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ardfarkle

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    City Select

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by ardfarkle

    Garmin have stated that CS owners will be able to upgrade to CN (due to no other upgrade path existing in the future). Also, the cost for a CN upgrade will be reduced, to better match the former cost for a CS upgrade.

    See, I had not seen this before, but I just got verification of CS to CN upgrades from Garmin:

     

    ------------------------------------------------------

    Thank you for contacting Garmin International,

     

    I would be happy to help you with this. We will treat the conversion

    process just as an update. The current update to City Navigator is $75.00

    from a previous version, the update from City Select 7 to City Navigator 8

    will be treated with the same update cost.

    ------------------------------------------------------

     

    As far as price, I would assume the reason the CS upgrade price was dropped to $50.00 was due to its discontinuation. From what I was told above, I have to assume the upgrade price from CS to CN will be $75.00

     

    I also asked about how preloaded units would be updated but they didn't address this.

    City Select

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by ardfarkle

    I received City Select V6 with my iQue M5. I requested a V7 upgrade DVD and had it within a week. I just hope I'll be able to 'upgrade' to City Navigator V8 verses buying it new since there is no future upgrade path for City Select.

    City Select

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Although it was mentioned earlier that Garmin does not upgrade between different products, I would hope an upgrade from City Select to City Navigator would be an exception since new City Select 7 customers would be offered no upgrade path otherwise.

     

    This is not addressed anywhere on the Garmin site that I can find, so I sent an email to Garmin asking for some sort of official statement regarding it. In addition I inquired about an upgrade path for products that are pre-loaded with City Select.

     

    I'll post their response as soon as I get it...

    Morse Code Required?

    in Ham Radio

    Posted · Edited by ardfarkle

    When I first went in to test for my license more than ten years ago, I decided to see how far I could go on the first day. I had studied through the no longer existing Advanced class and found I was able to past it without any problem. I also tried the Extra exam but I had not bothered to study it since I felt 20WPM was out of the question for me. Even 13WPM seemed a bit far off. Yes, I failed but only by four questions.

     

    I have dyslexia and was told I could get an exception to the code requirement. I elected not to do this and jumped into code full force. Well, I got up to about 7-8WPM on the alpha characters but was never able to get anywhere with the numbers. They just drove me crazy. Needless to say, I'm still what was referred to as a 'no code tech' and my test results for Novice, General, and Advanced classes expired the next year.

     

    I have to be honest. I see no real need for code anymore, but I wouldn't mind seeing it retained to some degree for Extra class licenses. Since Advanced is gone now, perhaps there could be an Extra class and a no-code Extra class, or Extra+ with code. Same written test but no code test. It would be a status thing more than anything else but should also include a bit more electronic theory IMO.

     

    How many ships, aircraft, etc. have CW rigs on board but have no voice or digital communication facilities? That's what I thought. If you're going to require/learn code, then why not require enough basic electronic theory to allow the license holder to design and build a basic CW transmitter. I'm not talking about pre-canned test questions. If you can build a transmitter out of a rock, spit, and an old shoe, then I'm impressed. Isn't this what the hobby was originally about? Does anybody remember when 'hacker' was a badge of honor and was not tied to computer or criminal activities?

     

    Anyway, just a few thoughts...

     

    John - KD6JDG

    60cs, Quest, G5? Help! (too Long)

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    I've played with the 60c, the Quest, and the iQue3600 (but not the M5).  For most things I preferred using the buttons on either the 60c or the Quest over the touchscreen.

     

    I know where there is a Quest I can try out. I'll give it a bit more time to see if I can get used to the buttons.

     

    The CitySelect-NA that came with the Quest was the regular one and could be unlocked for a second receiver.

     

    Thanks, I thought so. Now I have two days to decide between the Quest and the M5 :lol:

    60cs, Quest, G5? Help! (too Long)

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by ardfarkle

    I'm getting ready to buy a new GPS and I can't seem decide between three units. The funny thing is they are each based upon different product concepts/market segments.

     

    I'm considering either a Garmin 60CS, Quest, or iQue-M5. I've already ruled out Magellan models, the Garmin 76 series, Quest 2, eTrex, Rino, and Palm based units. I only mention this because I'd rather not deal with the, "Why aren't you considering the 'put your selection here' " questions if at all possible.

