Etrex Yellow, Data Cable, Laptop and Software

[+Harrald]

I'm interested making these four things work together to assist in travel. Is there software that will (using the Etrex yellow) show me where I am on a street map in real time? Also I would like to know if there is a way to upload "Tracks" to a piece of software? I have had some interesting hikes I would like to save in map form and I am as talentless with a pencil as they come.

 

If this is beyond the capability of my GPSr I'm ok with that (It's a good reason to upgrade and being a married man I need all the upgrade arguments I can get).

 

T I A

 

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As always, the above statements are just MHO.

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[OFF RODE]

Unfortunatly this is not an excuse to upgrade....your yellow will output just fine.

I do exactly what you are saying with my G3+ using Natl Geographic TOPO! software but almost any mapping software that has a GPSr interface will work ( Delorme, MS Streets).

 

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

JeepNAz@aol.com

[CapnGadget]

Im interested in doing the same thing...My yellow Etrex will connect up with an old IBM Thinkpad I have with Microsoft Streets n Trips installed on it...my problem is that the hard drive is so small(1gig) that Microsoft Streets n Trips takes it all with no room left for windows 95 ...lol

thus far I have to use it with an outboard CD drive plugged in the PCMIA slot...which is alot of cables and crap to contend with rolling around in the passenger seat....

BTW...does anybody know of a good dodge for mounting a laptop beside the driver...the frames that the cops use are really, really expensive :-(

[+park2]

I use MS Streets & Trips and have been generally happy. It will give you good real-time positioning on a pretty good quality base map of streets, including little forestry roads. The base map cannot be changed though and it does not have a serious topo ability. Parks will not show trails, streams, huts, etc.

 

You can not easily overlay tracks onto it. You can read tracks out of your GPS and into some programs then export them to a text file, then import them as a series of pushpins into S&T. It works OK, but isn't graceful.

 

Fugawi or Ozi can be better at rural/topo/parks but with all the maps more expensive. You can also scan in your own maps. And the tracks are generated directly.

[CapnGadget]

I for one am kinda glad that MS Streets n Trips doesnt show every little detail....I kinda like to see for myself...I dont want to know EVERYTHING I'm up against lol

anyways would still be supremely grateful for an inexpensive idea for mounting a laptop next to the driver if anybody's got one

[CapnGadget]

I for one am kinda glad that MS Streets n Trips doesnt show every little detail....I kinda like to see for myself...I dont want to know EVERYTHING I'm up against lol

anyways would still be supremely grateful for an inexpensive idea for mounting a laptop next to the driver if anybody's got one

[Atilla the Pun]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CapnGadget:

I for one am kinda glad that MS Streets n Trips doesnt show every little detail....I kinda like to see for myself...I dont want to know EVERYTHING I'm up against lol

anyways would still be supremely grateful for an inexpensive idea for mounting a laptop next to the driver if anybody's got one

---

 

Check out Ram mount

 

AtP

[Atilla the Pun]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CapnGadget:

I for one am kinda glad that MS Streets n Trips doesnt show every little detail....I kinda like to see for myself...I dont want to know EVERYTHING I'm up against lol

anyways would still be supremely grateful for an inexpensive idea for mounting a laptop next to the driver if anybody's got one

---

 

Check out Ram mount

 

AtP

[OFF RODE]

I fabricated my laptop mount from a underdesk keyboard holder/slide. Works great in the Jeep but may be a bit difficult to mount in a vehicle with a "real" dash. Ill see if i can get a pic of it a post it.

 

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

JeepNAz@aol.com

 

[This message was edited by JeepNAz on April 15, 2002 at 07:10 AM.]

[+Sal Manilla]

Originally posted by Harrald:

I'm interested making these four things work together to assist in travel. Is there software that will (using the Etrex yellow) show me where I am on a street map in real time? Also I would like to know if there is a way to upload "Tracks" to a piece of software? I have had some interesting hikes I would like to save in map form and I am as talentless with a pencil as they come.

 

I have been using Delorme's Street Atlas USA with my Garmin 12 and an OLD IBM 486 Thinkpad since 1997 for navigating on the streets. It works great and interfacing the GPS to the laptop couldn't be easier. For my hikes and mountainbike rides I use Delorme's Topo USA. With both programs you can download your waypoints, tracks, and routes. The one complaint that I have is with Topo not being detailed enough. It lacks the trails and forest service roads detail that I would like.

 

"I thought of that while riding my bike."

--Albert Einstein of the theory of relativity

[+Renegade Knight]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sal Manilla:The one complaint that I have is with Topo not being detailed enough. It lacks the trails and forest service roads detail that I would like.

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I looked into the Topo USA like you have and learned the trade off for having the entire USA was the lack of detail. Their Topo State series does what you wish you had at the standard 99 bucks a state. Alas my GPS V is so new that the topo software I've been looking at doesn't support it.

[CapnGadget]

Success!

have now got Streets & Trips installed on old Thinkpad by way of compressing main drive C...works fine.

I notice that it will only talk to my Garmin Etrex yellow with the NMEA interface set...it appears to only run at 4800 baud (and the Etrex wont let me change it) as well...can this be whats causing about a 5 -10 second delay between my position and the update on the map? Or would this be normal?

Whatever its loads o' fun

 

"Everywhere you go, there ya be..."

[CapnGadget]

Success!

have now got Streets & Trips installed on old Thinkpad by way of compressing main drive C...works fine.

I notice that it will only talk to my Garmin Etrex yellow with the NMEA interface set...it appears to only run at 4800 baud (and the Etrex wont let me change it) as well...can this be whats causing about a 5 -10 second delay between my position and the update on the map? Or would this be normal?

Whatever its loads o' fun

 

"Everywhere you go, there ya be..."

[ride_bent]

I have a Jotto Desk for mounting a laptop in my truck. I worked great.

 

I recently got a new Ford F-150 and don't think I will install it in this truck. I usually only used the laptop when on vacaton (towing our camper). The new truck has an air bag on the passenger side. I am concerned about the air bad making the laptop a high velocity projectile in an accident.

 

If you do buy software, I suggest the Delorme Street Atlas Deluxe mapping software. It is great for using with a GPSr and custom for driving.

 

The best things in life are not things...

[+park2]

Hey Gadg,

 

Yes, S&T has a programmed in update rate of 15 sec ONLY. Garmins spit out new data every 2 seconds at 4800 and every 1 sec at 9600 (at least my G12 did). However since S&T will only talk at 4800, every 2 sec it is (which is fine).

 

You can 'adjust' things if you don't mind changing a couple bytes in te S&T code. There is a good thread here (or search +update +streets):

http://opentopic.Groundspeak.com/0/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=1750973553&f=5740990093&m=3360997493&r=9470985204#9470985204

 

I set mine to 2.5 seconds and it works great, the only trade off is when you are tracking, some of the block/zoom and other features get cancelled every re-draw so you have to be fast.