Community weekly poll: GPS: which form would you prefer?
- 11/2/06 6:00 PM
GPS: which form would you prefer?
by Marc Bennett - 11/2/06 6:00 PM
If you were choosing a GPS device, which form would you prefer?
In a cell phones
In a PDA
In a watch
A standalone handheld GPS
Built into the car
I don't need no stinkin' GPS unit, I use the stars to navigate!
Actually my choice doesn't quite fit the choices given
by jayfin - 11/2/06 7:05 PM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
We just recently completed a 10,000 mile trip around the country on mostly back roads. We were using MS Street & Trips software on my laptop. Whoever was navigating kept the driver informed although the voice would do the same (in zero point two miles turn right). By zooming in with a 15" screen even the trickiest intersections became understandable. There are many features with this program but the ones that we used most for navigating were either having the car move across the map (the one I preferred, of course if you dozed off for a few minutes you might wonder what happened to your car.); my partner liked the option of keeping the car centered on the screen and let the map move. For trip planning there were three options which we used. 1)allowed you to go from point A to B in the quickest way, 2)allowed you to go from A to B in the shortest and 3)allowed you to create you own route by pinpointing on the map "way points". We used this one the most often. They also have an update service for road construction which I found quite usefu.
MS Streets and Trips
by acquaahman - 11/3/06 7:12 PM In reply to: Actually my choice doesn't quite fit the choices given by jayfinJust wanted to respond to this posting: I too have MS Streets and Trips and have had it for about a year now. The software is phenomenal. I've often tried to outsmart it, but it always puts me back on track. Recently, I went to a wedding where the following reception was hard to get to even with the directions the groom and bride provided. For a trip that took 20 minutes for most of the other guests, I made the trip with the help of MS Streets in 10 minutes. My wife who when we go on trips makes sure my laptop and receiver are with me believes in the software more than she believes in MY sense of direction and I'm pretty good if I say so myself. The only bad thing, which really is more of a lazy thing is that if we go off route, or miss turns, we have to hit F2 to reroute it ourselves. It would be nice if newer versions automatically re-routed.
stand alone GPS
by cptbrian - 11/3/06 4:03 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
The best option is to get a dedicated Navigator! I use the Garmin and the 910 Tom Tom, only so i can compare the two excellent systems.
Garmin is great for my global seaborne navigation and i prefer the Tom Tom for land lubbers and visiting unfamiliar lands. with T/T its even possible to log NEW speed traps and to have it speak out not only directions but street names and warnings of speed traps and the speed you are travelling. On top of all this it will answer your blue tooth phone and allow hands free conversation and scroll your favourite photo' with music as well
what more is there to say about it ?? Glad i Have one.
Stand-alones rule!
by Clevermetal - 11/4/06 3:45 AM In reply to: stand alone GPS by cptbrianIt depends on what you want. If ytou want something for long-term hiking then you would want a stand-alone because you would want to keep your cellphone turned off to save its battery. If you were going on a short hike then you could use a cellphone. Remember cellphone batteries aren't the best when the cellphone is actually doing something (useing GPS). They have good standby times but when they are actually trying to track your movements they will not last that long. Thus a stand alone will rule!
Also in the car with most stand alones now you can download maps onto so you could use it in the car to.
They are just the BEST.
p.s. go for Garmin
GPS tomtom 910 from newbie pol0334net
by pol334net - 11/8/06 9:00 PM In reply to: stand alone GPS by cptbrianVery intersting comment, but tomtom is not suppose to alert you from speed trap. On there web site it says;" Alerts you that you’re speeding" unless you have a radar detector? Would like to know more about your set-up please
In a PDA
by GeraDOT - 11/3/06 4:22 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
PDA is a kind of compromise between portability and still acceptible display for external maps. I have Garmin Venture and I have to use a laptop in may car while travelling for a long distance in Kazakhstan. With PDA it will be much more convenient travelling both by car and afoot, I guess.
This isn't really on the list either but worth a look
by gdaw1 - 11/3/06 4:38 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
We have a Street Smart 330 by Garmin it comes with built in maps its ready to go out of the box, this model will not give road construction updates but it will recalculate to get you back on track on its own (it gives voice commands). It also comes with built in points of interest, hotels, restaurants, zoos, gas stations ect… it can be used outside walking around as well. It is very helpful and kind of fun on trips plug it in to the cars power supply and go. I would buy this again.
handheld GPS
by DoctorJerry - 11/3/06 8:23 AM In reply to: This isn't really on the list either but worth a look by gdaw1I have a Garmin 350 which is great, and is a handheld unit since it has a rechargeable battery which means it is portable. Insofar as which unit to buy I would first of want one that has a rechargable battery and comes with an external 120v battery charger. I would also want one that has ALL the US/Canada/Mexico maps loaded into the system and one that give voice directions. Some voice directions tell you which way to turn in so many feet while others tell you which street to turn on. Advantages both ways.
