very interested in this program...

OK did another drive this morning and getting good results, showing up on GoogleEarth nicely.

But I still see entries that have 0 signal and 0 Lat/Long Also odd is that its at the bottom of the file, this one the last 4 entries have no info.

I can see not getting any lat/long as sometimes the gps may not get a clear veiw of sky but where I got the 0s is right downtown where there is great coverage.

Heres the last entry in the file, note the location name doesnt have the date and time cause i stripped it out, but the sig and lat/long were 0s before.

<description><![CDATA[]]></description></Placemark>
<Placemark>
<name><![CDATA[0]]></name>
<styleUrl>#locationIcon</styleUrl>
<ExtendedData>
<Data name="CreateDate"><value>2009-05-05T10:11:25Z</value></Data>
<Data name="Speed"><value>0 mph</value></Data>
<Data name="Course"><value>0</value></Data>
<Data name="Satellites"><value>0</value></Data>
<Data name="FixQuality"><value>0</value></Data>
<Data name="CellSite"><value><![CDATA[null]]></value></Data>
<Data name="SignalStrength"><value>0</value></Data>
<Data name="Service"><value>null</value></Data>
<Data name="UserData">
<value><![CDATA[]]></value></Data>
<Data name="ExportDate"><value>2009-05-05T10:34:54Z</value></Data>
</ExtendedData>
<Point>
<altitudeMode>clampToGround</altitudeMode>
<coordinates>0.0,0.0,0.0</coordinates>
</Point>
<description><![CDATA[]]></description></Placemark>
</Document></kml>

~ Phil

Yeah, if the program can't get a gps fix it records an empty record. This was a request from several users. They sort to the bottom because a signal strength of 0 is greater that a real signal strength which is negative.

The car survived but not quite in drive-away condition.

Oops. I take this back. It's a bug which I'll fix today.

Well we are trying to MAP out cellular signal coverage by location and we also want to see where there is no cell signal. So to get those points to show up on a map we need GPS lat/longs....

~ Phil

Hi RemyJ funny I didnt see your responses before I responded to Wilfred.

Hmmm since the points would not get mapped Id think its better to keep the true Signal strenght reading and also leave the entries without a gps lock in the right sequence in the file so I would know between point 5 and point 7 there was a signal of -115 or whatever the signal is. Either that or have an option to allow choosing to NOT log entries with no gps readings??

Must have been a wild ride, I tried to google your stunt driver hero but no luck finding it.

~ Phil

SignalLoc v 1.0 - Build 1.0.1250 - Released May 6 2009
-----------------------------------------------------
Fixed issue where locations with invalid values are being saved.
Fixed issue where initial location wasn't being saved.
Removed requirement that the date be appended to location names.

Link: Signal-Location Utilities for BlackBerry

Very nice being able to have the name only display variables. I had noticed it didnt save a location when you started but didnt think it was a bug. Much better getting a point at the start.

I also see when in a field that you can type in, that there is an option in the blackberry button menu to choose multi tap. You probably fixed that before but I didnt see how to activate it. Thanks alot, you will make our job of mapping coverage out alot easier.

~ Phil

Hi RemyJ its working great, locations are saving with only the signal for the name. Saving a location at the initial start point. Also is saving in order locations without LAT/LONG info, but is saving with a sig value of 0, is that how its expected to be?

Great work, I hope your day job pays well!

~ Phil

Is it still the case that cell site location does not work on verizon? Thanks for the hard work I really enjoy this app

I'm not sure why it's saving empty locations. I thought I had that fixed but I guess not. I'll keep looking.

Possibly on the Storm but no earlier models.

Hi RemyJ, today we drove over 400 miles round trip, running the program for most of the time worked great and is providing great data for our purpose. A few questions/observations:

In areas of weak coverage a few times it recorded a cell signal of -256, does this value represent 'No signal" or the lowest signal level possible??

On the storm, occasionally it will loose sat lock and it comes right back, not sure if you see that on normal berrys.

Twice we lost sat lock, thought it was from an overcast sky but the garmin GPS was working fine. Restarting the app did nothing but when I rebooted the Storm it regained sat lock..

Still writing 0 signal value when no sat lock, can I supply you any log info??

Thanks alot!

~ Phil

I've seen the radio report -256 occasionally when there's a cell site switch in progress.

Every handheld I've tested looses lock occasionally. The only thing I can figure is that the antenna system on the handhelds isn't as powerful as the dedicated GPS models. If the Storm looses lock, and doesn't regain it, try starting Google Maps and see if it regains the lock.

I'm looking at the empty records. No need for more info.

Hello again RemyJ, I have a suggestion for your program. When its time to record a location, if the GPS returns all zeros, dump the data and then keep checking the GPS data respose for each GPS update until you get a non-zeros result, and then save an entry, to keep from saving sites with no values.

Would have two options to activate this:

Do not save locations with no GPS location

Recheck GPS for saved location until valid coordinate returned

~ Phil

Thanks Phil. I'm working on it.

SignalLoc v 1.0 - Build 1.0.1259 - Released May 10 2009
------------------------------------------------------
Another try at fixing the problem where locations with invalid values are being saved.

Link: Signal-Location Utilities for BlackBerry


@Phil: I took a 1 hour test drive in the hills today with an AT&T Bold and a Sprint 8830 and got no invalid locations so see if this build helps.

Do we need a Data Plan for this?