Utemad replied:

I use an Etrex Legend wth my laptop. If you plug it into your laptop then any unit will give your laptop the required info but not all of them have a data cable option. Mine works well but next time I would get one that has an external antenna.

I've no experience with the pcmcia slot ones you mention.

Pilbara Wayne replied:

I've got a Garmin Etrex that I use with OziExplorer Software. It has the data cable and a 12V cable in one unit. As it is mounted near the A pillar of my Nissan it sometimes suffered drop outs, so I installed a re-readiating antenna. On a recent drive from Hedland to Karratha it was no less than 6m accurate. I use this system often as the tracks here in the Pilbara are marked nicely on the maps, but are a damn site harder to find on the ground when the spinifex is long and the tracks have faded.

Advantage of a separate hand held GPS is that you can take it away from the car with you and not have to carry the laptop. I use 2 AA rechargables in mine and keep a couple of spares recharged. The 12V input doesn't charge the batteries, but that isn't a big hassle for me.

If you go this way, just make sure that the GPS does have the connection facility. Some such as the Geko 101 dont. Also if your laptop doesnt have a serial port then you might need a serial to USB adapter.

Hope this info is useful.

Cheers

Moneypit replied:

Ozzymac,

I went the whole hog and brought a top of the wazza Garmin 176C - About 2K by the time I got the Bluecharts and Landmaps.

If I had known then what I know now a Garmin Etrek or Legend or 12 was more than enough if you have the laptop. I could have got a new lappie and the gps for what I paid for a gps that is now really only an information provider for the laptop.

I've done the round Oz bit since I got it but found that programs like Oziexplorer in the laptop, coupled with the Hema Road Map spiral booklet were more often the preferred programs.

Moneypit

ExplorOz Team - David replied:

If you have not already seen it have a look at these Digital Navigation articles. We travel with several GPS all the time and as stated before if you are going the laptop or PDA approach then get a GPS that will supply the data to the laptop or PDA and invest your money in the software and mapping.

FYI: We are still adding a whole heap of GPS products onto the system over the next few days so keep an eye on the new products coming along. However a Mouse GPS and Laptop with OziExplorer and NatMap 250K maps will cover most of your mapping requirements.

Good luck and if you need any help please give us a call or email.

Member - Brian (Gold Coast) replied:

Another one to check out is the Magellan ... we just bought the Magellan Gold Travellers pack... and are very happy with it... heaps of features, portable, PC connectivity, in-car cable, basic mapping software that can be expanded upon. Still learning how to use it but very happy with it thus far!

David Au replied:

It is difficult to impossible to use your laptop full time in the car, a mapping GPS with a good range of features is overall a better choice for use in conjunction with your laptop.
GPSMAP76 http://www.ja-gps.com.au/gpsprod_gpsmap76.html
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap76/ will cover all your
bases for $517.00.
http://shop.garmin.com/accessory.jsp?sku=010%2D10306%2D00 - not cheap, but they do work well.
A PC Card slot GPS would be mighty limiting and you would need to fit an external aerial to get good reception.

Austravel replied:

I'm still wondering if this is just another toy for most people. Sure there are instances that I can imagine a GPS would help especially if traveling totally off road. I've never needed one, just used very basic maps and no dramas to travel around the cape, gulf, simpson desert, east and west Macdonalds etc. Please correct me if I'm wrong as eventually I'll be heading off on longer trips but to date I can see that they would be just another toy. Not a bad thing mind you but just another expense and something to be stolen or damage.

Let me know if I'm wrong.

howie replied:

when you get tired of having the laptop on your lap, oohhing and arring at the little arrow that tells you which way your going,you will realise that unless the laptop is fitted properly its a pain in the asre.
also, with the modern gps, they have better and uploadable maps than mine (garmin III) which can be dash mounted. most roads are on these maps.
however, my laptop comes out occasionally when traversing unknown/unmapped areas and is great.
if you insist on the laptop, get a combined external aerial/receiver.
external aerial is definitely the way to go (whichever way you go).
my dream- 1) external aerial/receiver
2) in-dash dvd screen with vga input
3) laptop or mini pc secreted somewhere with all maps/software
4) small cheap gps for walks
5) one more powerball

Footloose replied:

For me a GPS is a bit like a fridge. I've travelled for 30 years without both. However I figure that I can travel more comfortably with them than without them, like coil suspension. Perhaps its a function of getting older. I suppose next thing will be a 4wd trailer thingy so that I dont have to make and break camp in the cold and wet ... :)))))

Member - Brian (Gold Coast) replied:

I've just bought my first GPS, a Magellan Gold travellers Pack. This weekend just gone we had to drive down to Bateau Bay, near Sydney to an area I am unfamiliar with, so I made a route on the mapping software and uploaded it onto the gps and voila! Followed the alarms to where we had to go. Very accurate indeed. On the way home I experimented more with it, changing between Nav screens and customising screens so the info I wanted to view was accessible when I wanted it. I also had a think about mounting a laptop in the car somewhere.... but came to the conclusion that the gps does enough for me on it's own without having to worry mounting a laptop somewhere. So then I realized that I could download track info etc "after-hours" to the laptop, and save some cabin space!

Just a thought!

Niko replied:

RAM Mounts are definitely the way to go. ExplorOz are now RAM Mount dealers, thus can supply you any RAM Mount as can be found at www.ram-mount.com
Email them what you want and I am sure ExplorOz can assist you. You will find their prices reasonable.

With regard to choosing an external GPS device, the concept of using a Garmin Etrex or a CF Card/USB/Bluetooth GPS plus a re-radiating antenna is never go to die. However, the Holux and GlobalSat CF Cards displayed here includes the CF to PCMCIA Adapter (For when you may want to use in a Laptop that only have PCMCIA socket/drive) and the external Antenna with a magnetic base plus a little suction clip for the cable.