Build in BluetoothLowEnergy Beacon Scanner
Don't call this UUID0xFD6FTracer!
Overview
Google is extremely restrictive when it comes to apps in PlayStore that use the words ‘COVID-19’ or ‘pandemic’ - I have tried multiple times to release the little UUID0xFD6FTracer app in the PlayStore - but it has always been removed after a short while for (IMHO) silly reasons. So I gave up and release the via app the FDroid-Store and Amazon AppStore.
While the UUID0xFD6FTracer app is showing you the current situation you might like to be able to record the number of visible BluetoothLE beacons around you over time. This can be archived by enabling the BluetoothLE Beacon Scanner feature of GPSLogger II.
Requirement
- Enabled Bluetooth
- Using Bluetooth you need to grand the permission to access the device location
- General Settings > UUID Beacon Scanner
- Start logging - this is really essential - the app only start to display detected BluetoothLE beacons while you record (or if you have loaded a previously recorded path)
- [Optional] Beacon View: Appearance & Startup > Available View configuration… > BTLE Beacon
- [Optional] Appearance & Startup > Map & Path View Settings… > Show BTE-Beacons
BTLE-Beacon View
The build in UUID Beacon Scanner have a dedicated view in order to display the number of beacons in range over time. See View Documentation for details.
Stored location information
For GPSLogger II it’s not
possible to detect the exact position of a BluetoothLE beacon - so each time GPSLogger detects a new BTLE beacon
your current position will be associated with the beacon. So just to be precise: the app does not store the location
of any BTLE beacon - the app stores your location where a beacon was detected for the first time!
When you continue to move and the beacon is moving with you, the location information stored in GPSLogger will not be updated for this specific beacon!
When there are more than a single beacon at a location the app will render an additional number on the map-marker
How GPSLogger II is counting Beacons
(in contrast to the UUID0xFD6FTracer App)
In contrast to the UUID0xFD6DTracer, GPSLogger is counting the unique Beacon IDs that are discoverable from your current location. Imagine the following scenario:
When your location is static and there is a single beacon in your area the UUID0xFD6DTracer keeps showing you 0 or 1 (depending on the range). If the ID of the single beacon will change this will have no effect for UUID0xFD6DTracer, the app will show you still 0 or 1.
On the other hand GPSLogger II counts every single beacon ID that is reported by the scanner - so if the ID is going to change the counter will be increased by one. I.e. if 10 beacons pass you, the number 10 is also displayed in GPSLogger II (at the location you encountered a total of 10 beacon IDs).
Export of recorded beacon data
When you record beacon data you probably want to do something with it - Since none of the standard file formats is supporting this type of data (at least I am not aware of) - the app offers a simple CSV Export.
You find this Export in the PathManager.
- Select the path from the list
- select the more icon
- select Export
- select UUID 0x’ as CSV
The file will then be stored in the default share folder of the app - if you need help accessing exported data on your device please see: access GPSLogger files