# Gps Pda



## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Hey! Iâ€™m back on line! OK, so did you notice I was even gone?







I decided to switch dsl providers 3 months ago. It has taken this long to get me back on line due to a LOT of confusion between my old provider, new provider, and, of course, Christmas holidays. Anyway I'm back on line and my sig should now be appearing at the bottom of my messages.

First thing I did was order one of these:
http://www.alk.com/products/consumer/evesh..._live/index.asp

This device has an RV friendly mode where it won't direct you on roads with sharp turns and twists or on dead ends or on roads with low underpasses. I figured it was the right time to buy since we plan on going to Las Vegas in March and then to Pasadena in June and on up to San Franciso. So with the city driving it might be nice to have a good gps. I got the 1Gb one that has street-level maps for the entire US and road-level maps for Mexico and Canada preinstalled. Otherwise, it's a plain old PDA and I think it also has Pocket Word, Excel, and Outlook installed, but won't know until I get it.

The retirement date is getting closer, so I'm getting ready:
http://www.edo.wasem.com
I have now broken the 500 mark.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Welcome back V!

Let me know how you like that PDA GPS. I was wondering about those. I looked at a GARMIN PDA like that. I was also looking at the GARMIN QUEST. (I use a GARMIN LEGEND now, but not the color one)

(I wouldn't mind the PIONEER AVIC-N1 either!) Cool. A portable one is more useful to me, however. I like to camp, hike, drive, etc. I even take them on cruise ships.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Looks good, I'm kinda looking out for a rugged one that I can use in the truck and mount on the ATV too.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Jolly, this one uses the same software as the Pioneer AVIC-N1. The software is made by ALK http://www.alk.com. You can get the software for a laptop or PDA. Someone in Alaska (on this forum) has the AVIC I believe. Seems like I saw a post on it. I looked at the AVIC, but shyed away at the price.

Up until a month ago I had always planned on buying the ALK and using it on a tablet pc, but I couldn't figure out a good way to mount the tablet into my TV, so I decided to buy the PDA and then get a regular cheaper laptop instead. My only concern with the PDA is "will I be able to see the screen well enough". That's a problem when you get as old as I am.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

My LEGEND has a small screen. I try to mount it as close as possible while traveling. I would think a PDA would have a larger screen. Can you use the GPS without using a stylus to switch around screens?


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I don't know the answer to that. I'm not very familiar with PDA's and bought this one of the internet. I'll be able to answer more questions after it arrives and I've had time to fiddle with it.


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Man,

I don't know about all the PDS and GPS and AVIC and ALK...but I was watching MTV but didn't like the RAP. So I switched over to CMT because I do like Country.

Just couldn't resist.









Mark


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Hey, I'm with you! I would have switched from RAP PDQ!


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

All these acronyms remind me of the military!

You know, PCS, TDY, POV, AWOL, PDA, BDU, POC, yadda yadda.


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## Not Yet (Dec 13, 2004)

NDJollyMon said:


> All these acronyms remind me of the military!
> 
> You know, PCS, TDY, POV, AWOL, PDA, BDU, POC, yadda yadda.
> [snapback]21248[/snapback]​


Been in since 89 and I still get confused.








So, if all else fails: http://www.acronymfinder.com/









works for just about everything.

Jared


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Jared...
Cool. I hadn't seen that before.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

A twist of fate.... I won't be getting the PDA as planned. Little DD was having trouble with her tablet pc, so I bought her a regular laptop and I will inherit the tablet. Don't know if you are familiar with tablet pc's or not, but they are kind of like big pda's. The one she has is a Compaq TC1000 with a 10" screen. The tablets fold back on themselves with the screen exposed and you can write on it with a stylus. Otherwise, they are just like a normal laptop. The TC1000 only weighs 4 pounds, so I should be able to mount it in the TV with little difficulty. And, the screen will be large enough for me to actually see.

I cancelled the PDA order and then turned around and ordered the CoPilot Live 8 software with a USB GPS. It ought to be an interesting project to mount in the TV.


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

I use an older handheld Lowrance GPS hooked up to my laptop running Microsoft Streets and Trips. It serial, not USB. But tt works pretty well. If gives you route planning, speeds and altitude.

Just need a 12v outlet for the GPS, a 12v outlet for the coverter to keep the laptop running on long trips, a 12v outlet for the cell phone charger, a 12v outlet for the radar detector and a 12v outlet for the flat screen VHS player for the kids in the backseat and another for the Playstation.

A GPS in a PDA would be really cool. Seems like I run out of room for all the wires!


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Shake...
You may need to tote around an extra 12 volt battery!

V....
Let me know how you like your new set up.


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## Paul_in_Ohio (Sep 29, 2004)

Vdub,

Let me know how you like the software. I have plans for using a laptop when we take longer trips and am gathering opinions of software and recievers. I know Camping World is selling the CoPilot Live software, and it is supposed to be good for use with RVer's (More left turn's than right, avoids low underpasses, etc). Cost is a couple hundred. Best Buy has a receiver bundled with software for about $130. Thinking about that one real hard.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Please tell me the one at BestBuy isn't Copilot Live







I searched all over for Copilot Live 8 with a USB antenna and the cheapest I could find was $299 just like ALK has for, so I went ahead and bought from ALK when I cancelled my PDA.

The BestBuy package must be different software. I believe DeLorme is in the $130 range for software and antenna.


