pocketpc bluetooth gps solution
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pocketpc bluetooth gps solution
About to take the plunge into the murky world of a pocketpc bluetooth gps solution.
Current proposal:
* Use my IPAQ 2210
* Buy a Royaltek Blue GPS Receiver when next in States (currently can be had for $200).
* Buy AnywhereMap for Europe.
* At a later date buy a road routing software such as Tom Tom Navigator.
3 questions:
1. Does this sound like a good solution.
2. I can't for the life of me find a site which explicitly sells the Europe/UK Anywheremap. Anyone know. Can I get it "cheap" from the States?
3. If I get the AnywhereMap, is there anypoint in getting the CAA digital map for £50 (given I've got a hard copy in the cockpit).
Thanks
KCDW
Current proposal:
* Use my IPAQ 2210
* Buy a Royaltek Blue GPS Receiver when next in States (currently can be had for $200).
* Buy AnywhereMap for Europe.
* At a later date buy a road routing software such as Tom Tom Navigator.
3 questions:
1. Does this sound like a good solution.
2. I can't for the life of me find a site which explicitly sells the Europe/UK Anywheremap. Anyone know. Can I get it "cheap" from the States?
3. If I get the AnywhereMap, is there anypoint in getting the CAA digital map for £50 (given I've got a hard copy in the cockpit).
Thanks
KCDW
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KCDW
I haven't actually done this but these "PDA based aviation GPS" solutions are very popular in the USA. I would carefully check just how good the Anywheremap database is for the UK - it is primarily a U.S. product and as such they have little incentive to get it right.
I haven't actually done this but these "PDA based aviation GPS" solutions are very popular in the USA. I would carefully check just how good the Anywheremap database is for the UK - it is primarily a U.S. product and as such they have little incentive to get it right.
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I have a 2210 running Anywheremap and a Socket bluetooth antenna.
It is awsome, just awsome.
You will have to change the settings in the anywheremap to find the socket signal.
Chuck
It is awsome, just awsome.
You will have to change the settings in the anywheremap to find the socket signal.
Chuck
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I have a compact flash gps, with my Dell Axim pocket pc. The external antena sits on the dash, and is very reliable. Got it on ebay for €100 new. You might want to consider that, as it's a big saveing over a blue tooth, if you don't mind the wire.
I don't know how intensively you intend to use your gps, or how much reliance you intend to place on the info it gives you (not starting a debate on that one!), but you might consider pocket fms, instead of Anywhere map. It's free (give a donation), and I think it's just brilliant . http://www.pocketfms.com/
It has a lot of features, although given that it doesn't have the backing of big corporation, I am not inclined to trust stuff such as frequencies! However, you might as well try it, before forking out for the anywhere map, if may be sufficient for your needs.
Also consider a suction mount to hold your pocket pc in place when flying. (Passengers have a tendency to drop it
)
Having never used another gps, I'm not too sure if it's the same for all gps solutions, but I find that a pocket pc based one is strictly for setting up on the ground. Tapping screen and setting up flight plans, going to diversions etc is just far too fiddly to try to do in the air. Everything needs to be set up in the calm of terra ferma. Maybe this is the same for all gps solutions.
Hope this helps!
I don't know how intensively you intend to use your gps, or how much reliance you intend to place on the info it gives you (not starting a debate on that one!), but you might consider pocket fms, instead of Anywhere map. It's free (give a donation), and I think it's just brilliant . http://www.pocketfms.com/
It has a lot of features, although given that it doesn't have the backing of big corporation, I am not inclined to trust stuff such as frequencies! However, you might as well try it, before forking out for the anywhere map, if may be sufficient for your needs.
Also consider a suction mount to hold your pocket pc in place when flying. (Passengers have a tendency to drop it
)Having never used another gps, I'm not too sure if it's the same for all gps solutions, but I find that a pocket pc based one is strictly for setting up on the ground. Tapping screen and setting up flight plans, going to diversions etc is just far too fiddly to try to do in the air. Everything needs to be set up in the calm of terra ferma. Maybe this is the same for all gps solutions.
