PDA GPS Receivers...

[Shortwave Sportfishing]

Anybody have any experience with these little devices?

I'm speaking of the iPAQ series PDA/handheld computers and the Navman
GPS receiver with the Maptech charts.

Any information/advice would be appreciated.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

 

[Rick Morel]

Anybody have any experience with these little devices?

I'm speaking of the iPAQ series PDA/handheld computers and the Navman
GPS receiver with the Maptech charts.

The one word version of how it works is - GREAT!

Get a 256 Meg Compact Flash card for the charts. Bolt down the suction
mount.

I also got the CE version of Oziexplorer. In many ways I prefer it to
Pocket Navigator. Mainly because you can have sets of waypoints and
routes.

Rick


S/V Final Step
http://www.morelr.com/coronado/

 

[spdevel]

The one word version of how it works is - GREAT!

I agree. It's a nice combination.

Get a 256 Meg Compact Flash card for the charts. Bolt down the suction
mount.

Agreed again. 256 MB gives you space for a lot of map data in your pocket.

I also got the CE version of Oziexplorer. In many ways I prefer it to
Pocket Navigator. Mainly because you can have sets of waypoints and
routes.

Disagree. I tried OziExplorer and didn't think that the user-interface was
good for a boat. It works OK at a desk...just not on a boat. After reading
all the review (there are a few comparisons - go find them) and checking out
all of the software, I selected Outdoor Navigator. Maptech sells it. For
$99 you get the software and EVERY NOAA chart for the US. Real map data
too - this isn't a demo. This saved me a lot of money for the map files. I
also get maps for areas I'd like to learn more about or plan on going next
year, etc.

After just finishing a 1,900 nm cruise I can tell you....it works great at
the helm or in the dinghy. It is really nice having a handheld
computer/chartplotter in your pocket when you're trying to find your mooring
in the dark while coming back from dinner! I had that happen a couple of
times...

 

[Ken]

I use an IPAQ and Tomtom with great success.

Ken

 

[Shortwave Sportfishing]

The one word version of how it works is - GREAT!

Get a 256 Meg Compact Flash card for the charts. Bolt down the suction
mount.

I also got the CE version of Oziexplorer. In many ways I prefer it to
Pocket Navigator. Mainly because you can have sets of waypoints and
routes.

Rick


S/V Final Step
http://www.morelr.com/coronado/

Thanks - I want one for a backup unit and being at a "certain age" the
PDA functions will help the softer memory cells. :>)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

 

[Shortwave Sportfishing]

I use an IPAQ and Tomtom with great success.

It that Tomtom for marine navigation?

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

 

[Shortwave Sportfishing]

I agree. It's a nice combination.



Agreed again. 256 MB gives you space for a lot of map data in your pocket.



Disagree. I tried OziExplorer and didn't think that the user-interface was
good for a boat. It works OK at a desk...just not on a boat. After reading
all the review (there are a few comparisons - go find them) and checking out
all of the software, I selected Outdoor Navigator. Maptech sells it. For
$99 you get the software and EVERY NOAA chart for the US. Real map data
too - this isn't a demo. This saved me a lot of money for the map files. I
also get maps for areas I'd like to learn more about or plan on going next
year, etc.

After just finishing a 1,900 nm cruise I can tell you....it works great at
the helm or in the dinghy. It is really nice having a handheld
computer/chartplotter in your pocket when you're trying to find your mooring
in the dark while coming back from dinner! I had that happen a couple of
times...

My brother uses an iPAQ 3870 with a Fortuna GPS receiver and the
Maptech software and loves it. That's where I first got the idea to
buy the PDA for the soft brain cells and as a bonus, I get a spare GPS
unit. :>)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

 

[Shortwave Sportfishing]

Wow! That costs about the same as a Beneteau Bavaria....(c;

That's a sailboat right? Those floatie things with the big sticks in
the middle and the huge bed sheets? ;>)

I had a electrical power failure last summer - operator error and
easily correctable - but I started thinking about "what if" and how to
solve it - my brother uses this combination and it seems to work for
him.

I did a cost comparison against getting a color portable GPS with
mapping and the cost, believe it or not, is a little more effective
with this combination considering the following - versatility (my
brain cells are losing their charge - normal for my age and genetic
background), viewing screen size (as compared to Magelleon or Garmin),
available memory for charts (they are making gigabyte SD cards now) so
it essentially becomes another sort-of electronic "belt tool" - an
electronic Leatherman if you will.

Besides, you have to spend money on something right? :>)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT

 

[Rick Morel]

Anybody have any experience with these little devices?

I'm speaking of the iPAQ series PDA/handheld computers and the Navman
GPS receiver with the Maptech charts.

Wow! That costs about the same as a Beneteau Bavaria....(c;[/QUOTE]

Almost Seriously, I saved money. "Final Step" has a fixed mount
Garmin 162 mapping GPS. I wanted color. A 176C + memory card + what I
needed with Bluechart would have been > $2,000. I already had the
Maptech charts I needed. Cost was $600 for the IPAQ - I think they're
down to about $400 now, and $300 for the Navman with Pocket Navigator.
I already had a couple 256M Flash Cards, but I think they're about
50-bucks.

Works out fine. The 162 has Waterways and Lights and talks to the
autopilot, the IPAQ right next to it has full color "regular" charts.

Rick



S/V Final Step
http://www.morelr.com/coronado/

 

[Shortwave Sportfishing]

Almost Seriously, I saved money. "Final Step" has a fixed mount
Garmin 162 mapping GPS. I wanted color. A 176C + memory card + what I
needed with Bluechart would have been > $2,000. I already had the
Maptech charts I needed. Cost was $600 for the IPAQ - I think they're
down to about $400 now, and $300 for the Navman with Pocket Navigator.
I already had a couple 256M Flash Cards, but I think they're about
50-bucks.

Works out fine. The 162 has Waterways and Lights and talks to the
autopilot, the IPAQ right next to it has full color "regular" charts.

A couple of questions:

Do you use an external antenna with the Navman? And how does it
track compared to the Garmin?

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------
"We may say of angling as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries:
Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless
God never did and so, if I might be judge, God never did make
a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler"(1653)

 

[spdevel]

Do you use an external antenna with the Navman? And how does it

track compared to the Garmin?

I had the Navman at first and was happy with it. Then I got a Bluetooth GPS
(Emtac although there are many others). The Bluetooth GPS is vastly
superior in time-to-first-fix as well as accuracy. There are a couple of
web sites that give reviews of GPS devices and compare them. Check out
http://www.gpspassion.com/en/hardware/gpslist.htm for a pretty complete
table. From that table, you can link to reviews for the different devices.

 

[Rick Morel]

A couple of questions:

Do you use an external antenna with the Navman? And how does it
track compared to the Garmin?

Just the built in antenna. Works fine in the cockpit (sailboat) and
below (fiberglass sailboat)

Both are "right on"; both are WAAS. Having said that, there are some
charts/maps on each that are off here and there. Not the same ones
necessarily. Consistantly off exactly the same, so that says it's the
chart itself, not where the GPS's think they are.

Rick


S/V Final Step
http://www.morelr.com/coronado/