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~Lake

~Lake

If cell phones with GPS' transmitted it via some very low power technology (like bluetooth), that would be brilliant.

However if you want a basic GPS that can connect with your PC but also work detached, check out the Garmin eTrex series. I have the basic model with the data cable kit (which gives you a serial interface with the PC) and it works brilliantly. There are even software packages to download routes from the PC to the Garmin so you can then detach it - you won't have a map, but you will have the basic route markers and route.

PDA functionality is usefull and will be used virtually in all personal devices. And some of those devices will be far away from being called "a cell phone": watches, MP3 players, cameras.

Watches? Yes and yes. MP3 players? Not quite yet, but I'd expect it soon. Cameras? Close enough.

Also, I am sure PDA functionality will expand from wearable devices to... drivable one?

Once again, yes, yes, and yes. Granted, most of the items I've listed aren't exactly PDAs, but they all have some PDA-type behaviors or at the very least the capability or promise of PDA features.

I'd have to go with the Garmin ique3600.

A palm PDA, plus NAV with GPS all built into a normal PDA sized box. It even talks to you and tells you to turn around when you've gone the wrong way. About 475$.

ique 3600

Gamin has had a line of iQue GPS enabled PDAs for a little while now, check out the link

Now available for personal use.

The technology described in the article seems similar to this product which allows GPS units to send their location to other receivers.

This particular application has excellent application with Search And Rescue. It would also be a good idea for keeping track of your family members during trips.

Of course the Brits have an invoulentary system of location reporting, foisted upon convicted padeophiles, probably as a conditinon of parole.

Would you give up a portion of your privacy and freedom in exchange for less time in prision?
Now, if this is a mandatory sentence, it just seems like the physical prision is being exchanged for a technological one.
Which is safer, more humane, and capable of bringing the miscreant back into "normal" society sooner?

I guess England will let us know in a few years when they have the results of the pilot program ready.

...and GPS antennas.

Especially Garmin, which makes some nice GPS systems, but will rob you blind on accessories if you're not wise enough to spot a BNC cable or notice that the built-in antenna is detachable.

Garmin sells a remote antenna kit for $99 which is basically an 8' BNC cable and an antenna not much different than the one that comes with the GPS units (which you can buy without the BNC cable for $60.) Just an 8' cable with no antenna is $38!

These cables are trivial to find for under $5 elsewhere. Or for free if you have old network crap lying around as I do.

BNC is dead! Long live BNC!

...and GPS antennas.

Especially Garmin, which makes some nice GPS systems, but will rob you blind on accessories if you're not wise enough to spot a BNC cable or notice that the built-in antenna is detachable.

Garmin sells a remote antenna kit for $99 which is basically an 8' BNC cable and an antenna not much different than the one that comes with the GPS units (which you can buy without the BNC cable for $60.) Just an 8' cable with no antenna is $38!

These cables are trivial to find for under $5 elsewhere. Or for free if you have old network crap lying around as I do.

BNC is dead! Long live BNC!

...and GPS antennas.

Especially Garmin, which makes some nice GPS systems, but will rob you blind on accessories if you're not wise enough to spot a BNC cable or notice that the built-in antenna is detachable.

Garmin sells a remote antenna kit for $99 which is basically an 8' BNC cable and an antenna not much different than the one that comes with the GPS units (which you can buy without the BNC cable for $60.) Just an 8' cable with no antenna is $38!

These cables are trivial to find for under $5 elsewhere. Or for free if you have old network crap lying around as I do.

BNC is dead! Long live BNC!

...but this is the one you really want [pdf], since you're interested in the GPS features. Right?

...but this is the one you really want [pdf], since you're interested in the GPS features. Right?

The manual is available online [pdf] if you're like me and have to know every detail about this lovely piece of gear.

You know what sucks? Spending $200 on a nifty Garmin GPS unit only to find out that you have to spend another $200 on detailed maps.
[...]
This new unit it pretty expensive, but what how much do you have to spend for the friggin maps?