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## Paul_in_Ohio (Sep 29, 2004)

The brand is Delorme. It does not come with the Copilot Live software. I have attached the link below (I hope). Sorry for the confusion.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id...65&type=product


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Got the ALK software tonight. So far unimpressed and have sent a couple message back to ALK for answers. The display is very course and options are limited. When in the active guidance mode, it goes full screen and I don't see a way to resize it so other apps can run. I'm using their latest version 8 and it acts buggy. Now looking at DeLorme which is a third the cost, but will wait until ALK comes back with some answers.

Anyone else have any experience with CoPilot Live?


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

No experience with CoPilot Live, but my father uses DeLorme on his laptop, and loves it.

I've never used the GPS option on the DeLorme, but I have the map software, and I like it.

Jared, that acronymfinder was pretty cool. Of course, when I got out in '89, most people, including me didn't know what an internet or a world wide web was.









Tim


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I got the ALK software ($300) last night and loaded it up. Very unimpressed. The user interface is heavy and wastes a lot of space. I think they made this software primarily for a PDA and then did a simple port to make it run on a laptop. When in guidance mode (following your route), it goes full-screen and apparently doesn't have any way of being resized in a window. The map is slow to load even from a hard drive. I had version 8 and it seemed to have a few bugs. Consequently, I mailed it back this morning.

Tonight I bought the Delorme software ($119) and will load it shortly. At least the price is a lot more reasonable.


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## driveby (Feb 1, 2005)

Well I use a Dell Axim (older X5) and Garmin cfQue 1620 - I travel alot and this is so nice!!! Directed turns, countdown distance to next turns. Rent a Hertz car with Neverlost and you'll see what I mean. I like planning routes/waypoints on the PC then syncing up with the Axim. I have an extra 1GB card for all the maps (and of course my MP3's). Just make sure your PDA supports Compact Flash (CF) and you are good to go.

no more paper maps!

Dell PDA page

GPS Central cfQue Link


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I tried all 3 nav software packages; ALK's CoPilot Live 8 ($300), Delorme's Street Atlas ($120), and Microsoft's Streets and Trips ($130). Obviously, everyone will have different criteria to judge by, but for what I need, the Delorme was the clear winner and best bang for the buck.

ALK might have been the best choice if I was using a PDA, but on a laptop, I didn't like it. Streets and Trips was just not very elegant. Delorme was definitly the slickest for running on a laptop. Actually, I'll be using the software on a 10" tablet pc which I'm going to mount in my pickup.

An interesting thing, tho about the DeLorme software. CamperAndy will be able to identify with this. If you look at CamperAndy's signature picture, you'll see he is at the top of a steep grade near Lewiston, ID. His picture is taken from the "new" road (US95) that was built about 15 years ago. For whatever reason, DeLorme's maps show the new road and have it properly identified, but it is "unroutable". That is, the software that finds your quickest/shortest route doesn't recognize that the new portion of the road is even there. Not sure if this is a DeLorme problem or a USGS map data problem. Anyway, if you try to route a trip from say Spokane to any point south of that portion of the road, say McCall, ID, it gives you some really screwy results. It actually takes you way out of your way and on to secondary state roads. If you try to force it down that portion of the road by using via points, it thinks you are really off track and will take you straight across the hills to get you back on to the crumby state routes. Really weird behavior. I have written to DeLorme about it.

Moral -- I guess you have to inject a little common sense into the computer generated solutions. I doubt any of them will be perfect since I suspect they are all relying on the same government data.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

V, I have an older version of Delorme, and just tried the same thing. I was able to get the auto route generator to follow the via I inserted as far as the intersection of "Old Spiral Hwy" and "US 95". I can't get it to ignore that winding twisting road no matter how many road preference/avoidance, via's or other inserts I make. Let me know what Delorme says to you.

This is the first time I've seen this issue. I will check with my father. He uses the software quite a bit for his business travel, and find out if he has every encountered it.

Tim


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Yeah! Kind of strange isn't it? I'm glad someone else was able to verify what I was seeing. No word yet from DeLorme.

I finally got the tablet PC out of my daughter's hands this weekend and was able to actually do some travel testing in Seattle. (sorry BBB, but didn't have time to call) It seems to work "reasonably" well. However, I can see where it sometimes makes mistakes. While travelling on the exact same route on two different days, it was spot-on during the first run, but lagged by about 100 yards on the next day. It may have been that I didn't give the gps sufficient time to settle before starting out on the second day. Not sure -- more testing needs to be done.

A bad thing about it is that the voice directions can be distracting at times and that is not good when in city driving where both concentration and directions are most needed. I found myself not really listening to the directions but using the sound as a heads-up that a turn was approaching, then glancing at the map to see which way and what route or street I should get on.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I experienced a similar routing discrepancy after posting the other morning. I was refreshing my memory on the location of a particular sporting venue in Bridgeport, CT. I set up a route request from my house to the address in question. I initially didn't get the route that I wanted, and started inserting via's. I got to a point where, like with the route you referenced, I couldn't get the software to chose the route I wanted. It would go to the via, and then double back. Even with the double back, the route I picked turned out to be 6 miles shorter (33 miles vs. 39) and 12 minutes shorter. Kinda makes you wonder how when I am selecting a route to go the quickest or shortest, neither brought the best route.

I guess it just goes to show that we still need to read the maps, even after Delorme has picked the route for us.

V, have you heard an answer from Delorme yet?

Tim


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Nein... No answer yet.


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