whole bunch of GPS questions!!

[McDisco]

Hi All

I am shortly buying a new laptop to replace a really, really old one which decided to break on my on a recent trip to Tassie. I was running Oziexplorer connected to a Globalsat usb GPS. This work quite well until the laptop broke and then a stray branch (while offroad) broke the gps too which was mounted on the snorkel.

I am thinking of getting a bluetooth gps and mount it on the inside of the cab. This should work well with the new laptop which will have bluetooth.

So...I was wondering if I could get some advice on the following:

-20, 32, 42 channels?! Does this really make a difference?
-is there any problems with acquiring if the gps is in the cabin?
-are any brand better than others?
-What should I be looking for?
-Is a usb gps better than a bluetooth?

Any tips and advice you can give me would be really appreciated!

Thanks

Angus

[101RRS]

I cannot help with most of your questions but I run a GPS mouse on my laptop inside the cabin - on the dash - works great and has sometimes fallen off onto the floor upside down and it still worked fine.

Garry

[Blknight.aus]

Hi All

I am shortly buying a new laptop to replace a really, really old one which decided to break on my on a recent trip to Tassie. I was running Oziexplorer connected to a Globalsat usb GPS. This work quite well until the laptop broke and then a stray branch (while offroad) broke the gps too which was mounted on the snorkel.

I am thinking of getting a bluetooth gps and mount it on the inside of the cab. This should work well with the new laptop which will have bluetooth.

So...I was wondering if I could get some advice on the following:

sure mate here goes.

-20, 32, 42 channels?! Does this really make a difference?

more channels = more GPs sats recieved and potentially the more accurate and quicker the fix... you only need 3 to make a 2d position plot and 4 to make a 3d one.

-is there any problems with acquiring if the gps is in the cabin?

yep, but how much it interferes depends on how many sats it can locate... Ideally equidistant or nearly so views of sats around the sky give a better relsoulution but my MIO with the SIRF III reciever works great from the windshield mount takes about 1 minute to lock on from a warm start and 5 from a cold start (both times given as a sitting there waiting for it to lock in not driving)

-are any brand better than others?

Any thing with a SIRF III is better than something without the opinions you get on this will vary from platform to platform and user to user. I Swear by the MIO PDA based units as neither of my 2 have given me any hassles, excusing the fact that I dropped the 168 onto a slab of concrete and it conducted a mine drill.

-What should I be looking for?

Something with a SIRF III Id recomend a PDA unit that can export the NEMA strings in real time (my mio can funny that) as then you can USB/Bluetooth the data to a laptop and still be mobile with OZI CE, I carry the laptop with all the maps and all the RAVE in it in the back of the car as a JIC thing so that when I need to I can dead reckon and triangulate my way the hell out of dodge

-Is a usb gps better than a bluetooth?

yes but only beacause It wont generally be effected by flat batteries at inconvenient times or data drop outs caused by interference (generally caused when your lucas hardware decides to attempt air gap functionality)

Any tips and advice you can give me would be really appreciated!

Thanks

Angus

Hope that helps some.

[97discotdi]

Blknight is spot on with all he has said . I would like to add my experience for what it is worth. I have a laptop initially used it with an old Garmin 12 worked great but wires everywhere.
The sirf111 gps units available at the moment are all very good and it probably narrows down to personal preferance.
The one I chose is a Holux GR-239, the reason, it is powered by just plugging it in the cigarette lighter it actually looks like a cigarette ligher adaptor with a table tenniis ball on the end.
The gps picks up satelites from the standard lighter position on a series 1 Disco so it certainly is a good reciever ,and it doesn't have a battery which is one off my pet hates. Rechargable batteries garanteed to be flat just when you need it. Or the other cherry"can be recharged thousands of times"none of mine ever have. I recharge mine, then dont use them for a couple of days they are dead flat, and last shorter and shorter times.

[McDisco]

Thanks for the advice guys. That pretty much confirms what I was thinking...now just need to find the money! lol

Angus

[djhampson]

I've had a few devices over the years but currently I've got an Asus A636N PDA which has a GPS receiver built in. It takes < 30 secs to get a fix most days and doesn't seem to have any troubles picking up a singal when its mounted in its cradle.

My parents have a Dell Axim PDA with a bluetooth GPS receiver I got off eBay which works well but is a bit slower to get a fix and as BeforeTheVision and I found out today, it looses its fix if it is upside down

One advantage of the bluetooth GPSs is that you can place them right out under the windscreen if you need a better view of the sky.

[Cameron_Def]

I've had a few devices over the years but currently I've got an Asus A636N PDA which has a GPS receiver built in. It takes < 30 secs to get a fix most days and doesn't seem to have any troubles picking up a singal when its mounted in its cradle.

My parents have a Dell Axim PDA with a bluetooth GPS receiver I got off eBay which works well but is a bit slower to get a fix and as BeforeTheVision and I found out today, it looses its fix if it is upside down

One advantage of the bluetooth GPSs is that you can place them right out under the windscreen if you need a better view of the sky.

Gday,

I got one of these as well.. does your GPS power off when you put power to it ?

Mine got sent in today to asus to get it looked at, but would love to know if it happens on yours ..

PS - Great Unit, got tomtom and Ozi on it ... no wires no worries!!