Sony GPS-CS1 V.S WBT-100

Preliminary comparison
1. Satellites fixation ability
Sony GPS-CS1 took about 1 min while WBT-100 (Firmware version 3.31.6230R40) took about 7 min to fix satellites.

2. Tracking ability
WBT-100 was set to 15sec log once as the default setting of Sony GPS-CS1. During the whole testing period, Sony logged 135 while WBT-100 logged 104 trackpoints in about 40 mins.

3. Accuracy
In general, the accuracy of both GPS units are similar. Althought, the geocoded toilet photo and Mitsukoshi photos taken in front of the ChungWha Telecom showed that Sony has better accuracy than WBT-100, the WBT-100 is more steady at low speed. Moreover, althrought Sony GPS logs no altitude info according to the official documentation, altitude info still can be retrieved by software such as RoboGEO but the accuracy are questionable.

4. Capacity and data retrievability
Sony can store up to 360hrs data while WBT-100 can only record 106hrs (with a setting of 15sec/log). Data in Sony GPS-CS1 can be retrieved by USB cable in any computer without having any drives or software installed; with WBT-100, the data can only be retreived by CP210x USB to UART Bridge Controller and G-Tool installed computers.

5. Power surpply
The consumption of a fully charged battery in both units are more or less the same, 14hrs. However, Sony uses AA size dry battery which can be purchased in any store and WBT-100 uses only a specific rechargable battery.

6. Flexibility
You can set different log modes with the WBT-100 according to your purpose but not with the Sony GPS-CS1. This flexiblility makes the WBT-100 a more suitable GPS device in drawing a tracking route or as a GPS receptor for other guiding software.

Tracking route: Sony GPS-CS1(red); WBT-100 (green).
Photos geocoded with wrong lat and lon: Mitsukoshi the correct postion, with Sony GPS-CS1 log, with WBT-100 log; toilet in the park; the correct position (with Sony GPS-CS1 log); with WBT-100 log.

1. 22.986401,120.20004
2. 22.986402,120.199989
3. 22.986394,120.199911
4. 22.987431,120.197523
5. 22.987576,120.197076
6. 22.987516,120.197327
7. 22.987511,120.197362
8. 22.987511,120.19738
9. 22.987518,120.197392
10. 22.987519,120.197402
11. 22.98723,120.197443
12. 22.987217,120.197549
13. 22.987214,120.197602
14. 22.98716,120.197617
15. 22.987184,120.197614
16. 22.987221,120.197597
17. 22.987255,120.197584
18. 22.987286,120.197578
19. 22.987311,120.197573
20. 22.987331,120.197563
21. 22.987344,120.197558
22. 22.987355,120.197559
23. 22.987388,120.19757
24. 22.987959,120.19784
25. 22.987978,120.197893
26. 22.98797,120.19793
27. 22.987952,120.19796
28. 22.987416,120.198118
29. 22.987308,120.198171
30. 22.987409,120.198142
31. 22.987437,120.19811
32. 22.987493,120.198079
33. 22.987573,120.198073
34. 22.987635,120.19806
35. 22.987685,120.198058
36. 22.987716,120.198065
37. 22.987735,120.198063
38. 22.987748,120.198055
39. 22.987752,120.198044
40. 22.987753,120.198042
41. 22.987755,120.198043
42. 22.987762,120.198043
43. 22.98777,120.198045
44. 22.987776,120.19804
45. 22.987781,120.198038
46. 22.987794,120.198032
47. 22.987817,120.198023
48. 22.988435,120.197652
49. 22.988458,120.197624
50. 22.988459,120.197637
51. 22.988441,120.197694
52. 22.988422,120.197767
53. 22.988396,120.197845
54. 22.988372,120.197924
55. 22.988133,120.198657
56. 22.988133,120.19877
57. 22.988118,120.19879
58. 22.988118,120.198802
59. 22.988117,120.198806
60. 22.988129,120.198804
61. 22.988139,120.198793
62. 22.988148,120.198787
63. 22.988147,120.198803
64. 22.988146,120.198838
65. 22.98814,120.198885
66. 22.98812,120.198928
67. 22.988094,120.198954
68. 22.988074,120.198964
69. 22.988057,120.198974
70. 22.988043,120.198982
71. 22.988028,120.198991
72. 22.988015,120.199
73. 22.988006,120.199008
74. 22.987998,120.199014
75. 22.987992,120.199018
76. 22.987985,120.199024
77. 22.987979,120.199028
78. 22.987972,120.199032
79. 22.987968,120.199036
80. 22.987964,120.19904
81. 22.98796,120.199041
82. 22.987957,120.199043
83. 22.987953,120.199045
84. 22.987949,120.199048
85. 22.987948,120.199055
86. 22.987951,120.199067
87. 22.987959,120.19908
88. 22.988326,120.199697
89. 22.98832,120.199808
90. 22.988314,120.199913
91. 22.98828,120.199997
92. 22.988215,120.200042
93. 22.988141,120.20007
94. 22.988059,120.200084
95. 22.987978,120.200094
96. 22.987259,120.20025
97. 22.987224,120.200267
98. 22.98724,120.200243
99. 22.987232,120.20019
100. 22.987194,120.200139
101. 22.987169,120.200101
102. 22.987134,120.200087
103. 22.987092,120.200072
104. 22.987055,120.200058

