GPS systems.....good brands? what to look for?

[JackConrad]

Here is the platform we made for our Laptop when used as a GPS. This allows the laptop to be positioned for use by either Driver or co-pilot.  Jack

[captain ron]

I have a Rand McNally GPS for a laptop that you can have for free or anybody for that matter. It's an older one and is a 9pin serial connection instead of USB. I have the software also. Just give me an address to send it to and it's yours. antenna model # 1225B-R1

[kbunnystarr]

wow you guys all ROCK with all this info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ron how does it hook up , i may know what you mean by 9pin connect but i dont knwo the term off hand, please explain.....i will email you direct also.

you guys are such a huge help!!

[captain ron]

Here's a picture, You'll have to send me a PM as My domain was not renewed and therefore my email doesn't work

[JackConrad]

With the 15" screen I should be able to run split screen between the two apps nicely.

That is what we do. We run MS Streets & Trips and Delorme. That way we get the better detail that we like on the Streets & Trips and the better (larger) Speed reading on the Delorme.  We have also, on rare occasions had one quit working (lost signal), but have never had both fail.  Jack

[bobofthenorth]

I'm a big believer in buying industry standard equipment.  All of my GPS have been Garmin with the exception of the nameless pucks that come with MessySloth Streets & Trips.  I've used both a Garmin 40 and 45 with external antennas.  I've used the puck antennas, with limited success.  Currently I use a Garmin Etrex Legend.  The new GPS antennas are so effective that I can just throw the Garmin on the dash and it will acquire a signal through the windows.  It will even read most of the time while it is lying on the bar. 

One thing to watch for when buying a GPS is that it will puke out NMEA - I don't know what the acronym stands for but it is some kind of industry standard output.  My eTrex won't speak NMEA - that created a bit of a challenge to get it to talk to MS S&T.  I use Franson GPSGate to handle the input from the Garmin.  GPSGate allows me to set up virtual ports so I can have as many apps running off the GPS as I want.  Typically I have MS S&T as well as the proprietary Garmin Mapsource software running simultaneously.  Sometimes I also run Fugawi (love that name).  Every piece of software has its strengths and weaknesses - having multiple systems running is often handy.  The other bonus with GPSGate is that it will translate garmin-speak to NMEA.

We have a tv monitor extension arm mounted behind the driver.  It is on a parallel link that swings out far enough to be sort of in front of the passenger or directly by my right hand side.  It works really well and doubles as a computer desk on the couch or in the pass seat when we are parked.  We swing it around over the driver seat to get it out of the way or it will telescope behind the driver seat and be relatively innocuous. 

[skipn]

Bob

    I wouldn't be to hard on the legand   It does support rs-232 NMEA-0183 (1.5 in Micro speak)  where microsft has decided to support NMEA 2.0 only.
   so it is a non-backward compatablity support issue on the McroSft side. Go Figure

   Skip

[bobofthenorth]

I don't think that is correct Skip.  This is an eTrex Legend we are talking about which is different than a Legend.  I've had this argument before & won.  Mine won't speak NMEA.  Its not insurmountable but nevertheless something to watch for when buying a new GPS.

[skipn]

 Ok

  One of the better explanations of NMEA
http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm

  More than what you would ever want to know I'm sure

  Skip

[Denny]

We use the Garmin Street Pilot 2600(I think that is the model number).  It is fantastic for getting you to any address or location in the US.  We just got back from a month in Mexico, going past Mexico City, and it worked quite well, showing all of the major highways, but couldn't dial the exact address and have it get you there.  It does work quite well with lat/long in Mexico.  We use it with the external antenna and are very pleased with it.  It is a little pricy $1000 when we got it two years ago but the price has come down a lot since then.

Denny

[bobofthenorth]

It is a little pricy $1000 when we got it two years ago but the price has come down a lot since then.

Even at 1000 bux we have some amazing technology available to us and you can buy handheld GPS with street level detail built in for under $500 now.  When we were kids this was the stuff of Dick Tracy comic books - who among us ever thought we would own the technology some day?

[phunckie]

Does anyone know if any of the portable gps systems have a tracking feature, which will allow the location of the transmitter to be tracked online? I know this sounds like a creepy question, but I am building a business leasing out entertainer coaches, and I  am getting ready to install GPS for my drivers.  The ability to track the location of a coach online would be a fantastic feature.....

[captain ron]

I asked this question way back for use on my website. There is an ad on tv for a cell phone that does it so I would imagine it could be done cheaply for your use. I know some entertainer coach leasing companies use gps tracking to repop a bus that isn't being paid for. Where you doing business out of?

[phunckie]

I thought that it ought to be easy to do... I know that Onstar & other similar services are able to track locations of vehicles to assist police in recovery of stolen vehicles, but I didn't know if the less expensive portable models offered that as a feature....

I'm working out of Birmingham, AL. 

[bobofthenorth]

Check out some of the systems that are designed for long haul truck dispatch.