GPS Question

I'm haveing a hard time finding out if there is a handheld GPS made, that can feed realtime data to a laptop?

basicly I want something that I can use for hikeing and the like, then hook to my laptop for use on the road. is there such a thing made?

thanks, Ryan

Most all of them can do that. See http://gpsinformation.net for tons of info about GPS.

sent you a pm /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I do this with my Garmin GPS 12 all the time. I upload and download waypoints, routes etc... I use it with marine charts in the boat (portable chart plotter). The Garmin units put out a stream of data in a proprietary Garmin format or in the NMEA format onto a serial port. Works great.

J

Even my old cheapie POS Lowrance can do it.

Right now I'm trying to talk myself out of buying a Pocket PC (Dell Axim 5 probably) and a Compact Flash GPS for it to do the same thing in a much more compact package.

Thought about just buying a Garmin PDA/GPS all in one unit, but since I already have a Palm device I wanted to try a different OS and have the flexibility of a CompAct Flash Slot.

Delorme's Street Atlas 2004 edition can interface with many brands of GPS. Works very well with my Garmin 72, which connects to a PC through a RS232 serial port. Street Atlas can track your route in real time or you can download waypoints and tracks stored on the GPS to view on the PC.

Any Garmin unit will.

Well, most Garmins, but not all. The Geko 101 has no computer port IIRC.

Well, any with a data port, I have at least 7 of the garmin units, all have synced my time.

Yep, most will hook to a computer like that.
Careful, my Garmin etrx Vista only have a serial cable. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
WHY Garmin doesnt make a USB one is beyond me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif

But, as long as you laptop has a serial port, you are fine.
You WILL however need special software that has the maps the such, for your laptop.
The GPS Unit will not display its own display info on the laptop screen.
It just sends the information, which another program uses.

EasyGPS is a great program for keeping track of your waypoints and tracks.
PhotoMapUSA is an EXCELLENT program the downloads Satillite and Topo photos off the net, and can overlay your potition to them.
Best of all, they are FREE. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If you have any questions about GPS, or the software needed, please feel free to PM me.

-John

You can also use a serial-to-usb converter, if you're like me and your laptop has no async port, works fine.

Another good thing about the garmin is that you don't ~have~ to buy an interface cable, you can buy the stuff you need to make your own at radio shack cheaply.