Any wireless capable handheld GPS receivers?

[+maurycy]

Are there any wi-fi capable handheld GPS receivers? I have Triton 400 which I like but it is so last century with the proprietary USB cable. What I would like is to be able to upload GPX files without using any cables.

 

Thanks.

[+user13371]

Other than smartphones and tablets that have GOS capability, I can't think of any. Some Garmin and DeLorme units do support other wireless protocols for talking device-to-device*, but not WiFi for file transfer.

 

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* Garmin supports Ant+ for things like fitness monitors, Chirp. DeLorme uses Bluetooth on some models and Zigbee(?) on others to talk to inReach and Spot add-ons.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Portland Cyclist

[+dakboy]

WiFi would mean that you'd need both devices to be on the same network, or set the PC up to host an ad-hoc network (if it supports doing such a thing). All to copy a file? That's ridiculous overkill, and would just introduce more hardware, cost & power drain for little benefit.

 

Bluetooth would be a much more appropriate mechanism for such a feature (you could also use it as an external GPS receiver for another device, like a smartphone that has a weak receiver, or an iPod Touch which has none), but no dedicated GPSr I'm aware of has it.

 

As for the proprietary USB cable, I know your pain (I'm a DeLorme owner). Garmin's got this one right at least, using standard USB ports on all their devices. Magellan does use standard USB on some. DeLorme used to sell a 2-part USB cable, with the GPSr end being a "block" that you could leave mated to the device all the time, with a mini-USB plug in it to make the connection. Sadly, they discontinued that part long ago. You could always try lobbying Magellan for a similar setup, but I suspect it'll fall on deaf ears.

[+dakboy]

DeLorme uses Bluetooth on some models and Zigbee(?) on others to talk to inReach and Spot add-ons.

 

IIRC, the PN-60w is Zigbee to talk to SPOT/inReach. There's a second inReach unit that uses BT to talk to Android devices. I'm not aware of any PN-series devices (currently on the market) that have BT.

Edited February 29, 2012 by dakboy

[+maurycy]

Thanks for replies. I guess I will hold onto my Triton until wi-fi enabled GPS is available. I already have Android phone but I like my rugged GPS better for bike rides.

 

dakboy: I do not think wi-fi that's built into the GPS is an overkill. It is very similar to bluetooth. Just a different protocol. You still need additional hardware even for BT. BT needs pairing and Wi-Fi needs to join wireless network. Not much of a difference. Plus they already have SD cards with built in wi-fi. They are used to make digital cameras capable of wireless transmission. Why not to have GPS support such card. Don't tell me guys that in the digital age of Netflix capable tablets, phones with Pandora radios and BT phone to car transmissions, you still like the USB cord.

[+dakboy]

dakboy: I do not think wi-fi that's built into the GPS is an overkill. It is very similar to bluetooth. Just a different protocol. You still need additional hardware even for BT. BT needs pairing and Wi-Fi needs to join wireless network. Not much of a difference.

There is quite a large difference, actually. To call them "very similar" is to call a tractor very similar to a racecar.

 

WiFi just to transfer a few small files on an occasional basis? That is absolutely overkill - and perhaps more importantly, that use case is one of the very things BT was designed to do. With a much lower power draw to boot.

 

EyeFi cards are a gimmick, IMHO. It's a cool technology and in some very specific scenarios I can see them being useful, but for the cost & limitations they have I don't see a good reason for most people to buy one, except as a novelty.

[+maurycy]

WiFi just to transfer a few small files on an occasional basis? That is absolutely overkill - and perhaps more importantly, that use case is one of the very things BT was designed to do. With a much lower power draw to boot.

That depends on use. I transfer maps, GPX files, media, routes, etc. Some of them frequently and some of them not. My phone has 3G, wi-fi and bluetooth. With all that it is smaller and lighter than my GPS so I do not think there is any technological limitation here. And do I use all those features in my phone? Of course not but I like the wi-fi when I need to download podcasts to my phone. Takes 1/10th of the time than over 3G network. So I still think that I would benefit from having wi-fi in my GPS.

 

Disclaimer: My replies are just my point of view. They are not here to start arguing with fellow geocachers.

[+Red90]

Yes, BT makes the most sense and would be more flexible for the possible uses.

[+riffraff9000]

There are wifi-enabled SD cards. I see no reason why a GSPr can't have wifi. The initial set-up is only done once and isn't hard to do (regardless of comments in this thread). Maybe someone will come out with wifi-enabled microSD cards...this stuff gets smaller and smaller all the time.