Laptop GPS any1? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**TimmyJames1976** · 04-19-2005, 05:01 PM

Ok, so here is the deal. I'm working on getting this job, and its an outside gig. There is also parts of it that consist of escorting some underprivlaged youth around on 3 week long hiking trips. I need a new computer, so I was looking at laptops/notebooks and have been thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to really maximize the laptops usefulness. I don't have a lot of experience with GPS units, but see that is is possible to somehow run certain ones through a laptop. Does any1 have any experience with this? Is it worth the hassle or is it just easier to have a seperate handheld GPS?

**kingcrazylegs** · 04-20-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TimmyJames1976@Apr 19 2005, 07:00 PM
Is it worth the hassle or is it just easier to have a seperate handheld GPS?

Yes! I have been wanting to do the same...so in my geekiness I have done a bit of research. You can get a small GSP device that plugs into your USB/firewire and turns the laptop into a GPS (with wireless card). I have been looking at the one that comes with Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 GPS... check it out!

**TimmyJames1976** · 04-21-2005, 06:33 AM

thanx...i will.....just ordered the laptop, and damn the GPS would be so cool!

**SuDz** · 06-15-2005, 01:02 PM

I am sure it is too late for you Timmy but for anyone else that is looking this might help.

I have a Garmin GPS V that I have attached to my computer. It also is a stand alone handhelp unit if you prefer. It has turn by turn directions on it for finding street addresses that you put in, or landmarks etc. Really having it connected to the computer doesn't add much benefit except making the screen a lot bigger (your monitor) or for adding maps (which is great since I can add and remove them anywhere in the country right down to the town). Anyone looking for a versatile all around GPS I would reccomend this one with the unlocked codes for the software that comes with it. Definantly nice and I have used it to find never been to locations, geocaching, while driving, while biking, and on water. Kind of funny since I have only had it like a few weeks but I use it a ton.

SuDZ

**LostFarmboy** · 06-15-2005, 07:46 PM

Hmmm....better late then never i guess.

We use differential GPS with laptops all the time at work, they are cool as. Don't really know that much about using hand held GPS with laptops but i don't see why it wouldn't work, you would just need some form of mapping software that recognises the GPS. A program that is pretty damn cool for this is ArcPad, it's expensive but there's heaps of "free" copies floating around that you could download. All you have to do is get the map data you want from somewhere (should be able to find it for free from somewhere), load it into ArcPad, then click the little GPS button and away it goes. It shows you where you are, you can track your position, add points of interest to your map or whatever you want, in the end you would end up with your own personal map of the area you are in.

Good work with the geocaching SuDz

**SuDz** · 06-16-2005, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LostFarmboy@Jun 15 2005, 09:45 PM
Good work with the geocaching SuDz* *

I take it you do some geocaching? I just started like a month ago so havent been able to do a WHOLE lot but I like it and have found about three now.

SuDZ

**space virgin** · 06-16-2005, 02:33 PM

Hello boys.

What is this geocaching you speak of?

**space virgin** · 06-16-2005, 02:34 PM

okay, that was weird-- double post.

**LostFarmboy** · 06-16-2005, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SuDz+Jun 16 2005, 01:04 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SuDz @ Jun 16 2005, 01:04 PM)</div>

Quote:

<!--QuoteBegin-LostFarmboy

Quote:

@Jun 15 2005, 09:45 PM
Good work with the geocaching SuDz* *

I take it you do some geocaching? I just started like a month ago so havent been able to do a WHOLE lot but I like it and have found about three now.

SuDZ [/b]

Nah, i don't really do geocaching, i don't even own my own GPS, i will be getting one one of these days but i've gotta save for my travels that are coming up at the moment. A few of my mates are pretty hardcore into it though, they have their own geocaching team set up, they've found 100s between them and they've planted a heap as well, I don't think i'll get as into it as them but it would be cool to have the odd geocache day every now and again.

Quote:

Hello boys.* What is this geocaching you speak of?

Geocaching is basically a worldwide treasure hunt. The treasures are geocaches, which are usually some form of little box that has various goodies in it. These goodies can be as simple as a few pens or maybe you could get lucky and find one with money in it or something. What happens is someone plants a geocache somewhere cool, like at the top of some little known lookout, or in a cave, or just in some hollow tree in the bush somewhere, and publishes the coordinates of their cache on the official geocaching website. You can then go to this website, get the coordinates of their cache, and then go and find the bugger. When you find it you sign the little log book and you can take something out of it if you like, but if you do you have to replace it with something of your own. Sounds simple enough, but these caches can be put anywhere, they may require you to go 4wdriving up some crazy hill, or hike through the scrub for hours, or they may be on the side of a cliff that you have to climb to get it, or they can even be put under water and you have to scuba dive to get to them. They can be put anywhere that you can think of.....i wonder if anyone has put one on top of Everest yet??

Oh, here's the geocaching website if you wanna have a look:
Geocaching.com

**space virgin** · 06-16-2005, 06:41 PM

That's cool!

I've always wanted a GPS thingie but could somehow never justify the expense.

**SuDz** · 06-17-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by space virgin@Jun 16 2005, 08:40 PM
That's cool!* * I've always wanted a GPS thingie but could somehow never justify the expense.*

The geocaching is one reason I got it, I love hunting down the cache (the hidden stuff) because it has really let me find some great places even in my own town that I never would have seen otherwise. A lot of them are in State Parks and hidden at the most fantastic places in those parks.

For example every weekend I go to the State Park for a little trail walking and stuff like that, I thought I had seen almost all of it at this point but I went to look for a geocache and went through some trails, into the woods and over a few man made bridges out of logs and stuff. I started realizing I was in a whole new spot and then boom, I wind up on a little section of grass with a waterfall (granted man made and only about 10 feet but still nice) on one side, some nice sandy beach down past it a little and a pond that is not even on the State Parks map. It was fantastic and I was the only one around as well. I went for an unexpected swim since it was so nice, had some lunch on the grass and chased a few grogs around by the waterfall area. I found the cache that was hidden there and it was just a notebook with some people that had signed it already and basically everyone who logged something in the book agreed that the are itself was more than enough of a hidden treasure.

SuDZ

**TimmyJames1976** · 06-17-2005, 11:52 AM

dammit! now i NEED to get a GPS!

**LostFarmboy** · 06-17-2005, 06:02 PM

Yeah, my mates have shown me a couple of places that they've gone to for caches that were absolutely amazing, places around here that i never knew about. Geocaching is a bloody great way to find the awsome little known places.