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8 batteries bank photo

Yahoo Message Number: 23198
To Al Colby who requested and to others who may be interested ... I just posted a

photo that shows the layout of the 8 Trojan T-105 6-volt batteries in our 2002

Intrigue. I'm an energy hog and we do a lot of boondocking. J

Steve Bufty

2002 Intrigue 11382

mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .

Re: 8 batteries bank photo

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23200
Took me awhile to find it until I realized you put it in traveman100's album. Nicely done. Real pretty layout.

Al Colby

2000 Intrigue 10979

Quote from: steve_bufty@\.\.\.
>

To Al Colby who requested and to others who may be interested ...

I just

Quote
posted a

photo that shows the layout of the 8 Trojan T-105 6-volt batteries

in our

Quote
2002

Intrigue. I'm an energy hog and we do a lot of boondocking. J >

Steve Bufty

2002 Intrigue 11382

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Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23201
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Has anyone had experience with Laptop GPS systems, specifically the - Garmin GPS 18 or DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20

Any input, pro or con, will be greatly appreciated. Or is there something else we should be looking at?

Thank you.

Kathy Marsh
2000 Allure #30536

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23203
Hello Kathy

I am using the Earthmate LT-20 and Microsoft Streets software on my Laptop and it is mush easier to use than the Delorme software. Sure saved us on directions a few time as long as you don't mind planning out a route first. Streets is an awesome program. It shows you campgrounds all over the place as long as you turn them on of course. Little bit of a pain leaning over to the Laptop once in awhile but lot less money.

Darold

06' Inspire 51682

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23204
I have the Delorme Earthmate. Had it for two years. It is very good and costs only about 100 dollars. use with your existing laptop.  MUCH MORE ECONOMICAL than buying a dedicated one.  In my opinion.
 
JOHN IN BOSTON

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23206
I use both Streets&Trips and Delorme and really prefer Streets/Trips. It seems much easier to navigate but that may be just my using it more. They both really work well though and I second the fact that it is a lot more economical too.
Ron 98 Allure 30185

Popish, Darold wrote:

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23208
Re: Earthmate vs garmin

As a former boatowner/operator and pilot I'm familier with both Delorma and Garmin. Generally speaking, they both have performed well in the past. On that basis I bought the Delorme system about 18 months ago and found: a)it is extremely difficult to learn; b)it is not user friendly; and c) it was unreliable. Along with 2 friends who had also purchased the system I junked it.

I personally went back to using my old Garmin street pilot tied into my laptop. I'm currently testing a couple of Garmin's stand alones, and will purchase one of them.

Meanwhile Delorme has acknowledged problems with the original system and is offering a "NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION" which my reading suggests is based on the old system. I'm going to pass! My other decision is, based on long use of the computer/GPS, that trying to see the computer in heavy traffic is more problematic than using a standalone unit. Hence I'm going to spend a few bucks more and get the more compact, more easily movable Garmin standalone.

All best rog

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23212
Kathy

We have been using the Garmin 18 GPS system on our laptop over a year now and love it. We used it on our trip to yellowstone with few problems. Planning is a big plus to determine distances and directions. Routing allows you track location and directions. I just listen and my wife watches to see screen to make me feel better. Two times it helped us big time when we missed a turn and wound up down town St. Louis. I truted it and it didn't let me down. Other times I made mistakes in finding locations and of course we went to a Girls Scout Campground and not a RV Campground.
Garmin is a great company not to say others are not but they support their products with updates. I also have an iQ 360 hand held that works in the tow car.

Paul and Nancy

01' Intrigue #11309

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23213
I started using Delorme years ago when they were on version 6 or 7.
They came out with the 200* versions while I was using version 8 so I tried it. It was drastically different from my V8 and spent many hours trying to learn to use it efficiently. Since I lived near the Delorme store in Yarmouth Maine I visited them and asked them why they would abandon something as simple as the V8 or V9 format. The answer I got was "It's easier for the programmer". I asked if the convenience of the programmer or the customer was more important. He would only say that Delorme wouldn't be changing the format and they haven't. I returned it for a refund and went back to V8. The data is a little out of date but from what I have heard the latest 200* versions aren't all that accurate either.

When I need accuracy I start up Streets and Trips. It's a nice program but the position updates are a little slow. If you are in the city it's easy to miss a turn. They both use the Delorme GPS receiver.
Andy

02 Allure 36'

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23222
Hi,

I have a laptop I use on the road all the time. I use the ALK CO-PILOT 9 system. It is awesome!! initial cost is about $290, then renewal is $75 for updated programs.
I NEVER leave home with out it working, even if I am just drivin the Jeep.

Gary Pisel

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23223
Hi Kathy,

I have been selling these type of systems for about 10 years. I review and test most other new ones coming out each year.
I would reccomend you look at Copilot for navigation. Not the cheapest at $269.95, but it has several extra features over the others, including a RV mode and a "driver safety" screen for solo use.