DoctorJerry
I just bought my 3rd GPS Unit
by sellitman - 11/3/06 4:40 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
I am a road salesman and each time I change companies I get them to buy me a new unit. I just purchased a TOMTOM One and I couldn't be happier. It's small enough to fit into my pocket yet has all the features you need to get to where you are going accurately. I had it re-route me around a 7 hour traffic jam (Hole in bridge) the 1st week I had it. The best part is it was under $500 dollars with a carry case. (Online)
Kevin
LapTop Format
by kjg48359 - 11/3/06 4:41 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
In the off-road community, a very desirable alternative is to locate a GPS recieve on the roof of your vehicle, and something like a Toshiba "Tough Book" inside the vehicle on a boom. The reason for such a large screen, and the PC based system is to be able to show topographical maps, and to be able to locate yourself when a specific road isn't marked (as occurs when using trails).
This way you'll actually be able to read the map quickly, and (importantly) you can leave 'bread crumbs' so that you can map trails you've been on to be able to take notes on your favorite features (or sections to avoid).
This is probably the 'highest' end approach, but invaluable when getting several vehicles through remote areas of the country (those that have these systems, usually end up leading the expedition, at least in our MI Land Rover club).
GPS for Hikers, Hunters and Winter Enthusiasts
by MooseMk - 11/3/06 5:21 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
I own two handheld GPS units; my first was a Magellan SporTrak Color and I currently own the Garmin 60CSx. The SporTrak had a better antenna as it was able to pick up satellites under heavy cover. With this unit, on a couple of occasions, I picked up satellite reception in a closed, windowless room because of the plumbing stack!
The software left much to be desired. Summits and points of interest (POI) were often not where they should have been on the map - often they were as far as a few hundred feet away. For example, if I was hiking in a fog or in a blinding snowstorm, the mapping software may show me descending when I'm walking on the level. Yet, the POI was right on target. Elevations were often off: Mount Marcy, in the Adirondacks, was listed at 5266 feet above sea level when it's correct elevation is 5344 feet.
The Garmin unit has far better mapping. It is accurate and the POI's are where they should be. The problem I have with that unit is that often I lose satellite reception. I may have to invest in the optional antenna.
The problem with GPS units is that too many hikers rely solely on this method for navigation. I often carry back up batteries and I always keep mapandcompass (intentionally written). If the batteries fail, if the unit is damaged, if any variety of mishaps occur, mapandcompass work far better than any GPS unit. Often I hear hikers complaining that they cannot use a compass, but, it's so easy to learn and is useful even in the dark or in a fog. I wear my compass on a cord around my neck and in a coat pocket, along with a map or section I printed out from TopoZone.com, for easy access. Lightweight conscious outdoorspeople can greatly benefit from carrying M&C. While it's nice to have a GPS unit, when it's not operating, it's just dead weight.
GPS: Which form would you prefer?
by bokononism - 11/3/06 5:23 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
AS a tool I think it would be most useful in my car, although I can see many advantages for hand held also when Bush walking and trecking.
Integrated GPS systems for the car
by wpavlik2 - 11/3/06 5:28 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
I really love how the car companies are building more and more vehicles with integrated GPS systems.
What really disappoints me about them is the fact that they want to charge $2000 for an integrated GPS system.
I think that's just way too much. I have a portable unit that I can put on my dash which works OK, but it just doesn't look as "cool" as the built in units.
The technology has dropped in price, it should drop in cost when installed in automobiles as well.
Built-in GPS in a car seems to be better than standalone one
by Bob Shenski - 11/3/06 5:30 AM In reply to: GPS: which form would you prefer? by Marc Bennett
I have a Magellan 800 unit while my wife has a built-in GPS with her car (Lexus). Magellan unit tells you to stay "left" or "right" through voice to imply whether you need to exit from current route. It does not tell you the name of the new route that you will enter into. My wife's built-in GPS spells out the name of the route in voice so that you know exactly where to go. The screen is also much, much bigger and clearer with built-in GPS. My conclusion in comparing the two is that built-in GPS is far superior and much more user friedly. Considering the fact that you will use it for a long time with your car, it worths the extra money to get the built-in unit if you are buying a car. Good luck!
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