11-03-2002, 08:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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DigiTraveler Personal GPS Navigation System for iPAQ
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U2B036352
Radio Shack has a $99 voice guided GPS system for your iPAQ 3600 and 3800 series. I would think the 3700 and 3900 would be supported too, but make sure they have a good return policy before ordering just in case.
Features include:
� Provides real-time address-to-address travel directions and turn-by-turn voice guidance
� Uses America's leading digital mapping title DeLorme's Xmap� Handheld Street Atlas USA�
� Provide alternate routes when stuck in traffic or put you back on track when you miss a turn, saving you time
� Locates over four million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, hospitals and police stations
� Low power consumption
� Includes DeLorme XMap� Handheld Street Atlas USA� 2003 RSE software bundle for PDAs, windshield mount, Owner's Manual on CD, and 3 RJ11 to PDA cables
� Cables will connect to Compaq iPAQ 3600 and 3800 series
� Requires 3 AAA batteries or DC adapter, not included
� Your desktop must be a 150MHz Pentium� II or equivalent, 48MB RAM, 380MB hard disk space (530MB is recommended), Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.
Source: John Cody
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11-03-2002, 08:15 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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There is a review of the device over at http://www.gpspassion.com/index.htm . The most interesting thing about it is that the Radio Shack edition of Xmap Handheld Street Atlas has voice prompting, whereas the retail version as yet does not.
__________________
Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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11-03-2002, 08:20 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 725
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Well, I'm going to give it a shot, as far as the RadioShack version having more features...I don't know why but it seems that RadioShack still has a lot of clout in the electronics world (even though I hardly ever see anyone shopping there) so I would think they could get features in products they sell first.
It's good to see GPS prices going down (being the PPC provides all the processing anyway)
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11-03-2002, 08:22 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 170
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Anyone knows if this GPS can be used with PocketStreets? Its my favorite PPC mapping software. I have a Germin GPS which works with my laptop but I have not been able to get it to work with my iPaq.
Thanks,
Juan
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11-03-2002, 09:01 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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You shouldn't have any problem getting the Garmin to work with Pocket Streets. Given that you have a GPS capable version ( from S&T 2002 plus the patch from MS, or S&T 2003). You will need a null modem between the Garmin serial cable and an iPaq serial sync cable. Compaq/HP did sell a serial comm cable which would not require the null modem adapter, but few seem to know about that cable. It was designed to hook the PPC to an external modem.
In any case, yes, if you get the PDA version at RS, it does work with iPAQs. Just be sure it lists your model. The software will work with any serial port, you just need the right connector and pinout.
BTW, one of the most common problem in hooking a PPC to a GPS, after getting the pinouts sorted out, is something having control of Comm 1. Most often that is a keyboard. Especially the Stowaway. If that is set to auto connect, it will snag he comm port and not let anything else (like a GPS) use it. Just turn it off.
__________________
Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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11-03-2002, 11:51 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 170
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Hey thanks for tips, took note of them. Great data there 
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11-05-2002, 10:38 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3
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DigiTraveler Personal GPS Navigation System for iPAQ
I bought it yesterday... and returned it today. I played with it for a few hours last night. The system is pretty weak. It is devoid of any features. It's very difficult to enter your start/end points, no zoom in/out, devoid of Points of Interest, and once you have your route, it has no way of showing it to you textually or in an overview map. You can only rely on the prompts as you're driving. I felt the product was so bad that it just never made it into my car. This may be a nice product when they fix the software, but for now, I don't think it's ready for prime time.
I'm now looking at Navman, Destinator, and Pharos.
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11-06-2002, 04:07 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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No particular offense intended so don't take it that way. On this program you have to RTFM. I've had XMap (standard) since it was released and it is the most well featured mapping program in it's price class. It does indeed have POI, though you need to zoom in to see them. Zoom in and out is accomplished by merely using the d-pad or rocker. And it accepts maps cut by Street Atlas 2003, which rivals Street and Trips for POI density. It also accepts maps cut from DeLormes Topo program which would be handy for off road enthusiasts and hikers. Creating routes is quite easy, especially if you create waypoints first. You can generate waypoints and routes on the desktop companion (included) and transfer them to the PPC, making things very easy.
Turn by turn prompts are shown at the bottom of the screen, if you turn on tracking. It is a bit small, but is there. With the RS edition it adds voice prompts to that feature. The standard just beeps.
I and others have established that the reciever is acceptable for the price and works with many other mapping programs. I can vouch for Pocket Streets (from S&T 2003) and National Geographics Topo!Sync. I also used the output of the receiver with DeLormes Street Atlas 2003 , Mappoint, and Streets and Trips on the desktop.
Hard to understand how anyone could evaluate a mapping program that does door to door routing on a PPC, with voice prompts during travel, in an evening, when it never made it to the car. Took me a weekend with the manual to get comfortable with the program before I ever got in the car. Part of that is that it is a bit non-intuitive, so the manual is important, but it also has a ton of features you don't want to miss. (I had the standard version and used it with my eTrex.)
To keep from duplicating a lot of great info over here, intersted persons might want to check the thread over at PocketPCPassion. http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum...threadid=19989 We are up to 7 pages on this product. It is not a $300 package, but then you are not spending $300 on it either.
__________________
Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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11-06-2002, 07:15 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 15
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Great product - bought last night, road tested today :D
I'm with Sven - this is a great product for the price. I did the first 'live' test this morning on the way to work. It was a 50 mile drive from an urban area to deep into the mountains. The program tracked beatifully.
Note - testing done on a 36xx iPAQ with PPC 2002 upgrade with Xmap & maps on a CF card
Pros:
* 14mb map of the entire San Francisco Bay Area that opens instantly (as compared to my 4mb map on PocketStreets2K that takes 9 seconds to open). XMap appears to render on sections on the fly - but from a user standpoint I don't notice
* GPS receiver powers on only when the XMap connects to it - so the 16 hours of batterly life will only be used up during actual use time, rather than sitting idle
* Calculates door to door directions either by shortest Distance or shortest Time (today's trip took 20-30 secs to calculate.) Plus it saves the route so it can be reused without recalculating.
* Find function searches the map, address book, etc for addresses and gives a percentage match
* Monitor Mode provides a compass, speed, heading, elevation and lat/long position
Cons:
* Only shortcomings I've noticed are creating maps & transferring
* Converting large maps into the PPC format is a slow process - best to set it up and go to dinner. Fortunately, this only needs to be done once per map
* Export function by default tries to load the map into My Documents in main memory. Fine for those with internal memory upgrades, but not for those with all of our free memory on a CF card. Easy fix is skip the last step, find the map on the laptop & load it yourself.
* Voice function is currently not enabled on my iPAQ. I found the option for choosing the voice (Male/Female/Off), but have not heard a voice yet :? Will figure it out after work.
Net takeaway - this is a GREAT deal.
Thanks to Sven and all the others who tested the product & flagged this great deal.
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11-06-2002, 07:55 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3
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Thanks for the info guys. I would have RTFM but there was none! Did you receive one in your package (bought mine from Radio Shack). All I had was on-line documentation and it was useless. I was unable to find any information I was interested in. I recall nothing about zooming in the on-line docs. (But I can't double check as I've already removed the software.)
I also didn't know that you could download Delormer maps.
Had I known the above, that is, if the documentation were more informative, I might not have returned it.
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Linear Mode
