GPS, Maps, Software - HELP!!

Hi apwaddo

I am part way through the same nightmare!

Best advice I can give you , is to buy a copy of the book 'GPS Vehicle Navigation In Australia' by Robert Pepper.

I bought mine from the shop here on ExplorOz. Read it thoroughly, then read it again more thoroughly... then refer to it regularly!

I've decided on a Garmin GPS 60 CSx, but as my budget is a bit restricted at the moment, I haven't bought it yet, so everything I am trying to learn is all theoretical for the time being. Makes it difficult to physically try out what you are learning.

I have downloaded a shareware/trial version of Oziexplorer (for free), which has a tutorial... that helps too, but till I buy that Garmin, I am restricted in practising what I am learning.

Recommend the book and the trial Oziexplorer, before you commit to a heap of stuff you may not need/want/understand.

Good luck,
Dave

Most of your questions are best answered by those with greater knowledge than I. We all have personal preferences. However for the laptop stand suggest you visithttp://www.expressmounts.com . Their prices are much better than here in Australia, particularly now with the exchange rate and their service is excellent. I ordered Thursday night and item was delivered Monday morning in Adelaide. Nothing seems too much trouble and no question is difficult for them to answer.

I would stay well clear of Navman...Go Magellan or Garmin or possibly Hema...

Hi Apwaddo,
if you go with Garmin or Magellan, you are basically stuck with their proprietary maps. The Garmin 60Csx is excellent, but you can only load garmin based maps (including Shonky maps and Tracks4 Aus). Again they are limited.

If you buy say VMS500 (loaded with OziExplorer), or Hema Navigator (buy the new one, not the old one, comes with OziExplorer) or something similar, that runs windows CE, then you can run OziExplorer CE and add lots of different maps that are available. Even make your own.

If I had my choice all over again, that's the way I would go. If you just want to do 4WD'n and maybe some walking tracks, without geocaching and similar pursuits, I would go for the VMS (cheaper than hema). Good size touch screen and has street/city navigation (voice) as well.
regards

apwaddo
Have a browse around HERE

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Apwaddo

There are two entirely different concepts at work here. Street navigation which works on vector based maps and the many "navigators" advertised will do this.

Detailed topographic maps for tracks (and importantly the detail surrounding the tracks) is handled by raster based based maps and uses software like Oziexplorer which is run on dedicated devices or laptops etc. You can get topo maps for the whole of Australia eg Natmap.

We are starting to see now a few devices that can do both (such as Hema and VMS as stated above)

I find that to be able to see the detail on a topographic map you need a large screen. Street navigation is ok on a small screen as it just displays blocky lines.

I would recommend you look at the "combined devices" such as VMS or Hema which will do both tasks and come loaded with most of the maps you are likely to use. Go for the largest screen you can afford and can mount easily in your vehicle.

Alan

apwaddo suggest you look to Garmin if you want to use Oziexplorer. Ozi will download tracks and all other data from and to Garmin. Navman is a toy for townies and useless offroad or bush tracks. With Ozi you can make route for trip and upload to Garmin and heaps other exciting things

Hi apwaddo

My solution was to get a "no name" GPS from ebay - cost now is around $200. I use this for round town travel using a program calle iGO which is very good and easy to use. I then use Oziexplorer with Hema and the Natmap maps for offroad use.

These units are much the same as the VMS and Hema ones apart from the cost.

You still need to learn how Oziexplorer works and update the latest versions occasionally but its not hard.

If I was getting anew one today then I'd get one of the new HD 7" screen GPS units that uses an SDHC card which can take all the maps I would need.

Oh, I don't think Garmin units can run Oziexplorer by the way.

Cheers

Peter

Been there!! Its a real minefield. We settled on the VMS AVNC 3000 Mk 2 for the Toyota. Its an id dash (cant be stolen) 5" screen running Oziexplorer CE. We also got the full Ozi package for the home PC for trip planning etc.

Oziexplorer is a top choice. It can even accept photos and anything scanned as maps. Can you imagine putting a centrefold in it and just exploring!!!

I would stay well away from the tripod PC mounts. From my point of view they should be banned. For those who do not agree just imagine a prang or even just a roll over. No thanks.

A friend purchased a small about 7" PC based touch screen and mounted it on the console down near the ashtray and facing him. Its connected to a 7" by 10" car computer mounted on the luggage barrier right behind the center console. The screen is a touch screen the same as you would use on the home PC. Therefore it does not need a mouse or keyboard. You could use the screen as an accessory on a laptop as well. With the laptop mounted behind you.

It has to be the best I have ever seen. Even has wireless internet etc etc etc. We stuck with the VMS unit as we wanted it all "built in" as possible. The VMS unit is compatible with the Toyota wiring harness and just plugs in.

I hope these thought interests you. But importantly be very careful where you mount the kit. Do you really want the "boss" to hit the kit when you have to stop quickly. What if the air bags go off!!!!

Phil

Quote" if you go with Garmin or Magellan, you are basically stuck with their proprietary maps"

Not so with garmin
You can use their program mapsource and up load your ownn maps to a garmin unit
eg Tracks for Australia Pro or the freeware version
Topo Australia
Any of their street navigation series

I would go Garmin

Some advise above I would agree with, other not so.

There are really 4 parts to GPS solution.

1 A GPS receiver

2 Some form of computer

3 Software

4 Maps

Each of these has a number of solutions, and a number of units have all 4 of these together - others have all 4 separate.

My solution to this is

1. A Blue tooth GPS receiver

2. An IPAQ 212 PDA As well as using this for navigation it has many other uses as well. This connects with the GPS receiver using blue tooth.

3. I use Ozi Exp CE. If you go this way it is almost essential that you have OziExp on a laptop or desktop as well. Note: These are 2 separate programs, one for windows and one for windows CE

4. I have a large library of maps from many sources including NatMap and ones I have made myself and others I have downloaded using software such as SAPGIS. The main thing to realise that there are 2 types of maps Vector and Raster. Vector maps are used in many of the "GPS"units that you buy as complete units, whereas raster are really just like scans of paper maps or air/sat photos. Most software will only use one type. OziExp uses raster (I could confuse things by saying that OziExp can also use vector data to some extent)

Sorry this has got a bit long winded but it can be as complex or as simple as you like, but the more complex it is the more capability you have. Like so many things it is a trade-off.