New member seeking advise on GPS/NAvigation solutions

[2YY4U]

Hi Folks:

Just joint this group and have few questions.
I have an IPAQ 2210 and my wife has IPAQ 1945.

We are looking for a Bluetooth GPS solution for our cars and found few.

1) The HP BT GPS that comes with Navitech software
2) TomTom Navigator 2004 (GPS Receiver and software)
3) OnCourse software

So, my question is what is the best solution around (Features/Cost/Easy to use), I can buy the hardware/software together or buy hardware only and then software from another vendor.

Any help will be greatly appreciated! :D

[Jon Westfall]

Welcome to Pocket PC Thoughts!

Generally, you can use hardware from any vendor with software from any vendor, as they usually work off of a common communications port / language. I really like my Pharos BT GPS system, and Pharos's Ostia software. It really comes down to a matter of personal preference. Some people love Navman, others prefer TomTom, etc..

My advice is to take a read through the reviews we have here on various GPS units until you find one that has the features you think would suit your needs best.

[mattp]

If you've only found a few, you need to continue looking. Like Jon said, a package is not necessary as the hardware and software is pretty universal.

I suggest looking at reviews here, but also planning to spend a few hours over at gpspassion.com. There, on the front page are links to all the receivers and all the software and a ton of reviews for them all. Aximsite also has a very good GPS forum, reviews, and some GPS guides.

The fact of the matter is, for GPS and software especially, the best solution all around is highly personal. After some reading, I think you'll come to the conclusion that this is something you have to research and decide for yourself. For example, I'm quite happy with my Haicom 303S + Bluetooth Slipper and Mapopolis. However, some people don't like the routing voices and lack of 3-D map features and prefer different software. Others like the accuracy and features Mapopolis offers when not in GPS mode.

[CEGiven]

You can get a bundled deal with the HAiCOM 303 series, bluetooth slipper, and iGuidance (NAVtek) maps; plus they throw in a vent mount of the PPC and a windshield mount for the GPS. I've been driving in the southeast (Florida to Tennessee) and it works really well. I've also used the 303s with the laptop via two modes: first using a PCMCIA adapter (the 303s is a CompactFlash connector) and second with Belkin Blootooth USB "thumb."

Some GPS hardware can be proprietary (e.g., I think the TomTom isn't as cooperative with other software). I use my 303s with Microsoft Streets & Trips (can be had for about $25.00 at Wal-Mart), Pocket Streets (included with Streets & Trips), Vito Navigator II, and GPSTuner (the last two are for hiking and geocaching).

[kiwiruss]

I use a haicom 303s on my ipaq5455 with a ipaq CF expansion pack plus.
I dont have the bluetooth slipper but can get it later I guess.

[danlmosher]

You can get a bundled deal with the HAiCOM 303 series, bluetooth slipper, and iGuidance (NAVtek) maps; plus they throw in a vent mount of the PPC and a windshield mount for the GPS. I've been driving in the southeast (Florida to Tennessee) and it works really well. I've also used the 303s with the laptop via two modes: first using a PCMCIA adapter (the 303s is a CompactFlash connector) and second with Belkin Blootooth USB "thumb."

Some GPS hardware can be proprietary (e.g., I think the TomTom isn't as cooperative with other software). I use my 303s with Microsoft Streets & Trips (can be had for about $25.00 at Wal-Mart), Pocket Streets (included with Streets & Trips), Vito Navigator II, and GPSTuner (the last two are for hiking and geocaching).

I found your post very interesting. I am looking for a solution that I can use with my laptop and ppc. I have an Ipac2215 and an X5. Neither the x5 or my laptop haveBT. Did Streets and Maps and pocket maps work alright? This seems the most economical way to go for now IF IT REALLY WORKS...... anything you could add to this would be greatly helpful.
Thanks

[CEGiven]

I tested Microsoft Streets and Trips (MSST) on my laptop using the HAiCOM GPS via the CF card (in a PCMCIA adapter) - AND - via Bluetooth (using a Belkin USB Bluetooth thumb). Both worked. For PocketStreets (PS) I had to use Bluetooth since my iPAQ doesn't have a CF slot (but rather a SD slot).

Be aware that MSST and PS only show current location. That do not provide navigational assistance. That is, they will not say or show a message like "Turn left in 200 feet." Rather, they are "Moving Map" packages. On the laptop you can PLAN a route, and you can print out turn-by-turn instructions. It can highlight the route on the map. But it won't step you through the process of navigating that route (I hear that Delorme's product will, but you'll have to research that for verification, and the Delorme PDA product is sold separately).

PocketStreets is even more limited than MSST, as it won't show routes. It will show points of interest, find addresses, and display pushpins. But like MSST the only GPS function is to show your current location on the map. I've found that adequate for simple navigation, but it's me doing the navigation, not the software.