Hope this helps!
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Chuck - where did you get your AnywhereMap?, and how much did you pay if you don't me asking?
Dublin - PocketFMS looks interesting, and I will certainly play with it, though I share your same concerns.
Dublin - PocketFMS looks interesting, and I will certainly play with it, though I share your same concerns.
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Specific answers to your questions followed by an explanation:
1. Does this sound like a good solution.
No. AnywhereMap is great, but not in Europe.
2. I can't for the life of me find a site which explicitly sells the Europe/UK Anywheremap. Anyone know. Can I get it "cheap" from the States?
But it direct from them. There are no region-specific versions.
3. If I get the AnywhereMap, is there anypoint in getting the CAA digital map for £50 (given I've got a hard copy in the cockpit).
Yes, because AnywhereMap is not very good in Europe.
Explanation:
AnywhereMap is a great product, but the European database really lets it down. In the US the database is updated every month, but the European one is years out of date. Even when it was not it is very limited - many (most even) popular GA airfields are completely missing along with all their associated data. Unless you want to add a lot of waypoints by hand (and then only have them as waypoints rather than proper airfields with extended centrelines and such like) it is pretty much unusable in the UK. They have been promising an update with a more comprehensive database the whole time I have owned it - about 2 years.
If you still want to go ahead with AnywhereMap you can buy it from them directly, using a credit card. You don't buy Europe or the US specifically - you get both and the whole lot can be downloaded from their website once you've paid your money and get given an access password.
MemoryMap navigator is great for seeing where you are on CAA charts but not so good for planning and navigating a route and it lacks many aviation functions that you may (or may not) find useful.
I almost never use my iPAQ/BT setup in the plane in the UK - I prefer a Garmin 196. If I do use it I run MemoryMap.
For road navigation TomTom is really excellent (much better than a Garmin 196). I wish someone would make a piece of aviation software as good in quality as TomTom is on the roads.
1. Does this sound like a good solution.
No. AnywhereMap is great, but not in Europe.
2. I can't for the life of me find a site which explicitly sells the Europe/UK Anywheremap. Anyone know. Can I get it "cheap" from the States?
But it direct from them. There are no region-specific versions.
3. If I get the AnywhereMap, is there anypoint in getting the CAA digital map for £50 (given I've got a hard copy in the cockpit).
Yes, because AnywhereMap is not very good in Europe.
Explanation:
AnywhereMap is a great product, but the European database really lets it down. In the US the database is updated every month, but the European one is years out of date. Even when it was not it is very limited - many (most even) popular GA airfields are completely missing along with all their associated data. Unless you want to add a lot of waypoints by hand (and then only have them as waypoints rather than proper airfields with extended centrelines and such like) it is pretty much unusable in the UK. They have been promising an update with a more comprehensive database the whole time I have owned it - about 2 years.
If you still want to go ahead with AnywhereMap you can buy it from them directly, using a credit card. You don't buy Europe or the US specifically - you get both and the whole lot can be downloaded from their website once you've paid your money and get given an access password.
MemoryMap navigator is great for seeing where you are on CAA charts but not so good for planning and navigating a route and it lacks many aviation functions that you may (or may not) find useful.
I almost never use my iPAQ/BT setup in the plane in the UK - I prefer a Garmin 196. If I do use it I run MemoryMap.
For road navigation TomTom is really excellent (much better than a Garmin 196). I wish someone would make a piece of aviation software as good in quality as TomTom is on the roads.
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Just spent too much of the last 2 working days surfin' 
trying to research this. The difficulty of getting information is representive of the fact that the solutions are still in their infancy. I downloaded 4 demos, and came away feeling less than enthusiastic. for what it's worth:
PocketFMS (freeware) - I think this will eventually do the job (actually prefered the map view to WinPilot), but it is still clearly a Beta. Didn't like the interface as it stands.
NavGPS ($199 for Pro version, $99 for Basic) - Only looked at Basic which doesn't come with a coloured Terrain Map. Didn't have my home airfield - scratch.
