Looking at a Palm PDA Upgrade

Aushiker · Post by **Aushiker** » 30 August 06 6:15 pm

Hi

Interesting TRR and it sounds like a good geocaching setup, but how do you see it working in non-geocaching contexts. For example for myself I want to use my GPSr for bushwalking as well as geocaching.

Will I be able to use say topo maps in your set up? How do you just set goto points, mark a waypoint etc. Is this all handled by software? Such as?

I am really running blind on this on so maybe asking some stupid questions.

Also can TomTom run on a Palm? Cuold you do what you have done on a Palm?

Andrew

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 30 August 06 8:09 pm

Aushiker wrote:Hi

Interesting TRR and it sounds like a good geocaching setup, but how do you see it working in non-geocaching contexts. For example for myself I want to use my GPSr for bushwalking as well as geocaching.

Will I be able to use say topo maps in your set up? How do you just set goto points, mark a waypoint etc. Is this all handled by software? Such as?

I am really running blind on this on so maybe asking some stupid questions.

Also can TomTom run on a Palm? Cuold you do what you have done on a Palm?

Andrew

A PPC can do as you need, depends on which you buy! My advice aim high first so you dont end up buying a couple getting to where you want!
Get wireless, camera , bluetooth once you have it you will wonder how you ever did without.
With Ozi & the like these function as most gps but with every map you can fit on a memory card. We cache with ours with no problem, cruise round the house streaming media to it just has so may uses!With no more crap my recommendation is a full house PPC.

Aushiker · Post by **Aushiker** » 30 August 06 8:46 pm

Hi Mr Router

Okay, a Garmin 60CSx with City Navigator is around $1200. Using that as an indication of dollars or rather maximum spend, less would be nice, what would you setup be in terms of actual PPC, gps unit etc.

Also keep in mind I go bushwalking, so I suspect my Geko 301 is still going to have a role to play or is your PPC concept viable in the context as well.

Johnny Appleseeds have HP units with the top end unit around $800. I note they also have Garmin units. Is the Garmin an option?

This is getting complicated for my low tech brain.

Thanks
Andrew

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 30 August 06 9:22 pm

Aushiker wrote:Hi Mr Router

Okay, a Garmin 60CSx with City Navigator is around $1200. Using that as an indication of dollars or rather maximum spend, less would be nice, what would you setup be in terms of actual PPC, gps unit etc.

Also keep in mind I go bushwalking, so I suspect my Geko 301 is still going to have a role to play or is your PPC concept viable in the context as well.

Johnny Appleseeds have HP units with the top end unit around $800. I note they also have Garmin units. Is the Garmin an option?

This is getting complicated for my low tech brain.

Thanks
Andrew

As team red roo wrote they picked there's up real cheap, once you have one & understand what you can do you would pay twice! No crap.
The one we have retailed & $899 but PPC have come down depending on option.
A good blutooth gps on ebay is about $160, software you will come across on the net if you look.
If you dont want a PDA & gps will do Garmin 60 CSX seem to be the hit.

Team Red Roo · Post by **Team Red Roo** » 01 September 06 12:38 pm

Sorry - I'd lost track of this thread since my last reply

While I have a laptop to run in the car (on the back seat) I would prefer a 'mapping device' that I can see on the dash. The Ppc fits the bill there since OziCe won't run on a Palm (unless its a Palm Ppc), and I don't know of any other good GPS mapping programs to suit a Palm OS. Also my old Palm Vx was not up to that sort of task, so I needed a newer device.
The Ppc I picked up has a 400 mhz processor, so handles the moving map side of OziCE with ease. Maps for OziCe are quite simply whatever you give it - just like the Pc version of Ozi. Most maps that work on the pc version will work on OziCe. If they don't, they can easily be coverted to something that will.
There are other free applications (such as GPS Sonar) that will serve a purpose, however I had looked at it before and decided on purchasing Cachemate. I like the way it ran on my Vx so decided to stick with it.
These days, memory capacity is not really a problem with I think most (if not all) manufacturers allowing plug in sd/xd/compactflash etc flash cards.
I haven't used it on a cache hunt yet - as the car holder hasn't arrived (any day now), but I expect this setup to work quite well. Like all new technology though - there is a learning curve.
I hope this is of some help, Wayne

rhinogeo · Post by **rhinogeo** » 01 September 06 5:58 pm

Team Red Roo wrote:....I don't know of any other good GPS mapping programs to suit a Palm OS....

I think there are a few on this forum running TomTom on their PALM devices

Team Wibble · Post by **Team Wibble** » 13 October 06 11:09 am

Team Wibble are looking at (finally) going paperless, and getting a PDA of some sorts.
Problem is, we're finding the whole thing a bit of a mindfield, as both of us have NO experience with PDAs at all.

Looking through this thread has been a big help, and the Palm TX certainly does look like a likely candidate. However, with the possibility of spending a little bit more, we're wondering if its worth looking at something with a few more features.

For those knowledgeable about PDAs, and those using them for caching, do you have any tips as to what we should be looking for?

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 13 October 06 12:12 pm

Begin the holden vs ford debate.

I'm in the pocket PC camp. I use a bluetooth GPS with a HP Ipaq HX4700 and love it.

Zytheran · Post by **Zytheran** » 13 October 06 2:23 pm

Aushiker wrote:Hi

Thanks Webguy, but given I am about to spend around $1200 - $1300 on a new GPSr I need to protect my credit card somehow

I assumed that something like GPSpinner (?) or iSilo would do the track grabbing the HTML and photos. Have I got that wrong?

Andrew

Money an issue??
If it's just for caching and you want html files and photos consider a Jornada 568 or similiar. About $100 2nd hand on ebay. 64MB of memory and take an SD card. I put a 500MB in mine for data storage. Use GSAK to export your database as html, use IE and just drag and drop any other information onto it from the Windows desktop. Images such as topo maps, screen captures from Mapsource etc. are useful too.
For going out in the bush caching I wouldn't be taking anything expensive I cared about being destroyed...GPSr being the only exception.
The advantage of Windows CE is that Word, Excel, html, pdf are all bog standard formats and don't need any conversion. Just drag and drop and then read when mobile.
Simple, cheap but not so nasty.

theUMP · Post by **theUMP** » 13 October 06 2:44 pm

Zytheran wrote:The advantage of Windows CE is that Word, Excel, html, pdf are all bog standard formats and don't need any conversion. Just drag and drop and then read when mobile.

Just a minor point, but the Documents to Go program that's included with all modern Palm PDAs reads native MS Office files too. You can also convert them to a native format, but you don't have to.
The pdf readers are freeware, and any browser can read the html (although conversion to something like Plucker or iSilo has advantages, IMHO)

(Is PalmOS the Ford or the Holden? I've always wondered...)

Mr Router · Post by **Mr Router** » 16 October 06 8:03 pm

theUMP wrote:
Zytheran wrote:The advantage of Windows CE is that Word, Excel, html, pdf are all bog standard formats and don't need any conversion. Just drag and drop and then read when mobile.
Just a minor point, but the Documents to Go program that's included with all modern Palm PDAs reads native MS Office files too. You can also convert them to a native format, but you don't have to.
The pdf readers are freeware, and any browser can read the html (although conversion to something like Plucker or iSilo has advantages, IMHO)

(Is PalmOS the Ford or the Holden? I've always wondered...)

Is this the same as Beta & VHS, oh palm in my camp would be a ford!! Not right up there but still can surprise