user13371
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Posts posted by user13371
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I been really trying to dig around and find all the Mac GPS software out there (paricularly OS X native) and here's what I've come up with ...
Route66 USA for Mac- ($39)
Can plot position realtime when connected to GPSr. Very detailed road maps. Upload and download waypoints and routes to GPSr. (**I haven't used this myself but I've heard it takes up A LOT of room on the hard drive- Gigabytes)
Uh, yeah, I guess.
Route 66 will work with a GPS, in the sense that you can hook your GPS up and it will show you your position on the map. And it is native Mac OS X application. By that measure, it certainly belongs on your list - but that's about it.
I could even say some nice things about it. Pretty good maps, including elevation data. Extensive and POI database with a powerful search feature. Decent point-to-point driving directions.
BUT ... I'd have a real hard time recommending this software to anyone - and I certainly wouldn't recommend it for geocaching. There's no way to enter a waypoint by coordinates, nor is there an easy way to GET the coordinates of any waypoint, pushpin, or POI.
As far as I know, the file formats that it reads and writes are not usable by any other geocaching or GPS related utils like GPSBabel.
Furthermore, the program is buggy and slow, the user interface is horrid, and "technical support" from the maker is almost non-existent.
Having said all that, I admit to owning a copy. I only paid $12 for it and figured it was worth trying. I don't think it was worth the $12 - and it's certainly not worth the full retail price.
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I don't use it for caching, but I do sometimes use a DeLorme BlueLogger with my iBook. It's nice because there's no cable between the GPS and the computer. I usually stick the BlueLogger on the visor or rearview mirror with rubber bands, out of sight and out of the way.
To me, the main advantage is being able to look things up on the computer more easily than trying to find POI data in a small handheld GPS -- e.g., it's very easy to find all restaurants or hotels within 10 miles of my current location, when I don't feel like driving anymore
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Does any other iFinder (Pro or otherwise) user experience this. or do I have a unique lemon?
Sounds like a problem specific to your unit.
I had an iFinder H2O for a while, and never had the kind of problem you describe. Quite the opposite, in fact. Having recently switched from a different brand of GPS with a different button layout, for the first few days I would often hit the power button by mistake. Trned the unit off perfectly
I liked my iFinder so much that I'm in the market for a new one. I smashed the old one up in a bike accident a few months ago.
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In my view a much better design would have been to use a Li+ rechargeable in the RCR-V3 form factor.
If you've got a gadget big enough for it, that might be a good choice. But there's another design consideration with that battery. To be able to charge it in the unit (as opposed to taking it out for charging in a separate device), you have to design the gadget to sense what kind of battery is installed - RCR-V3, or a non-rechargable CR3, or a pair of AAs.
... the proprietary form factors make sense if you really need to get the smallest physical size possible - and that seems to drive much of the cellular market. But our GPS receivers aren't generally all that tiny anyway...As far as the Blue Logger goes, size certainly drove the battery choice. Smaller than most cell phones, weighs under 3 ounces. AA (or even AAA) batteries would have meant a larger and heavier gadget.
$30 for a spare cell is better than most, but it's still much more expensive than non-proprietary designs like a pair of NiMH AA cells.With an expected lifetime of 300 to 500 charging cycles, that could add as much as 10 cents a day to the cost of using the unit -- assuming you run it down completely every day and never power it from the charger in your car or anything like that. But I don't think that's a realistic usage pattern. I expect most users would get two or three years out of the original battery, bringing the battery cost down well under 5 cents a day.
Of course, the only users who will buy a spare battery are the ones using the device continuously for long periods away from a power source -- or those who keep it for a few years without upgrading (eventually do wear the original battery out). That may be a small portion of DeLorme's intended market for this device.
And it's still a unique cell type just for that device, so I can't decide to switch cells from my camera into my GPS when needing to find my way, or from my GPS into my flashlight when I just need a few minutes of light to find the campground restroom.All right, I just gotta ask this: You carry more than one gadget that runs on AA or similar, and you don't carry spares, and in a pinch you rely on swapping batteries between devices? Does this happen a lot? Or EVER?
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I'm completely new at this so bear with me please.
I just got a Lowrance iFinder with the MapCreate software. I thought I had every thing figured out (well, some things figured out). I tried to enter Lat/Long in the dialog box to create waypoints. The problem I'm having is that I have entered several coordinates for caches and I keep getting errors.
One that I'm trying has a latitude of 29°24.712 and I keep getting the message "Latitude must be <60 sec."
Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks
Actually, MapCreate is a little weird on this.
If you import or export waypoints as a text file, it uses degrees decimal.
If you enter coords by hand, you need to use degrees/minutes/seconds format. I don't recall if there was a program option to change this default.
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Seeing more than one GPS thread get highjacked by arguments about the evils of rechargeable Li-Ion rechargeable batteries, I figured this subject needed its own place.
The DeLorme Blue Logger comes with a Li-Ion rechargeable battery, with a good design:
- The battery is removable/replaceable. It's a rectangle about 1-/38" by 2-3/4" a about 1/8" thick. Rated at 3.7v, 900 mAH. Fully charged, the battery will run the unit for around 14 hours.