Memory Map (c£150 for MemoryMap Navigator and 1 CAA Map) - I could see this working well in the cockpit, but without an HSI, you're missing some of the real benefits of GPS.
WinPilot ($299) - Good looking solution, however, the User Interface is very clunky. Not sure about using this in a cockpit.
No demo available for AnywhereMap, but it certainly looks the business. Still at $500+ its dear - might as well get a Garmin Pilot 3.
Current view is that I will get the bluetooth GPS (seems a waste not to as I have got a bluetooth PDA), and play with PocketFMS, until the payware solutions get friendlier/more cost effective.
Any other thoughts?
trying to research this. The difficulty of getting information is representive of the fact that the solutions are still in their infancy. I downloaded 4 demos, and came away feeling less than enthusiastic. for what it's worth:PocketFMS (freeware) - I think this will eventually do the job (actually prefered the map view to WinPilot), but it is still clearly a Beta. Didn't like the interface as it stands.
NavGPS ($199 for Pro version, $99 for Basic) - Only looked at Basic which doesn't come with a coloured Terrain Map. Didn't have my home airfield - scratch.
Memory Map (c£150 for MemoryMap Navigator and 1 CAA Map) - I could see this working well in the cockpit, but without an HSI, you're missing some of the real benefits of GPS.
WinPilot ($299) - Good looking solution, however, the User Interface is very clunky. Not sure about using this in a cockpit.
No demo available for AnywhereMap, but it certainly looks the business. Still at $500+ its dear - might as well get a Garmin Pilot 3.
Current view is that I will get the bluetooth GPS (seems a waste not to as I have got a bluetooth PDA), and play with PocketFMS, until the payware solutions get friendlier/more cost effective.
Any other thoughts?
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I'd make sure the bluetooth connection actually works before parting with money.
There are major reliability issues with bluetooth at present, usually connected (no pun) with the ability of device A to re-discover device B if A's or B's power has been interrupted. It's a big problem with bluetooth headsets on mobile phones.
And in a plane there's a lot of radiation, from the VHF radios, DME and xponder. Lots of potential for messing up the connection.
There are major reliability issues with bluetooth at present, usually connected (no pun) with the ability of device A to re-discover device B if A's or B's power has been interrupted. It's a big problem with bluetooth headsets on mobile phones.
And in a plane there's a lot of radiation, from the VHF radios, DME and xponder. Lots of potential for messing up the connection.
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There is general mapping software available for the Blackberry, with ability to take a GPS input, but it is not designed for aviation nor does it support the UK Blackberry models. http://blackberry.1map.info/ The small screen of a Blackberry is going to make for a fairly poor map display.
On the question of Bluetooth, I've never had any problems (no dropped connections, no interference) using it in the cockpit, though that is not to say someone else won't or that I never will.
KCDW your conclusions seem about right, which is why despite having tried these various options I mostly use a Garmin 196, occasionally supplemented with a MemoryMap CAA chart. In the US I have used AnywhereMap and it is excellent.
On the question of Bluetooth, I've never had any problems (no dropped connections, no interference) using it in the cockpit, though that is not to say someone else won't or that I never will.
KCDW your conclusions seem about right, which is why despite having tried these various options I mostly use a Garmin 196, occasionally supplemented with a MemoryMap CAA chart. In the US I have used AnywhereMap and it is excellent.
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I bought my Anywhere from the factory the first year it came out.
I have run it on three PDA's and find the 2210 with the socket bluetooth antenna to be the answer for me.
I use mine all over North and South America as well as Europe, in England I found the data base to be just as reliable as anywhere else, except for all the frequencies etc are a couple of years out of date.
However I do not navagate without the proper paper data available to reference.
Chuck
I have run it on three PDA's and find the 2210 with the socket bluetooth antenna to be the answer for me.
I use mine all over North and South America as well as Europe, in England I found the data base to be just as reliable as anywhere else, except for all the frequencies etc are a couple of years out of date.
However I do not navagate without the proper paper data available to reference.
Chuck
