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Qstarz BL-1000

Description

The Qstarz BL-1000 is a GPS data logger that creates proprietary binary format files. mkmapdiary converts these files to standard GPX format using GPSBabel for processing as map features.

Supported File Extensions

  • .bin - Binary GPS log files from Qstarz BL-1000
  • .poi - Point of Interest files from Qstarz BL-1000
  • .dat - Data files (ignored - not directly supported by GPSBabel)

Processing Details

Conversion Process

  1. GPSBabel Conversion: Binary files are converted to GPX format using the GPSBabel tool
  2. Command Used: gpsbabel -t -w -r -i qstarz_bl-1000 -f input.bin -o gpx -F output.gpx
  3. GPX Processing: Converted files are then processed as standard GPX files

Time and Coordinate Extraction

After conversion to GPX format: - Time Data: Extracted from converted GPX track points and waypoints - Coordinate Data: Latitude, longitude, and elevation from GPS logging - Track Information: Complete GPS tracks with timestamps for route visualization

File Processing Workflow

  1. Detection: Files identified by .bin and .poi extensions
  2. Intermediate Conversion: Creates temporary GPX files in the files directory
  3. GPX Processing: Converted files processed through the standard GPX handler
  4. Asset Generation: Final output follows GPX format processing (date-based splitting, etc.)

Dependencies

  • GPSBabel: Required for converting proprietary Qstarz formats to GPX
  • Must be installed and available in system PATH
  • Supports Qstarz BL-1000 format (qstarz_bl-1000 driver)

Configuration

No specific configuration required. Processing follows GPX configuration settings after conversion:

features:
  geo_correlation:                   # Applied after conversion
    enabled: true
    time_offset: !duration 0 seconds         # GPS device time offset
    max_time_diff: !duration 300 seconds     # Max correlation window

Installation Requirements

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install gpsbabel

# macOS
brew install gpsbabel

# Or compile from source: https://www.gpsbabel.org/

Tips for Best Results

  • Device Settings: Ensure Qstarz BL-1000 is configured with appropriate logging intervals
  • File Management: Keep original binary files as backup; conversion creates intermediate GPX files
  • Time Accuracy: Qstarz devices typically maintain accurate GPS time automatically
  • Battery Management: Ensure device has sufficient power during logging sessions

Output

After conversion and processing: - Map Features: GPS tracks and waypoints displayed on the interactive map - Coordinate Source: Provides location data for other assets through time correlation
- Daily GPX Files: Converted data merged into date-based GPX files in assets directory