     

    Here's my comparison so far:

     

    60CS

     

    Pros:

    Rugged design

    Long battery life

    Easily field replaceable AA batteries

    Waterproof

    Large user base (more mechanical and firmware fixes during product life)

    Quad-Helix antenna (perhaps)

     

    Cons:

    Requires spending ~$120.00 more to get detailed maps (City Select)

    56MB memory (I would like more)

    Clunky user interface compared to touch screen IMO

    Antenna is fixed (non-folding)

    Size (a potato with an antenna)

     

    Quest

     

    Pros:

    Very compact

    Good battery life

    Waterproof

    115MB memory

    Comes with City Select North America unlocked

    Price considering City Select (~$335.00-$380.00 delivered)

    Fold-away antenna (patch)

    Voice prompts (with external speaker)

     

    Cons:

    Battery is not field replaceable

    Clunky user interface compared to touch screen IMO

     

    M5

     

    Pros:

    Large display area (320x240 - 3.5" diag)

    Touch Screen UI (I really like this)

    Vertical or horizontal map orientation (also nice)

    Comes with North America City Select unlocked

    Ability to use other GPS software (Mapopolis, Delorme etc)

    Can run non-GPS related Pocket PC software

    Has an SD card memory slot (1-2GB would be sweet)

    Fully integrated, ie no separate GPS or BT unit hanging off

    Fold-away antenna (patch)

    Voice prompts from built in speaker

    Removable battery (* if it's field replaceable)

    Blue-Tooth enabled

    Wi-Fi can be added via combo Wi-Fi/Memory SD card (Sandisk SDWSDB-256)

     

    Cons:

    Expensive

    Battery life sucks big time (although an external pack is available)

    Not waterproof

    Need to buy an SD card to obtain substantial memory for maps ($109.00 for 1GB)

    Non-removable battery (* if it's not field replaceable)

     

    Note: I know I can get 1GB SD cards for less than $109.00. I need high performance cards for interchangeable use in my DSLR (Sandisk Extreme III).

     

    It should be obvious by now that I really like the features of the M5, and the contest would be over if it weren't for the battery life. Yes I can attach a small battery pack, but part of the idea of the M5 verses a separate pocket PC with BT and BT enabled GPS unit is that it's all in one and there is nothing hanging off of it. If the battery life were long enough that use of the battery pack would be infrequent, then I'd have an M5 in the next few days. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that with only a 4-5 hour battery life, I would have the battery pack attached to the M5 more often than not. Now I have to decide if I can live with this given the features it offers. Hold on, it gets even more convoluted.

     

    I will probably end up with two new GPS units within the next 6 months to a year and I want the purchases to be complementary if possible. Example: Both the Quest and M5 come with City Select North America unlocked. If the version of City Select that comes with these units is the full retail version, then it's good for use on two GPS units. Given this, if I purchase a 60CS first, I either need to put up with the base map until I purchase one of the other two units (not a chance), purchase City Select and then sell the copy that comes with one of the other units when I purchase it, or I need to decide between the Quest and the M5 as my first choice. OW, my brain hurts...

     

    If you're still reading this then perhaps you've been faced with this dilemma before, so I guess at this point it's time to ask a few questions of those in the know. BTW, Geocaching features are not an issue for me since I do all of this manually.

     

    First, for both Quest and iQUE users:

     

    Is my assumption that the City Select CD that comes in the package is the full retail version? In other words it's not a crippled version or an 'SE' type version that only installs on the product it comes with. Is this correct? If it cannot be installed on two GPS units then I have to re-think my thinking a bit (ya think?). Ok, on with it...

     

     

    For Quest users:

     

    Is the smaller button arrangement hard to use, and even if so, is it easy to get used to?

     

    If you know, does the 60CS have any obvious advantages (other than batteries) that come to mind?

     

    Do you find the patch antenna easy to use in the field? It's not the reception as much as, is there an easy way to deploy it and then pocket it so it will continue to produce track points?

     

    Is the battery life in the field similar to the stated specifications?

     

    Is the battery charge rate in the vehicle sufficient to render battery life in the field a moot point in many/most cases?

     

     

    For iQUE-M5 users:

     

    Is there a battery saving or sleep mode when running in GPS mode that still allows the unit to log track points?

     

    Approximately how long does the battery last when running just in the GPS mode with the backlight off?

     

    Does the unit seem to be well built in relationship to other Pocket PCs?

     

    Is the PC performance fair compared to other units?

     

    Does the unit seem to be stable, ie no lockups for little or no reason?

     

    Is the battery easily field replaceable (~1 minute), or is it only expected to be performed when the battery pack has reached the end of it life cycle?

     

    If you know, do you find the QUE touch screen user interface to be easier to use than that of the 60CS , Quest, or other such Garmin units?

