GPS in car and aircraft

[deltic]

Does anyone out there own a GPS which can be used in an aircraft and car, and holds both databases, because I'm thinking of buying a car GPS, so it would be usefull if I could use it for flying as well!

[Keygrip]

I'm very close to that - the bits and pieces are still being delivered.

Moving map road software is used daily (for places I don't know), moving map aviation is already working for UK and USA is being purchased (I already have moving map USA on my laptop - but too big for flight use really). Approach plates are already to load onto the computer.

Hardware? HP iPAQ (model hx2495 - with 2 x 4gb storage cards in it) and a Holux GPSlim 236 Bluetooth GPS receiver in my shirt pocket.

[MD900 Explorer]

Deltic

I have a Garmin 296. It has the Jeppesen flight plates etc in it, and you can switch to road maps and blue chart maps at the click of a switch. Thing has a hard drive, dunno how big it is, but it must be large, if it can hold that amount of info on it. If i was in the US, i would have a 396. Check it out on http://www.garmin.comBloody excellent bit of kit. Easy to download and update from the databases at Garmin. The only thing that put me off in the beginning was the initial cost, but i can tell you it is worth every penny. :D

MD :ok:

[Chinchilla.612]

Hi Deltic,

Yes you can easily have a GPS with road and aviation databases and works very well.

I have been using an O2 XDA2 for the last couple of years (mobile phone/pda combination), but the system will work just as well with HP etc PDA's. Bluetooth connection linking a TomTom GPS receiver for position, then TomTom software for road directions and Memory Map for the aviation database. Memory Map has 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 aeronautical charts all available as well as OS maps if you're into walking.

I have been working part time as a taxi driver and can tell you that the TomTom works very well to find your way around the roads (including by postcode). I've not used Memory Map very much as it's only a "just in case" option for me, but I have tried it and it seems to work fine.

The best bit about it for me is that this way combines my PDA, Mobile phone and GPS (road and air) into the one unit (well 2 units really if you count the very small bluetooth gps receiver).

Hope this helps you.

Chinchilla.

[hugh flung_dung]

An interesting topic. I use an Ipaq 5555 with a wired GPS, it works well but I don't really like the 5555 (size, slippery, battery life) and was thinking about changing it for something else, together with a BTooth GPS. On face value it seems good to add-in a tri-band phone but all the eggs are in one basket then, and all competing for the battery when the supply goes.

How well do these BTooth GPSs work in practice? Presumably they need to see the sky so you can't really have it in a shirt pocket(?) What about battery life? Any recommendations?

There's a wide range of PDAs available - buying the 5555 was a mistake so what comes recommended with an equally good screen, better battery life but that's slightly smaller and more easily held?

HFD

[Keygrip]

No - HFD - the GPS I mentioned works very well in shirt pocket AND works indoors (house - not industrial unit made of steel).

It takes a minute or two to grab the satellites (20 channel) but once it's got them the thing is brilliant. WAAS enabled, too (it says).

Excellent bit of kit and a colleague at the CAA has the exact same model (also driving tomtom and memory map on his own pda, as do I and Chinchilla).

Truly - brilliant piece of kit (and VERY small). GPS came with car battery lead and mains lead for charging. Have never run a battery flat yet - have used non-stop for over six hours (especially when I forget to turn it off 'cause it's in my shirt pocket).

GPS cost me US$68 (just under £45?) on ebay - including delivery.

[deltic]

What I'm trying to avoid is multiple units (pda + reciever etc), cables, etc. I found a Garmin GPS Street Pilot III just wondered if it's possible to load in a UK aviation database as well?

[IO540]

On something like a HP4700 (PDA with 640x480 display) one can run both TomTom and various aviation applications e.g. Memory Map.

[StraightLevel]

hello deltic.

link removed

follow the link above. this could be what your looking for.

regards,

straightlevel.

[ZK-DAN]

I've got a Garmin iQue3600a. It's got all the usual Palm applications as well as a good GPS reciever (WAAS capable, no use in NZ), a Jeppesen Pacific database as standard. You can buy the nautical and road maps etc also. I've also got a 1 Gig SD card with a bunch of MP3's on it. Very good for aviating, probably fine for road/boat too.

[MD900 Explorer]

Deltic

Street pilot III doesnt do what you want it to do. I recomend the Garmin 296. The Garmin 196, 96, 96C, iQue 3600a all do the same thing as you want, both air and land nav. http://www.garmin.com/aviation/products.html#portable.

Hope this helps.

MD :ok: