Almost there!!!..... need some guidance (no pun intended!)

[wHIZz]

Hi folks,

My first post. I already have an Axim X3i (DELL) on order which should arrive shortly. I am now looking forward to dipping my toes into the world of GPS!!. This site was a real find and I thought before I go ahead and buy the GPS equipment, I would ask some advice.

I have become hooked after reading all of the helpful information on this site and also learning that you can do SO MUCH with a relatively cheap GPS system. I'm especially happy to learn that there are so many POIs which can be downloaded (Safety Cameras!).

I had also always considered GPS would cost me around £1k until I learned that PDA software was available - which is great.

To got with the Axim X3 - my next intended steps (in the coming days) were:

1) Purchase TomTom Navigator 3
2) Purchase a GPS receiver
3) Purchase a car mounting kit

I will be taking delivery of a new Ford Fiesta near the end of this month, I would like to have everything ready by then for my first GPS experience. I'm also in the Edinburgh area.

A) Ideally I am looking for recommendations on WHERE to purchase what I need - can anyone recommend a dealer (online is fine)

B) Can all of the above requirements be purchased as a Kit?

C) Are there any poor quality components (items 2&3) which I should steer clear of?

Sorry if this has gone on a bit but I am fairly exxcited about getting my GPS up and running and even happier that I know this site (and forums) exist.

Well done to the creator(s)

[Carll]

:D
I have purchased two units from pdamods.com and found there servive to be good. I had a technical problem and they responded to it within two hours calling me back. Their phone lines are often engaged, I guess due to their sucess.
You can call them or order online as I did.
http://www.pdamods.com/products.asp?cat=24
The above link will take you to a range of different options, of receiver, software and car mounting kit, or in short everything you still need except the pda.
You can purchase the items seperatly, but for a quick fix and unitl you have brosed this site some more to decide for instance what mount you would like, I would recommend a complete kit.
When you have get your pda, don't forget you will need a storage card of atleast 128meg to hold all the UK maps, 256 ifyou want the European maps as well, or just some storage besides TomTom.Again pdamods sell good storage cards; I have an Axim X5 and am using an SD card from them. Other readers will know that this machine is funny about what make of SD card they take. The card from them worked just fine.

When you install TomTom you will be asked if you want to install TT3 in the default directory, say yes, this causes less problems. When asked to install the maps, say the storage card. One important point, when it is all up and runing, have fun! it is not just a tool!!!
_________________
iPAQ 5550; 400MHZ - 256 SD Card - TT wired GPS - TTN3 UK - PPC 2003

[wHIZz]

Thanks for the info Carll.

I think I am going to take your advice and opt for this package:

http://www.pdamods.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TTKITGPS

Anyone have any opinions on that? value etc?

The reason I am using a Dell Axim X3i is because I have been issued it through my employers (not for GPS though! - I'm buying that myself).

It may eventually pan out that I need buy my own PDA in the longer term (If the office one gets re-deployed). If that happens I would need to buy a new one for my GPS software.......... At the moment I'm pretty much DELL everything just because of my job (Servers, Desktops etc)..... but IF I were to go and purchase my own PDA which would you all recommend?

Around the £300-500 mark - if left to my own devices I would probably end up with another X3 or X5 because that's all I know - but there seems to be more preference towards iPaq in these forums?

So what would work best with the package I'm about to purchase from PDAMODS.

Regards
wHIZz

[Carll]

Hi
I got the Dell Axim X5 from PDAMods. It can be finiky about which SD cards are used, and it is not currently being produced by Dell, though there are lots or rumors as to when it will be released for production again.

http://sdprob.aximsite.com/theproblemlist.htm

The X5 is a good unit, with SD and compact flash slots, but no BT. (Blue Tooth). You could buy a BT Compact flash adaptor though, for about £40.

http://www.handteq.co.uk/moreinfo.asp?ProductID=31

The SD card is slower than a CF card, but not un usably so. The CF slot is realy very useful as you can also get a presentation card, that would mean that you could present powerpoint presentations onto a projector.

http://www.handteq.co.uk/moreinfo.asp?ProductID=63

If you want to buy a Dell fom Dell, then it would have to be a X3. The units are good, but I do not have expierence of other makes, maybe someone else knows of a review somewhere.

Because of the delicate nature of the screen, I would steer clear of ebay as a pda source. I have bought lots from there, but not my PDA.
_________________
iPAQ 5550; 400MHZ - 256 SD Card - TT wired GPS - TTN3 UK - PPC 2003

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