     

    As you can see, as much as I like the M5 features, I'm concerned about its overall reliability and usability when used in the field.

     

    I know this was a long post, but I felt it was better to get all the questions out in the open rather than play posting tag until I revealed enough information to get tangible replies. I hope those of you who might know the answers will take the time to respond. I'd really appreciate any input you might have. I'm hoping to make the order by Tues-Wed if possible.

     

    Thanks in advance...

     

    Ardfarkle

    Garmin 76s Tides

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by ardfarkle

    Are you talking about the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, British Isles?

     

    In the case of the British Isles, it may be hard to obtain unless Garmin has worked out a licensing agreement with the U.K.H.O. who considers the data to be the property of the Crown, or in particular, the Ministry of Defence.

     

    I you have a Palm PDA and can't find, or don't wish to buy, the tide data for your area, you can download a free application called Tide Tool. However, even it does not have British Isles data anymore.

     

    http://www.toolworks.com/bilofsky/tidetool.htm

     

    Here are the areas covered by Tide Tool:

     

    http://www.toolworks.com/bilofsky/tide20regs.htm

     

    Warning:

     

    As with all tide predictions, don't count on them in cases that can be life threatening. Tide Tool is usually accurate within a few minutes in North America, but drifts somewhat in other locations. In addition, even recent authenticated data from a tide station can be made inaccurate by things like very low barometric pressure, high winds, and storms. This is true for ANY device that bases tide predictions on tidal station data, including the 76s.

     

    I use Tide Tool for tide pooling, and take my readings with a grain of salt. While I will trust it so I arrive at the right time to access low tides, I am careful if I walk too far down a row of beaches not to get marooned on one where there is no exit without traversing waves or deep water.

     

    Trust me, this can happen fast!

    Garmin 60c And 60cs

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by ardfarkle

    Does anyone know if the 60 series offers tide predictions like the 76s? Although I love the color display and battery life for the 60c/s, this could be a deal buster for me. There are currently no manuals available for the 60 c/s that I can find.

    New Garmin GPS60

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    quote:
    Originally posted by jasy:

    Looking forward to a new drawing with millimeters icon_wink.gif

     

    Just use Google. Example, type:

     

    5.7 in to mm

     

    in the search window and it well automatically be understood as a conversion from inches to millimeters. The first line listed will be:

     

    5.7 in = 144.78 millimeters

     

    Google has a lot of neat hidden/unknown features as well as several specialty search categories. I just love the catalog search.

     

    http://catalog.google.com/

     

    -------------------

    John - ardfarkle@d30.info

    New Garmin GPS60

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    quote:
    Originally posted by ARTE:

     

    quote:
    Originally posted by ardfarkle:

     

    Take the speculation that these units will not have european vs. north-american versions.

     

    There are 2 reasons that this is unlikely. First, the licensing of the map/routing data is expensive, and therefore will add a significant chunk to the cost. Second, if the available memory is indeed 51 MB, then the most likely use is a 64 MB chip with a 13 MB basemap.

     

    Not an expert, nor am I in any loop, but my Garmin iQue allows me to load different basemaps - North America, International etc. Given what seems to be Garmin's penchant for incremental improvements/modifications that build on previous production units, I suspect they may do something similar with their next top-of-the-line GPSr's. Just my speculation.

     

    Actually, this was from Pneumatic's post, but it's a good point. There is no reason there could not be more than one basemap stored in ROM/Firmware that can be offloaded into RAM during boot. This is similar to multi-language data that is loaded from ROM based upon user selected parameters.

     

    I have no idea who they license the maps from, or what they pay per unit, but I would imagine it is becoming less of an issue as GPS units become accepted as mainstream consumer electronic items.

     

    -------------------

    John - ardfarkle@d30.info

    New Garmin GPS60

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    quote:
    Pneumatic wrote:

     

    It seems that the specs (specification vs. speculation) aren't consistent.

     

    I'd agree here. This is quite often the case with early non-official information.

     

    quote:
    Take the speculation that these units will not have european vs. north-american versions.

     

    There are 2 reasons that this is unlikely. First, the licensing of the map/routing data is expensive, and therefore will add a significant chunk to the cost. Second, if the available memory is indeed 51 MB, then the most likely use is a 64 MB chip with a 13 MB basemap.

     

    This sounds reasonable, and I would expect this is the case. Even after the base map is offloaded to RAM and the RTOS system areas are mapped, etc., I would imagine there should be at least 40-45MB+ for map data. Maybe more.