You know what sucks? Spending $200 on a nifty Garmin GPS unit only to find out that you have to spend another $200 on detailed maps.
[...]
This new unit it pretty expensive, but what how much do you have to spend for the friggin maps?

If I had 2 grand to drop on it I would buy one tomorrow. If you're at all interested in GPS units for cars you can check it out at Hertz for a few more dollars a day.

Or, you could drop $750 instead of 2 grand for the Garmin StreetPilot III...

Holy crap!!! Does that mean that I really shouldn't be flying with my Garmin GPSMap 295? I wouldn't want it to interfere with my communication with the ATC and instrumentation panel!!!

An example of a great Geocache (called a 'Virtual Geocache') that encourages visits to a park on already traveled paths is Garden in the Woods in my area. Nothing harmed at all there.

An example of a great Geocache (called a 'Virtual Geocache') that encourages visits to a park on already traveled paths is Garden in the Woods in my area. Nothing harmed at all there.

An example of a great Geocache (called a 'Virtual Geocache') that encourages visits to a park on already traveled paths is Garden in the Woods in my area. Nothing harmed at all there.

While I do believe he is correct, I think he may be off base with the PDA. This is one of the only devices that I would like to see be more "all in one". I'd personally like a Sony Ericsson p800 style PDA phone that had the screen from a Clie NZ90, GPS, iPod sized hard drive, megapixel camera, the VERY cool remote control center from Sony, 802.11g and Bluetooth + an Mp3 player and DIVX/MPEG4 decoder. While something like this would be in the high end (probably where the NZ90 is = $800 + $100 802.11 card) I still think it'd fly off the shelf, and possibly be subsidized by cell phone companies, at least in part with service agreements.

I still hope Apple is considering such a device or at least with most of the features listed here with a compact flash & SDIO slot.

I know there's a little link overload, just illustrating how easily this could be done right now!

All of this could be squeezed into a current form factor Sony Clie.

You're joking, right? Have you ever even *used* a GPS device in a car or indoors? I happen to be working on a device that has embedded GPS. It's about the size of a quarter, and it has no problems whatsoever in a car or indoors.

I'm using an old Garmin GPS II in my car. I've got a roof-mounted antenna, which is essential. Even so, sometimes the GPS loses coverage in deep valleys or woodlands. I would think your embedded device would have bigger problems, with a small antenna and all.

I've also used military hand-held GPS receivers in the army and had the same experience there.

But if you can provide some sources, I would be interested to check it out.

You must not have been paying attention back in May of 2000, when GPS's 'Selective Availability' was permanently turned off. As of midnight on May 1, 2000, all GPS units, civilian or military, became accurate to within 15 meters.

On the subject of GPS accuracy, the development to be watching at the moment is the FAA's WAAS project. Typical GPS accuracy using WAAS correction data will be less than 3 meters. The kicker is that your receiver must be WAAS-enabled in order to use the system. WAAS will eventually replace the Coast Guard's current system of DGPS beacon stations.

FWIW: The WAAS network must already be at least partly functional, at least in the Puget Sound region. I just upgraded our mobile receiver to a WAAS-enabled engine (the Garmin GPS-15), and I noticed an immediate improvement.

So what's to prevent phones right now from doing mapping?

Nothing really - take a look at the Garmin NavTalk for an example of a GSM phone that also provides mapping applications.

Couldn't someone write up a java applet or some other fuctionality that could do this on existing phones? The worst thing you should need is a minor firmware revision to allow java to access the GPS data.

The problem you're up against is the amount of memory required to store the map data, and also getting access to specialist map information. This is probably the constraint that prevents most phones from containing such functionality by default - adding memory increases the bill of materials, and consumers don't like that.

Of course, there is nothing to stop you using a wap/web browser on your phone and using a service like Multimap to get your map data (although you'll need to be in coverage and pay for the GSM or GPRS call depending on how you want to get your data).

But Garmin's isn't as small and cute.

that is pretty sweet - and right when I just bought my own GPS thing.

Garmin had a GPS enabled cellular phone on the market for several years, the NavTalk. They have since discontinued that device. They do have a new GPS phone, the NavTalk GSM. However, due to the fact that it is GSM and not CDMA it is not an option in the United States.

