Kones

All the eTrex units have patch antennas.

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=75947 There's more info in this post

Ok, so there are new updates for these units, still only beta, but hey, I'll take what I can get. :-) Also, they have the xImage software that allows you to grab and upload images to the units. Very cool, but I can't get anything to upload (to replace the splash screen for instance) They say that feature is for newer units, but don't say which those are. Anyone have any idea?

I find it ironic that we're in the GPS Units and Software page, and JohhnyVegas seems to shouting about how they're not great, paper maps are better. Fine, go use them. But almost everyone here has a GPSr. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, not to debate whether we should go amish style and use the shadow of the sun to calculate our position, and find a geocache by judging the amount of fur on a caterpillar. That being said, let's move on. PLEASE!!

To each his own, I'd take higher resolution any day of the week. I just wanted to give the facts, and you guys can decide what's more important to you. Just want people to realize, having the same size screen doesn't mean the image will be the same. Having the same size pixels, however, does.

dollar stores are great for cache contents. For ten bucks you can get, um, hang on 1, 2, 4, carry the 3 . . . . uhhh, about . . . 13 items.

I just had the Meridian Color and the Garmin 60C and eTrex Legend side by side. The Meridian only has 19,200 pixels (160x120) while the etrex has 38,720 pixels (176x220) and the 60c has a 160x240 display (38,400 pixels) Twice the resolution is a huge deal, especially on larger scale maps where a pixel can easily cover thousands of feet. And the text can be smaller showing more info, while also looking cleaner. In order to find out the accuracy of the magellan unit, you need to go into about 3 submenus to turn it on. And if you don't know what EPE means, you may never figure it out since it's not in the manual. The Garmin unit is far superior in regards to display and usability in my opinion. And it's also a sleeker loking unit. Oh, last thing, if you barely touch the power button, it will go off. Not a good feature.

Well, a friend of mine was working on something similar, what he had was a goggle system with a camera mounted in the front. Image went into the camera, out to a pc, then back out to a set of goggles being worn by the user with the augmented image. Attached are images of the setup from the non useful point of view. . . sorta :-) ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

You may unfortunately be out of luck . . . dem's da breaks ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

quote:Originally posted by PDOP's:Here's a straight forward http://gps.algebra.com/ That's an amazing web site. Who made it and how does it query mapquest exactly? (i.e. does anyone have the cgi code that I could look at so I could do this myself?) ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

Found this link off of www.slashdot.org today. The software looks interesting and could possibly be utilized for some interesting applications. Have a looksee for yourselves. -Adam GPS Linux software ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

I'm actually in the process of writing a little app that will let me take my tracks and create a 3D map based on either saved data, or realtime mapping. If anyone is interested, I could post it online when I'm finished. It will most likely be based on actual digital terrain models, with the tracks overlaid, if I can get that functionality working. If anyone has any interest, feel free to email me. -Kones ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

I'm pretty sure the topo data is the same for both Magellan and Garmin units. They get their data from the same sources I believe. Take a look at the Garmin units to better compare between brands as well as between models. You'll be glad you did. -Kones ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

I have the metroguide and Topo. I use the metroguide most of the time. I debated getting the roads and recreation, but after careful inspection, the metroguide had more detail on the roads, and was more than enough. The topo is nice if you're in heavily wooded areas. ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

That's easily 7 units, but I doubt we can do anything until this whole FCC issue is dealt with. I don't want to place any orders until we know the units are out and shipping. I think just waiting until we know this is a reasonable plan of action. Comments? -Adam ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

Ok, so I have a legend, and find it to be more than adequate. It's got 8 megs to load maps for, which, depending upon the area, can load a large chunk. You'll find that you don't need the altimeter all that much if you're getting Satellite reception. The Vista is also a very nice unit, however. As for a carrying case, I'm very glad I got it, since I occasionally drop mine while hiking, etc. It keeps the unit in better condition. The Vista and Legend both come with PC cables, so you can use them with a laptop for real-time tracking (in the car for example) as well as to load maps and waypoints from a home PC. Which brings me to another accessory that I feel is a necessity: a car adapter. Those double AA's don't last very long especially at night with the backlight on. Save the juice by plugging it in whenever you're on the road. I wish my girlfriend bought me toys like that :-) -Adam ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

Ok, so I have a legend, and find it to be more than adequate. It's got 8 megs to load maps for, which, depending upon the area, can load a large chunk. You'll find that you don't need the altimeter all that much if you're getting Satellite reception. The Vista is also a very nice unit, however. As for a carrying case, I'm very glad I got it, since I occasionally drop mine while hiking, etc. It keeps the unit in better condition. The Vista and Legend both come with PC cables, so you can use them with a laptop for real-time tracking (in the car for example) as well as to load maps and waypoints from a home PC. Which brings me to another accessory that I feel is a necessity: a car adapter. Those double AA's don't last very long especially at night with the backlight on. Save the juice by plugging it in whenever you're on the road. I wish my girlfriend bought me toys like that :-) -Adam ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

Just remember, electronics can fail. Always bring maps (topographical if you can) as well as a compass, and perhaps even a flashlight. You may lose satellite coverage under heavy brush and trees. It's good to use a compass in tandem with the gps. A GPS unit is very convenient, but never forget that you should be able to find your way around even without one. -Adam ------ Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?

Heard back, they said they couldn't do anything since they only sell through their dealer and distributor network. Oh well, it was worth a shot. -Adam

I recently wrote this email to Garmin, I'm currently waiting for a response. Comments? -Adam Hello, I'm contacting you in response to the expressed interest of hundreds if not thousands of outdoorsmen. I am a geocacher and follow closely what is happening in terms of the hobby in general as well as tools and accessories to further said hobby. The geocaching community is very interested in your latest combination product, the Rino FRS/GRMS/GPS unit. We are very anxious to get our hands on this device since, for many of us, it is the next logical step in GPS and radio communication. However, most of us, if not all, currently own at least one of the products you are combining. After discussing with fellow geocachers, I am inquiring about a group purchase request. Perhaps offering many Rinos at a reduced price would allow a) newer cachers to get in on the action at a lower cost and current cachers to dith their old gear in favor of something newer and better. Getting your latest technology out to the group that uses this technology first and foremost at a reduced cost, would not only serve as great public relations, it would also allow us to give our opinions on thousands of user forums and chats. Given the reliability and technological advances of previous hardware, this could only work in Garmin's favor. Please get back to me with a response to our inquiry as we are anxiously awaiting. Thank you very much for your time. Regards, Adam

I have a legend and love it. I thought about the vista, since the compass is nice, and so is the altimeter, but if you're getting sats, then you have basically both of those features, and if not, you should have a compass with you anyway. Never rely solely on your electronics. As for the memory issue, it would be nice to have more than 8 megs since I'd like to load topo and road maps of certain areas. But, since USB isn't an option, 8 megs is probably better since 24 megs would take about an hour to load. Just my 2 cents worth