wanting to buy a <span class="highlight">gps</span>

Kaz - how much do you want to spend? Do you have any particular brand preference?

I use Magellan - eXplorist 600 & 500, which are colour mapping capable GPSr's. When going through the deserts, I load the Hema Great Desert Maps onto the GPS. This is a specific Magellan product which can only be loaded onto Magelan GPSr's.
Peter

Kazz44

I use Garmins and have a good run with them , at the moment I have a Nuvi 660 and a Quest.The Nuvi 660 is a good one if you add Points of Interest , as in Caravan Parks and many other subjects, as well as Tracks4Australia Topo maps, you will all this info on my Website
members.westnet.com.au/dtilley/maps.htm

www.ja-gps.com.au/garmin_quest_1.html

www.ja-gps.com.au/garmin_nuvi660.aspx

Kaz,

Just about any 4wd or boating shop should have a display of GPS. I would say that all the GPS that are out know are very good and have come a long way since they first come out.

They certainly have come down in size. I remember the first one that I saw, it was in a brief case and took 5 min to set up and another 10 min to lock onto the satellites.

They all have good moving maps in them and are getting easy to use. Personally I would avoid using a laptop to run the maps as the laptop takes up a lot of room in the cabin of the vehicle and can also be affected by dust and vibration.

Garmin or the Magellan range would have to be the most popular units used by outback travellers today and are both very good.

Wayne

Kaz

Good question.

I would just like to point out that I have come across a lot of people when out and about who ste the following:

I've got a GPS and its the 'best you can get' however I have no idea how to work it or what all the button things do.

So the first thing you have to consider is - do you know how to operate a GPS for your purposes which usually are a individual preferance.

If yes - find a retailer where you can try out different brands and models and identify the one that suits your purposes. It is important not to be 'blinded by science, colour scheme, weight or size here. Its the one that suits your needs.

Then - fit the budget or make it stretch. (LOL)

Note: If you aren't to sure how to work the sucker, then they are or become an expensive lump in the glove box.

If you have a laptop then a GPS mouse (cable, blue tooth etc ) coupled with Oziexplorer may suit you better. Just a thought.

Regards

Ken Robinson

Kazz44

It is a matter of your personal needs. When I was looking I narrowed my final choice to the Garmin Quest or a PDA GPS. In the end I went with the PDA GPS.

Hema have a good map of the mid west of WA. Also Hema Desert Maps. Natmap is another essential map to have.

Tjilpi

Hi Kazz
Try obtaining a book called GPS Vehicle Navigation in Australia by Robert Pepper
www.gpsvehiclenavigation.com
A new edition is said to be out early this year.
I use an older garmin GPS11+ with a remote antenna and sometimes connect it up to the laptop. I use Oziexplorer to set up way points and routes etc. This requires the use of third party maps.
I also use a PDA with a windscreen mount that combines a compact flash GPS and power connector. This is used with Ozie CE as a moving map. Thus far it has proved to be excellent. I have however modified the windscreen suction mount.
I have found that moving map GPS units which can't run third party maps to be of limited use when off the main roads, tracks.
Maps such as those from "Rooftop", Hema, Vic deserts plus the Natmap raster are very good.
Note, running two GPS units can put you in two different places at the same time!!
Hope that this helps, Tony

Kazz,

As others have said, the choice will largely depend on what uses you wish to obtain from GPS technology.

Stand-alone use in and out of the vehicle?
Moving map capability?

Have a look at the article unders Topics - Navigation selectable from the folders across the top of the screen. This will give you a starting point.

We would all kind of recommend to you, the product we use ourselves.
Both the Magellan and Garmin products have "proprietary" solution specific to their own brand and both are probably comparable to each other.

A PDA, or Laptop solution with a GPS receiver may give more flexibility if you wish to end up with both a moving map capability and a "turn-by-turn" voice navigation facility in the metropolitan areas.

After you get some ideas, then feel free to ask for specifics. You will be inundated by well meaning folks with input based on their own experience and experimentation.

Good luck in your quest!

Thanks Guys , you have been a great help, and with ebay I don,t use it any way thanks. I am still not sure which way to go price is no concern and I have never used a gps before, but I have plenty of time to learn before we leave, i will check out all your recomendations. Thanks again Kazz