IPAQ Map/GPS System

[strake]

I have just become the proud owner of an IPAQ for important business purposes........ of course, we all know that's a bit of a whopper. :E
The real reason I have signed my own indent for my company to buy this sexy little gadget is to quickly avail myself of the Nav/GPS/moving map software.
Does anyone have any experience of using same?

[Keef]

I think Julian wrote a report on his experiences with one for Flyer a year or so back.

I bought an iPAQ (like it, now all the bugs have been fixed and the software does what it was supposed to do all along). I didn't go for the GPS add-on "sleeve", since I already have a GPS3Pilot that I don't use much these days now that we have a GNS430 on the panel.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

I have been using the Anywheremap since it first came on the market. First with a Casio Cassiopeia E100, now with the Ipac.

It is flat out the best GPS available period.

When ferrying aircraft I use two handhelds, a Lowrance Airmap 300 and the Anywheremap.

PS:

We get to use every system known to man in our business from the Airbus EFIS to the smallest handheld. The airplane I am doing flight testing and training on now has the Garmin GNS 430 and the GNS 530 , but I prefeer the Anywheremap.

Chuck

[KCDW]

Could you say why you think the AnywhereMap is the best Chuck.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

KCDW:

There are many reasons, some of which are.

(a) Compact size.

(b) Many features that are constantly being added to

(c) The cones of safety feature is especially neat as you can program it for drift down if you lose an engine when flying over ocean and you are over gross weight for the ferry flight.

(d) With the Ipac the visiblity of the screen is exceptional.

(e) And when you leave the airplane you have a very fast computer that will do just about anything, I have the Targus folding keyboard and I use the Microsoft Word program that it comes loaded with to write a book in my spare time, it is just like having a desk top with me.

(f) Monthly upgrades off your desk top.

However..... they still do not have new upgrades for the Eastern users., everyone outside of N. and S. America.

I have used it in a lot of Europe and except for upgrades to the system it is as accurate as the N. American data base.

If you get one and live in N. America you will need a storage card to hold all the extra features, I am running a 48 meg flash card in an older Ipac and when I down loaded the airport diagrams my card is full.

Chuck

[drauk]

I've commented on various iPAQ based options before which will probably come up if you search this forum for iPAQ.

If your iPAQ supports Bluetooth and you're feeling flush (with cash) get yourself a Bluetooth GPS. This is a tiny wireless GPS which will provide the position info to the iPAQ. Otherwise any GPS will do, but I'd recommend an external aerial if the GPS itself is not going to be in a prime position (external to the device, not external to the plane, though that would be better still).

As for software, AnywhereMap is very good. However, as Chuck mentions, the European database is pretty terrible. They've been promising for ages that a new one will be available soon, but as it stands it is very poor for use in the UK. Plenty of popular UK GA fields are completely missing and the database is out of date so much of the airspace and frequency stuff is wrong.

Another alternative is the CAA charts displayed in MemoryMap software. These are identical to the 1/2 and 1/4mil paper ones and it works really well, provided you have the storage space (I think the 1/2 mil is about 50Mb and the 1/4mil double that obviously). You also get loads of airfield diagrams. However, it isn't great for route planning, for which something like AnywhereMap is better.

As I've said before my personal favourite is an iPAQ with the CAA maps and a Garmin 196 for navigation. If you use this combination you can use the Garmin as the position device to feed the iPAQ.

[strake]

Thanks for the advice all...

DRAUK

I use a Pilot III at the moment which is fine as far as it goes. I tend to use it in Highway mode because the map is just a bit too small. What drew me to the iPaq was the moving map with 1/2 mil charts and a good display size. This would really seem to be an excellent option. Do you know if the Pilot III will interface?

Thanks

[Mr Wolfie]

Strake,

To connect your ipaq to a Pilot 3 you need a conecting cable. For a UK supplier see http://www.lynks.co.uk/pda.html

About 25 quid, or thereabouts.

Mr. W

[keithleng]

Could anyone tell me how Winpilot (http://www.winpilot.com/vfr/) fits into this picture? Is it a viable alternative to AnywhereMap?

Thanks,
Keith

[drauk]

If you already have a Pilot III then you can get a very good solution quite cheaply. Buy the cable as suggested by Mr W (or any other, but definitely go for one which doesn't require piggy-backing a series of adapters) and use it to hook the Pilot III to your iPAQ. Then run MemoryMap on the iPAQ with the CAA charts. Use the Pilot III for navigation on planned routes but have the nice moving map display of the iPAQ.

WinPilotVFR is similar to AnywhereMap in using vector based maps and a database of navaids, airspace and airfields. It is slightly less functional than AnywhereMap, though it does provide all the most essential stuff. When I tried it I had some stability problems, but it may have improved with newer versions.

[strake]

Thanks again all.

I will buy said cables and report back in due course on iPaq/Pilot III/CAA Chart performance.

[Gyr]

I have the Ipaq Nav system with the memory maps, Brilliant.
Sad thing is if you buy it from the usual aviation supplies you pay an extra few hundred for them to put all the boxes in another box.

by the MM from them with CAA maps and buy the rest on e-bay I saved hundreds.

[rotorboater]

I have just bought "flight Companion" for my IPAQ but I can't get it to work yet, something to do with the wrong type of GPS input, has anyone tried it and is it any good or should I end it back and try another?

Another question, do any of the programs have a voice like my car one?

[strake]

Well, there I was, all excited with my new iPaq and the iPaq Navigation system and.....I can't get it to work. All software is loaded, the Compact Flash is in the GPS unit but will it run the B&%%*y thing......no. Useless error messages and, what's more, no support from Compaq 'till Monday morning. There's nothing worse than getting a toy that won't work.......:{