Convert NMEA to GPX in GPSBabel

Question

I have received NMEA data stored in an excel file. Sample data:

DOS_TXT GPS_WS  NMEA    D
1530000114  379550,0702 $GPGGA,092550.000,6311.7019,N,01429.1063,E,1,09,0.88,357.2,M,33.6,M,,*6B,5567,5567736,  TRM_NMEA
1530000115  379550,0809 $GPGSA,A,3,08,21,11,10,13,32,15,18,27,,,,1.18,0.88,0.77*0B,5581,5582816,    TRM_NMEA
1530000116  379550,0935 $GPRMC,092550.000,A,6311.7019,N,01429.1063,E,0.01,215.98,271016,,,A*60,5593,5593216,    TRM_NMEA
1530000117  379550,0999 $GPVTG,215.98,T,,M,0.01,N,0.02,K,A*39,5605,5606104, TRM_NMEA

The GPSBabel code looks like that in the GUI:

gpsbabel -w -t -i nmea -f /Users/.../GPS_DATA_20161027.xlsx -o gpx -F  /Users/.../testflight.gpx

I just get an empty file and don't know what's the issue.

Answer 1

I extend my comment to an answer. If you set input file format to NMEA, then you must provide a valid NMEA file. An XLS won't be accepted. So erase all the columns from your xls except NMEA column. Export it into a text file (csv or txt). There are some extra data at the end of the NMEA data. The end of NMEA data is a checksum stating with asterix (*), for example *6B for the first line. I erased data after checksum. Your file should look like this (I put it into test.nmea):

$GPGGA,092550.000,6311.7019,N,01429.1063,E,1,09,0.88,357.2,M,33.6,M,,*6B
$GPGSA,A,3,08,21,11,10,13,32,15,18,27,,,,1.18,0.88,0.77*0B
$GPRMC,092550.000,A,6311.7019,N,01429.1063,E,0.01,215.98,271016,,,A*60
$GPVTG,215.98,T,,M,0.01,N,0.02,K,A*39

Using the following command:

gpsbabel -w -t -i nmea -f test.nmea -o gpx -F test.gpx

I got this in test.gpx:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<gpx version="1.0" creator="GPSBabel - http://www.gpsbabel.org" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/0">
  <time>2017-01-12T16:40:59.396Z</time>
  <bounds minlat="63.195031667" minlon="14.485105000" maxlat="63.195031667" maxlon="14.485105000"/>
  <trk>
    <trkseg>
      <trkpt lat="63.195031667" lon="14.485105000">
        <ele>357.200000</ele>
        <time>2016-10-27T09:25:50Z</time>
        <course>215.979996</course>
        <speed>0.005556</speed>
        <geoidheight>33.6</geoidheight>
        <fix>3d</fix>
        <sat>9</sat>
        <hdop>0.880000</hdop>
        <vdop>0.770000</vdop>
        <pdop>1.180000</pdop>
      </trkpt>
    </trkseg>
  </trk>
</gpx>

I used gpsbabel Version 1.5.2. on Ubuntu 16.04. Comparing your data to the NMEA standard (http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm), some sentences look invalid.