Archives for 2007

A baby boy!

August 12, 2007 By Rich Owings 5 Comments

Baby_boy_4
I’m thrilled to let you know that, as of 1:51 p.m. yesterday, my wife delivered a healthy baby boy at 39.43158° N, 123.79994° W.

As a result, you’ll probably see a drop in posting frequency for at least a couple of weeks. I’ll try to continue covering the big stories and letting you know when reviews of new GPS units like the eTrex H-series show up. Comment approval may be slow, and I probably won’t be responding to many, but things will soon return to normal. EDIT: Oops, meant to say I have a couple of posts stored up too.

Can’t wait to take the little tyke geocaching!

Filed Under: More GPS News

Mio C220 review

August 10, 2007 By Rich Owings 8 Comments

Mio_c220_review

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Mio GPS reviews.

I’ve been trying out the Mio C220 for the past couple of weeks, and I am convinced that it is a great value. Currently available for around ~~$185~~ $165 (and the price may drop even more between now and the holidays), this unit will likely be one of the market leaders in terms of budget car navigation systems.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, Hardware, Mio, Mio auto GPS

Details on the Magellan Triton series

August 7, 2007 By Rich Owings 107 Comments

UPDATE: Read my Magellan Triton 1500 review.

As promised, here is more information on the forthcoming Magellan Triton handheld GPS series that I posted about earlier today. I just got off the phone with a Magellan rep and was able to ask some key questions; here’s what I found out…

The touch screen on the 1500 and 2000 will have a lockout — a hold button under a flap — to prevent accidental use of the interface. The touch screen interface is designed to be primarily used by your finger, though a stylus (and five spares) are included for detailed work like selecting a specific go-to point on the map.

I confirmed that the unit can display raster imagery, so users will be able to load 1:24,000 scale National Geographic TOPO! maps (and Weekend Explorer 3D), which are compatible with all Triton units except the Triton 200. Third-party map developers can partner with Magellan to create additional maps for the unit, so there is little standing in the way of us seeing aerial photos for the units at some point in the future.

The VantagePoint software, used to transfer maps and data to and from Triton units, will
be compatible with existing Magellan eXplorist units and future auto
units. I don’t believe you will be able to transfer raster imagery like National Geographic TOPO! to an eXplorist though!

Geocoded photos can be added to waypoints. The unit’s battery life is being conservatively estimated at 10 hours of intense use. This number may change as Magellan conducts further tests.

I had to ask about support, because Magellan has a weak reputation in that arena. The answer I got was that they paid a lot of attention to this issue in designing the series. It’s all built on one platform (as opposed to the eXplorist series) which they say should make it easier for the company to support and provide future upgrades.

Magellan Triton features on the different models break down as follows (links go to PDFs):

Filed Under: Hardware, Magellan

Garmin nuvi 200W review

August 7, 2007 By Rich Owings 3 Comments

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nuvi 200W is a wide screen version of the entry-level nuvi 200. This is still a very basic unit, albeit with a 4.3″ touch screen instead of the 3.5″ screen found on the 200. Like all 200-series nuvis, this GPS navigator has an internal antenna, for a sleeker design than older nuvis that bore the flip-up antenna.

UPDATE: A similar but newer model, the nuvi 205W, adds quite a few features, and has occasionally been selling for a little less than the 200W.

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin nuvi 200W

What’s a GPS mouse?

August 5, 2007 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

Gps_mouse_2
A post about a GPS mouse on Slippery Brick caught my attention this morning. To quote:

This is an interesting combination of peripherals if nothing else. A company called Navilock out of Germany who specializes in GPS products has produced a Bluetooth enabled mouse that also acts as a GPS receiver. This is convenient in that if you are looking for a powerful GPS antenna and you are going to be using a mouse anyway, you can now just get them both in one device adding less clutter to your workspace.

Sorry guys, but you’re wrong. This thing ain’t no mouse. The term "GPS mouse" refers to the shape and size of the device, and has come to mean any wired or wireless GPS receiver that doesn’t come with any sort of interface. It merely outputs position data to a laptop, cell phone, etc.