True navigation makes the decisions on which turns to make, and what roads to take. But true navigation software is considerably more expensive. And if you need good navigation software the extra cost is worth it. E.g., I took a business trip to Orlando, Florida. At lunch I asked iGuidance to list all restaurants in a 25 mile radius in ascending distance. I clicked the eatery of choice, it calculated the route, and I just followed the voice prompts as it spoke. I did not have to study a map, and on good days I don't even have to look at my iPAQ -- just listen. That can't be done with MSST or PS -- you MUST look at its map to get any value.

I love both products, and both are useful. I hope I made the distinction clear enough.

[mattp]

This seems the most economical way to go for now IF IT REALLY WORKS...... anything you could add to this would be greatly helpful.

I'd recommend looking at the websites I suggested in my earlier post. Pocket Streets is very much lacking in providing navigational information, compared to the capabilities of the other software packages.

I think the least expensive fully-functional navigational software package is PocketMap Navigator at $85 or $90. There are an additional six or eight or so packages that go up in price from there.

[DrDave]

I am using Mapopolis maps with my iPaq 38xx. Very impressed with the performance and now I want to add a GPS and see if the voice prompts really work.

2 questions:

1. Can I expect turn by turn prompts? I experienced this with a Hertz rental and thought it was great.

2. My SD slot has a card in it but I guess this can be removed if it would be the best GPS interface path. I will also soon have a CF slot when I order a CF sleeve. What is the best slot to interface to and where can I look for a GPS & cable to get my nav. package going?


Thanks,

[Sven Johannsen]

1. Can I expect turn by turn prompts? I experienced this with a Hertz rental and thought it was great.

Yes you can. You can get either recorded voice, which has limited vocabulary, or synthesized voice which will essentially read the trip instructions to you. You can get a feel for that without the GPS for Mapopolis. You can set it up to show the map after the route is calculated, and with a d-pad up/down click, it will speak the next, or last instruction.

Note that there was a time when you had to manually install the voice feature. Don't know what revision you are working with, or when exactly that changed.

2. My SD slot has a card in it but I guess this can be removed if it would be the best GPS interface path. I will also soon have a CF slot when I order a CF sleeve. What is the best slot to interface to and where can I look for a GPS & cable to get my nav. package going?

Actually you can do quite well with a cabled solution that connects to the serial port at the bottom of your iPAQ. For slot type, I'd go with the CF. There are more of them, they are typically less expensive, and you don't have to change your current external memory concept. You can use the SD as always and just add the sleeve and CF when needed.

www.gpspassion.com is a good place to look to see what is out there. http://www.semsons.com/ seems to have a lot of good stuff.

[mattp]

1. Can I expect turn by turn prompts? I experienced this with a Hertz rental and thought it was great.

You can expect turn by turn if you have the Navigator maps. Mapopolis sells two packages. Navigator, which cost about $100 supports GPS and provides that capability. The others, which cost about $35 don't. Visit their website at mapopolis.com for more details.

2. My SD slot has a card in it but I guess this can be removed if it would be the best GPS interface path. I will also soon have a CF slot when I order a CF sleeve. What is the best slot to interface to and where can I look for a GPS & cable to get my nav. package going?

I think there are some SD GPS cards, but I'm not sure. You'd also have to make sure that you have SDIO. There are many CF cards available, and this would probably be better so you could save your SD card for storing maps -- the maps are large in size. CF GPS cards use a lot of battery power, so you'd want to make sure you have a power adapter for the car. You might also consider using a mouse GPS receiver, which plugs directly into the data port of your PPC. The final option is bluetooth, but that would require a separate bluetooth card for a PPC that doesn't have it built in. These are nice because the bluetooth receivers have their own batteries and don't rely on the PPC.

Anyhow, check out buygpsnow.com and semsons.com for a multitude of GPS receiver and software options. Check the growing number of reviews on this site, gpspassion.com, and aximsite.com (GPS forum) for details and opinions of receivers and software.

[illusion]

Like I've said in previous posts, I tried pretty much every mapping software known to man. TomTom 2004 is by far the easiest to use and works fantastic. The UI is great, but they have taken out a few features that I liked in previouos versions such as displaying your speed on the main mapping window. Destinator3 is a close second to TomTom, it's not quite as easy to use, but has more settings and has better POI search function(in tom tom you have to know what category before searching instead of searching all of them.)

I picked up TomTom 2004, a Holux GR230 BT receiver with all forms of charging, and a Mount for $200 on ebay from "type-different". I have since ordered a more permanent mounting solution with built in amplified speaker from here http://www.emobileinhand.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=23 and I picked up a non desructive panavise mount for my car, you take the radio out and attach a bracket using existing bolts, then put the radio back in and you get an hard mounting plate that sticks out between the radio and the dash to mount you holder.

This is the mount I have, I'm waiting on the new holder to get here now.
http://www.panavise.com/idfinalimages/75134-205.jpg