Gps For Tungsten E

[+Nottrikk]

Here's a quick question.

 

Does anyone know if the Kirrio GPS system is still available anywhere for a Palm Tungsten E?

 

Or does anyone have one that they aren't using at the moment?

 

Failing that, does anyone know if there is an alternative system out there somewhere? Preferably with the maps on a card rather than having to download them from the PC everytime I want to use it.

 

It doesn't have to be Blue tooth or anything. But I was just wondering if anyone knows what the score is as none of the online retailers seem to do anything for the tungsten E anymore.

 

Grrrrrr...... That's what I originally bought the bloody thing for in the first place.

Edited May 22, 2005 by Nottrikk

[+-Phoenix-]

The kirro GPS system is just a rebadged BT-308 unit which you can freely buy elsewhere, and readily available.

 

Then they use ViaMitchelin software to drive the SatNav (which is Tungsten E compatable), in fact all kirro have done is take a bunch of off the shelf items and box them together.

 

heres a couple of links for a diy Kirro kit

 

http://www.easydevices.co.uk/pp/Receivers/...S_RECEIVER.html

 

http://www.shop.viamichelin.co.uk/shopexd.asp?catalogid=502

Edited May 22, 2005 by -Phoenix-

[+Snosrap]

I use the Kirrio and TE combi. Whilst it's OK for in-car use it cannot be used outside the vehicle so is only of limited use for geocaching.

 

I think Phoenix might be mistaken - the TE uses an odd usb connection which is not generally compatible with any 'off the shelf' gps unit (that I've found at any rate). I had to ask Brian Smith to basically rewrite Cachemate and Cachenav to work with this particular combination (which he did - highly recommended for Palm users). Also you cannot use bluetooth with ViaMichelin as bluetooth is not built-in to the TE (only available as an SDIO card) and you need the slot for maps.

 

I bought the TE and Kirrio/Via Michelin combi for about £200 and to be honest I'm glad I didn't pay any more.

 

Summary: Tungsten E: fantastic. Via Michelin: OK, but buggy, fiddly to use and slow. Kirrio hardware: does the job. Better by far to get a T5 kit-out.

 

Hope this helps (though, I suspect not a lot).

[+-Phoenix-]

Im not wrong, the combo I suggest is perfectly useable as SatNav and Geocaching, I use it myself with the addition of Cachemate, Cachenav and Cetus GPS, the only fault I can find with my system is Fugawi, but thats anotehr story

 

Via Mitchelin is completely bug free and has given me two months of perfectly stable, fault free SatNav

 

You dont have to use the slots for the maps, but it is reccomended, in which case using bluetooth may be an issue, without the use of an expanded menory you will be very limited to your map size and will always be fighting for memory space

 

USB connections are irrelevant when it comes to Bluetooth units, if your GPS connects to your PDA via a cable then its not bluetooth, and it may be a much older package, in which case paying £200 was way over the top, since I paid £200 and got the PDA, bluetooth GPS and software.

 

The BT-308 can take an external antenna, which I reccomend for car use.

Edited May 22, 2005 by -Phoenix-

[+Snosrap]

Do you use the Tungsten E?

[+Learned Gerbil]

Kirrio certainly do a GPS unit that works with the Tungsten E.

[+-Phoenix-]

nope Ive got a Zire which has the bluetooth built in, has 1.5mb less useable memory than the Tungsten E, and a faster processor.

 

However, when I was first using it I was running ViaMitchelin WITHOUT a memory card, and apart from having to be selective about the size of my maps, I had no functionality problems.

 

You should find that when kitted out as a Sat/Nav/GPS unit your Tungsten will have at the least 15mb of its memory left, which should be sufficient to map 15-20% of the UK, in cache terms thats an area that would cover maybe 1000 caches (ie its plenty)

[+-Phoenix-]

Kirrio certainly do a GPS unit that works with the Tungsten E.

 

I repeat Kirro dont do anything but make boxes and badges, everything they sell is off the shelf, the most technical thing Kirro do is pay their packers wages, and I doubt they pay much!

[+Learned Gerbil]

I didn't say they made one - but they certainly market one - and it doesn't use Bluetooth leaving your memory slot free.

 

http://www.widget.com/kirrio-gps-system-fo...-tungsten-e.htm

Edited May 23, 2005 by Learned Gerbil

[+Nottrikk]

Thanks for the help guys.

 

I contacted the Viamichelin website direct and they pulled them due to bugs in the software and have re-released them apparently. I'm going to get one and try it out. Expect a review in the near future

 

Mark S.