RouteBuddy, a new Mac application, made the news today on a number of sites. High Earth Orbit’s coverage caught my eye due their extensive list of GPS mapping resources for Macs.
Related post: Macs, Maps and GPS
Technorati tags: GPS
Archives for July 2006
GPS mapping solutions for Macs
July 25, 2006 By 1 Comment
Bike mounts for Garmin 60 series
July 24, 2006 By 4 Comments
I’m happy to say that my wife and I are both getting a new mountain bikes. Decommissioning of the old ones is nearly a decade overdue! The problem is, these days, most nice bikes come with 31.8 mm diameter handlebars, and I’m having a hard time finding a mount for my Garmin 60CSx that will fit.
In the past, I’ve used RAM mounts, and have been very happy with them, but that’s not a good option unless I switch out handlebars. So I emailed RAM, and they suggested this monster mount. Um, thanks guys, but I don’t really like the plumbing clamps.
It turns out that Garmin has a large diameter rail mount adapter (seen at left) for their mount. Unfortunately, Garmin mounts (for the 60 series) have a reputation for disengaging in rough terrain, sending that very expensive GPS flying. I don’t like that idea either.
The best solution I’ve seen was posted in this thread about Garmin 60CS bike mounts on Groundspeak:
"What I finally did, which doesn’t obscure the screen, is to take a wire tie, like the ones used for vegetables and string it through the lanyard strap hole on the 60CS and then to the space on the 60CS holder where the holder clips onto the mount on the bicycle handlebar. Tighten up the wire and twist it around itself to hold it in place. Tuck the ends under the 60CS and then click on the 60CS to the bike."
I’m not sure that would hold it in place if the mount broke, but that may be the solution I go with. I’ll try and remember to update this post once I’ve made a final decision and tested it out.
Technorati tags: GPS
How Garmin came to dominate the GPS marketplace
July 20, 2006 By Leave a Comment
Earlier this week, in an article on Garmin GPS units being offered in Avis and Budget rental cars, the Kansas City Business Journal noted that:
"Garmin is the leading maker of portable navigation units for automobiles in the United States. In June, Garmin sold 58 percent of all portable navigation units domestically, ahead of TomTom NV (24 percent) and Magellan (7 percent), according to researcher NPD."
Just how did Garmin achieve this lofty position in the GPS marketplace? Sure they have wonderfully intuitive interfaces, a reputation for good customer service, a weak competitor in Magellan and a fumbling one in TomTom.
But I see another reason. Garmin has done an excellent job of developing niche markets. Let’s see how many I can list:
Garmin zumo 550
July 19, 2006 By Leave a Comment
UPDATE: Read our Garmin zumo 550 review
Garmin has announced the zumo 550, a GPS navigation device designed for motorcycles. Due to hit the market in October 2006, the zumo comes pre-loaded with maps of Europe or North America. Bluetooth allows for hands free cell phone calling through the cyclist’s helmet.
The zumo includes an MP3 player, and XM radio, traffic and weather are options. TMC traffic alerts are available as an alternative.
For more information, there is a flash demo for the Garmin zumo 550, and here is a link to the zumo 550 announcement / press release.
Technorati tags: GPS
Garmin nuvi 360 review
July 13, 2006 By 7 Comments
UPDATE: Though still available and supported, Garmin has discontinued the nuvi 360. For newer models, check out my Garmin nuvi comparison chart.
The Garmin nuvi 360 updates the popular nuvi 350, and both have consistently been among Garmin’s top sellers. The 360 adds Bluetooth, allowing for hands-free cell phone use, and the Garmin Lock™ theft prevention system.
This is on top of the features that made the nuvi 350 such a hit, including a 3.5″ touch-screen, an MP3 player, audio book reader, SiRFstar III chipset, and the ability to speak upcoming street names. The 360 comes pre-loaded with maps of the U.S. and Canada.
Additional options include live traffic information, the Garmin Language Guide™ and Garmin Travel Guide™. Stepping up to the nuvi 370 adds maps of Europe and a traffic receiver (optional on the nuvi 360).
Extracting TOPO (.tpo) track files
July 12, 2006 By 3 Comments
Yesterday I posted about being able to convert National Geographic TOPO (.tpo) track files to .gpx using GPSBabel. This is something that will excite quite a few people, as it overcomes what (IMHO) is TOPO’s biggest disadvantage. Let’s take a look at the whys and hows.
When I first discovered GPS and mapping software, I went wild mapping trails in our area. I mountain bike with my wife every weekend, but the area we ride is private land, and there are no good trail maps. My first software purchase was National Geographic TOPO! Not only did I record tracks of rides, I started adding logging roads that show on aerial photos, trails that only showed up on 1:100,000 scale maps, etc.
