Beginner questions on GPS

[JesterMania]

I have an HP iPAQ hx2790 and I would like to buy a bluetooth GPS receiver to add GPS capability to it. However, I have a few questions I would like to ask:

1. Is the bluetooth GPS receiver independent of the GPS software used on my PDA? That is, if I find that a certain GPS software does not suite my needs, can I change to another software and use the same GPS receiver?

2. Can the GPS receiver operate anywhere in the world as long as my GPS software has the required maps for that particular region?

3. What are some good quality brand names that manufacture GPS receivers and software?

As always, I'd appreciate any help 8) .

[Cybrid]

1. Is the bluetooth GPS receiver independent of the GPS software used on my PDA? That is, if I find that a certain GPS software does not suite my needs, can I change to another software and use the same GPS receiver?

Yes. Most (not all) GPS units outputs are NMEA 0183. Meaning you can mix and match as long as both are qualified.

2. Can the GPS receiver operate anywhere in the world as long as my GPS software has the required maps for that particular region?

Yes. Works everywhere except underground and where Selective Availability has not been enabled. Selective Availability is when they downgrade the service in conflict areas to prevent it being used for guidance systems.

3. What are some good quality brand names that manufacture GPS receivers and software?

I like Pharos' hardware & Mapopolis software.
HTH

[JesterMania]

Thanks for the great reply, I think I'll be getting one very soon. :wink:

[JesterMania]

I have another question, when a GPS package says it includes coverage of a certain country (such as Canada), does this mean it will include all cities of that particular country or just a select number of cities?

[Sven Johannsen]

Depends entirely on the package. Streets and Trips has coverage for Canada, but I would but most Canadians would say it is nowhere as complete as it's coverage of the US.

[Cybrid]

Depends entirely on the package. Streets and Trips has coverage for Canada, but I would but most Canadians would say it is nowhere as complete as it's coverage of the US. The coverage is good but out of date. Say atleast 5 years old.
S & T 2006 still shows a McDonalds that was turned into a condo in my neighbourhood.
Pharos' Ostia once tried to get me to drive up a near vertical to turn onto a overpass.
Mapopolis thought I could drive directly through a densely wooded park.

Once you realize that there is a huge amount of road and data that goes into a software package and that it can never be perfect simply from time to production concerns. You can overlook some of the silliness and realize that if you let it do it's thing while you exercise common sense then the combination is a technological marvel.