1. 22.9866217,120.2001333
2. 22.9866067,120.20015
3. 22.9867117,120.2001617
4. 22.9866733,120.2001683
5. 22.9866567,120.2001983
6. 22.9866633,120.2001867
7. 22.9866167,120.20009
8. 22.9866667,120.20009
9. 22.9867967,120.20006
10. 22.9868067,120.2000183
11. 22.9866983,120.2000317
12. 22.9866183,120.1999483
13. 22.9867883,120.1998633
14. 22.9868383,120.2000267
15. 22.9866467,120.1999833
16. 22.9866217,120.2000067
17. 22.98673,120.2001733
18. 22.9866617,120.2001483
19. 22.9864533,120.2001583
20. 22.9864833,120.1999933
21. 22.98638,120.2002133
22. 22.986335,120.2002
23. 22.9862533,120.199285
24. 22.986365,120.20003
25. 22.9863767,120.1998633
26. 22.9863917,120.1996817
27. 22.986275,120.1995917
28. 22.9863217,120.1994683
29. 22.9863067,120.19939
30. 22.9862967,120.1993133
31. 22.986295,120.199245
32. 22.9863667,120.1990683
33. 22.9861117,120.1989183
34. 22.9862117,120.198735
35. 22.9860467,120.198565
36. 22.9860233,120.1985017
37. 22.9862,120.19819
38. 22.9860217,120.1978233
39. 22.98756,120.1978483
40. 22.9875217,120.1981733
41. 22.9874667,120.1977567
42. 22.98756,120.1976433
43. 22.98768,120.1971367
44. 22.98747,120.197395
45. 22.9873983,120.19748
46. 22.987365,120.19767
47. 22.9874467,120.197625
48. 22.9874033,120.1976283
49. 22.9874217,120.19758
50. 22.9873717,120.1976233
51. 22.98722,120.1976
52. 22.987435,120.1974033
53. 22.98722,120.19774
54. 22.9873933,120.19753
55. 22.9874283,120.1975
56. 22.9873367,120.19751
57. 22.9873983,120.1975133
58. 22.9874183,120.197475
59. 22.98739,120.1974383
60. 22.98729,120.197965
61. 22.9877067,120.198075
62. 22.9886267,120.1969667
63. 22.9883933,120.1975367
64. 22.9888233,120.1962267
65. 22.9883633,120.1973483
66. 22.98854,120.1977367
67. 22.9881817,120.19803
68. 22.9893917,120.1962033
69. 22.9887267,120.1976233
70. 22.9891617,120.1968517
71. 22.9894233,120.196525
72. 22.9895017,120.1961233
73. 22.9884717,120.197015
74. 22.9884783,120.197055
75. 22.9885183,120.1970867
76. 22.988565,120.1974967
77. 22.98856,120.197615
78. 22.988715,120.197525
79. 22.9887233,120.1975933
80. 22.98855,120.1973883
81. 22.988765,120.19726
82. 22.9884,120.19757
83. 22.98812,120.1979167
84. 22.9881233,120.198145
85. 22.9880367,120.198325
86. 22.987905,120.1984933
87. 22.9881067,120.1988117
88. 22.9880667,120.198755
89. 22.9880367,120.1987617
90. 22.9880233,120.1987567
91. 22.9880217,120.198755
92. 22.9880083,120.19875
93. 22.9880117,120.1987433
94. 22.987945,120.198855
95. 22.98796,120.1990367
96. 22.987885,120.19922
97. 22.98773,120.1993283
98. 22.9876583,120.1992017
99. 22.9877067,120.19907
100. 22.98768,120.199185
101. 22.9877033,120.19918
102. 22.987705,120.19918
103. 22.9876667,120.1991483
104. 22.9876917,120.1991183
105. 22.98767,120.199125
106. 22.9876667,120.1991033
107. 22.987695,120.1991267
108. 22.987695,120.1991183
109. 22.9876967,120.199095
110. 22.987685,120.1990683
111. 22.9876917,120.1990467
112. 22.987715,120.19906
113. 22.9877267,120.19905
114. 22.98774,120.19905
115. 22.9877133,120.1990483
116. 22.9877233,120.1991683
117. 22.9877883,120.199235
118. 22.987945,120.199385
119. 22.9881133,120.19958
120. 22.9881133,120.199785
121. 22.988205,120.200035
122. 22.9880517,120.2001467
123. 22.9878683,120.2001733
124. 22.987685,120.2002
125. 22.9875,120.2001817
126. 22.9873233,120.2001233
127. 22.987275,120.2002517
128. 22.9872883,120.2001617
129. 22.98732,120.2001283
130. 22.98715,120.20004
131. 22.9871867,120.1998467
132. 22.986975,120.199975
133. 22.987265,120.1999067
134. 22.9868317,120.199745
135. 22.98669,120.1996783

