AnswerID: 86900 Submitted: Thursday, Dec 02, 2004 at 01:00
Pilbara Wayne
replied:
I've got a Garmin
Etrex that I use with OziExplorer Software. It has the data cable and a 12V cable in one unit. As it is mounted near the A pillar of my Nissan it sometimes suffered drop outs, so I installed a re-readiating antenna. On a recent drive from Hedland to
Karratha it was no less than 6m accurate. I use this system often as the tracks here in the
Pilbara are marked nicely on the maps, but are a damn site harder to find on the ground when the spinifex is long and the tracks have faded.
Advantage of a separate hand held
GPS is that you can take it away from the car with you and not have to carry the laptop. I use 2 AA rechargables in mine and keep a couple of spares recharged. The 12V input doesn't charge the batteries, but that isn't a big hassle for me.
If you go this way, just make sure that the
GPS does have the connection facility. Some such as the Geko 101 dont. Also if your laptop doesnt have a serial port then you might need a serial to USB adapter.
Hope this info is useful.
Cheers
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| Cheers
Wayne |
Reply 2 of 11
FollowupID: 345511 Submitted:
Thursday, Dec 02, 2004 at 01:20
Moneypit posted:
GPS Hedland to
Karratha...........Gentle tip.
As you turn out of Hedland make it a left. Follow that big grey thing that's not very wide but is real long. Its easy to see, its got dots in the middle.
Follow that grey thing for about 222 kilometres and you'll see another not very wide but long grey thing to the right side of your car. Make your car follow that piece of grey and when you see all those buildings in front of you...............thats
Karratha.
And if you follow those you'll be more accurate that 6 metres. You'll be exacty there.
I'm sorry...........I hope that comes across as humour
Just as another point, as you travel down that long grey piece but just before you go round the right hand corner before the Turner River Bridge [going to
Karratha] have a look in your rear vison mirror. You'll see the blue
water tank momentarily in the mirror and then you get the best view of Hedland -- it disappears from view!!
Moneypit
FollowUp 1 of 8
FollowupID: 345512 Submitted:
Thursday, Dec 02, 2004 at 01:29
Pilbara Wayne posted:
Yeah.. the road did get in the way a bit every now and then. I thougth the
GPS was supposed to be more accurate!!!!!
I was just testing it out to see how accurate it would be, as some of the
places I've tried to find in our more remote areas(ie not a track in sight) have proved a bit elusive. I've even tried looking out the window and getting out for a walk and a look, but cant stay out of the airconditioning for too long. Often makes me wonder how the old time prospectors managed to get anywhere up here.
Better views along this stretch of road include the front bar at the Whim Creek Pub.. beats the blue
water tank hands down. Unfortunately at night you can still see the lights of Hedland in the distance from the Turner River, so you know you're not quite far enough away.
Oh and if you think
Karratha is just the INDUSTRIAL area that you can see on the right, then you'd better go and have a better look.
Also sent in a humorous tone. :-)
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| Cheers
Wayne |
FollowUp 2 of 8
FollowupID: 345588 Submitted:
Thursday, Dec 02, 2004 at 11:33
Mad Dog (Victoria) posted:
Utemad, Check the
shop here, I'm not sure if the sell them or not but gpsoz do. I picked up a holux on ebay sometime ago for a very reasonable price, I see there's a garmin on there now for $80 but still 6 days to go. Yes there is no physical connection to the
gps, put the antenna on the roof or wherever, supply it with 12 volts and put the small
re-radiating antenna somewhere near the
gps.....do they work?...yes..very bloody well
FollowUp 4 of 8
FollowupID: 345705 Submitted:
Thursday, Dec 02, 2004 at 18:41
Pilbara Wayne posted:
Utemad
I bought mine off Ebay. Its a Magellan unit and works exactly as Mad Dog says. I have my
Etrex mouted in a modified mobile phone holder and have the small
re-radiating antenna fixed to the back of it with some velcro. The
GPS and antenna are only a centimetre or so apart. Cables run under the dash mat so no uglies all over the dash near the driver.
I like the fact my
GPS works better all the time now.
Cant access Ebay at the moment... stupid proxy (poxy??) server at work gives me error messages. But I do remember I bought it from GFCorica? who is located in
Perth. It arrived quickly and was packaged well. I noticed he advertised another one after I had purchased mine, so he probably has quite a few. If he's the seller I recommend him.
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| Cheers
Wayne |
FollowUp 6 of 8
FollowupID: 347744 Submitted:
Wednesday, Dec 15, 2004 at 13:13
Utemad posted:
Hi guys,
I just had my reradiating antenna arrive in the mail. Not the one that was mentioned above but this one instead.
I bought the GARTX + GAST3X which just has a newer smaller antenna with a MCX connection should I ever upgrade my
GPS.
It runs off 3xAA batteries so it is more easily transferable between my different cars and hobbies etc.
I tested it here at work. We have those steel shipping containers for sheds. So I sat in one of them (friggin HOT) with my
GPS on 0 satellites and put the antenna out the door at full reach of the cable. I then switched on the module and almost instant 4 metre accuracy then switched off the module and almost instant no reception.
This model has to have the wire touching the unit like a mobile phone antenna. Not up to 45cm away like the other units can. In fact for a few grand you can get one of the suckers that will do an entire aircraft hangar so you can test plane
GPS units without having to take it outside!
FollowUp 8 of 8
