GPS

[g1g]

Does anyone know if a Delorme GPS unit will work with Microsoft Streets software? Microsoft is a lot cheaper than Delorme upgrade.

 

[markopolo-ClassB]

Take a look at this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896939

 

[marymary-ClassB]

I use a Deluo with my T30 and MS Trips and Streets.

 

[Davydd]

Garmin Nuvi 200

We finally broke down midway in our trip to Washington DC and bought a Garmin Nuvi 200. It does everything we ask of it and find it amazingly accurate. We named her Dory. It is extremely simple to use right out of the box. It captured the satellite to show your current location. Then all you have to do is enter your destination and it shows you in 3D where to go and when to turn. It speaks to you with some basic statements. The screen shows you how far to your next decision (turn) and what that turn intersection is. Optional screens show you a map in north orientation and you can scroll through your ultimate destination, zoom in and out and see in advance what the proposed route is. It tells you how many miles you traveled, how many to go, your mph average real time and average, and when you can expect to arrive at your destination. It also tells you how much time you actually traveled and how much time you stopped.

Here is a screen shot approaching the Mackinac Bridge going over to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Here is a good site for GPS reviews.

http://www.gpsreview.net/

 

[markopolo-ClassB]

Miscellaneous GPS and POI links:

Welcome to POI Factory
This is where GPS users get together to share locations and discussions with other GPS users.

-- Miss Poi

http://www.poi-factory.com/

Custom POI Data
Updated: July 31, 2006

RoadmapGPS has collected points of interest for many areas of the United States. Most are local landmarks such as parks, historical markers, lakes, and summits (which many navigation systems don't include in their standard POI database).

http://www.roadmapgps.com/poi

OVERVIEW

Here is where you can find a lot of map overlay files for your mapping software or stand-alone GPS. Most of our files are RV-related and compiled by fellow SKP’s – without their help, this project would not be possible.

All files are on the DOAI server, hosted by Fleetwood. All files are zipped, so you will need to unzip them before you can use them.

The LINKS page contains a column for the email address of the person that is maintaining the file. Please email that person with any changes or new information. Also, there is a README column. Many files have a README file that you should review as it contains information pertinent to the map file.

There are five specific files you can download for each map overlay (such as Passport, FlyingJ, etc):

Delorme Draw Files – can only be used by Delorme Street Atlas
MS Streets Files – can only be used by MS Streets and Trips (Note 1)
CoPilot Files – Text files for import to CoPilot (Note 1)
Text Files – for use with GPSBabel to convert to other formats
Google Earth – for use with Google Earth
Note 1 – CoPilot files are text files that can also be imported into other applications

http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfolinks.htm

 

[profwalton]

My Amcor 3900 GPS

I got up early and waited in line the Friday after Thanksgiving to buy an Amcor 3900 GPS at Linens and Things (go figure) for $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate -- which I haven't gotten yet. I love the thing! I programmed it with a British accent and we call her Pricilla. I honestly don't know how I've lived without one so long. I won't hardly go to the bathroom now without it. I can't wait for garage sale season to really put it to the test.

The POI isn't great but I am adding some things. I had previously tried using MS Streets and Trips on my notebook but it was too much work and not as accurate.

 

[Mike-ClassB]

We really enjoyed the navigation assistance provided by "Jack" our "newvi"/nuvi 855.
I picked him up last August at Walmart in NYS for $150+TAX (with the exchange, it came to around C$164).
Sadly he sat in the box during our US northeast and Maritime tour back in August, as neither of us had
a clue how to operate the thing, and we were in no hurry to start. Little did we know how easy it was.
We started experimenting with short navigation problems a few weeks before we left in September.
I created an itinerary of POIs using Mapquest and saved it into the nuvi's brain before our departure on
our September State Capitol Tour 2010 of the US North and West. I also got some useful POI files from
the POI-Factory. Mostly National and State and Commercial parks and C/Gs. Truck Stops and some other
things we needed to locate some specific planned shopping retailers. All worked almost flawlessly.
Locating things we needed along the way like Starbucks or McDonalds or Walmart was easy and quick.

Except for a couple of freezes, possibly due to extremely inclement weather, coupled with his physical
location in our cab area (satellite line of sight loss), the thing worked great. The V/R function took a bit
more time to master, but by the end of week one, we were talking to the nuvi using Garmin's "nuv-ese"
conversational language. Someone mentioned the annoying "recalculating" and overly repetitive and overly
stressed rerouting voice commands, when you stray off the nuvi's selected course, but we quickly learned
to ignore or mute "Jack" when necessary. The V/R voice command shortcuts made navigation and operation
much faster and simpler. It has some "hidden" functions including how precise the tracking is (we averaged
15' accuracy) by showing what satellites you're currently seeing. It also has lane assist, which shows in advance
which lane out of 3-5 you should be in prior to your next maneuver. The voice commands are easy to follow,
but the volume level of the nuvi was sometimes too low to be heard easily over other noises in the driver's
seating area. Replaying commands was as easy as touching the screen's top left corner or the bottom right
window on the 3D display. Or, I found I mostly glanced at the display to see where the pink "course" line was
heading. Sometimes the POI alerts would also fire while Jack was giving navigation instructions, so an
audio repeat was necessary, or a just quick look at the display.
A highly recommended piece of hardware for traveling to/in places you're not particularly familiar with.
You have to check your "avoidances" and make sure you have most things "allowed", as the nuvi will
apply avoidance rules and will create routes that seem odd, until you realize what it's trying to avoid.
We got caught once or twice by avoiding "toll roads" and "ferries" unknowingly, but once you know about
them, it's easy to correct.

UPDATE: Apparently these GPS units (Garmin nuvis) can be used to assist in aligning or aiming satellite
dishes manually.
If anyone is interested in how it works, PM me.
Or, visit http://www.qsl.net/ve3lgs/cansat.htm
It's actually fairly simple, and doesn't require internet access (on the road) once your nuvi is set up
to do it.
ANOTHER UPDATE: If anyone is thinking about getting a GPS unit, the nuvi 855 is currently on sale, online, at
WALMART for US$119. It seems to be a decent GPS unit, and the V/R capabilities are a heap of FUN!!!
I just checked, and the low price may be to clear them, as Garmin lists them now as "discontinued".
Still a good unit IMO.