question about GPS

[mscdex]

I'm considering buying a GPS addon for my ipaq 3635. But, I was wondering what GPS hardware I should buy to use in/with my ipaq. Also, what software is best for gps (or best to use with the hardware)?

[Sven Johannsen]

Unfortunately, there are so many choices right now, this is much like asking which PPC you should buy.

Biggest horizontal dividing line is whether you want real portability, or want mostly to use it in a vehicle for trips. The vertical dividing line, is what do you want to spend.

There are things as cheap as $100, with software and hardware, where you lose a little in portability (see the Radio Shack GPS story on the fron page), all the way to $300 or more systems that are integrated with a CF card or sleeve, with voice prompting and the works. Various solutions are locale dependent as well. In this case some of the best solutions are exclusive to Europe.

I'd suggest taking a look at http://www.gpspassion.com/index.htm and http://www.gpspassion.com/index.htm for an idea of what is available. You might check out the GPS forum over at http://www.gpspassion.com/index.htm. Don't mean to drive you away from here. I spend as much time in both places, but there is a dedicated Personal Navigation Device forum there with folks that have 'em all, and opinions on every one. :)

[mscdex]

Well, I was looking for something less than $200. Also, I forgot to mention that I have the pcmcia sleeve only, so I guess i'd have to go with a GPS solution via pcmcia or by sleeve. If I went with the radio shack GPS one, wouldn't I have to have a serial pcmcia card then? I was looking at using this on the road, and to know where I am. I'm new to GPS, and it looks interesting. :)

[2002F1Fan]

...this reminds me... Is a Toshiba e310 GPS Compatible? I have no clue on how to find out!

[Kaber]

I highly recommend any of the Garmin eTrex series of GPS units. The Venture one comes with the data cable, then you need to make sure you have a serial sync cable and a null modem adapter and it works great and you have a GPS you can use without your ppc also.

http://home1.gte.net/res02afy/darthipaq2.jpg

I have mine connected via the cradle in the picture, but I also have the serial cable w/o cradle which is better for mobile use.

[Sven Johannsen]

wouldn't I have to have a serial pcmcia card then?

As you may have surmised from the other posts, but let me confirm it, no you don't need a serial PCCard. You have a serial port at the bottom of your iPAQ. Different pins than the USB uses, but same jack. Your model is even one that RS includes a cable for. So for $100, you get the GPS reciever and software. And you could wander around on foot, if you don't mind velcro-ing the reciever to the top of your hat, or licking the suction cups and sticking it to your forehead :).

The Garmin Etrex is a good value too. You would need the eTrex, the cheapest of which is $100, a cable - $25, and software, Pocket Streets - free with S&T 2002/3, or Delorme Xmap - $40, and up from there. The advantage is you get a fully functional GPS if you don't want to endanger your PPC on that extreme mountain bike trail.

Befor the RS thing, $200 is probably about the minimum you could get away with, counting the reciever, cabling and software, whether bundled or not.

[mscdex]

where can i find the etrex for $100 and the cable for $25?
Cheapest I could find was $120? (w/o s&h)

[Jorj Bauer]

As you may have surmised from the other posts, but let me confirm it, no you don't need a serial PCCard. You have a serial port at the bottom of your iPAQ. Different pins than the USB uses, but same jack. Your model is even one that RS includes a cable for. So for $100, you get the GPS reciever and software. And you could wander around on foot, if you don't mind velcro-ing the reciever to the top of your hat, or licking the suction cups and sticking it to your forehead :).


I've been using a Garmin GPS II+ for about four years now, and I'm completely sold on Garmin products. I've used it with laptops, custom embedded microcontroller systems, and (most recently) my iPaq 3600. Which I then fried by putting it in an official Compaq ruggedized case on my bicycle's handlebars. That's probably par for the course when biking hundreds of miles in 110 degree heat without any ventilation around the iPaq, though. (I still think that's a design flaw of the ruggedized cases, but I'm also certain that this isn't quite the application that they had in mind (http://binky.seas.upenn.edu/bike/).)

http://binky.seas.upenn.edu/~jorj/tmp/bike-2002.jpg

I was able to repair most of the damage to the iPaq, by the way. The GPS emerged unscathed, as it has from numerous falls from the bike (the best was onto a rocky trail while mountain biking), my hands, an unzipped backpack, and I-don't-know-what-else.