[nishad.hameed]

if it is mapking, I believe the accuracy is below 60%.
The best idea is to buy a GPS receiver and pair it with your devices.

[spadival]

Originally Posted by nishad.hameed

Hi all,

Let me introduce myself, we are the countrywide exclusive distributors of Houlux branded GPS devices in India.
Currently we sell all models of Holux GPS receiver in India. Expecting the exclusive car navigation system in a month time which is capable of working in 60+ indian cities as well as the highways.

Excellent news. Competition is always good for the customer .. But 60+ Indian cities is a bit hard to digest. Anyway, we'll wait and see. Do you sell the software + maps seperately? What devices are supported?

[nishad.hameed]

software + maps seperately will be ready by then end of July. Any symbian platform or WM platform will be okay.

[gd1418]

Am hearing this for the first time. I too have garmin iQue3600 that I bought 2 years ago from the Garmin authorised dealer here in Delhi. He didn't mention anything of this sort to me. And nobody has questioned me for using the unit.

What is your source of information. Any Govt. website that says so?

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

Is the license issue for GPS solved now? Last year I had a Garmin brought in from abroad and someone told me you actually need a license to use it. I found out that while that is true, there is no official system of obtaining a GPS license in India. So going strictly by the rule you can't use a GPS in India.
There was a lot of confusion on this issue.
Are those confusions gone now? Are you officially importing GPS in India? How does customs classify it? What are the duties?
Thanks and regards
Sudipto

[gd1418]

There is actually an exhaustive thread on GPS here. Run a search. One of the mods could help. No need to start another one..

Originally Posted by DerAlte

How are you guys managing for maps? Are there Garmin maps available for India?

I guess we need to start a separate thread for GPS (under the ICE section perhaps? Finding directions in India provides more entertainment than information lol) rather than messing up the "Introductions". @sys_whiz, @abhi182, @ddawg, @ankur etc. have described Car PC installs under DIY, but those are from a different p-o-v.

What say you, amigos?

[gd1418]

The authorised dealer for Garmin in India has maps for India and its cities. You can visit [COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.gpsindia.net/[/COLOR]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

Please type "GPS license India" in google and hit search. The first item is an interview of the Wireless Advisor to the Government of India on this issue where he clarifies that yes technically you do need a license to use a GPS receiver in India. The interview came out in a magazine called Coordinates - India's only magazine on positioning, navigation etc. But I agree that yes, the interview happend two years ago and as of last year when I called up the office of the Wireless Advisor, I was told that it is true that you need a license to use it. I don't know if it has been sorted out. I couldn't for the life of me find out how to obtain this licence.
We are lucky that the government is not implementing this ridiculous rule to arrest us.
The issue is, as per the Indian Telegraph Act you need a license to use any radio frequency. Now, some items are exempted through government notification like the humble radio (a couple of decades back you indeed needed one - old timers might remember) or certain remote control devices or some networking devices. The notifications clarify the frequency that is being exempted. There is no such exemptions for GPS so far, therefore by default it means you need a license.
It is quite possible that Customs officials are either unaware of all this or are deliberately shutting their eyes. Anyway, the more handsets come in the better - there will be pressure on the government to do something about this ridiculous rule.
Sudipto

DerAlte
Kumar uses an in-vehicle GPS and some maps. Get his feedback also. My Foretrex is not equipped to take maps. It's a very basic handset. Basically just for fun. But yes you can go to a jungle with it and trace back your steps without getting lost.
Garmin doesn't have maps for India. Check out their website.
And I agree that we do need a section on GPS.
Sudipto

[spadival]

Originally Posted by gd1418

There is actually an exhaustive thread on GPS here. Run a search. One of the mods could help. No need to start another one..

Yepp.. this is one of them -> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...tml#post470789

PS: Since "GPS" is a 3 letter word, Search function on the forum does not return any result. You can do it via google, search string -> GPS site:www.team-bhp.com

[tsk1979]

3 letter searches have been enabled on TBHP.

[swiftguy]

i had a detailed talk with Mr. Rajan from ItemsOfDesire.com regarding garmin maps after reference from someone in MOD as i have a junk device with me for which i paid around 14000 for maps from a dealer in bangalore which actually turned out to be junk!

he was very forthcoming and clear on the subject ... he' s clarified that garmin as a company has yet not forayed into the gps navigation market in india. they have two distributors (one in mumbai and one in delhi) for hardware supplies mainly to surveyors and defence ...

Thus 99.99% garmin maps available in the market are from 3rd party suppliers ... and he said their company doesnt recommend the same though they have a tie up with one of the garmin distributors for govt. supplies ...

Instead he suggested me the following in his followup email:

Download Google Earth (the free version) and install it on the PC. Open it with your internet connection active.

Zoom into an area of choice in your locality and do the following :

The tool bar on the top has the following icons :
Show sidebar, Add Placemark, Add Polygon, Add Path, Add image overlay,
Show ruler, Email, Print, Show in google maps, Switch between Google
sky and Earth.

Click on the Add path icon (with three diamonds on it) and in the
pop-up box select red colour, width of 5.00 and DONT CLICK OK.

Click on the spot that you wish to begin your journey. Preferably click on
the road next to the building. Now keep clicking on one every turn
that you wish to take including where the road turns, curves or bends
so that the continuing straight lines joining various points more or
less follows the road reasonably accurately. Rightclick on a point to
cancel. Continue till you reach your destination.

Click File > Save > Save place as > Give a suitable name and save
as .kml file on your desktop. This file will automatically include all
Coordinate data of the entire route with it.

