Is Didgital Compass something to look for

funkytwig · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 21, 2006 Posts: 20

Was looking at SiRF III blootothe GPS receves and came across one that said it had a didgital compas built in.

http://www.handnav.co.uk/product_details.php?id=987

This seems a good idea because somethimes when you first turn on a GPS and set off it does know whitch way you are facing so you have to randimly choose a direction and may have to do a u turn.

So the question is do they work (and whitch are the best) and will a PDA based tomtom system make use of the compass. Also do the latest tomtom all in one devices have one.

Ben

kartracer · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject:

I have used a hand help GPS unit and a watch with built electronic compasses. They work OK, but need careful recalibration every time you change the batteries. The recalibration probably isn't necessary for the kind of coarse direction pointing you are talking about. However, you would have to make sure the receiver is correctly oriented in relation to your vehicle or your body.
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Kam

mikealder · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:00 pm Post subject:

All GPS units transmitt the position data as well as speed and heading, the only problem with heading (compass) is that it needs to be moving to know the heading.
The TomTom products have an on screen compass if you want to display it the option is there.
There are other software packages you can install to a PDA to get more traditional compass screens, but if using the unit for walking a topo map is much more useful and informative when present position is displayed (amongst many other things). A compass in a car isn't too much use unless you plan an off road trip accross a desert - Mike

funkytwig · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 21, 2006 Posts: 20

This is a bluetooth gps unit without a screen whitch says it has a didgital cumpus. I took this to mean that the gps recever with a compas can tell whitch direction the device is pointing before it actualy moves/connects to satelites. Have I got this wrong and if I have not are you saying the gps unit actualy transmits direction/speed the device is moving rather than just snds longatude/latatuse type info and the main unit works this out.

kartracer · Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:25 am Post subject:

It's not clear from the info at the link you gave, but it looks to me as though the unit on the link may have a digital compass display on top. Thinking about it, this may not be of much use with existing Satnav route finding software, as all of the ones I can think of just take position information from the receiver and not orientation information.
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Kam

funkytwig · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 21, 2006 Posts: 20

"as all of the ones I can think of just take position information from the receiver and not orientation information."

This was kind of my question. Are you sure this is the case? Oriontashion info would be good because as well as it helping you start it would also help reduce the problem of being told to do a u-turn due to signels bouncing round when in in a city. Maybe in the next generation of satnavs.

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