| Author | Message | ||
     Bomber |
All I aquired (due to the largess of one of my wifes vendors) an inexpnsive GPS over the holidays . . . the manual that accompanied the device is, er, ehem, less than entirely helpful from anything other than a show-the-menus level of assitance . .. . like microsoft manuals, it uses it's own terminology for things, terminology that doesn't translate well into the somewhat fuzzy mind of a map and orienteering savvy person. any suggestions of where one might go to gain some knowledge as to how to make this thing march, like a gneral GPS text? thanks in advance | ||
| Josh_ |
Make/model? | ||
| Bomber |
Josh Lowrance is the manufacturer (although it looks like it might be a re-branding of someone else's unit) . . .. . I don't have the model in front of me . . .. general knowedge is what I'm looking for, something like GPS for Dummies thanks | ||
| Josh_ |
this is a pretty good place: http://gpsinformation.net/ I'm running a Magellan GPS Companion for my Palm T|T with Mapopolis Software and maps. Components for a GPS: Antenna/output device computing device software maps products like the Garmin combine all of these into 1 device, with my setup it's 4 separate pieces. | ||
| Mikej |
This may or may not help any. I've looked at GPS units, even test drove a car with one in it but spent more time trying to figure it out than spent driving the car, but all in all I'm still a paper map guy myself. Or no map at all and just wander around aimlessly in a generalized direction until I get someplace, speaking of which here's the link: http://www.travelbygps.com/articles/tutorials.php | ||
| Reepicheep |
Do you have a cable to connect it to a PC? Do you have a laptop? A cheap laptop, some software, and the right cable can transform even a low end GPS receiver into a pretty sophisticated navigation system. The GPS part is easy, it just tells you exactly where you are at (longitude and lattitude). What you (or your computer) does with that information is the interesting bit. It's all in the software. | ||
| Pangalactic |
Does it have a basemap, or just data outputs (i.e. speed, track, lat/long, etc.)? I use a Garmin- okay, actually three Garmins- a GPS for my cage, a streetpilot for the wife's car, and a eMap for the bike. All have basemap, so I know where the main roads are no matter where I go, and I know what interstate exits have gas, or McD's, or walmarts, or what ever. If I have a destination, I can upload maps for the region I'm going to, and I have street level mas while I'm there. The streetpilot can even plot a course without the pc (the other two I have to plot on the PC and then upload). They are great on road trips, because they can tell you how far you have to go to where you're going, or the next pit stop, how long it will take you to get there maintaining your current speed and heading(constantly updating itself with fresh info...). Even if yours doesn't have basemap, it'll still do that. Plus, it's nice to have a super accurate speedo. I never do a road trip without it, and rarely leave the house without one. | ||
| Coastie71 |
Bomber, The only GPS systems I've ever used were on boats but I'm sure there all same. The best way your gonna learn anything on it is to just mess with it. Start pushing buttons and see what they do, your not gonna break anything. | ||
| Bomber |
All -- thanks for the input, gents, I appreciate it! the links proved interesting, and also showed that there are people as loopy about GPS stuff as we are about bikes! go ffigure . . .. the little thing (Lowrance iFinder) DOES have a base map . .. . I'll get the cables and extra maps and such from them and go to town, I think . . . .. . . . . Coastie -- that's my normal mode of operation, I was just lookin to shorten the learning curve is all . . . btw, I met a Coastie in a bar in Vung Tao (long ago, and far away) . . . . bought him a beer and asked what he was doing in SEAsia (he was the first I'd seen) . . . his reply was classic . . . "they got a fuckin coast, don't they?" he also shared the following motto . . . .. ya gotta go out, ya don't gotta come back (forgive me if I didn't get it entirely accurate . .. it was a long time ago, and it was pretty drunk out that night) . . . .thanks for your service, sir | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
If you've got a route 66 program or similar on your laptop, it's probably compatible with the right cable. I've got GPS in the car but I rarely use it cos I know the roads better than the 'kin machine does, and it drives me mad telling me to turn round & go a different way.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Delorme streetatlas has a wonky user interface, but once you adapt to it, it works pretty well and is pretty efficient. I use that on an older laptop with my cheap GPS and it works great for car trips.... (Ben, my 5 year old in the back seat)... Daaaaddd, How much furrrrrrthhhherrrrrr? (Me, glancing at laptop)... 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 19 seconds  On a funny note, we were on our way to Delaware, and travelling through Baltimore during some pretty hectic rush hour traffic. I was driving a minivan, hauling the Cyclone on a trailer I was not used too, and was pretty task loaded just trying not to get the family killed. Ben, who loves to watch the map scroll by on the laptop / gps combo, asked... "Daddy? What does it mean when the little green dot turns red". "Son", I answered, "It means the batteries in the GPS died, and we are probably 15 minutes past the turn we were supposed to take". God bless him!  | ||
| Bomber |
grin -- just ordered the mapsoftware and cables for the handheld . . . . . I'm looking forward to learning a new skill (of course), and being able to find those good PdC run roads again after being shown them the first time . . . . .. . All -- thanks for the input and advice . . . .. as always, I stand amazed at the level of knowledge and willingness to share said knowledge displayed here | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
See if there's a geocaching group in your area. They could clue you in. These people are GPS nuts! Just to a search on the web... Kina like hashing with GPS, if you know what I'm talking about, ON-ON! |