Download GPSBabel (Freeware) and install it. Open GPSBabelGUI
their Windows frontend. Under input select "Google Earth (Keyhole)
Markup Language".Under file select the saved .kml file. Under output
select GPXXML and provide a suitable destination. Click Lets Go. The
file is converted.

Open the file with POIEdit (Freeware) and as you click on each
POI its location is shown in the Google Maps tab if the internet is
connected. Keep zoom setting to 15-16. At each POI give a uniqye name
like WP1 or at turns or locations give it a local name. You could also
label as NH4-1, Tumkur Road, Mysore road, Navrang theatre etc. Save as
Destinator Comma separated file and load it to your PDA. Other uses
could save it in suitable formats at load it into their machines.
You will need to created route using these individual waypoints
as per your manufacturers instructions.

Plz download the following video for more details:
http://download92.mediafire.com/ds4j...mGarminMap.wmv

[gd1418]

What the guy from ItemsofDesire told you is all bull.. I am owning a Garmin device for the last 2+ years and got it from the Delhi distributor and it came with All India, Delhi & Mumbai maps. I've also been given periodical map upgrades from them.

Any day you wish to try this out, you are welcome to take a ride with me and see the functioning of the Garmin GPS unit.

Let me clarify, I'm not batting for Garmin or its distributor here in India. But before you form an opinion, I suggest you speak to the Distributor here and get details firsthand as well.

Originally Posted by swiftguy

i had a detailed talk with Mr. Rajan from ItemsOfDesire.com regarding garmin maps after reference from someone in MOD as i have a junk device with me for which i paid around 14000 for maps from a dealer in bangalore which actually turned out to be junk!

he was very forthcoming and clear on the subject ... he' s clarified that garmin as a company has yet not forayed into the gps navigation market in india. they have two distributors (one in mumbai and one in delhi) for hardware supplies mainly to surveyors and defence ...

Thus 99.99% garmin maps available in the market are from 3rd party suppliers ... and he said their company doesnt recommend the same though they have a tie up with one of the garmin distributors for govt. supplies ...

Instead he suggested me the following in his followup email:

Download Google Earth (the free version) and install it on the PC. Open it with your internet connection active.

Zoom into an area of choice in your locality and do the following :

The tool bar on the top has the following icons :
Show sidebar, Add Placemark, Add Polygon, Add Path, Add image overlay,
Show ruler, Email, Print, Show in google maps, Switch between Google
sky and Earth.

Click on the Add path icon (with three diamonds on it) and in the
pop-up box select red colour, width of 5.00 and DONT CLICK OK.

Click on the spot that you wish to begin your journey. Preferably click on
the road next to the building. Now keep clicking on one every turn
that you wish to take including where the road turns, curves or bends
so that the continuing straight lines joining various points more or
less follows the road reasonably accurately. Rightclick on a point to
cancel. Continue till you reach your destination.

Click File > Save > Save place as > Give a suitable name and save
as .kml file on your desktop. This file will automatically include all
Coordinate data of the entire route with it.

Download GPSBabel (Freeware) and install it. Open GPSBabelGUI
their Windows frontend. Under input select "Google Earth (Keyhole)
Markup Language".Under file select the saved .kml file. Under output
select GPXXML and provide a suitable destination. Click Lets Go. The
file is converted.

Open the file with POIEdit (Freeware) and as you click on each
POI its location is shown in the Google Maps tab if the internet is
connected. Keep zoom setting to 15-16. At each POI give a uniqye name
like WP1 or at turns or locations give it a local name. You could also
label as NH4-1, Tumkur Road, Mysore road, Navrang theatre etc. Save as
Destinator Comma separated file and load it to your PDA. Other uses
could save it in suitable formats at load it into their machines.
You will need to created route using these individual waypoints
as per your manufacturers instructions.

Plz download the following video for more details:
Loading...

[swiftguy]

Hi dear. You maybe taken for a ride by the so called Garmin distributor.

I personally verified the non availability of official garmin maps from both the garmin distributors: aerial servicies and elektronil lab ... (both claim 3rd party maps are available but then again they dont provide garmin quality)
http://www.garmin.com/cgi-bin/dealers.pl?country=India

Also i checked on the garmin website:
Garmin: Maps and Charts: On the Road

Cartography

Third-Party MapSource Developers

And when i was in USA, i visited Garmin Headquaters itself and there also i was told that garmin doesnt have detailed maps for Indian cities currently! What more can be the truth than from the horses mouth...

And more than that i talked to a so called distributor in Bangalore and he also clarified that these maps are infact 3rd Party maps and not official garmin maps!

It was after all this when i was talking to a relative of mine in MOD regarding a dead garmin unit i have, that he suggested me to talk to Rajan from ItemsOfDesire.com for a solution!

Hope u ask the local distributor to not cheat you. Because what i am saying is after knocking all doors to check the reality!

Originally Posted by gd1418

What the guy from ItemsofDesire told you is all bull.. I am owning a Garmin device for the last 2+ years and got it from the Delhi distributor and it came with All India, Delhi & Mumbai maps. I've also been given periodical map upgrades from them.

Any day you wish to try this out, you are welcome to take a ride with me and see the functioning of the Garmin GPS unit.

Let me clarify, I'm not batting for Garmin or its distributor here in India. But before you form an opinion, I suggest you speak to the Distributor here and get details firsthand as well.

[nishad.hameed]

now garmin has a deep coverage of 400 cities across India

You can even install these maps into your windows mobile device...