Fri Jun 06 2003 - 16:06:54 PDT

Contents
1. Dates for the next Eastern Invasives meeting
2. Update on TNC Invasive Weeds Database, here are the haps
3. Using the Palm device

--------------------------------------- 

1. Dates for the next Eastern Invasives meeting
From: Barry Rice (bamrice(at)ucdavis.edu)

We are starting to plan our next Network meeting, which will be held
somewhere in central Florida. Does anyone have any major "blackout" times
during which January (or perhaps early February) would be unacceptable? If
so, please contact me. This meeting will be a little different for us, in
that we are toying with ways to do this cheaply. Think peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches.

--------------------------------------- 

2. Update on TNC Invasive Weeds Database, here are the haps
From: Mandy Tu (imtu(at)tnc.org)

Remember the database application for weed monitoring that we have talked
about at the various Eastern Invasives Network meetings? The Microsoft
Access database application (the software for your laptop or desktop) is
ready for you to use! Here is the url,

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/blavine2/lst?.dir=/TNC+Invasive+Weeds

but please do not yet distribute this web address to your partners. We
eventually hope to have it available on the WIST web site for everyone.
The MS Access database is easy to use and to install...and I recommend
copying the entire version 1.5 folder onto your hard drive, then use the
read-me file to install.

The interface between the application and the handheld units are a bit
more problematic, however. There are a few bugs in the system, and
installation (depending on which version of Access & Windows that you
have) may be somewhat difficult. The latest update from TNC's Information
Systems Training & Communications Team (TIS) is that they have agreed that
this database should be a high priority, but they are unlikely to provide
support because of staff and budget cuts.

Additionally, there is some not-great-news about the hardware side of
things. Der!! When I first presented the handhelds, we chose to use the
HandSpring Visors, mostly because of their low cost, ease of replacing
batteries, etc. However, several weeks ago HandSpring discontinued this
line of PDA devices (der!). Perhaps in response, Magellan (who makes the
GPS devices) discontinued its production of Handspring-compatible GPS
units (double der!!). In summary, both the specific PDA unit and GPS
hardware we designed the software for is no longer being produced (Der!
Der! Der!). But all is NOT lost---there are three options to getting
around this:

OPTION 1: You can still purchase new or refurbished HandSpring Visors on
the web or in big electronic stores, but you will be purchasing an item
that is no longer supported or in production.

OPTION 2: Since the program for collecting field data works on any PDA
working on a Palm Operating System, you can use any of the PDA units
produced by Palm or Sony, attached to an external Garmin GPS unit (Garmin
12 or Garmin Etrex units) via a cable. You can also Velcro the PDA and GPS
together. There are actually some advantages to using an external Garmin
unit...read Steve Buttrick's comments on this in the next message in this
listserve.

OPTION 3: We are adapting our Weed Database to be completely compatible
with Windows CE units (such as the HP/Compaq IPAQs or Dells). The IPAQs
are more expensive (about $500), but I think that you get a lot more
computing power with it. Jason Karl (TNC-Idaho) is working on this
integration part, and it looks like the installation of the components
will be much simpler than with the Palm devices and interface on the IPAQ
is much easier to use. Jason is also developing ArcPad into this
application, so you can use a stylus to draw onto a map on the PDA where
your weeds are. The data can be loaded directly into ArcView. This
technology is still in development, and has not even been widely field
tested yet. By field season 2004? Maybe...

Sorry for any confusion and frustration with this device. Technology is
just moving too fast for me right now!!

--------------------------------------- 

3. Using the Palm device
From: Steve Buttrick (sbuttrick(at)tnc.org)

(The following edited note is from an email from Steve Buttrick,
reproduced with his permission. Steve uses the Palm m515 with a Magellan
GPS unit and says the combination works great.---Barry)

The reason we have pushed the HandSpring Visors is because of cost and the
replaceable batteries; most other PDAs have internal batteries that need
to be recharged in the cradle. If you have a Handspring Visor already you
can purchase an Etrex from Garmin (ca $100) or a GPS 12 from Garmin
($150). You might actually find these to be better than the Magellans. The
GPS 12 will do averaging - collect a coordinate every second or so and
average them together. The Garmins attach to either the Visor or the Palm
m5xx by a cable that you can purchase from Blue Hills Innovations
(www.blue-hills-innovations.com). The Garmin GPS units are stand-alone
units so are nice to have. The Magellans will only work when attached to
the PDA. If you do decide to go with a Magellan/Palm configuration you
need to know that on a Palm OS system only one program can run at a time.
The integrated Magellan GPS unit is one program and the database is
another program. If you are mapping an occurrence you need to first go
into the GPS program to get the satellite fix. When you have it you can
then go the database (Smartlist-to-go) and import the coordinates. When
you go to a new occurrence (or a new point if you are mapping an
assessment) you need to first go back to the GPS program to capture the
new coordinates then switch to the database and import the new
coordinates. This is not an issue if you use the Garmins because they are
stand alone units and are always on.