[BARC-List] RE: GPS phone and street guide?

[shersey@TheWorld.com]

> Maybe I'm a little baised after using a single channel Garmin GPS-38 for
> so long and not having used an amplified external antenna type of GPS
> reciever. But, I feel my experience may help.
>
> My experience with the eTrex ($100 @ REI) has been nothing but wonderful.
> I've been using it in an automotive application, and have done some work
> to find out what it takes to lose signal.
>
> -Works inside buildings if it can see enough (4) satellites out the
>  window, usually a couple feet from that window.
> -Works under trees
> -Works in cars, near windows and on dash
> -Fast aquisition of position
> -24 hours on 2 AAs
> -Actual-Pocket size
>
> The GPS-38 could not do the first 4 above, which I would call poor weak
> signal detection; you could see the signal bars drop and flutter while
> walking under trees.  That patch antenna on the eTrex may be dinky, but it
> takes some work to get in a
> position where you can't get a 'position'.
>

Interesting. I've had some problems under trees, on city streets, and in
buildings even near windows. It occurs to me, on close examination of the
Legend, that the little metal sparklies the plastic is filled with might
just be acting as an RF attenuator. The other eTrex models appear to lack
this aesthetic feature. Of course, I might just have a single unit with
poor sensitivity.

> What are the negatives? $100 will get you position, waypoints
> and route navigation, but no maps. The eTrex named models have maps,
> coming at an increased cost.

My experience with the eTrex Legend's memory size was, it holds the Boston
area metro map but has no room left for more. You can never have enough
RAM, I sorta wish I'd sprung for the next model up. I *do* like the unit;
they did a good job on usability. (I find the little click-through
disclaimer at turn-on "don't sue us if you get lost" to be funny, in a sad
sort of way. It comments on The American Disease).

>
> There is a model called the Geko, which I have not tried. It costs the
> same as the eTrex, is a little smaller, but it does not have a serial
> port on it. REI has a nice GPS comparison card for the Garmin handheld
> types, this is free at any store.

Also on their web site, I used this extensively.

The fellow thinking about the cell phone should definitely check to see if
the GPS-enabled phone has a serial port and NMEA output function; I have a
funny feeling it won't...

73 de N1XNX, Steve Hersey