Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 4

GPS with no PC

Wife wants me to get a GPS for our Trip to CA. We will hit LA, San Diego and Palm Desert. The plan is to go with only my Visor and not have to bring along the Laptop.
One the Visor I have the ThinModem Plus so I have modem/internet access (from a land line) and also 8 Meg to store data to tranfer back and forth to the Visor.
With these limitations, any suggestions on which GPS/Software compination will allow me to travel around CA and not get lost.

Registered: Aug 2001
Location:
Posts: 383

I don't have any GPS modules for my Visor but the general consensus around this place seems to rest with the Magellan.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 8

The Magellan GPS companion works well with a visor, but you will probably need your laptop or a large memory module since 8 megs will probably not cover the maps for your entire trip. Magellan uses mapping software that saves maps by county so you need to load a lot of files to get a large area. I think the whole US is 300 - 400 megs.
Another issue is battery life, If you keep the visor / GPS combo on all of the time, expect to go thru a set of batteries in each every day. So you need rechargables or power adapters.

Personally, I would recommend a dedicated Mapping GPS like Magellan 330 or Garmin etrek Legend, they both have base maps that cover major roads over the entire USA, you can add detail maps if you want (at additional cost).

Hopes this helps.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 53

If not Laptop, QuoVadis with Etrex!

Being a business traveller - who often combines pleasure (that includes remote roads and hiking trails), I have reached a conclusion that a Laptop with its screen real-estate is unbeatable for routing and plain usefulness. So that is my primary choice - my Mac PBG3 with StreetAtlas and Etrex GPS.

BUT..there are occasions when I get out on foot or the bulk of the laptop is an issue. Then I use Quovadis from http://www.marcosoft.com with Etrex and the right cable. Quovadis fast and has small maps - yes they are in counties - but if you have a removable card you can carry several counties before you start getting out of range.

Why Etrex - as opposed to a Springboard GPS. If not the $85 price - its the ruggedness. I use it constantly on my hiking trips - it is rugged and can function standalone just to get lost and find my way back :-). I can get 10 hours of use off 2 AA cells and it is "small"! The cable to connect to my Mac and Visor is a pain but not much more of a hassle than getting lost!

If cost is of no concern - yes, use a standalone GPS system with included maps. But cost IS often a concern!
Bye
AM

Registered: May 2001
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Posts: 90

I would suggest considering Mapopolis (http://www.mapopolis.com/) with a Matchbook drive (http://www.matchbookdrive.com/), VFSHelper (http://www.kopsisengineering.com/), large CF card (http://www.newegg.com/), and an external GPS unit. I'm partial to Garmin, myself.

The advantage here is that you can use the GPS by itself, and you can carry a ton of maps on one or more CF cards and still have an integrated solution. This also lets you keep your memory free for other apps/data.

One note -- definitely carry a backup module, and USE IT! Make it one of your before-bed or morning routine tasks. (Note, if you go with the CF solution, you can use JackBack or similar to do backups to the CF card.)

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: North Calolina
Posts: 38

Magellan GPS companion

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 48

I used the Magellan GPS Companion and Memplug SmartMedia. I stored the entire California, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington maps on a 64MB SmartMedia and still have 10MB free. Whenever I need, I just download the maps from my memplug to the palm. This is what I do when I travel. If I need maps that are not on the SmartMedia, I just delete the ones that I do not need and redownload from the CD.

Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Utah
Posts: 19

I have a Garmin Etrex and Visor combo and I love it. While driving I can place the Etrex on the dashboard for better reception and have the Visor sitting in a mount I bought for it. When I want to go hiking or Geocaching http://www.geocaching.com. I can take my Etrex up into the woods without fear of ruining my Visor. I also have the Matchbook adapter w/ 64MB CF card installed. I have tons of maps stored on the card and can move maps back and forth without having to disconnect my Visor from my Palm. I use Rand McNally Streetfinder Deluxe and Mapopolis for my maps.

I worry too much about dropping my Visor or getting it wet when I
m out in the elements having fun. The Etrex/Visor combo is the best for me.

You may want to consider it. THis combo allows me to switch to any model of PDA or PC without having to buy a new GPS receiver. All I have to do is buy a cord for $40.