GPS Solutions Demystified

akshay4587 · 7th November 2008, 17:03

I am not well versed with GPS devices.
although I know the in's and outs as to how it works and all.

What would be the cheapset Handheld that can be used for tracking

I was thinking of ASUS phone(GPS enabled-dont know whether it comes with software or not)for12.5K.

Any other options apart from the cellphones?

tsk1979 · 7th November 2008, 19:52

Depends on where you are buying from.
If you have a phone with windows mobile, and Bluetooth, for 2000-3000 you can get a BT receiver

Wind · 7th November 2008, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I was thinking of ASUS phone(GPS enabled-dont know whether it comes with software or not)for12.5K.

Asus does not come with a bundled GPS software. One of the options you can consider is to buy MapMyIndia Inav software separately that retails for Rs 3490

MapmyIndia iNav : GPS navigation for mobile phones! Nokia, Blackberry, HTC, ASUS GPS phone navigation software all India

-- Wind

akshay4587 · 7th November 2008, 21:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Depends on where you are buying from.
If you have a phone with windows mobile, and Bluetooth, for 2000-3000 you can get a BT receiver

I donot have a GPS enabled phone as of now.was thinking of buyin ASUS GPS enabled phone,so wanted to know if there are any cheaper options below 10K
are any recievers available locally in india?

Kandisa · 10th November 2008, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I donot have a GPS enabled phone as of now.was thinking of buyin ASUS GPS enabled phone,so wanted to know if there are any cheaper options below 10K

I guess ASUS is the cheapest option. One my senior colleagues has bought it recently after spending quite some time on the cost aspects.

spadival · 11th November 2008, 09:05

Only problem with mobile phone based GPS solution is that the battery runs out pretty fast. So no point in taking a phone whose battery lasts for 3-4 hours, on a trekking expedition that takes a whole day.

rkbharat · 11th November 2008, 09:34

I have HTC 3300, abd GPS works very good. It came with Mapking navigator and maps. Plus I use Google Maps as well.

Also I used it alot in my last Tokyo trip, where I used a software to keep marking my route I took and in between kept marking the POIs

Regarding the battery.. I have auxillary power supply device which used normal AA batteries to recharge HTC.

ashthedivx · 11th November 2008, 09:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by spadival

Only problem with mobile phone based GPS solution is that the battery runs out pretty fast. So no point in taking a phone whose battery lasts for 3-4 hours, on a trekking expedition that takes a whole day.

Most of the GPS-PDAs are provided with a car charger as a default accessory understanding the problem.

ask77 · 11th November 2008, 12:56

I have a Nokia N95 8Gb which has a inbuilt gps device and i use map my india inav loaded which requires no gprs connection and has voice navigation which is important while driving it also comes with lifetime updates free since gps data needs to be updated frequently due to new roads and buildings coming up. I also have a rotateable mobile holder fixed to my windshield so that it is easier for me to follow the map on the screen. The phone also doubles up as my music player since my audio system has an aux in jack which can be connected to the phone and music from the phone played thru the audio system. The screen of this phone is 2.8" so it is useful also it can be charged using a car mobile charger.

spadival · 12th November 2008, 10:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashthedivx

Most of the GPS-PDAs are provided with a car charger as a default accessory understanding the problem.

How is a car charger going to help when you are in the middle of a jungle, on a trekking trip?

ashthedivx · 12th November 2008, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by spadival

Only problem with mobile phone based GPS solution is that the battery runs out pretty fast. So no point in taking a phone whose battery lasts for 3-4 hours, on a trekking expedition that takes a whole day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spadival

How is a car charger going to help when you are in the middle of a jungle, on a trekking trip?

Car charger ain't going to help anyhow but will surely help to keep GPS-PDA alive

By the way, Standalone GPS will be in same mess as GPS-PDA will be in the middle of the jungle !!

tsk1979 · 12th November 2008, 11:31

Handheld trekking GPS systems are different beasts altogether, and the mobile phone GPS systems are best used for cars and roads.
These things costing around 200$ can
1. Survive heavy rain without breaking a sweat
2. Have a built in Altimeter
3. Can resonably predict adverse weather approaching, esp in the mountains due to pressure drops.
4. Allow you to mark perimeters
5. Have sun/moon rise/set calculators and give the "exact" time for the location you are at.
6. 2 AA alkaline batteries/inbuilt battery lasts for 8 hours in "worst case scenario"
7. Are pretty shock proof, for example I have dropped mine quite a bit
8. come with a magnetic compass too, very useful
9. Have very powerful antennas which get adequate signal even in thick foliage. When you are trekking a EPE of 25m or so is desirable, anything more, and you will veer of the trail.

If you want to go trekking in the wilderness, I would not advise you to take a "mobile phone GPS"
or car GPS system. I once went on solo trekking in the states, and my handheld guided me pretty well. I recorded my trail, and was easily able to explore remote sections of the park etc.,

greatDrive · 28th January 2009, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Depends on where you are buying from.
If you have a phone with windows mobile, and Bluetooth, for 2000-3000 you can get a BT receiver

Hi Tanveer,
If you have all these three things(written above), Can you please mention step by step on how to install maps & software on Phone and how to make the navigation working.

