Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 1

gps

I am a constant user of Delorme tripmate with my libretto. I am looking for something a little more portable. from what I have seen the geodes biggest issue is the lack of ability for a external antenna. using it while hiking in the woods or around town for that matter is no big deal but if you are in your car/truck and the screen is 2 feet away from you can you accurately read a road map when you are traveling at 60 mph. I think I may buy a garmin emap or etrex for my portable solution but will stick with my libretto for traveling in my highway truck.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 15

I agree with a lot of the follow up's made to my original posting:

1.- Yes, the GEODE performance when compared with the Nexian unit will be superior. But I would like to remember that the Nexian spec's are clear in regards to it's abilities. It COLD pick is still in the 1-2 minutes and the warm pick up has never exceeded 20 secs. Do not think from my postings that I have a preference as I also own Pocket PC units ( with GPS systems , i.e Pharos ). Which is quite superior to any of the offerings by the Palm camp.LET"S MISGUIDE THE GENRAL PUBLIC THE GEODE IS NOT THE HOLY GRAIL AND WILL NOT BE PERFECT.

2.- The GEODE is becoming another of the overpriced springboard modules,I would hope Handspring understands that they neeed to help their developer understand that they should try to market a "goal price =not to exceed". One of the main issues of the Palm camp is the low cost when compared with Pocket PC's.

3.- Modules are also oversized. Handspring should guide their developers in following the approach by GOOD technology ( small size, excellent interface).

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 13

eTrex with EFIG

I got rather irked with the cable situation (and blew up an ATL cable using a 9v battery w/o the current limiting resistor, remember use the resistor if you go that route!).

Since I plan on doing development on my Visor I got an EFIG development module. It works flawlesly with my Garmin eTrex. It was trivial to use the Garmin eTrex cable that ends in tinned leads and a 3M ribbon cable header to make a custom cable that directly connects to the EFIG module.

I use Solus Pro presently, and it works fine (you do occasionally have to go to position and hit start when the stop icon appears during navigation) I have not tried Quo Vladis yet. GPSCompass and Vindigo GPS Options work fine as well.

There are several advantages to this approach, specifically:

1. The EFIG has its own batteries (2xAAA) reducing power consumption on the Visor.

2. The EFIG incorporates 2MB of flash, well suited for map storage.

3. When the eTrex is connected to the Visor it effectively serves as a remote antenna. When I navigate in a car, I just toss the on the dash and sit back with the Visor, since the eTrex sees most of the sky coverage is great.

4. The GPSa program works fine with the EFIG and eTrex (You have to switch the eTrex interface protocol to Garmin, as opposed to the usual NMEA 4800 baud protocol) allowing you to dump your waypoints to and from the eTrex and vise versa allowing for terminal navigation with the eTrex alone. Of course you can also use the eTrex with a laptop when you need automatic directions or larger maps.

5. The EFIG development also serves as a dumb terminal for field work, and I am told works fine for comms with cellphones that incorporate modems. (It has all of the hardware handshake lines as well.

On top of all that, the eTrex simply rocks! I rode through the densest section of downtown LA with skyscrapers on either side of the street and never dropped below 5 satellites for my fixes!

The one downside is that if you are using a gps app when you pull the EFIG moule it causes a soft reset (hit the home soft button before you remove the EFIG!)

I just got an IBiz folding travel cradle for my sister and I intend to see if it can support an eTrex using a null modem as well (I can dream, can't I!)

info on the EFIG module is at:
http://www.efig.com/SP_products.html

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

fortunately, i have was lucky enough to get a cable from WaC and a cheap 8 mb module (when staples advertisements labelled it wrong for only $39.99!). with this setup, the battery drain on the visor is extremely minimal, thanks to the superb engineering skills of WaC. and i can load up the 8 mb module with a gazillion maps that can run off of the module without having to transfer them to the visor's ram. and as an added bonus, the etrex is an excellent inexpensive stand-alone unit for your outdoor needs.

and monopole is right, you can just toss that sucker on the dash with your visor near you and you'll never lose track of the satellites.

what amazes me is that considering how small the etrex is and that it has it's own lcd screen, how hard would it really be to make an etrex-like springboard with 8 mb of memory for under $150?????? come on manufacturers, get with it!

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 1

Geode Question

What is/will be the output of the geode, NMEA, ?????.
Someone mentioned it is compatible w/other mapping sofware, thus would expect nmea?

I use PDA and earthmate extensively. Also use $3500 DGPS stand alone a bunch. The DGPS accuracy is an absolute must for most of our work. WAAS provides a better Diff signal than most others. Thus it will be sufficient for anything that we do. As long as the geode costs less than 10% of the current DGPS itsa deal. Also beta testing an RTK system that it would be well to connect to the visor. Sounds like cables will be a spot of bother?

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Sunrise, FL
Posts: 20

I looked at various options for the Visor and finally decided on buying a Garmin GPS12MAP as a stand alone unit.

