laptop for GPS

Submitted: Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 22:34
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Hi everyone im obviously new to this and my questions have probably been asked before,but i would like to know what i need to turn my laptop into a Gps that will work out bush and show me where i am,i have a garmin nuvi 760 at the moment and it don't show me to much.thanks Alan..
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Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 22:40

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 22:40
Cheapest way is to buy a BU-353 USB Gps reciever and install software such as OziExplorer or trackranger. But you will need a set of maps such as NATMAP digital maps or Hema raster maps as well. Do a search and you will find heaps of threads here. Also look in the articles on navigation here as well.
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Fred B
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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 22:50

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 22:50
Hi Alan
In a nut shell you will need to purchase 3 items :

Natmap Series of Topo Maps
GPS unit, eg hand held or USB type
A computer programme that talks to your GPS and then fixes the position on the topo maps - a good programme is OziExplorer.

With all three working together, you will have a moving map and you will know where you are at any given time

Once you have mastered it, you will never leave home on any trip without it. You can then save your track files, use waypoint etc. Below is a screen dump of one of my remote outback travels, with the blue line our track that the GPS and OziExplorer Recorded.


Cheers


Stephen.
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Follow Up By: Alan_08_rodeo - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 23:11

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 23:11
Well that was quick thankyou people,i wanted something more than i have to navigate me round the country side better than i have which is the nuvi gps I have recently bought a toshiba laptop and i thought i might as well use it to do everything from my pics to GPS etc etc it has a 13inch screen i think so its not to big to lug around.i just went onto ebay and bought a (GlobalSat BU-353 SiRF III Water Proof USB GPS Receiver)
it cost me $65.00 new, so i gotta get the Natmap series and the oziexplorer and then i guess thats it,and then i'll work out how it all go's togather....so thankyou all for getting me started, it was great to see how fast this forum works as this is the first time i have been on here....Alan..ps if i need to know anything else please let me know cheers..
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Follow Up By: Lex M (Brisbane) - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 23:20

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 23:20
Suggest you look at the Hema 4wd map collection
here in the exploreoz shop.

Good set of maps and includes the natmaps as well.
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Follow Up By: Member - Kiwi_In_Aussie(Wagga) - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 08:28

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 08:28
I agree with Lex M suggestion - the Hema maps will cover just about any place that you will want to go to :-)))))
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 08:53

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 08:53
Hi Lex and Kiwi in Aussie
Yes the Hema maps are very good, BUT if you are travelling into very remote areas, you can not beat the Natmap Topo maps. Sure you get them in the Hema series, but there are two main disadvantages.

1. Natmap costs around $100, where as the Desert Series of Hema around $180

2. The 1:250000 series of the Natmap sheets in Hema is Map sheet only and is not Mosaic.

This may not be a problem for some but I prefer a seamless map when in the bush. I know that only a very small dedicated group on desert travellers ever head out into the trackless country, but the Natmap has more detail. And yes for the record I do have and use both series of maps in very different situations.

Below are again screen dumps, so tell me which one you would prefer to navigate with.


Cheers


Stephen

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Follow Up By: bgreeni - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 10:54

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 10:54
Or you can download the Natmap maps for free from the Geoscience web site.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 11:49

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 11:49
"The 1:250000 series of the Natmap sheets in Hema is Map sheet only and is not Mosaic"

Partly true - the maps included on the Hema DVD are actually the mozaic cut into 8 "slices" matching UTM zones 49 to 56 i.e. not individual mapsheets. Getting the Hema map set and the 250K map set as one package isnt a bad idea.

"I know that only a very small dedicated group on desert travellers ever head out into the trackless country but the Natmap has more detail,..."

Extra detail is required in a wide range of situations by a wide range of people and not just by a "very small dedicated group on desert travellers" (made me laugh - sounded a bit like something Willem would say). 250K is fine in a lot of cases but in some circumtances 50K, 25k or even less is obviously way better. Unfortuanately these scale maps are not available for most of Australia. Geoscience Australia are apparently releasing the 100K series in digital format soon though, like 50K etc coverage is not complete.

Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 14:03

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 14:03
Hi Greg
The 1:100000 sounds like they would be great to get, do you have any indication on pricing, or is it still to early.


Cheers


Stephen
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 14:33

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 14:33
Hello

No idea on price - All the information I have is -

"They will release 2 versions – one as a Mosaic with the 250k data in places where there is no 100k data and new mains roads overlaid. The other version will be just the 100k tiles."

Theoretically they will be "free" (to download?) but as they will require at least 2 or 3 DVDs given the number of maps, suspect they may cost more than the $99 currently charged for 250K on disc.

Other issue is coverage - big gap in data for most of central Australia so 250K will remain best topo map option for many areas despite its inadequacies (though keep in mind other non topo map sources e.g. geology maps, google earth etc)...and yet another issue is currency - many are pretty old. They are overlaying new main roads on the older maps but rest of data remains somewhat "historical". Will be handy none the less. You can never have enough maps.

Cheers
Greg




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Reply By: Member - res.q.guy (Vic.) - Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 23:24

Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010 at 23:24
Hi Alan
If you want to use a computer, the way to go would be as per the suggestions above. Other options would be:
If you just want to know where you are, you could load "Shonky" and/or "Tracks4Australia", which you can download free, or for $5 on a dvd from here. or you could purchase OzTopo or Garmin Topo, all these will work with your Nuvi.
Another option would be, if you want to save tracks, is to buy one of these then load a different menu system from here..
You could then run Ozi Exp CE as well as Garmin and others.
Cheers
Neil
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Reply By: B1B2 - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 04:06

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 04:06
G'day Alan,
Garmiin uses 'Mapsource' for the computer. I have Mapsource with City navigator 2009 and a Garmin Oregon 300. You can plan all your trips on the computer and copy them across. There is also a free Garmin program that keeps you visible on your laptop when connected called nRoute.
I downloaded 'shonkymaps' free and use this for more remote areas even though City navigator 2009 is much improved on my 2004 version.
If you look at areas on the Gary Junction rd (Kintore) you will find shonky maps has very good detail but will not autoroute as will Oz topo, but it's free.

Cheers,
Bill
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Reply By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 07:54

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 07:54
Check out your happy with your PC screen in the car also Alan , we found ours to be hard to read and a bit unweildy and got a $299 eeepc which is much easier to live with in the car - important was a non-reflective screen and screen border and sufficent brightness , also the eeepc (and some toshibas) could be run by a simple resistive 12v connection to the car.
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Reply By: Steve and Viv - Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 09:18

Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010 at 09:18
You could have used your GPS as your GPS receiver. Ozie allows you to take the Garmin input similar to NEMA output but I think you have a mouse now so no worries. But if your mouse fails you have a back up

I would also put in a vote for Ozie. We have used it for years now and think it's great. We have recently travelled across Aus, 22000K and the Hema series maps were perfect for that. there were only a few occasions where we needed the NAT Maps. Hema sell the 4WDHema sries that also cones with all the nat maps. Cost about $179 I think it's well worth the Money.
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