gps with full map display

andyjef

I'm looking for a gps unit with the following points:

* full memory map display ( so don't think the Garmin / Foretrex units do that )
* good battery life - ie 4/5 hours min
* pda capability too

I want to have it as fall back on tours to France ( already have the 1:100000 whole France Memory Map software ) and be able to upload my actual route back to my PC or laptop for distance and altitude data.

I've seen the Mitac Mio 550 that seems to fit the bill for most of the functions but may be not quite able to make the battery life I hear.

Also, there are spare batteries / external units ( eg 'Power monkey' ) that may fit but if you swapped mid ride I guess you'd lose the data ?

Anyone got any info' please ?

PrettyBoyTim

Perhaps what you need is a small voltage regulator with a USB socket attached to a dynamo - you could then recharge your GPS as you ride...

I have an O2 XDA Orbit with TomTom Navigator installed - it has a built-in GPS, but I'm pretty sure it'd get nowhere near 4-5 hours on a single battery charge alone if you had TomTom running.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an option for turning the screen off and navigating by audio alone, which could save a lot of power.

Rob Sallnow

andyjef wrote:

I'm looking for a gps unit with the following points:

* full memory map display ( so don't think the Garmin / Foretrex units do that )
* good battery life - ie 4/5 hours min
* pda capability too

I want to have it as fall back on tours to France ( already have the 1:100000 whole France Memory Map software ) and be able to upload my actual route back to my PC or laptop for distance and altitude data.

I've seen the Mitac Mio 550 that seems to fit the bill for most of the functions but may be not quite able to make the battery life I hear.

Also, there are spare batteries / external units ( eg 'Power monkey' ) that may fit but if you swapped mid ride I guess you'd lose the data ?

Anyone got any info' please ?

Well it sounds like Satmap would be ideal except it won't cover France ...or be useful as a PDA and it's delayed and delayed and delayed

blorg

PrettyBoyTim wrote:

Perhaps what you need is a small voltage regulator with a USB socket attached to a dynamo - you could then recharge your GPS as you ride...

Here's one example, and another. There is also the option of a Solio which should work well in France in good weather.[/url]

TechnoBuddhist

I read somewhere about solar powered gps. try googling "solar powered gps". about 18 month ago I was looking at getting a solar powered gps with bluetooth to bluetooth to my PDA and memory map. Problem with this is that using bluetoth on my PDA would run my battery down. Buying PDA spare battery could be an option tho.

example gps

andyjef

Thanks for the replies everyone ... I think the technology is changing very quickly and I'm sure there'll be (a) devices and (b) better batteries that fit the bill in the coming months / year or so.

The Satmap unit lookes good but - as was said above - it's been delayed quite a bit I think. Roadangel is another gps device that looks useful & it has a longer battery life ( claimed to be ~8 hours ) but it isn't a pda running windows mobile which is what I want.

Andy

slogfester

HTC P3600 PDA WinMob with built in GPS receiver ( http://www.europe.htc.com/en/products/htcp3600.html ).
For navigation I use TomTom 6 (whole of W.Europe takes <1Gig), with simultaneous WinMediaPlayer music and battery lasts for 4-6 hours. Carry a spare battery (very light) and double the time.
For tracking and analysis (speed, altitude etc) I use (simultanously) Run.GPS (http://www.rungps.net/ see also http://www.gps-sport.net/index.jsp) software, which can also be used for navigation, but its not as good a TomTom *on roads*. Has some great features like embedded pictures (taken -of course with the PDA's 2meg camera) in to Google maps and real time tracking. Unfortunately the software does not sync with my Polar HRM/files. Maybe in the future.

Killer gizmo/applics. Bluetooth, Wifi, 3.5G, etc etc. But it doesn't make coffee

L60N

Nokia N95 with Route66 software? Dont need an external reciever, works off the internal just fine

Jonathan Mcp

Mitac Mio P350 with an external battery like http://www.gpsforless.co.uk/product_details.php?id=4142

Can run true sat nav software, or memory Map.

I've used it for hill walking & cycling, battery can last for about 5 hours, the important thing to do is utilise power save features & a dim setting on the backlight.