Filed Under: FAQs, Hardware

TomTom GO 720 review

August 1, 2007 By Rich Owings 7 Comments

Tomtom_go_720

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our TomTom comparison chart.

I’ve been trying out a TomTom GO 720 for the past few weeks, and I am quite impressed with it. I’ll get into the details of my review shortly, but first, here are a few notes about features…

The TomTom GO 720 has attracted a lot of attention as the first unit to incorporate TomTom’s new Map Share technology, allowing users to update certain aspects of its maps. Beyond that, the 720 sports a 4.3″ touch screen, Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use, MP3 player, and a built-in FM transmitter. You can even control your iPod via the 720 (an accessory cable must be purchased separately). The unit has text-to-speech so it calls out street names — that way you’ll get “turn left on Highland Drive” instead of just “turn left.” An optional traffic receiver allows for live traffic info on screen. While TomTom doesn’t state the number of points of interest (POIs), the database seems similar to those touting six million.

Filed Under: Auto, GPS Reviews, TomTom auto GPS

An obsession with maps

July 30, 2007 By Rich Owings 4 Comments

Years ago, long before I got my first GPS, I came across a map of U.S. counties, and I started using it to record my travels. Over the years, that map became tattered and torn — "loved to death" as it were. Paper versions are still available, but it really needed to be replaced by the digital variety. So I was thrilled when Free Geography Tools recently wrote about Color Your Map, which allows you to color countries of the world, U.S. states, or counties within a state, and view them in Google Earth. So I assembled 50 files; you can see the results of 48 of them below.

Google_earth_us_counties_2

Filed Under: Internet applications, Maps

Garmin Rino 530HCx review

July 30, 2007 By Rich Owings Leave a Comment

Rino_530hcx

NOTE: A newer model, the Garmin Rino 655t, adds many new features.

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued.

The Garmin Rino 530HCx is a handheld GPS that includes a two-way radio, and the ability to track another Rino user on your screen. Updating the Rino 530, the HCx model adds a high-sensitivity chipset and a micro-SD card slot for adding topo or highway maps (which must be purchased separately). The Rino has a bright, sunlight-readable screen, and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at up to 14 hours.

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin Rino 530HCx, Two-way radio

Video tutorial for making custom Garmin maps

July 26, 2007 By Rich Owings 1 Comment

Custom_garmin_map
A member of Groundspeak, Geocaching.com’s message board, has posted a video tutorial showing how easy it is to make custom maps for a Garmin GPS. Unfortunately, it’s hosted on MediaFire and I wasn’t able to embed it here. Follow the link above and look for "click here to start download." That’s the video tutorial, not the Paris Hilton video showing below it (the one I saw was family safe though)!

In the example, he traces the outline of a park boundary and lake in Google Earth, and uses it to create a map for his GPS as shown. The Groundspeak post links to the map making tools he used.

I covered many of these techniques in my 2005 book, GPS Mapping: Make Your Own Maps. The video only scratches the surface of what is possible. There is a ton of free GIS data on the Web that you can use to build custom maps. There’s a bit of a learning curve but if you use a handheld GPS and like to play with hacks, you should probably check it out.

Filed Under: Best of the boards, Garmin, Maps, Software

Garmin eTrex Legend HCx review

July 26, 2007 By Rich Owings 121 Comments

UPDATE: This model has been superseded by the new Garmin eTrex 20.

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

Hands on with the Garmin eTrex Legend HCx

I’ve had a chance to try out the Garmin eTrex Legend HCx recently. This is my first extended experience with an eTrex model since I purchased my first GPS — an eTrex Venture — many years ago.

One of Garmin’s newer eTrex H-series receivers, the Legend HCx updates the very popular Legend Cx. The “H” stands for high-sensitivity chipset, to ensure great satellite reception under canopy and in other situations where you have a limited view of the sky.

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware Tagged With: Garmin eTrex Legend HCx