Convert National Geographic TOPO (.tpo) files
July 10, 2006 By 6 Comments
GPS Babel, Robert Lipe’s conversion utility, has recently been updated to version 1.3.0. This newest version, I am extremely happy to say, converts National Geographic TOPO (.tpo) files. Yes TOPO users, you can now extract track data, converting it to .gpx or the format of your choice. It will work with TOPO versions 2 and 3, but not 4.x.
For those of us with a mass (mess?) of data in TOPO, this is welcome news indeed. I tried it out this morning and it works flawlessly! Congratulations to Robert and the entire team of Babel-heads, especially Alex Mottram, who appears to be their NG TOPO expert. (CORRECTION: Apparently Curt Mills deserves the credit here.)
National Geographic TOPO (Amazon) is a wonderful product, and remains my favorite in terms of CD/DVD-based mapping software. As I noted in my book, GPS Mapping – Make Your Own Maps, the difficulty in exporting tracks is one of the few disadvantages of this program (and the only major one). Finally, we have an elegant solution that allows you to extract your data.
Related post: Extracting TOPO (.tpo) track files.
Technorati tags: GPS
Consumer Reports rates GPS receivers
July 6, 2006 By 1 Comment
UPDATE: Check out my take on Consumer Reports’ October 2007 GPS ratings.
The August 2006 issue of Consumer Reports rates portable GPS navigation devices for cars. Garmin won top honors, placing number one and two, and coming in with the only best buy. Listed below are the top six, which were followed for the most part by, ahem, lesser brands (Navman, Cobra, Clarion, Lowrance, Mio and Pharos).
- Garmin nuvi 350
- Garmin StreetPilot 2730
- Magellan RoadMate 760
- TomTom GO 300
- TomTom GO 700
- Garmin StreetPilot i5 (A CR Best Buy)
Unfortunately, these are all last generation units. Compare these to the Top Ten list I posted yesterday and you’ll see that only the StreetPilot 2730 and nuvi show up on both lists. There is one thing that GPS Tracklog readers and Consumer Reports agree upon – the Garmin nuvi 350 is ranked number one by each.
Technorati tags: GPS
Garmin StreetPilot c550 vs. TomTom GO 910
July 4, 2006 By 9 Comments
T.D. Smyers submitted the following comparison of the Garmin StreetPilot c550 and TomTom GO 910 as a comment, but it’s just too good for that, and deserves its own post. So, with gratitude and with T.D.’s permission, here is a head-to-head face off between these two models…
"This review is provided as a public service. It represents my own opinion and experience, so take it for what it’s worth to you.
Like many of you, I looked all over for some detailed comparisons of available GPS units before I bought one. What I found on the web didn’t answer many of my questions, so I decided to share my own GPS adventure with those of you still in the market. What follows is a comparison between the TomTom GO 910 and the Garmin c550. There are other units out there, as well, but this review may help make you a more educated GPS consumer – whatever you buy. Please, take advantage of my time without losing a lot of your own!
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):
After several days of side-by-side testing, I’m taking my TomTom GO
910 back to Best Buy this morning, and keeping my Garmin c550. The 910 has enormous potential, but can’t yet deliver in the US; maybe in a few months or so it will. The Garmin is less flashy, but gets the job done.
Intro:
I was very excited about the TomTom GO 910 after doing some preliminary research and finding that it had enormous capability, customization and functional advantages over the competing Brand’s equivalent models. My initial excitement was reinforced when I opened the box. The 910 had the feel of quality equipment – it was solid and sleek; it had several “extras”, including an audio cable and a home computer dock; and the connecting hardware fit together firmly and securely with a sharp “click”. I continued to be impressed with the many Text To Speech (TTS) options available (I chose a very nice British female to guide me around Northern Virginia); the wide, attractive display and the MANY ways available to customize my display and navigation.
Magellan RoadMate 860T Review
July 2, 2006 By Leave a Comment
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
The Magellan RoadMate 860T GPS updates the popular RoadMate 800, adding real-time traffic capabilities (includes 15 months of traffic service), SayWhere™ text-to-speech, and added space for multi-media file storage. It does not have the new SiRFstar III chipset; you’ll have to buy the RoadMate 3000T or 3050T for that. The 860T also has a shorter battery life than the 3000 series models, which may matter if you’re going to use it as an MP3 player or photo viewer away from your car.
Compare prices on the Magellan RoadMate 860T
Here’s what others are saying about the RoadMate 860T:
