pc as GPS
 

I am thinking of using a laptop instead of GPS but know absolutely nothing about it, can anyone advise re aeriels, software etc (I currently have Garmins world maps. Anyone out there got experience of this?

cheers in advance

Andy
landy 101 ambie
TLC H60
morris minor traveller
www.plymouth-dakar.com

It all depends what type of naviagtion you want: complete route with (spoken) instructions or more basic.

The first will work through the latest version of MS Autoroute (2006) and with garmin Mapsource maos with the extra Garmin nRoute (free download from Garmin site, haven't used it, might only work with Garmin GPS).

More basic is something like OziExplorer or Fugawi, you can use these with maps you scan yourself, and it is up to you to make a route out of waypoints (i.e. coordinates for GPS).

The later would work in faraway places where MS Autoroute has no usuable maps.

In my expereince you can get away without an antenna by placing your GPS behind the windscreen (provided it is not the heated type with small wires running through).

Hope this helps,

Pieter

Thanks for the info Pieter. The use would be two fold, both navigating on roads through various countries (probably not covered by autoroute) and then once I get onto the piste I would need to be able to navigate from waypoint to waypoint. Basically trying to crack two problems at once. Reason for doing it this way is partly cost, and secondly to get a GPS to do either of these things you seem to have to sacrifice the other. A small unit is best for point to point, but not as good as the bigger units for highway navigation.

Hi Moggy,
I use a Garmin etrex as the GPS receiver, this sits on my dash inside the windscreen. This in turn is wired to a laptop that has Fugawi software with the IGN digital maps of North Africa from www.daerr.de. I also use Autoroute Express in Europe. I can upload tracks to the laptop, and download waypoints to the GPS. The GPS is powered from the cigarette lighter and the laptop by a 150w inverter. I can also take the GPS with me when I go walkabout.
Only problems that I've had are in heavily forested areas or in towns with little sky view. Excellent way of knowing when you're following the wrong piste over the dunes.
Kevin.

That sounds good, I already use an inverter to power up my laptop to download maps onto the GPS so it shouldn't be a huge jump to get your system working, being a TLCH60 I have a 24v inverter, but I also have a seperate 12v supply which powers the GPS so it won't be a problem running the two concurrently.

thanks for that.

Andy