In Car GPS

[101RRS]

I have searched to forum and cannot quite fuind the info I need.

I have decided to set up my Toshiba Laptop as an in car GPS. I have a number of questions but will ask each as a separate thread as the project develops.

So - I have the laptop - what GPS should I get to connect to it. Laptop card, separate GPS hooked into the laptop or what do people suggest. I have done a search on Ebay under computers for GPS only one item came up.

Ideally I would like to have the GPS powered by the laptop but be removable so that if I walk away from the car without the laptop I can take the GPS with me.

Cheap is best and I do not want to use a PDA.

Thanks

Gazzz

[p38arover]

Read this thread http://www.aulro.com/afvb/showthread.php't=33472

Based on my experiences (not great - RMP is the man to ask), my preference would be for a Bluetooth GPS antenna/receiver permanently mounted (and powered up) in the car.

With this I could quickly connect to either a laptop or a PDA and have almost instant lock.

My existing PDA uses a plug-in SDIO GPS which is less than reliable. It seems to stop working just when you need it (when using it in the street navigation role) and getting it running again can be a tad time-consuming (which annoys the wife!). For example, I used it all the way from Sydney to Newcastle on the weekend. Just when I really needed it and about 1 km from the final destination, it stopped. It was quicker to get the street directory out to navigate to the house than to get the GPS running again.

I think I'll be upgrading PDAs in the near future.

Ron

[101RRS]

Thanks Ron - I have read that thread - a gps mouse system would be the way to go if I didn't also want a mobile system - I want my cake and I want to eat it too.

Are there wireless GPS Mice?

Will a basic handheld GPS connect to the laptop OK - so that if I went walkabout I could take the GPS with me - another option might be to use the gps mouse and get a cheap GPS to use when I go walkies.

Anyone else got other thoughts.

Cheers

Gazz

[p38arover]

If you buy a new GPS (or even a secondhand one) look for one that is USB compatible. New laptops don't have a conventional serial port and getting a USB port working to a serial device through an adaptor is problematical.

Ron