You can also check photos that geocoded with Sony and WBT-100 log; comparison of tracking route on Google Earth

Another format of travelogue--GPS application

Except for keeping notes, there is now a better way to record your journeys in detail. With the help of software programs, a GPS receiver, a digital camera and google earth/map, you can now make your memories traceable.

Geocoding
Kodak, Ricoh, and Nikon manufacture built-in GPS support cameras, e.g. Nikon D200. With the help of programs such as RoboGeo(unregisted versions introduce 1km mismatch; Win only), GPSPhotoLinker(free; Mac only) and Jetphoto Studio(free geocoding for the first 100 photos; Win, Mac & Uni), it's possible to geocode digital photos that were taken with almost any model of digital cameras. By matching the date and time of the digital photos' EXIF and GPS logs, the software syncronizes latitude and longitude into digital photos' EXIF allowing photos to be displayed on Google earth/map or Flickr. Richard Akerman's geocoding photos lists all kinds of software for geocoding with different OS and other useful information.

GPS
I purchased a stand-alone track recording GPS WBT-100, NT2990 from Wintecronics Ltd., which can record 25360 points of date, time, latitude, longitude and altitude. The advantage of WBT-100 are: there are four log mode settings (set a certain time or distance log one time or auto log data referring to degree or speed) to make the data recording more flexible. The unit includes a G-Tool program which transfers point records into different formats such as google earth(kmz), GPX and OziExplorer etc. for downstream applications. With a build-in compass, WBT-100 has Compass/GPS inter-calibration feature that makes accurate NMEA-output for GPS. Bluetooth with USB socket enables WBT-100's multi application capacities such as navigation, track recording, and direction indicator(Specifications). However, 25360 points of storage capacity is only good for 3.5 days (10 hr/day) by default setting (5 sec. log per). More over, the data can only be retreived by CP210x USB to UART Bridge Controller and G-Tool installed PC which makes it almost impossible for travellers who travel more than 4 days to download data before the overwrite takes place; not to mention the G-Tool has no function to locate photos with GPS tracking. WBT-100 is an upgradable GPS receiver. I am hoping the storage capacity and the accuracy of GPS info will be upgraded.

Sony's newest GPS receiver Sony GPS-CS1 on the other hand, can record data up to one month (15sec. log one time for 10 hours per day). Softwares GPSImageTracker and Picture Motion Browser, allow users to geocode digital photos and show them on an online map. Even thought the software has no function to convert log data into other formats such as Google earth, the log files can still be converted by GPS Babel (free) then create maps and profiles from GPS data (tracks and waypoints), street addresses, or simple coordinates on Google earth/map via GPS Visualizer, a free, easy-to-use online utility. However,with a fixed logged mode setting, not being upgradable and having a single functional design(it can't be used as a GPS receiver for PPC/Notebook navigation etc.) makes the Sony GPS less desirable.

Richard has an essay about the Sony GPS-CS1 in which SIRF start III chiped GPS receivers were compared with Sony GPS-CS1. http://scilib.typepad.com/science_library_pad/2006/09/my_review_of_th.html

Travelogue
Here are examples of GPS applications.
I took a train to Hualien for a vacation and visited Taroko National Park during my stay. My tracks were recorded with a WBT-100 and then converted to google earth via G-tool. Google maps were created via GPS Visualizer and photos were geocoded with Jetphoto Studio. You'll have to install Google Earth to open the kmz files.

Traveling by train : from Tainan to Hualien
Google Earth; Google Map

Traveling in Hualien: Photos and tracks
Google Earth; Google Map
(Due to the storage capacity, photos in Google map were removed and links to filckr on pics 5, 6, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26 and 27 were added.)