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DeLorme GPS question

Yahoo Message Number: 13278
Does anyone have experience and opinions about the Delorme "Earthmate" ?
This is the little yellow unit that plugs into a Laptop USB port. It looks like a nice inexpensive ($130.00) alternative to buying a dedicated unit, especially for someone who already has a couple of laptop computers.

The price is low enough to take a gamble on it, but I'd like some feedback from some who have used it.

--

Dave Fagen
1989 32' SE

St. Petersburg, FL

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13279
--The "little yellow box" is just the receiver you also have to have DeLorme's software - either "Street Atlas" or "Xmap".- The "Earthmate" is a dedicated unit to use with their programs.

I use one all the time in my business and it is fine but I mount mine on the roof of vechle for more consistnecy. (it is not waterproof so I have to take it in when it looks rainy.

Hope this helps.

Old Tex

In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com, Dave Fagen wrote:

Quote
Does anyone have experience and opinions about the
Delorme "Earthmate" ?

Quote
>

This is the little yellow unit that plugs into a Laptop USB port.

It

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13283
(reposted to correct typo)

For $50 more, you can buy a basic Garmin with LCD, and Street Atlas for the laptop, and be able to use the Garmin by itself for several additional purposes:
1. Geocaching ( www.geocaching.com ). There are 200 cache sites within a 10 mile radius of Emerald Desert, and over 131,000 in 212 countries! A fun activity that takes you to interesting places you might not have otherwise discovered. A fun combination with RVing.

2. Finding you car in a huge outdoor parking lot
3. Tracking where your friends drove you or the bus took you.
Download the "breadcrumbs" into Street Atlas when you get back.

Herb

Allure 2002 #30690

p.s. I also love my new Magellan Roadmate 700 which can be transferred between the coach and car, but can't be used for Geocaching.

Quote from: Dave Fagen \[br\
]
Does anyone have experience and opinions about the
Delorme "Earthmate" ?

Quote
>

This is the little yellow unit that plugs into a Laptop USB port.

It

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13285
From: "Dave Fagen" fagen@...>

Quote
Does anyone have experience and opinions about the Delorme "Earthmate" ? > (snip)
We love ours, although we don't use it to map out our trips ahead of time.
We use it mostly to determine distances between several points, to locate cities and destinations, and to follow us as we travel. The Street Atlas '05 program we recently received has a nice feature to make the screen much more visible by transforming the image into a negative image. Makes it much easier to see on a sunny day. Our laptop sets on our Intrigue's flat dashboard, in front of Geri, secured to our Intrigue's defroster vents (the laptop ... not Geri ).

The antenna is right behind it, suction cupped to the windshield, and the computer gets its power from the 120V outlet in the dashboard.

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
'98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13286
Dave

I purchased the GPS and 2004 software (really 2003) this summer.
Enroute, I found I needed external speakers for volume if the laptop was centered on the dash. Also, I would prefer if the laptop were closer to me for view or controls when stopped. Probably a $250 jotto desk or something similar would be appropriate but drives up the total cost of the Delorme.

I find the user interface to be challenging whether at my desk or enroute. I have used the software for business purposes before getting the GPS.
1. I did not find an auto correct function that was automatic.
2. The user interface requires concentration.
3. The map detail and tracking process seemed to be quite good.
4. There are occasions when the street names it uses to create a
route conflict with known logic and one must override the route function to create a route in the desired manner.
I have also used the Magellan "never lost" system in the rental cars in LA and Minneapolis. I challenged the system severely and it never failed.

My wish list is for the Garmin 2610 (under $600)or the Magellan 700 in that order due to price. The Delorme is a good system if you do not need the result on the fly. Just not user friendly without a great deal of dedicated learning or setup time.

Dean

Quote from: Dave Fagen \[br\
]
Does anyone have experience and opinions about the
Delorme "Earthmate" ?

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13287
I guess I always wonder when reading posts like this who would want a laptop sitting on the dash in front of them. Does not seem very safe or efficient to me, but that's just me.

I have had many Garmin units, starting with the GPS40, Street Pilot III, and now have a 2620. I have not mounted it in our new Affinity yet, but probably will find someplace for it. The screen is much smaller than a laptop of course, but adaquate to get me around, and not obtrusive.

The software is a whole 'nother discussion, as City Nav stills sucks for urban travel ... I use my old Metro Guide software.
I suppose if you already have a laptop, the addition of an Earthmate unit, and Street Atlas would be very cost effective. Just can't seem to get the 'laptop on the dash' part, as I said.
I love Delorme by the way, class products, but this is an application discussion.

I would vote for a dedicated GPS (Garmin) unit stuck on your dash somewhere, one that you can also use in your toad when you fee like exploring.

Just my opinion, and I could be wrong.

John

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13290
--
Dave:

I have been traveling with Delorme for about 5-6 years. It is on every minute we are on the road. I have the original large receiver which could run on internal batteries (bad) or be powered via the laptop (good). I have been through 3-4 versions of Streets and Map and Go.
I had to go to Map and Go for our trip in Canada as Streets did not cover. I used the laptop screen for many years , first sitting on the CC folding table (bad) and then i dicided to build a custom stand which later evolved into a custom stand where the laptop screen was basically hidden and put 15" flat screen on top. I have used that configuration 2 years and am now making a new move.

