Re: [ST] GPS?

["Enrico Schuerrer" <enrico@xxxxxx>]

Adding to David:

For planning a route MS AutoRoute is a nice helper (there is an US Version
of this program available too but I don't know the name of it). Together
with the help of a nice shareware tool named GPSU (www.gpsu.co.uk) you can
read the routes from AutoRoute and convert all points on the AutoRoute Map
to waypoints for the emap (and many other Garmin GPS's) and combine the
waypoints to a route.
If you set the intermediate points in AutoRoute short after a street
junction the direction pointer will show you the direction where to go - so
you can drive from waypoint to waypoint without a look on the map.
Additionally you can see the next curves on your GPS especially if you drive
on an unfamiliar street.

For security reasons I always had a paper map in reserve - but since I had
my emap I never need it anymore for driving.

best regards from Vienna

Enrico
- --
'00 ST 'BlueBelle'
Vienna, Austria, Europe


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "David W. Funk" <david.funk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 7:31 PM
Subject: Re: [ST] GPS?


> I have had a Garmin eMap for 3 years. The novelty does wear off. But there
> are some very handy things about having a GPS. One of my favorite things
> is that the GPS can find things when I am in a strange town. While it is
true
> that I don't use this feature too often, it is really great to be able to
find a
> motel, restaurant, or ATM; when you are somewhere you have never been
> before. To do this the Garmin requires maps downloaded from their
> MapSource database CD. This takes memory, the more the better. I have a
> 32MB data card in my eMap. For my riding in California, this is not quite
large
> enough. I get by ok, but most choose what data I want and download new
> data before each trip. I think 64MB would cover California pretty well.
>   The eMap was the cheapest gps Garmin made at the time. They have
> replaced it with a newer version. It was way less the $1000, even with all
the
> extras. The expensive, high power units with color, touch screens, auto-
> routing, and such just are not worth it to me.
>   I like the misc. features at least as much as the main map function. I
like
> having my true speed, distance, trip time, moving time, ... While riding
the
> map display is a bit small. If you don't know where you are going, you
can't
> use the gps map while you are moving. If you do know more or less where
> you are, the gps give good clues that your turn off is coming; that your
next
> stop is XX miles away; or that you just missed the road you where looking
> for.
>   Paper maps are still required to plan a route or trip. I thing a gps is
useless
> for planing a ride. The screen is just too small. Just think about using a
> paper map, if you folded it so only a 3"x3" square showed at any one time.
I
> am talking about motorcycle riding / sport touring. I never ride from San
Jose
> to Lake Tahoe. I ride the interesting roads that just happen to go between
> those places.
>   A gps can be distracting. When my eMap was new, I caught myself looking
> at the gps when it would have been MUCH better to be watching the road
> and traffic.
>   If you get a GPS, you really need as much memory as you can afford; a PC
> connector cable, a power cable, and the map database CD. For my cheap
> gps unit, the extras were about equal to the base cost.
> I used a RAM mount and it works fine.
>
> David W. Funk
> '00 Triumph Sprint ST
> Pleasanton, CA
>
>
> On Sat, 13 Mar 2004 18:31:33 -0500, Rod Brown wrote:
>
> >Just a comment.  Any GPS unit is just a nice tool but none of them are
> necessities.  I never leave the house without paper maps in addition to
the
> GPS.  The novelty WILL wear off.   If it comes down to a choice of $1000
for
> a GPS or $1000 for improved safety or performance,
>
>
>
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