Nikon D700 - DIY GPS Project - The Build

Parts list
1 x 2K2 Resistor
2 x 4K7 Resistor
1 x 10K Resistor
1 x 2N222A NPN transistor

1 x USGloblSat EM-406A GPS module
1 x USGloblSat header cable (Got both of these items from from Starlite-intl) otherwise you can get them here if you live in Australia.
1 x Hammond Miniature ABS enclosure P/N: 1551RFLBK or 1551RK
1 x Nikon 10 pin connector DIY cable (Got mine from Stellardesign on ebay)
1 x Hot shoe (pc sync port) adapter
1 x Veroboard
1 x length of ribbon cable. had some lying around.
1 x heat shrink tubing, small ones. had some lying around
1 x 40 way header pin

Tools Required

• soldering iron
• dremel
• wire cutters
• pliers
• solder
• voltmeter
• Power supply

GPS circuit diagram - click for larger view

Testing on breadboard

I tested the circuit design on my breadboard and made sure that it was working correctly before building it on veroboard. Once the red LED starts blinking you are in business.

To simplify the build I laid it all out on graph paper before soldering anything. I worked out exactly where all the components, links and cuts had to be. I also measured and cut the veroboard to size so that it fits into the case. I also notched out on diagonal corners so that the veroboard fitted around the column where the top lid screwed into.

GPS module interface to Nikon D700 completed

Once I am happy that everything fitted correctly then I start soldering the components together. Double checked everything has been done correctly and when you are confident that all is 100%. You can plug the 10 pin connector into the D700 and you should start seeing the GPS symbol blinking on the top panel.

Top view of completed circuit

Veroboard with the level converter circuitry, Nikon 10 pin connector and the 2.5mm stereo jack all wired up. Ready to be mounted into the case.

2.5mm Stereo jack connection to Nikon 10 pin connector

Close up of the 2.5mm Stereo jack and Nikon 10 pin connector. I also made sure that all soldered wires were heat shrunk to eliminate any short circuits.

Connect the following wires on the 2.5mm stereo socket to the Nikon 10 pin connector.

• Red wire - auto-focus - Pin 9
• Orange wire - shutter release - Pin 4
• Yellow wire - ground - Pin 6

Side view of circuit

Close-up of the level converter circuitry. It converts the 3.2V signal from the GPS to 5V for the Nikon D700.

Hole for 2.5mm stereo jack

Hole drilled for the 2.5mm stereo jack. Required for remote shutter release. Do the drilling at the lowest possible torque.

Top view of inside of case

Removed pcb support as it gives extra clearance (height) so the GPS module can fit in. I used the Hammond Miniature ABS enclosure P/N: 1551RFLBK, you should get the one without the flange 1551RBK!

Nice job

Cable relief

Cable strain relief for Nikon 10 pin connector. I used my dremel to ensure a snug fit. Take your time.

Tight fit!

All snugly packed into the case. This is where I plugged it into the D700 for the final test before screwing the lid on.

Hot shoe adapter - pc sync port.

I wanted to have the GPS unit mounted on top of D700. To achieve this I bought a hot shoe adapter off ebay.

Hot shoe pulled apart. Only held together with two screws.

We are only interested in the bottom half.

The plan is to cannibalise it just for the base. I made sure that it could be pulled apart before I bought it. It involves removing 2 screws which takes less than 10 seconds.

Top view of hot shoe

I cut a piece of scrap veroboard, using my dremel, and glued it onto the hot shoe to make a platform. I can now use glue, velcro or double-sided tape to attach the hot shoe base onto the GPS case.

The Finished Product

Check-out part 1 of DIY GPS Project.

Nikon D700 - DIY GPS Project

I built a GPS unit for my Nikon D700 over the last couple of weeks. I have been testing it all this week. I came across this design by Rick Wargo while looking for DIY GPS solution for my Nikon D700 that was simple and cheap to build. If you are keen to build one Rick's site has step by step instructions on how to do it.

GPS circuit diagram - click for larger view

The design is based on the USGloblSat EM-406A. The project costs less than $200 AUD and would have been much less if not for the extremely high shipping costs (USD $50) from the USA. The genuine GP-1 Nikon GPS unit costs $425 in Australia.

GPS module - USGloblSat EM406A

GPS unit - completed

Both the GPS unit and remote shutter release use the same 10-pin connector. This means that I can only use one or the other. I then realised that I could add remote shutter release via a 2.5mm stereo jack connected to pin 9 (autofocus), pin 4 (shutter), pin 6 (gnd) on the Nikon 10-pin connector and using the remote controller from my Canon G10. It is a cheap one I picked up on Ebay.

2.5mm stereo jack

Remote shutter release unit from my Canon G10



See the remote shutter in action

GPS unit mounted on D700

The initial search to lock in satellites take a few minutes. The GPS logo on the Nikon flashes while it is searching and goes solid when it has locked in. The D700 has a battery saving mode and shuts down the GPS unit when not in use. However, I disable this initially otherwise it will keep turning off before it can lock onto any satellites. Once this has been achieved I then re-enable battery saving mode. The GPS module also has a built-in supercapacitor that backs up all the satellite location data making all subsequent GPS lock much faster.

GPS locked onto satellites

GPS coordinates

The GPS data is embedded directly into the raw file with each press of the shutter. I then import all the photos directly into Adobe LR2 which supports embedded GPS data. In the library module scroll down to the bottom and you will see the GPS coordinates.

Adobe LR2 - GPS coordinates highlighted in red

If you click on it, you need to be connected to the Internet, it will take you to the exact location in Google map.

Google Map

You can zoom in for a closer look

Google Map - Street View

I can also automatically export all my photographs directly from Adobe LR2 to PicasaWeb using Jeffery Friedl's "Export to Picasaweb" Plugin. I love this plugin! Its a donationware based usage model so if you use it and like it please send Jeffrey some money.

Check-out how I did it here and Check-out my project build pics. As part of my GPS testing I tracked my friend across Sydney. You can find out all the places he visited. Click on view map.