Garmin had a GPS enabled cellular phone on the market for several years, the NavTalk. They have since discontinued that device. They do have a new GPS phone, the NavTalk GSM. However, due to the fact that it is GSM and not CDMA it is not an option in the United States.

Garmin had a GPS enabled cellular phone on the market for several years, the NavTalk. They have since discontinued that device. They do have a new GPS phone, the NavTalk GSM. However, due to the fact that it is GSM and not CDMA it is not an option in the United States.

Garmin has a GPS Phone, and being a real GPS manufacturer, they have the software to go with it.

Better yet for an outdoors enthusiast that wants to communicate with their buddies, check out their Rhino. You can ping your friend, and their location shows up on your map.

Someone else said it, but I agree. The hardware capabilities are all there in these devices, it's just a matter of getting the software/UI to support it.

Well, the Garmin does not have imode, but putting a GPS Receiver in a cell phone is not really a new idea. I'd like to see a GPS Recevier with Bluetooth or something similar and compatible devices (digicam, video camera, cell phone, pda, watch, ect.) for that. Unfortunatly, the software for most mobile devices is not open, so adding functionality which make use of a GPS receiver is impossible.

get a waas capable reciver, >3m accuracy.

http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

As for leaving it on to help in the U.S., the system is not yet certified for aviation.

Here's a page that says basically the same things.

GPS is absolutely approved for navigational use by the FAA. That's why approach- and enroute-certified GPS receivers have been around for many years.

I know this is somewhat OT, but how goes current integration of Palm and GPS? That is, I know you can buy an amazing little GPS tab for a Palm that plugs into the CF slot, and that you can buy some map software that looks to have better European street info than Garmin's own maps.

But do they work well together? If I use the CF slot for the GPS can I no longer add memory those maps will want so much?

Should I just hope to get the Garmin Palm device (which is not out yet) before I travel this spring, and hope it lets me use third party maps?

And what about those GPS tabs? It looks like at least some of them need to be factory serviced in order to switch between WAAS and Europe's experimental equivalent of EGNOS .

Help a fellow electronics fetishist!

I know this is somewhat OT, but how goes current integration of Palm and GPS? That is, I know you can buy an amazing little GPS tab for a Palm that plugs into the CF slot, and that you can buy some map software that looks to have good European street info.

But do they work well together? If I use the CF slot for the GPS can I no longer add memory those maps will want so much?

Should I just hope to get the Garmin Palm device (which is not out yet) before I travel this spring, and hope it lets me use third party maps?

And what about those GPS tabs? It looks like at least some of them need to be factory serviced in order to switch between WAAS and Europe's experimental equivalent of EGNOS.

Help a fellow electronics fetishist!

The higher end Garmin units have 24 megs of map memory. The memory used for the trails, waypoints, routes etc isn't counted in that 24 megs. That's why the low end units have 0 megs of map memory, but still have the same number of waypoints etc. Also not counted is the flash memory used for the software.

When I travel, about the only tech I take is my GPS receiver chock full 'o waypoints. It runs for a few days on two NiMH AA batteries. I also take some additional AAs and keep in a solar charger. I stick that thing in the sun every chance I get (e.g. window sill, dashboard of a rental car, strapped to the top of my backpack or head).

Laptops are tougher. Get a handful of power adapters and recharge every chance you get (e.g. restaurants, exterior outlets on houses, DC-AC inverter in cars, bare wires in bases of lamp posts, etc). Also take a long some extra laptop batteries.

And don't forget your Iridium phone so you can check your email any where,any time.

I've already got a GPS which will tell me where the nearest pizza hut is. Garmin Vista loaded with Mapquest Metroguide.

Here's your two-way radio that tells you where the other person is. Garmin Rino Looks interesting.

You can load the Garmon topo maps on it, but I haven't so I have no experience with them.

My experience is with the City Select map set which came with the GPS V. CS is based on NavTech data and very detailed streetwise, but it doesn't have many topographic features (beyond "lake here, river here").

