From: Brian (bmcewen_at_comcast.net)
Date: Wed Apr 14 2004 - 17:18:27 PDT
On Wednesday, April 14, 2004, at 12:27 PM, newtontalk_at_newtontalk.net
wrote:
>
> How do you like it? How did you produce your maps? *How much memory do
> the
> required packages take*? What do you think it does well and doesn't?
> How are
> you using the GPS, for hiking, for driving waypoints? Any other
> comments you
> can make.
I'm not using it to make maps and then walk around and watch where I am
on a scrolling bitmap, although it's possible to do that (the only
software for Newton for that is GPS Lite, it's web page is still up if
you google). Although MapPad does have an option to load maps, I've
never figured out what it wants ;) You can get that done for about
$150 on a handheld, much more effectively than on a Newton due to the
canned maps you can load. Don't expect great accuracy though, although
for many uses it will be fine.
The Haicom does WAAS which if you give it a bit to settle in has both
very good precision and accuracy- nothing short of about $5000 is going
to get you anything much better, anyway. WAAS only works best in the
USA, although maybe a little into Canada and MX. And, NCIE is a typo
for "NICE", in my earlier email, it's not a new protocol :)
I use my Haicom for logging rough (maybe say 2-5 meter minimum) points
in field sites, for doing route logging etc for places I've been
hiking, that sort of thing. I'd kill for a $5k backpack for fieldwork
(=reliable sub-meter accuracy). The Haicom is great for what it is,
although the best software for this is not available for purchase
(Fieldworker for Newton) despite a lot of emailing. If someone well
versed in Things Newtonscript could adapt MapPad by Elvin Slavik
(Elvin? You there?) (I think it's on unna) so that it would listen on
the PC Card slot as well as on IR and serial, that would be so nice...
that software make nice little trails etc. All the common protocols
are supported in MapPad, it just can't listen on the port I need...the
hard part is done.. how hard would it be to redirect the IR port
listening state to the PCCard?
There are a couple people on the list here who made maps using GPS Map
Lite, if you check the archives there is some information. For my use
though, best is to log coordinates with descriptions then load them
into ArcPAD or similar on the desktop and link to very detailed maps,
or to just generate my own coordinate-driven map of small field sites.
And for many people hiking, if you have half a clue, that's more than
enough to help you out- a log of where you were, how far it is from
there to here, and in what direction :) low detail maps of geography
can often mislead you... but here again a little $150 handheld is more
convenient to use.
Anyway, depending on what you want to do, the Haicom is a cute little
CF based tool that can be as accurate as they come cheaply, fits into a
case about the size of a Messagepad A/C adapter (the MP130 one), you
can load it right into your laptop or other PDA that supports CF, and
it just what I needed. Thanks to whomever posted about it originally.
I guessI can give the model #: Haicom HI-303E.
And if someone likes to hack, and wants to play with that MapPad
software, it could be neat. I've tried to find any info for Elvin,
anywhere, with no success... anyone have something?
HTH...
Brian
-- "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt, speaking on President Wilson's crackdown on dissent after the U.S. entered W.W.I -- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
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