- A replacement or spare battery from DeLorme costs around $30. A comparable battery may be available elsewhere but I haven't looked.
- The Blue Logger comes with both an AC adapter and a 12V auto adapter. Either adapter can plug directly in to the the Blue Logger, or into a "charging cradle" also provided.
- The charging cradle has not only a place to put the Blue Logger, but also a slot for charging a spare battery.
SO... It's not like a sealed gadget that needs factory service when the battery ultimately fails. And if you'll be roughing it for an extended period of time, you can carry a spare battery. Or LOTS of spares, as they're smaller/lighter than a pair of AA or AAA cells).
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Blue Logger GPS Receiver - $80
http://www.delorme.com/bluelogger
- Includes receiver, AC adapter with recharging cradle, auto 12v power adapter, carrying case, Blue Logger install & control software
Street Atlas 2005 USA - $30
http://www.delorme.com/streetatlasusa
- PC Version, 2-disc CD set.
Or take BOTH for $100.
Prices include shipping. I prefer payment via PayPal but I will also accept personal checks.
If interested, please contact me via PM on this board.
Thanks!
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In my ongoing quest for ever stranger and more obscure GPS applications...
I'm looking for a program like "Sirf DEMO" for accessing/controlling a Sirf Star IIe/LP based GPSR -- from a Macintosh. I've only seen this program for Windows systems
Does such exist for the Mac? If not, are the control sequences for the Sirf Star IIe/LP documented in detail, somewhere I could download?
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I'm gonna go against the grain here,...
Well, I knew somebody would
I'm getting noticeably more satelite locks, better satelite strengths, and better EPE (estimated position error) with 5.34 than I was with 4.60 or 5.00No offense meant, but I have to ask a couple of questions:
1) Is this backed up by a logboook of recorded observations over time, or is it just a general feeling on your part?
2) Does this translate to you getting faster locks, or more accurate positioning data for your caches?
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... stay with 4.0x unless you see DirectRoute in your near future.
Yeah, what he said. Plus - a SporTrak Map doesn't have enough memory to use MapSend/DR anyhow. Stay with 4 point whatever.
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MEMORY stick? Shouldn't you be selling meat on a stick, or on a bun, or something like that?
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...explain to me, in very, very child-like terms, how the heck you enter a "go-to"...
To set a waypoint by hand, hit the Ent/Save button (lower right). This will give you a few options - the easiest is "quick save" which just automatically saves your current location with a synthetic name WPT001. 99% of the time that's what I want to do
but you can else enter coordinates by hand, or project a waypoint (and a few other options I never used).To "go to" any waypoint, hit the Find button, and select the waypoint you want from a list.
Also, do you HAVE to use the Mapcreate software, or will some of the other software work?Nope. Use this free program from Lowrance: GDM6. It's basically all of waypoint and route management features of MapCreate, but with a low-res map instead of MapCreate's higher-resolution details.
Will the ".loc" files work with the i-Finder?Not directly. If you're using a Mac, drop me a private message. If you're a PC user someone better versed in the miracles of GPS Babel will have to answer this one for you
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... though 6.3 requires the LEI card reader and registers the memory chips, it allows/limits you to program up to five chips ...
Ah, you got me there, I left that bit out.
...I believe that just one 512MB chip should be able to contain maps of the entire US.Not quite, but a single 512M or 1gig card should be all you need, as long as you don't mind swapping files once in a while.
Using MapSend 6.3 (non-topo), the complete U.S. will fill about 1.2 gigabytes. This includes Hawaii and Puerto Rico, but not Alaska. I'm guessing the topo version would increase this requirement by about 50%.
The way the 6.3 software is distributed, you can conveniently build a complete set of maps in about 20 files (I don't recall the exact number). Time required would depend on how fast your computer is - figure anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days
But once done, you could back those files up to a few CDs, and load/swap whichever ones you need your memory card, any time you want.If you travel a lot, this is very convenient. Much better than having to fiddle with the MapSend program and LEI reader every time you want a map for a different region!
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... difficult to get the batteries in and out because of the over use of epoxy around the battery contacts to keep the thing waterproof. Lowrance suggested using a plastic screw driver shaped implement to remove batteries...
You got a bad deal there - I complained about the exact problem, emailed photos to their support & engineering people (showing the batteries being gouged/deformed by the overly tight contacts) and they replaced the unit for me. Was reported in this topic:
http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=79330
It might not be a problem if you don't mind tugging that bit of string. But if the contacts are SO tight that they dent/scrape the ends of the batteries, and if you're using rechargables (which will be removed & re-inserted many time over their life cycle) you should probably push Lowrance to replace the unit for you.
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I was afraid of that, but thought that might be the case. At least now if I find 6.2 at a decent price, and decide 6.3 isn't worth the upgrade, I'll know that it'll work. Thanks for the insight.
I think 6.3 is a worthwhile product, in spite of the copy-protection annoyance.
In my own area I noticed more up to date POI data compared to 6.2. There's also a version of 6.3 with topographical data (though I haven't used that one myself).