Chris Bradley

Computer Connections
Affinity 4952

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23227
I have used the a laptop with the Microsoft GPS receiver for about 2- 3 years (also have a Magellan Gold handheld unit that I used as a receiver only with the StreetAtlas software until the Microsoft unit came out). I refuse to leave the driveway without my laptop and GPS turned on and active. I have Microsoft Streets and Trips, Delorme StreetAtlas, and TrailerLife Campground Finder software on my laptop.
Personally, I like the routing and map display features of StreetAtlas better than Streets and Trips, but I like the search feature of Streets and Trips (campgrounds, restaurants, etc.) better. If you check Sam's or Target, you can ususally find Microsoft Streets and Trips WITH the GPS receiver (it is USB) for about $129.00 or less.

John, Linda, and Lollipop (a very fuzzy person) '06 Inspire DaVinci 51905
'02 Saturn L200

Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23234
I bought Delorme Street Atlas 2006 to get the USB style GPS. It is not as tolerant of trees as the old 1998 DeLorme GPS unit. The new DeLorme GPS will work with other softwares and does not require a battery.
New Delorme software has many updates & MANY errors. Terry frequently objects to SA2006 showing we are driving across the water, 1/4 mile off the bridge. When tracking is way off the road, turns & exit ramps are a problem. The 1998 DeLorme hardware & software could show what lane we were in, 2006 stuff often shows us way off the same road.
SA sometimes can find state parks, RV parks, restaurants, fuel stops. Sometimes it can't. Sometimes the find is a half mile wrong & across 8 lanes of traffic.
Worst error is being directed to leave a truck route, go thru a residential section, then either do a Prohibited left turn onto divided truck route or go wrong way on one way. Some of these errors are on roads that have not changed in over 10 years. SA 2006 has sent us into low clearances, dead ends, U turns & dirt roads when it should have left us on truck routes.

If I could say what it best software, I would already be using it.

Eric Lee Elliott

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23235
We've been pretty happy with MS Streets & Trips but we may not be as dependent on it as others might be? Ron 98 Allure 30185

Eric Lee Elliott wrote:

Re: 8 batteries bank photo

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23244
Nice Installation.

Who did the cables for you?

How much extra time do you get out of fully charged batteries?

Joey & Debi

1998 40' Intrigue w/VW Cabriolet toad

Re: Laptop GPS Systems

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23252
C0-PILOT 9 is a great system for laptops now that they have given it a better voice..The earlier versions were hard to understand.

We have both the CC stock Pioneer system and the Co-pilot..
The Co-pilot 9 is much much better.

Russ

05 Intrigue 11883

8 battery bank photo

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23253
Regarding the question ?who did the cables? ? I had the cables made by the same folks who I bought the batteries from ? The Battery X-Change on Highway

99 in Eugene Oregon just south of Junction City (great ?fleet price? on the 8 batteries and no sales tax). I laid out the batteries on their floor and showed them

the cable routing and the cable lengths that I wanted and I had them mix and match cable colors and shrink-wrap (red and black) to line up with the positive and negative terminals. They did a very neat job.

?How much extra time do we get out of fully charged batteries?? That depends on how much energy you use. Let me put it this way ? the original pair of large house batteries were rated at about 400 amp-hours total. The 8-battery configuration that I installed provides 900 amp-hours (based on 225 per 12-volt pair). That?s an increase of 125 percent (2.25 times more amp-hours).

We also have 500 watts of solar, but while on the subject of maximizing battery power when boondocking, you can save a lot of amps by installing individual switches or unplugging all the equipment that consumes loads of power while ?off?

but is really in the ?standby? mode (VCRs, TVs, Microwave, DVD player, satellite receiver, printer, computer, phone chargers, etc.) When you turn these devices ?off? they are still consuming power. If you have an accurate ?e-meter?, you can watch the current usage drop each time you unplug or power down a device. Every tenth of an amp amounts to 2.4 amp-hours over the course of a day and many of these devices use amps not just tenths of amps in the ?standby? mode. Do the math ? a couple of amps of ?ghost? current is about 50 amp-hours a day. That?s 25 percent a day of the available reserve in a 400 amp-hour setup since you shouldn?t run the batteries below 50 percent.

Cheers, Steve Bufty
2000 Intrigue #11382

Re: 8 battery bank photo

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23260
I do the same. You can tell if you have eliminated all the "Ghost" power consumption because the inverter will go into idle mode (starts blinking while in invert mode). I had to pull the rear TV out of it's enclosure and put an extension cord down into the closet so I could unplug it. My front TV is a flat panel LCD conversion doen by Davis cabinets, and it is mounted on a hinge, so I can swing it open and unplug it, the VCR and the satellite receiver. When the inverter is in idle, it consumes very little current, so if my wife turns off her C-PAP at night, amps go down to practically nothing.

Al Colby

2000 Intrigur 10979