PDA's & Gps

[Cheeky Girl]

PDA\'s & Gps

I want to buy a PDA to play with and thought that it would be a good idea to get one that will run GPS / Plotter as a backup to the main one. Any ideas as to which PDA is the best and which software to get.

Thanks

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[Georgio]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

Hi there
I would go for an iPAQ from HP/Compaq. they start at around £240 and go up to £500 ish. I understand that you can get a GPS kit for this, have seen them in one of the large mail-order swindlrey catalogues.

Its the option I'd go for as you get more for your money than just a chartplotter or PDA, and you can use it for navigation in the car

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[Ric]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

I have a Psion (well two, a 5mx and a Netbook). They are considered old fashioned, but still nothing beats them IMO for their superb keyboard. I have a whole load of yachtie software on mine - a navigation program that links to my GPS, logbook, databases etc. It is even fairly easy to write your own progs and I recently wrote an "intelligent" anchor alarm program that sets the alarm-zone around the anchor rather than around the boat as with a conventional GPS alarm. Psions are brilliant bits of kit. Start by looking here for yachty software:
http://p.pellot.free.fr/indexgb.html

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[banana]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

i have an ipaqh550. nit was a christmas present for my son. not from him! i have a cable from the ipaq to my 12xl gps and i run memory map software. look at the memory map site.

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[bigmart]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

Check out "www.expansys.co.uk" they were offering some good deals on end of line models. I bought my sons ex demo Ipaq 3870 for £165 at Christmas. This model has Bluetooth built in & will run with quite a few GPS units & mapping software including Memory Map.

Martin

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[tjc]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

I have an Ipaq 2210 bluetooth enabled and a Fortuna bluetooth GPS. Works well although bought it for the car and motorbike and use when foreign touring. I use TomTom routing softwrae and it is excellent.

So it got me thinking I could use it on the boat and as I have a Navman 5600 with a C Map I am about to buy the Winchart package from MES Ltd which includes a C Map reader.Seems quite samrt kit to me.

PM me for more info and some useful links if you wish.

TJC

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[ronniewood]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

Agree with trying the expansys website. They have good prices and I always get good service and advice.

Don't forget in your budget that you will also need expansion cards to carry the larger programmes - allow 20 - 50 pounds depending on capacity.

Great bits of kit as long as you don't mind the small screen........ think that Compaq units have the best quality screens.

Use ours for the boat, the car (with Tom Tom European Maps get you anywhere!)
for synchronising with sales/customers info from desktop PC, voice recording, walking with ordnance survey mapping, access to email and internet thro' mobile and bluetooth..........it goes on and on.

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[Trevethan]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

Whichh plotter do you have?

I have a Garmin Ique that uses bluecharts so I need a Garmin bluechart plotter.

Am quite opleased with this one -- the land based directions are great -- swmbo and I never argue about directions anymore, except when she ignoores the Garmin's command to turn right......

Costs about £550, runs Palm OS -- very straightforward. lots of free and shareware about. the built in nav software is superb.

good luck!

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[rebeccas]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

I have 'Navigate' (Windows version) but it also runs on the Psion 7 and netBook as well as Windows, Mac OS X and Linux x86 (see (http://www.wizworldservices.co.uk/navigate) .

Rebecca.

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[Laurin]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

I bought fugawi software for IPAQ and never got it to work properly

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[doris]

What the f***

What the f*** is a PDA........reading the posts is like reading anoraks weekly. Is this boaty or something that one buys from Anne Summers?

<hr width=100% size=1>Real men do it 2handed.

 

[Guest]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

Ask us on the group :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html>http://www.qqbaltic.com/index.html</A> For all those disbelievers ! /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

 

[bigmart]

Re: What the f***

A PDA is a Personal Digital Assistant or by another name a Palm Top Computer. The only thing to be wary of is that Palm is also a brand name so there is a potential for some confusion.

They are very useful bits of kit but many will dismiss them as just another gadget.

Martin

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[Heckler]

Re: PDA\'s & Gps

have got a new shop soiled compaq ipaq 3630, you can use oziexplorer, download off the net, scan some charts in and away you go, its only got a USB connector so you would have to get a serial port connector and then connect your gps to it. i experimented a few yrs ago with the early ipaq and it worked a treat, took it to greece with me on a flot hol.
am selling for £160 + post
stu

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.beneteau-owners-association.org.uk

 

[jonjo]

Re: Not for prime time

> want to buy a PDA to play with

"Play with". You have right idea, these things are still at the technology bleeding edge. A PDA might have a full time role in a sheltered wheelhouse but not in an open cockpit.

The handheld GPS/Chart format is however looking promising, I tinkered with a few at the LIBS and concluded that useful navigation/pilotage can be done on a colour screen 320 x 240 pixels. The sea school skipper who lost his life entering Plymouth Sound a year or two ago would probably be alive today if he had an in-cockpit display of his position.

I have an O2 XDA II Pocket PC phone coupled to a wireless GPS. It warns me of speed cameras when driving to the coast, it can display a text only version of the shipping forecast via a GPRS internet link for a few pennies but fetching a synoptic chart costs a noticeable amount.

With more software loaded I could have O/S maps covering the shore-side for all my sailing areas plus of course standard marine chart coverage. Then add in tide tables, smart anchor watch, email and an ability to snap a photo and beam this any anyone on the internet.

It is a fascinating device but the software is all a bit wobbly at present. Physical these devices need extra protection for routine marine use.

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