Hema Navigator 5"

"Unfortunately, if you require a unit for both city and off road navigation, you have limited choices.
Hema Navigator or Garmin Nuvi. "

Not true - heap of PDAs can run street Nav software and OziCE. Magellan's Crossover probably also fits the bill, then there is the TwoNav Aventura. Lots of people also use no name "chinese" PNDs available on internet auction sites. Most Garmin and Magellan handhelds also can be used for both purposes, with limitations i.e. smaller screen, no voice instructions. The HN and Nuvis are however probably the pick of the bunch but certainly not the only choices.

Cheers
Greg

PS - you can also unlock Tom Toms, NavMans and Mios to run OziExplorerCe and original street nav software.

Cheers
Greg

Greg,

Perhaps I should have quantified my statement more.

A device running Oziexplorer (more open) or one running Garmin programs (restricted to Garmins) are the two most popular choices.

Yes you can run Navigation software on PDA's but this usually requires a reasonable amount of knowledge on how devices integrate with application software.
They are not ready to go out of the box like Garmin and Hema are.

Not many city navigation software applications are available for separate purchase anymore.
Next to Tomtom, the next best I found was CoPilot but unfortunately this is no longer going to be kept up to date and so is not a real choice.

As far as "unlocking a Tomtom to be able to run OziExplorer", tell me more, I would be most interested.

Greg, the majority of people require a "turn key" solution, one that works and works well out of the box.
I use the Hema Navigator to run OziExplorer, with a good sized screen.
Most other people would also like a city navigation application but there are two "problems" with the Hema Navigator.

1. Route 66 is not all that good when I compare it to both Tomtom and Copilot 7 which I have on a PDA.

2. You cannot run both off road navigation such as OziExplorer and city navigation applications (such as Route 66) at the same time, which is a fair restriction when your driving across the country then come to a sizeable town where you need to navigate around it.

I'm sure you have as much, or possibly more experience with these applications than I do.
What I'm attempting to communicate with the general population is that a single device does not necessarily give you a total solution and few of them are ready to use out of the box.

I'm not familiar with the Garmin product and Doug will no doubt expand on its capabilities, but data from it is still restricted to other Garmin devices.
OziExplorer is the "default" standard for file sharing on this site and is more "open" with the various devices Ozi will run on.

Any information you have on unlocking Tomtom to be able to run OziExplorer and other applications such as GPSGate (to enable multiple apps to run concurrently) plus recognise digital mapping software would be most welcomed.

Bill.

Hi
Re TomTom -

ttMaps - Display raster maps on TomTom GPS

Agree - plug and play units are better for some people ...I was just pointing out there are other options that may suit others.

Also - GPX format is the universal format compatible with many gps mapping applications these days and you can download the treks and waypoints available here in that format. This file format can be opened/imported/exported by OziExplorer, Mapsource (including Garmin’s latest range of GPS units eg Nuvis, Oregons, Dakotas), Magellan’s VantagePoint and GlobalMapper to name a few examples. OziExplorer format is OK (if you have OziExplorer) but generally needs to be converted for use in other programs.

Cheers
Greg

PS I made a mistake when I said you could unlock TomToms to run OziExplorerCe - should have said "you can unlock Tom Toms, NavMans and Mios to run OziExplorerCe or similar"

Cheers
Greg

Yes that is a correct interpretation Explorer, I tried to load the dares Hill trek and also the Gawler Ranges trek and both had the same problem, chopped off the first third of the track.

I would try what you have mentioned but it's all back in its box ready to be exchanged.

No worries - as suggested, issue it with OziCe not the HN5 so if you get another device running OziCe try alternative methods for loading tracks.

Cheers
Greg

I'm looking to exchange for the vms unit as have read that igo8 is a much better street navigator. In my occupation route 66 is basically useless unless I get into the area I need to be, even then it takers me down a dead end street that has always been a dead end street!!

I was pretty excited by it to start off with but now just have that feeling that I have wasted a large amount of money on something that is second rate.

Oh also what you said about turning south to go north has happened on nearly everytime I have tried to navigate somewhere. I was in Cudlee Creek and it wanted me to go back to the freeway to go to Edinburgh Park.

You just did say 'something' Doug.... lol... (:

" I'm not going to say a thing ........................................... "'

Yes my Nuvi never took me down a dead end street, would of kept it but it was unable to log waypoints and tracks etc. When I seen that the Hema was a on/offroad unit I thought bewdy only to be let down oh well lesson learnt!!

PS: I would probably keep the Navigator if it was possible to replace the Route 66 software with Tom Tom. Can anyone advise?

I swapped mine for the VMS touring and couldn't be happier. Has the offroad stuff I wanted with a decent street nav as well.