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I no longer have an iFinder, but I can give it a great testimonial here...
IF you happen to be bicycling, AND carrying an iFinder in a case clipped to your belt, AND you get slammed by an SUV and thrown a considerable distance ... AND the point of impact between you and the SUV is right where the iFinder was hanging off of your belt .... you end up with a bruised hip and a shattered iFinder. Which is a lot better than the other way around, when you think about it! YMMV.
Now, having owned both Magellan and Lowrance, I can tell you that they both perform equally well as GPSRs. The detail available in the street-level mapping programs is pretty comparable between the two brands, but I found Lowrance's PC (MapCreate) software easier to use.
The Lowrance iFinder (at least the higher end Pro, H2O, and Hunt models) have a much better screen than any of the Magellan units. Higher resolution and a very bright backlight. Another iFinder advantage is that you can display range-rings on the map screen. I thought this was no big deal until I actually used it - now I wonder why Magellan doesn't have this feature.
The only real neagtives I found with the iFinder is that it doesn't record timestamps or altitudes on tracks. Waypoints automatically get this information, but track-points are recorded as lat/lon positions only.
Even so, when I get ready to buy another GPS, it will probably be another iFinder.
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While Lowrance basically says you HAVE to use their card reader in order to "operate properly" with the iFinder and MapCreate, I have searched all over the internet trying to find out if this is true. I have found one person who said he could use a "Jump Drive" reader bought at wallyworld. But, I'm not sure if this was for use with an iFinder....
With MapCreate 6.2, you could use any card-reader you wanted. But Lowrance has tightened up the map copy protection.
With MapCreate 6.3, you do need Lowrance's own card reader attached to your computer. The LEI card reader acts as a dongle to enable the program.
When you create/extract a map from the program, you must have an MMC or SD card in the reader. The maps you create will then be "keyed" to that card -- they won't work if you copy them to a different card. If you copy the map file to a different card, the iFinder will simply behave as if the map file isn't there.
HOWEVER - once you've built your map files, you can save them on your hard drive, burn them to CD or other backup media , etc - and copy them back to the MMC or SD card with ANY card-reader. Just remember you have to copy back to the same card you built the maps on originally.
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I have a few used DeLorme products for sale...
... but the Earthmate USB referenced in the original post is sold.
Still available:
Blue Logger GPS Receiver - $80
http://www.delorme.com/bluelogger
- Includes receiver, AC adapter with recharging cradle, auto 12v power adapter, carrying case, Blue Logger install & control software
Street Atlas 2005 USA - $40
http://www.delorme.com/streetatlasusa
- PC Version, 2-disc CD set.
Or take BOTH for $100.
Prices include shipping. I prefer payment via PayPal but I will also accept personal checks.
If interested, please contact me via PM on this board.
Thanks!
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Comes the Blue Logger GPS Receiver with the Postpro Pro 2.0 software?
http://www.delorme.com/professional/bluelogger/
Software Specifications:
XMap 4.5
XMap/GIS Editor
GPS PostPro 2.0
Nope, just the control & driver software (and accesories as listed in the original post).
Each of the software items you list are from different bundles; all could be purchase separately from DeLorme.
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...nothing really meets my requirements due to the tiny little memory sizes. My map reqs are around 400-850megs for my trips....
Magellan Meridian and Lowrance iFinder both come to mind. There are several models in both product lines, and all of them use removable SD memory cards.
Budget an additional $70 - $80 dollars over the price of the GPS for a 1 gigabyte SD card, and you'll have more than adequate space for maps. Nice thing about this is you can use the same SD card for multiple purposes; PDA, digital camera, etc.
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I can't believe there's no interest or comment on thse. Not even the usual collection of people complaining that I've set the price too high?
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... or best offer
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I have a few used DeLorme products for sale:
Blue Logger GPS Receiver - $80
http://www.delorme.com/bluelogger
- Includes receiver, AC adapter with recharging cradle, auto 12v power adapter, carrying case, Blue Logger install & control software
Earthmate GPS Receiver (USB version) - $40
http://www.delorme.com/earthmate
- Includes receiver, USB cable, driver & control software
Street Atlas 2005 USA - $40
http://www.delorme.com/streetatlasusa
- PC Version, 2-disc CD set.
Prices include shipping. I prefer payment via PayPal but I will also accept personal checks.
If interested, please contact me via PM on this board.
Thanks!
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The basic iFinder models (aren't) waterproof...
I didn't know that, but it would be a deal breaker for me. Seeing as I use my GPS in the rain and have dropped it in snow, puddles and streams then that would be unacceptable.
Well, the basic models are like a "water-resistant" wristwatch. Getting splashed won't hurt them, but they won't hold up to a good dunking. These models all ship with a silly plastic bag that supposedly protects them from the elemts while in use.
Move up to the iFinder "H20" or "Hunt" though, and you get a fully waterproof model with a higher-resolution screen - well worth the money.
but you can else enter coordinates by hand, or project a waypoint (and a few other options I never used).
Delorme Blue Logger & Street Atlas 2005 Usa
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
SOLD!