GPS Alternatives

Hi Spuddy

The Hema Navigator would be one of the better ways to go for straight
out of the box ready to go systems, loaded with all the maps you would need.

They run oziexplorer ce, which i run on a pda but this is the long way round and can be a little difficult to set up if your limited with computer skills,
must admit i got it to work and i am no expert!

Rob

GPS is a minefield - heap of ways of doing maps. Even my mobile phone has GPS.

We're about to spend 3 weeks in the desert.
In the past I've used an old Tosh computer running W98 with Oziexplorer - works really well, and I use a remote in-dash screen and cordless mouse to control it. It was the ideal setup!

But.......the "USB GPS mouse" things became available - so I bought one off Ebay for about $65 - arrived yesterday, and I installed it with its W98 driver and it works fine on the PC. So my Garmin 2+ GPS is now a backup that can sit on the dash or I carry it when walking.

In addition my wife's TomTom can run the Auslig maps using some freeware called TTMaps. So we may as well use that as well.

So this next trip. we're taking 3 GPS's. But I could run the Nokia maps on the phone and have 4 GPS's!!!

My suggestion for outback travel is to use the PC running Oziexplorer. All the rest are toys for when you get bored.

cheers
Phil

We run a laptop with Ozi Explorer and use a Qstarz BT-Q818X Bluetooth GPS engine that uses the new MTK 2 chip set.

Have gone away from the Garmin GPS18 USB GPS mouse due to some issue we were having, the Qstarz leaves it for dead.

The MTK 2 is the best GPS chip set available in a consumer GPS.

As Phil said the rest are toys.

Spuddy

You could try this site NavNet
I've been running it for 4 years now and it great for what I want it for.

there are some on this site that bag it, but I'm sure they have never seen or used it.

It can do what a laptop and a navigator cand do plus more.

Regards

Richard

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Hi Spuddy

This is still the best true GPS unit out there unless you just want a navigator.


As well as all the usual features, you can load your own track in and navigate it , anywhere as its even truly waterproof and marine rated.

It can even accurately measure your car voltage and beep when its low.

The way most of my friends have them set up is with city navigator as the navigator, then you can switch to a completely different mode in which we use T4A or shonky as base mapping with the screen showing true north as often the contours are all you have to go by.

http://www.gpsoz.com.au/garmin/garmin_276c.htm

You need to be clear about what you want it to do. That can make a grand's difference to what you pay.

This beasty maybe worth considering (when they are officially released)

TwoNav Aventura: More than a GPS

Cheers
Greg

Thanks Guys for all your input. I am still looking at a few options. ARB put me onto GOSOZ inb Monavale and they have been very helpful.

I like the look of the VMS Touring. I would add the 1:25,000 NSW Topo maps as well for starters.