I have purchaced the Dell 4700C which will be housed in the compartment in front of the passenger seat. It will have a newer flat screen mounted on a reduced size stand with a flip down "Gyro Plus" reduced size keyboard. The mouse and keyboard will be wireless.

My old laptop will not handle the newer versions of DeLorme software so I felt total change was in order. As mentioned external stero speakers are a big help mounted by each seat.
The software takes some getting used to but does so much. It find more things than you want to know. It talks to you, telling you when to turn ahead. The mispronouncing of some of the words is comical at times.
The few times it had chosen not to function ( my errors) I have felt lost and my wife Millie also has grown to really appreciate knowing exactly where we are.

On another issue but related we are also going to install APRS system which will transmit a signal based on our GPS location which will permit our sons on each coast to know where their wandering parents are at any time.

I will publish more on that as it becomes operational.

Buy it, you will enjoy it.

James M. Green Intrigue 11021 RollingGhetto

- In Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com, Dave Fagen wrote:

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13291
Quote
On another issue but related we are also going to install APRS

system

Quote
which will transmit a signal based on our GPS location which will > permit our sons on each coast to know where their wandering parents > are at any time.
Now this sounds cool ... maybe I can be converted. Could be please expand on the 'APRS' thing ... I have not heard of this.

How can you transmit ??? Is this cell phone related, like rolling stock inventory managment that trucking firms use ????

Thanks ....
John

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13292
Hi I have used Delorme from version #3. on now have version # 9 have founr it to be very usefull. Great software easy to use.

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13295
Hi Dave

I have an opinion of DeLorme Street Atlas. I liked it very much up to version 9 then they made a drastic change in the format. It became very user un-friendly, complex and slow. I spent hours with Street Atlas 2003 and never became comfortable with it. The fact is I hate it. I finally returned it to DeLorme and went back to my version 8. V8 is quite old now and some roads have changed position and there are a few new roads not on my old V8 map so I keep a copy of MS Streets and Trips for when I need up to date data.
I also updated my GPS receiver to the Earthmate which plugs into the USB port and gets it's power from there. The Earthmate can also be set up be used with other mapping programs as well. It works fine with MS Streets and Trips and several others I have tried. (MS S&T is a pretty nice program. It is a little slow updating position but quite inexpensive. The last one I bought came with a rebate and cost me something like $10.00)

I asked the Techs at DeLorme if they would ever go back to the old format and they said "no because the new style is easier for the programmers". Well I hope the programmers are buying the new versions because I won't.
Andy

The truth about our gas prices.

Why are we low on oil? Simple - we forgot to check it.
Our oil is in Alaska, Oklahoma and Texas.
OUR DIPSTICKS ARE IN WASHINGTON.
{Stolen from some other forum}

DW6000 / Satmex5 / Xpndr 1070 / linksys befw11s4 2002 36' Allure #30787 / 2000 Subaru Forester

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Quote from: Dave Fagen \[br\
]
Does anyone have experience and opinions about the
Delorme "Earthmate" ?

Quote
>

This is the little yellow unit that plugs into a Laptop USB port.

It

Re: DeLorme GPS question

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13296
I used the Delorme system for many years. Like almost everyone else, I could not adjust to the new interface and continued using the old versions.
The new GPS receiver was unreliable--taking naps frequently at the most inopportune times.

So, last year in Redmond, I bought the Co-Pilot software and GPS receiver.
It works very similar to the old Street Atlas. There is somewhat of a learning curve, but nothing like the newer versions from Delorme. And, the GPS receiver has NEVER taken a nap. Very reliable. It is more expensive than the Delorme, but in this case, you get what you pay for.

Ree

Current location---Victoria, TX

2003 Allure 30852

Home is www.eldoradoranch.com near www.sanfelipe.com.mx
 

Re: DeLorme GPS question and APRS & Ham Radio

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13298
First, a Amateur Radio license is required. Very easy to obtain after a little study for the test that is given in many locations accross the country. Ham Radio and RVing seem to go well together.
There is always something new being discovered and developed by a 'ham'. In many cases it leads to the commercial development of many of the products we use today. That is because we hams like to tinker.

Take a look at some of the web sites for further information about becoming a ham and the APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System).
http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html
http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html
Want to see how it works? Go to the following web site. I set it up with a friends call sign (N4GFO-14) who has a beacon going all the time here in North Florida. The list gives other stations transmitting nearby. Just click on one of the callsigns and you will see the detail of the maps and locations given via the web sites setup by hams to monitor the movement of APRS stations. You may have to piece together the URL if it is displayed in two lines.

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/near.cgi?call=n4gfo- 14&last=240&distance=200&n=50&rate=1

There are a number of other facits of the hobby that allows email via radio and voice communication links via the internet to distant VHF sites. The hobby has grown leaps and bounds to finding ways of using radio, computers and the internet.

Jim Hughes, KC4FWS
2000 Allure #30511

Quote from: John Keene
> On another issue but related we are also going to install APRS > system

> which will transmit a signal based on our GPS location which will > > permit our sons on each coast to know where their wandering

parents

Quote
are at any time.

Now this sounds cool ... maybe I can be converted. Could be

please