Calgary Jeep Association

4x4 Related Groups => General Talk => Topic started by: mike s on November 03, 2009, 07:02:32 PM

Title: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: mike s on November 03, 2009, 07:02:32 PM

Thinking of upgrading my GPS unit to something with plotting capabilities to better learn the areas. I have several laptops laying around and i thought mabey converting one to a jeep laptop. Anyone with experience can steer a newbie in the right direction?

Title: Re: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: w squared on November 03, 2009, 07:03:48 PM

I've never tried it myself (despite owning a few GPS units and a few laptops), but the folks at GPS Central can probably help you out. They're on Blackfoot near National (same parking lot as Mary Brown's)

Title: Re: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: FiEND on November 03, 2009, 07:30:07 PM

yes but laptop has to be capable of running windows XP.  garmin has a free download called nroute.  just need the map software to go on it, ie garmin topo canada.  then a gps18 usb antenna and yer off to the races.

get the software and antenna @ gps central

http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/garmin/18x.html
http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories/mapsourcetopocanada.htm

Title: Re: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: FiEND on November 04, 2009, 08:24:13 AM

don't know.  always got as good as or better than ebay prices @ gps central so never needed to go elswhere.  their website sucks though.

Title: Re: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: w squared on November 04, 2009, 01:40:48 PM

Quote from: FiEND on November 04, 2009, 08:24:13 AM

don't know.  always got as good as or better than ebay prices @ gps central so never needed to go elswhere.  their website sucks though.

+1 on the pricing. I've purchased three units there. One for work, one for my Jeep, one for my girlfriend.

Title: Re: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: cLAY on November 04, 2009, 03:13:57 PM

I used to go to GPS central when they were in their old location and they were REALLY good. However I visited them in the new location and wasn't impressed. The  "sales" person I got that day knew les about GPSes than I did. The other guys I had got there were more like techs.

Recently went to GPS city for the first time. Not much to see, really small show room. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. I was there for quite awhile asking tons of questions. Ended up getting a USB gps reciever for my touch screen laptop. I'm going to try it with Oziexplorer.

Havn't tried Nroute but I heard that it doesn't work well with offroading and topo maps as you cann't zoom in far enough.

Anyone here using it for offroad?

Title: Re: GPS for a laptop?
Post by: mike s on November 05, 2009, 01:05:06 PM

Any recomendation on software? Just want to be able to reviews days wheelin and mark trails/challenges. Ease of you would be nice.