Also mention a freeware Map application which gives me maps of NCR & Bangalore.

Thanks in advance
GD

tsk1979 · 28th January 2009, 21:23

If you want freeware, I recommend OSMtracker, All you need to do is download openstreetmap maps for your city.
You can also go mgmaps way, and use google maps. OSMtracker gives you routing, I think.
I am trying to get osm tracker to work on my mio c320, but since its win CE 5.0 and not windows mobile its a little more work for me,. Moreover my 480x272 resolution is not very optimized for osmtracker.

Here's the link : OSMtracker - OpenStreetMap

Steeroid · 28th January 2009, 22:33

Whats a good vehicle-mounted GPS which is the equivalent of handheld tracking GPS ssytems? I dont need city navigation or turn-by-turn directions - I need to be able to trace my path in the desert, find my way to the nearest settlement/road/petrol station and save good trails.

7th November 2008, 17:03	#76
akshay4587 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chandigarh/Mohali/Ambala Cantt Posts: 4,151 Thanked: 4,525 Times View My Garage	I am not well versed with GPS devices. although I know the in's and outs as to how it works and all. What would be the cheapset Handheld that can be used for tracking I was thinking of ASUS phone(GPS enabled-dont know whether it comes with software or not)for12.5K. Any other options apart from the cellphones?
	() Thanks

7th November 2008, 19:52	#77
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Depends on where you are buying from. If you have a phone with windows mobile, and Bluetooth, for 2000-3000 you can get a BT receiver
	() Thanks

11th November 2008, 09:05	#81
spadival Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Melbourne, AU Posts: 1,773 Thanked: 26 Times View My Garage	Only problem with mobile phone based GPS solution is that the battery runs out pretty fast. So no point in taking a phone whose battery lasts for 3-4 hours, on a trekking expedition that takes a whole day.
	() Thanks

11th November 2008, 09:34	#82
rkbharat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Gurgaon/New Delhi Posts: 1,601 Thanked: 724 Times View My Garage	I have HTC 3300, abd GPS works very good. It came with Mapking navigator and maps. Plus I use Google Maps as well. Also I used it alot in my last Tokyo trip, where I used a software to keep marking my route I took and in between kept marking the POIs Regarding the battery.. I have auxillary power supply device which used normal AA batteries to recharge HTC. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

11th November 2008, 12:56	#84
ask77 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Agra Posts: 147 Thanked: 23 Times	I have a Nokia N95 8Gb which has a inbuilt gps device and i use map my india inav loaded which requires no gprs connection and has voice navigation which is important while driving it also comes with lifetime updates free since gps data needs to be updated frequently due to new roads and buildings coming up. I also have a rotateable mobile holder fixed to my windshield so that it is easier for me to follow the map on the screen. The phone also doubles up as my music player since my audio system has an aux in jack which can be connected to the phone and music from the phone played thru the audio system. The screen of this phone is 2.8" so it is useful also it can be charged using a car mobile charger.
	() Thanks

12th November 2008, 11:31	#87
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Handheld trekking GPS systems are different beasts altogether, and the mobile phone GPS systems are best used for cars and roads. These things costing around 200$ can 1. Survive heavy rain without breaking a sweat 2. Have a built in Altimeter 3. Can resonably predict adverse weather approaching, esp in the mountains due to pressure drops. 4. Allow you to mark perimeters 5. Have sun/moon rise/set calculators and give the "exact" time for the location you are at. 6. 2 AA alkaline batteries/inbuilt battery lasts for 8 hours in "worst case scenario" 7. Are pretty shock proof, for example I have dropped mine quite a bit 8. come with a magnetic compass too, very useful 9. Have very powerful antennas which get adequate signal even in thick foliage. When you are trekking a EPE of 25m or so is desirable, anything more, and you will veer of the trail. If you want to go trekking in the wilderness, I would not advise you to take a "mobile phone GPS" or car GPS system. I once went on solo trekking in the states, and my handheld guided me pretty well. I recorded my trail, and was easily able to explore remote sections of the park etc.,
	() Thanks

28th January 2009, 21:23	#89
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	If you want freeware, I recommend OSMtracker, All you need to do is download openstreetmap maps for your city. You can also go mgmaps way, and use google maps. OSMtracker gives you routing, I think. I am trying to get osm tracker to work on my mio c320, but since its win CE 5.0 and not windows mobile its a little more work for me,. Moreover my 480x272 resolution is not very optimized for osmtracker. Here's the link : OSMtracker - OpenStreetMap
	() Thanks

28th January 2009, 22:33	#90
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,046 Thanked: 2,751 Times	Whats a good vehicle-mounted GPS which is the equivalent of handheld tracking GPS ssytems? I dont need city navigation or turn-by-turn directions - I need to be able to trace my path in the desert, find my way to the nearest settlement/road/petrol station and save good trails.
	() Thanks