To take a look at the garmin topo maps, go to Garmin's site and try out the map viewer in the upper right.

The cheepest GPS unit out there (besides the obsolete stuff) is the Garmin eTrex ("lil" yellow base model). It goes for around $80-$120 (used-new) on ebay and is around $115-$125 brand spanking new in stores and catologues. The cable to connect it to pc's can be very inexpensive if you built it yourself. It has various connect modes and could possibly connect to Streetfinder (conformation please?).

From Garmin's website "The 24 satellites that make up the GPS space segment are orbiting the earth about 12,000 miles above us. They are constantly moving, making two complete orbits in less than 24 hours. These satellites are travelling at speeds of roughly 7,000 miles an hour. GPS satellites are powered by solar energy. They have backup batteries onboard to keep them running in the event of a solar eclipse, when there's no solar power. " About GPS

I've used my basic garmin hiker gps unit (no external antenna or anything) in metal-roofed cars, no problem.

This is only a receiver, with single cable ending in a RJ-45 connector for serial and power.

I power the unit from the laptop's keyboard port (lvs == low-voltage supply), using a handcrafted converter to split serial to a Cisco-standard RJ-45 from the Garmin's RJ-45.

One feature not requested -- the GPS-16 provides a PPS output, making it suitable for use as a very accurate time source for NTP or simply for timestamping.

I have a Garmin Vista (about US$300), RS-232 Cable and Cigarette Lighter plug (about US$30), and Ram-Mount (about US$20).

What a fantastic combination for driving. Tha maps (US and Europe (about US$175 each) rule.

I usually use NiMH batteries when walking. They last a few hours without charging. I recently used a pair of alkaline AAs for a two week trip through Europe and only had to change them once! Granted I didn't use it constantly, but I did use it quite a bit.

I use gpspoint on Linux for saving, uploading, and downloading routes, waypoints, and tracks.

I have a Garmin Vista (about US$300), RS-232 Cable and Cigarette Lighter plug (about US$30), and Ram-Mount (about US$20).

What a fantastic combination for driving. Tha maps (US and Europe (about US$175 each) rule.

I usually use NiMH batteries when walking. They last a few hours without charging. I recently used a pair of alkaline AAs for a two week trip through Europe and only had to change them once! Granted I didn't use it constantly, but I did use it quite a bit.

I use gpspoint on Linux for saving, uploading, and downloading routes, waypoints, and tracks.

I have a Garmin Vista (about US$300), RS-232 Cable and Cigarette Lighter plug (about US$30), and Ram-Mount (about US$20).

What a fantastic combination for driving. Tha maps (US and Europe (about US$175 each) rule.

I usually use NiMH batteries when walking. They last a few hours without charging. I recently used a pair of alkaline AAs for a two week trip through Europe and only had to change them once! Granted I didn't use it constantly, but I did use it quite a bit.

I use gpspoint on Linux for saving, uploading, and downloading routes, waypoints, and tracks.

I have a Garmin Vista (about US$300), RS-232 Cable and Cigarette Lighter plug (about US$30), and Ram-Mount (about US$20).

What a fantastic combination for driving. Tha maps (US and Europe (about US$175 each) rule.

I usually use NiMH batteries when walking. They last a few hours without charging. I recently used a pair of alkaline AAs for a two week trip through Europe and only had to change them once! Granted I didn't use it constantly, but I did use it quite a bit.

I use gpspoint on Linux for saving, uploading, and downloading routes, waypoints, and tracks.

Here, this is the basic 99 dollar job, pick up the 20 dollar cable and you have what you want, updates every second.

If you want a little more percision then go with this, but the whole DGPS (less then 5 meter accuracy) thing only works if there isn't a large amount of trees or hills, it is about twice as much but comes with the cable.

Here, this is the basic 99 dollar job, pick up the 20 dollar cable and you have what you want, updates every second.

If you want a little more percision then go with this, but the whole DGPS (less then 5 meter accuracy) thing only works if there isn't a large amount of trees or hills, it is about twice as much but comes with the cable.