For starters, the big drawback to using the visor as a GPS was it's inability to take a bath. One of the uses for my GPS will be hiking. I'm not talking Everest here, but I at least wanted a unit that would withstand a good downpour. I would have gone with an EMAP, but it doesn't meet the same waterproof standards as a 12MAP. Note: Although the 12MAP will withstand a one meter submersion for 30 minutes, the battery compartment is NOT waterproof. And, no, I haven't tested it to this standard yet.

As far as getting around town, the GPS12MAP works great. The maps (uploadable to the unit) work pretty well with some discrepancies (to be expected) due to errors more in the maps then the GPS.

I've come to the conclusion that the springboards have never really lived up to my expectations. I had high hopes for the HandyGPS, but begged off buying one after reading some of the comments here about some of the problems. And as noted, I came to the conclusion that my needs also exceeded the limitations of the combo (waterproof-ness, durability, etc.)

On another note, it would be slick to be able to upload some maps (from Mapsource) to the visor for download to the 12MAP at a later date. I'd be curious if anyone has dabbled with that, yet...that would be nice!

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 604

Supposedly, GeoDiscovery is going to make a waterproof workthrough case available for the Visor/Geode combination, which may address some of the concerns you raised. I haven't seen a prototype yet however.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Here
Posts: 213

What is the revised Geodiscovery date for the Geode? Santa does not have much time.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

GEODE pre-order begins today

I got an e-mail today that began:

***
We're so excited to bring you the news! As of Wednesday, December 20,
2000 you can place your pre-order for a Geode(tm) GPS module by calling
1-800-***-****.

Orders will be filled in the order they are received, and because you
have signed up for e-mail updates, we wanted to let you know before the
rest of the world. This is a pre-order only, with orders to begin
shipping on January 15, 2001. You should expect to receive yours by the
end of January. When you place your order you will be asked for a credit
card number, which will not be billed until your order is shipped.

When you order, you not only get the Geode GPS module, but so much more:

***

Mine is ordered. I didn't want to include the 800 number because this is for people on their list only, sorry. If you really want the 800 number to pre-order, or want the full E-Mail, IM me. AIM: hang5lngbd

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Bellingham, WA
Posts: 7

Geode

To address some of the issues raised above about the Geode:
1. the Geode DOES use new technology, compared to any of the other GPS units out there, whether PDA-compatible or stand-alone, particularly with its SIRF chip and WAAS compatibility. If it all lives up to billing, it not only will be able to get resolutions that are about an order of magnitude less than any other popularly-available hand-held GPS (because the WAAS capability acts as a non-subscriber differential GPS system), but also should be able to maintain satellite lock and navigational tracking with much weaker satellite signals than conventional systems (meaning not having to have an external antenna in your car, or having to stick it on the dashboard in the blazing sun, and having it work in cities and canyons). To me, these enhanced capabilities put it way above the competition (as mentioned by Randa above). I need to know positions precisely, and in trying situations in the backcountry, so the extra capabilities are crucial.

2. It's hard to imagine the Geode getting much smaller, given its capabilities. It already is smaller than the e-trex or other handhelds out there, particularly ones that are more comparable to it, like the Garmin Emap. I'd rather have a slightly larger and effective unit, than one that is smaller with lower resolution, poorer satellite tracking, and short battery life (witness the HandyGPS). And the potential capabilities of a GPS linked to a Visor are much greater than with a stand-alone units. For example, I need to enter detailed descriptions and data regarding given locations, in spreadsheet format. I can do this w/ a Visor/Geode pairing running a spreadsheet program. It gets more complex and bulky with a cabled unit (either earthmate or aftermarket-linked unit like the etrex), and is essentially impossible with a stand-alone. Particularly so if I want DGPS capabilities. Having a single, linked unit that is only marginally bigger than a Visor with these capabilities is something not otherwise available. That's worth an extra $100 (over the price of a HandyGPS) to me. I mean, jeez, how many folks layed down over $400 to upgrade from a VD to a Prism?? For about the same price as an Emap, you get to access potentially much greater capabilities. Seems well worth it to me.

3. Accd. to Geodiscovery's preorder web page ( http://www.geodiscovery.com/preorder.html ) they will have a waterproof case out soon (as mentioned above), and external power source if you need to use if for long periods (car). That also puts it ahead of the pack.

None of this is to say that Geode is the Holy Grail or the end-all-and-be-all. However, if you look into the technologies that Geode uses, they were developed by and for some heavyweight players (like the FAA), so the system SHOULD work as advertised. And it's the first to use this. All units will have this in a couple of years, but for now, Geode is it.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 1

handyGPS

i just ordered the handy GPS, but since i read all of the messages i might return it asap.
any suggestion for me for buying a less expensive gps or navigation system for my visor deluxe????
i use it for local trip only (United States only)
thank you everyone.