Handheld GPS

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Thu 27 Feb 2003 11:12
Handheld GPS - Marcos{P}
I own a compaq iPAQ 3850 pocket p.c. and have been reading about GPS recievers that you can clip on to turn the unit into a navigation system for your car.

Has anyone got this system or heard of it and is it any good or just a silly gimmick.

Any response would be helpfull as I was considering having a Sat-Nav system fitted but the above way of doing it is fairly cheap compared to a fully fitted system
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Thu 27 Feb 2003 12:15
Handheld GPS - Citroënian {P}
Hi Marcos,

A friend has the set up you're considering and he seems to find it pretty good. It certainly seems to work well enough.

Another recommendation is perhaps that BWM are shipping an IPAQ kit with the GPS (albeit a little modified) as an option on the MINI.

HTH,
Lee.
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Thu 27 Feb 2003 14:58
Handheld GPS - Harmattan
Don't know anyone who uses them but coincidentally I was just looking at one with voice navigation on the following UK site www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=TWINS-SPECIAL

There shouldn't be any reason why they don't work well since PDA linked GPS is now being used almost universally by Government and official organisations to do things like check up on farmers claiming payments for particular fields. Accuracy is paramount in these situations.

Only obvious drawback is finding somewhere to put the mounting bracket in some cars and disguising the wires if you want to have a neat installation. I would also want a readily updatable system.
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Thu 27 Feb 2003 15:15
Handheld GPS - Mark (RLBS)
Which fully fitted system were you considering ?
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Sat 1 Mar 2003 10:21
Handheld GPS - Marcos{P}
Just to let you know I decided to get the Navman 3400 gps attachment for my iPAQ and it is superb.
The system covers the whole of Europe in detail and you just download from your p.c. the stuff you want.
It works much better than the system my freind's got in his passat. If you take a wrong turn it will reroute you accordingly and the voice and display are crystal clear.
The only problem appears to be the amount of maps you can store in your iPAQ due to lack of memory but I will overcome this by purchasing a 1mb IBM microdrove that fits into the GPS jacket and will hold every map on the disc.

If anyone is considering this system I will be giving it trials over the next few weeks and will let you know, but so far it seems excellent and very affordable compared to in-car sat nav systems.
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Tue 4 Mar 2003 00:51
Handheld GPS - A11DNL
.
Have a look at this too:

www.destinator1.com/index.emb

I have nothing but praise and chose it in preference to the Navman to use with my 3850. You can get the whole of the UK to street level onto a 256MB SD card so you don't need an expansion jacket. I like the way the power supply and GPS sensor just plugs in, and the vent mount. But it's not strictly a hand-held system so you can't use it away from the car.

Maps, searching by postcode, voice directions and automatic recalculation of routes if you take a diversion are all good too.
.
David
X-Type 3-litre Sport
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