Pocket PC with non-mapping

slewin · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 19, 2006 Posts: 2

These are probably silly questions but I won't let that stop me Smile

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Is there any software to make a GPS equipped Pocket PC (Fujitsu Loox N500) work like a nice easy old handheld GPS ? The Navigon stuff it comes with is o.k. in the car but I don't really need maps on the thing when I'm out walking, paper maps work just fine. But I would like to know where I am (in OS references not Lat/Long) and I wouldn't mind a bit of simple navigation between way points.

Perhaps I have no option but to use a map system in which case which one ? It looks like the choice is probably Memory Map or Fugawi (is Fugawi still alive, the forum seems really quiet ?). MM looks prettier but I live right on the border between 2 regions so it gets a bit pricey.

Ah, just thought of yet another silly question. Anyone know what happens if I'm using MM and I'm outside the area covered by the map ? Does it give up completely or does it carry on displaying my location etc but with a blank map ?

Thanks for any assistance with my new toy.

Steve

RS · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 14, 2006 Posts: 18

Fugawi is still very much alive. I have Fugawi Global Navigator which I bought in order to use with third-party mapping in standard formats. I believe the Fugawi software sold with the OS mapping is different because of locking requirements, although it may well have similar capabilities. I have my PDA in front of me (Toshiba e800) but I do not have my GPSr with me (I use a serial connection) to do a definitive test. However, the helpfile entry for GPS, Show GPS Info says "Display the screen with the current position, speed, and heading" and under File, Prefs you can set the location format to Lat/Lon, UTM, or UK Ord Survey.

AFAIK you can't buy the Anquet software without at least some mapping, but that can be pretty minimal, and may be the cheapest option. Anquet make quite a feature of what they call the "virtual GPS" capability. I think you always get the GB Overview map (so you are never without some mapping in GB), and probably always the 1:250000 map.

Don't know about MM, but I'd be surprised if it did not have some similar functionality.

Software like this expects NMEA at 4800baud over a real or virtual COM port chosen by the user. I assume that is what the built-in GPSr in the Loox N-series provides, and if so you should have no problem using it.

morticiaskeeper · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 16, 2006 Posts: 10

I'm going through the ame ides at the moment.

I want OS maps, but don't really want to spend £200 on the full MM set.

I've tried GPSMap-OS but it can't read from my GPS (Navman PIN 570)

I've tried CompeGPS pocket land, but the maps aren't good enough, scanning OS maps and calibrating also doesn't seem to work at the moment. It does, however, give me excellent OSGB positioning.

Using the demo of MM shows the sample map (south wales) but selecting position also gives good data.

If the staff at Cotswold Outdoor Cirencester had shown any interest today, I would probably have bought MM National Parks.

I think I'm going to try all the versions of GPSMap-OS before spending any money

slewin · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 19, 2006 Posts: 2

Thanks a lot for that folks. I hadn't spotted GPSMap-OS and it appears to work o.k. with my Fujitsu. It's not very good at starting up the GPS but if I start it up with another app and let it get a fix I can then run GPSMap-OS and it carries on with no problems. It's enough to convince me that mapping is worth having ;).

OTOH I'm already getting bored with stitching together those teeny OS Get-a-map maps for it to use so I may yet bite the bullet and buy one of the others just to get maps in the right format and calibrated properly. Either that or at least find someone who still has a scanner since I already own paper copies of all the maps I'm interested in.

Thanks again - Steve

mikealder · Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject:

Seve, you probably know already but just in case, you can purchase single regons of Memory Map, as the country is split into six areas, these work out at £50 each, I agree you can purchase the whole country and save some money, but for me the area 4 map (Northern UK) works just fine, have a look HERE for the coverage of each area (just click one). I prefer the 25K scale maps for walking but this really does get costly!
Or if you walk predomenantly in the national parks you can get them for £25 which is very good value - Mike

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