clueless

[r34v]

Hello, I am a beginner at this. I know how GPS works but just don't know which one to buy!!! I am planning on using it for street navigation. For example, I want to be about to find my way from Washinton D.C. to NY, which GPS is good for that? I'll be in/on car/foot. I also would like to use it for out doors hiking. If any one can help me out on this I will be so very grateful... I've been trying to read up on reviews but most of them sounds bias just to get me to buy it. I would like to know what waypoints, routes, and all that tech stuff means. I went to best buy today to check some out, all they had was etrack, and the guy told me that it can't navigate from D.C to NY, so if I get a bigger memory card, will it then? please help! thanks.

[r34v]

oh, i also like to know what map sources are? are they additional CDs that I'd need to buy for the gps to work? can I download these maps off the internet for free?

[Dave]

Okay, any hardware should be okay. If however you want to use it in-car and out of car, then you've really got two choices, go for a Compact Flash Card GPS Receiver, or a Bluetooth Receiver. Which Pocket PC do you have ?



If you go witht he CF GPS Receiver, then you do need atleast one other storage slot, eg an MMC/SD slot, as you will need to store maps onto this storage card. If you go the Bluetooth route, then you need a Bluetooth Pocket PC. Check out our Hardware Comparisons for more info on which Pocket PC has double storage slots, and which ones support Bluetooth. If you have a Compaq/HP iPAQ then you could also go with a third option, a GPS sleeve (there's two currently available)



Now from a mapping perspective, you will need two systems. You can use something like Navman SmartST Pro, TravRoute CoPilot, but it won't do off-road type of stuff. If you're doing hill walking or hiking then you're going to need to look at something like Topographical Maps, Fugawi or OziExplorer would be your best bet. You can then download digital maps of the area you are hiking from the internet, calibrate these and use them for hiking.



What would I recommend ?



Street Routing Bundles

TravRoute CoPilot

Navman SmartST Pro

Mapopolis



Hardware

Pretec Compact GPS CF Card

Emtac Bluetooth GOS



If you don't already have a Pocket PC then I'd recommend something like the Compaq iPAQ 3970 for Bluetooth, or if you want dual media, the Dell Axim X5 or Compaq iPAQ as the iPAQ allow you to slip on storage sleeves for expandibility.



Be aware that battery life on Pocket PC's are only around 4-6 hours usable, so hiking without any power source will give you less time with a GPS Receiver, as you have to have the screen on it's brightest setting when outdoors, so you could be looking at 2 hours max. There are battery pack chargers you can buy that will help charge whilst you're out and about.



You said about the eTrex, you can with a cable from PC-Mobile connect this to a Pocket PC, so if you like the look of the eTrex from a receiver point of view, connecting this would be no problem, the only thing you have to be careful of is you have a cable running between the two, so holding these when hiking somtimes isn't very practical.

[r34v]

Thanks you so much Dave, I am gonna look more into the ones you've recommended, I've already got a smart card to store info so I think I am gonna go with one that can use the card! thank you again!

[Dave]

Is it a smartcard, or MMC/SD card you have ? If it's the older Smart Card (about an inch long, and wafer thin), then I doubt you'll find any Pocket PC's that will support it. Most of the Pocket PC's use Compact Flash or MMC/SD cards.

[r34v]

it's not a smart card then, I think it's a MMC, it's a thin square, 3cm X 3cm X .5cm. Are there any GPS that takes that?

[Darren]

MMC/SD are postage stamp sized and wafer thin with gold contacts along one edge, with SD having a write protect toggle switch. Compact Flash (CF) are rectangular approx 4cm x 3cm with a double row of round holks along one edge. It sounds like you have a CF Card. iPAQ's with a CF expansion jacket will accept them, Toshibas have a CF slot.



The point to bear in mind is memory cards are very cheap now, 256MB SD or Cf cards can be had for less than £80 and will be much cheaper in the US, I saw an ad for a 64MB SD card in Fry's for $30. So don't choose your receiver to fit the card you have now, buy the best receiver and get the card to suit it.
_________________
Darren Griffin

[r34v]

Got another question, say if I were to buy from one of these companyies: Garmin, Lowrance, and Magellan; which one is the most reconmmended?

[Dave]

Most people tend to go for Garmin as they have a well renowned name for GPS gear. TBH I haven't tried Magellan or Lowrance, although I will get to test and review several Magellan's this weekend.



If you just want it as a GPS receiver and a little track info and nothing further then the most basic versions will suffice, if you want full map capability and to be able to load street maps or waterway maps onto it, then I'd recommend Garmin because they do MapSource CD's.



The Garmin screen/maps are no where near as good (from a display point of view) as a Pocket PC and don't offer any kind of street routing like a Pocket PC would.

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