     

    quote:
    Also, the stated 30 hours on 2 AAs seams specious, unless there's been a fundamental breakthough. The little yellow eTrex only gets ~20 hours, and the color 60 is supposed ot have a larger, color screen (presumably backlit for daylight readability), faster processor and more memory, all of which take a signicant amount of power on the scale provided by AA batteries.

     

    Perhaps not.

     

    I would guess the 30hr spec (if accurate) is for the basic non-map GPS 60 model when run in battery saving mode, and the other models would fall in line behind it according to their feature sets, just as is the case for the eTrex models.

     

    As far as the new color models also being low power, their is something that was mentioned which hit a nerve. This was the mention of using TFT color displays. Current color displays are mostly TFT already and perhaps the new models are going to use the newer 'reflective' TFT displays.

     

    Normal backlighting, no matter how bright, does little to increase contrast in bright outdoor situations, and it eats batteries like candy. The idea behind the reflective TFT displays is that they can display full color data with plenty of contrast when used in bright outdoor situations. In fact, the brighter the ambient light, the brighter the color on the display. This is done without the use of the backlight making for very low power consumption. When used in very subdued lighting the backlight is activated and the screen displays data in the same manner as current color LCD displays. I would imagine their energy use is comparable to traditional color displays when using the backlight. While color reflective TFT displays suffer from metamerism and are not the best choice for critical color work, they should work well for general color GPS mapping purposes.

     

    NEC Daylite Laptop using reflective LCD display:

    http://www.necsolutions-am.com/mobilesolutions/products/Versa/E120_DayLite/

     

    The additional RAM shouldn't consume much energy, and if the CPU and other support chip die sizes have been reduced by a significant amount, the processor could be speced to run at an increased clock speed while still offering reduced power consumption. There are other places where power can sometimes be saved such as converting any existing TTL glue logic to CMOS, replacing any linear power regulator circuits with switching units, etc. If the GPS 60 units are "all on one chip" designs, Garmin might have reduced power consumption by a considerable amount.

     

    quote:
    All in all, this has the flavor of a preliminary marketing proposal/plan that got leaked. I'm guessing that it's targeted for christmas '04, and that the specs will have morphed considerably by then.

     

    -- Pneumatic

     

    Perhaps you're right, but these units look to be more than just operational mock-ups to me. Since the data appears to have come from a dealer I have to assume they are close to market. Garmin would never release such data to dealers a year ahead of the target release date. Here's a possible scenario if the GPS 60 line is replacing the eTrex line (just a hopeful guess):

     

    Garmin starts offering rebates on all eTrex models at the end of October or mid-November. They sell out remaining stock of eTrex units during the Christmas season allowing their dealers to reduce stock. They then introduce the GPS 60 line at CES in January. At least this is what I'm hoping for icon_biggrin.gif

     

    -------------------

    John - ardfarkle@d30.info

     

    [This message was edited by ardfarkle on October 17, 2003 at 03:26 AM.]

    New Garmin GPS60

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    My overall length came out about the same as yours, but I came up with a slightly wider dimension. I wanted to visualize how it might fit in my kit so I edited an image and added dimensions to it.

     

    GPS60_dims.jpg

     

    I based these dimensions upon a 1.5" x 2.2" 'visible' screen area. If the 1.5" x 2.2" refers to the 'active' area, then the dimensions may be as much as 5-10% greater than those listed.

     

    -------------------

    John - ardfarkle@d30.info

     

    [This message was edited by ardfarkle on October 15, 2003 at 04:34 AM.]

    Interesting things found while caching

    in General geocaching topics

    Posted

    As an OT side note, it's best to leave any found antlers where they lie. Not only is it illegal to collect antlers on NPS land (or any thing else for that matter), shed antlers are an important calcium source for other small animals. Gnawing on them also helps promote healthier teeth by helping to remove tarter. It's not that they dislike Crest tarter control toothpaste so much, they just hate to use toothbrushes...

     

    Here's a bit more info:

    http://www.nps.gov/yell/kidstuff/AHgame/leavthem.htm

     

    -------------------

    John - ardfarkle@d30.info

    GMRS License question

    in Ham Radio

    Posted

    mkohel, how old is your part 95?

     

    In my copy of Part 95, the number of immediate family members allowed to use a GMRS license also appears to be conditional upon their living at the same location as the licensee.

     

    "95.179

    (a) An individual GMRS system licensee may permit his/her immediate family members living in the same household to be station operators in his/her GMRS system."

     

    Do I have an old copy? The latest revision I can find at the FCC site is from 1998.

     

    -------------------

    John - ardfarkle@d30.info

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