PRC as a amplifier in GPS question.

[Malcolm Moore]

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:06:23 +0800, rebel <me@privacy.net> wrote:

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:34:23 +1200, Malcolm Moore
abor1953needle@yahoodagger.co.nz> wrote:
No, in NZ the plug is the same as used in Australia, and, to be
pedantic, the voltage is 230V +/-6% 50Hz.

whereas in Aus it is 240V +/- 6% 50Hz

To be really pedantic, Aus has harmonised it's voltage with the
Europeans and your supply is now specified as 230V +10%-6%, the same
as the UK. The practical effect at present is zilch and your nominal
supply remains 240V, but the lower limit of acceptable is now 216V.
See

<http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1988>

and for how one supply authority handles it, see page eight of
<www.countryenergy.com.au/internet/cewebpub.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/cek8026.pdf/$FILE/cek8026.pdf>

By contrast, NZ has always been 230V.

--
Regards
Malcolm
Remove sharp objects to get a valid e-mail address

 

[Mr.T]

"Just JT" <Johnnythor@Hotmale.com> wrote in message
news:48168ad5$0$12293$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...

The cost of the devices is still far too high.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
$250 is pretty reasonable for a navigation device IMO.

Agreed, it's the cost of the mapping that is still FAR too high. Just try
and price a map upgrade for that $250 GPS, and you will throw it away and
buy a new one!

MrT.

 

[the_dawggie]

Just JT wrote:

"Saab C900 Viggenist" <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:

The cost of the devices is still far too high.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
$250 is pretty reasonable for a navigation device IMO.

--
Of.course.my.baby.Lexus.has.satnav.builtin.

Idiot, you can buy one you can take from vehicle
to vehicle for less.

 

[Just JT]

"Mr.T" <MrT@home> wrote:

"Just JT" <Johnnythor@Hotmale.com> wrote in message
news:48168ad5$0$12293$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...
The cost of the devices is still far too high.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
$250 is pretty reasonable for a navigation device IMO.

Agreed, it's the cost of the mapping that is still FAR too high. Just try
and price a map upgrade for that $250 GPS, and you will throw it away and
buy a new one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then buy a NEW ONE!!!

--
And.throw.out.old.one.

 

[Just JT]

"the_dawggie" <the_dawggie@hotmail.com> wrote:

Just JT wrote:

"Saab C900 Viggenist" <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:

The cost of the devices is still far too high.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
$250 is pretty reasonable for a navigation device IMO.

--
Of.course.my.baby.Lexus.has.satnav.builtin.


Idiot, you can buy one you can take from vehicle
to vehicle for less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You mean the one that easily gets STOLEN?!?!?! BWAHAHAHAHAHAWWWRRR!!!

--
My.sat.nav.is.also.reverse.camera.DVD.player.and.touch.screen.controls.for.car.

 

[Saab C900 Viggenist]

Snapper <snapper1@y7mail.com> writes:

Who of you owns a GPS, or more specifically a car navigator?

Tom Tom, a Netherlands based company has reported 80 percent reduction in
revenue. One of the reasons cited is that while prices have dropped,
volume of sales hasn't increased in proportion to maintain profit levels.
This is because the market is probably saturated, an analyst said.

Thing is, I know of very few people who own GPSes and I move in circles
where people tend to buy gadgets and modern appliances.

So, who is buying the bloody things. Or is that the point - while they're
now cheaper than say 3 years ago (my Tom Tom one cost me close to $900 and
they now sell for around $300) perhaps people still aren't buying them.

The cost of the devices is still far too high. Take out the cost of
licensing whichever map database the manufacturer chooses to use, and then
the units have little or no value. So it's not the hardware cost at all
which is the problem - it's the database cost where the wheeling and dealing
happens.

The hardware is quite cheap to design and manufacturer. Then again, the cost
of the map database is only high because the companies that own the data
(ie. Sensis, etc.) have a very expensive setup cost, then the ongoing
'maintenance' cost of the core map database is fairly low. I suppose the
biggest part of the map database creation is getting access to the raw data
out of government and private GIS systems, access to satellites, etc.

Craig.
--
Craig's Saab C900 Page at | Craig's Classic Saab Workshop - Sydney .au
http://lios.apana.org.au/~c900 | http://www.classicsaab.net and other URL's
Email: c900@lios.apana.org.au | For Saab 99/C900/9000 Enthusiasts World-Wide!
Alternate: saabonaut@gmail.com | Web-forums, galleries, library, links, etc.

 

[Rod Speed]

Saab C900 Viggenist <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote

Snapper <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote

Who of you owns a GPS, or more specifically a car navigator?

Tom Tom, a Netherlands based company has reported 80 percent reduction in revenue.

Hardly surprising given the price drops you list below
when you allow for the cost to the manufacturer as well.

One of the reasons cited is that while prices have dropped, volume
of sales hasn't increased in proportion to maintain profit levels.

It would be a hell of a lot more surprising if it had with that sort of a price drop, stupid.

This is because the market is probably saturated, an analyst said.

Wota terminal fuckwit. The other obvious change over
time is the vast number of cheap chinese knockoffs
you can get now which use the same map databases.

Thing is, I know of very few people who own GPSes

Virtually everyone I know has one.

and I move in circles where people tend to buy gadgets and modern appliances.

Your problem.

So, who is buying the bloody things.

Anyone with a clue.

Or is that the point - while they're now cheaper than say 3 years
ago (my Tom Tom one cost me close to $900 and they now sell
for around $300) perhaps people still aren't buying them.

Or they buy a lot more than just TomToms and Navmans now.

The cost of the devices is still far too high.

The Hardly Normal sale at the weekend had quite a few below $200.

And no reason why they cant be a lot cheaper than that too given the simplicity of the hardware.

Take out the cost of licensing whichever map database the
manufacturer chooses to use, and then the units have little or
no value. So it's not the hardware cost at all which is the problem
- it's the database cost where the wheeling and dealing happens.

The hardware is quite cheap to design and manufacturer. Then
again, the cost of the map database is only high because the
companies that own the data (ie. Sensis, etc.) have a very
expensive setup cost, then the ongoing 'maintenance' cost of
the core map database is fairly low. I suppose the biggest part
of the map database creation is getting access to the raw data
out of government and private GIS systems, access to satellites, etc.

Wrong, as always.

 

[Terry Given]

Malcolm Moore wrote:

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:56:21 +1200, Terry Given <my_name@ieee.org
wrote:


Malcolm Moore wrote:

No, in NZ the plug is the same as used in Australia, and, to be
pedantic, the voltage is 230V +/-6% 50Hz.

indeed. although +/- 6% is laughable when at the end of a long dangly
wire. back in my videogame days in the 80s we used 2kVA 10% or 15% boost
autotransformers to drive the arcade games in places like murupara,
where I have measured line voltages as low as 180Vrms


Ah, but the regulations actually say

53 (1) (b) Except for momentary fluctuations, must be kept within 6%
of that voltage.

They don't define 'momentary', but it is well known that in Murupara
time is measured on a different (slower) scale. So therefore
'momentary' also has a meaning that covers the situation you
experienced

--
Regards
Malcolm
Remove sharp objects to get a valid e-mail address

LOL

(and momentary in that case was a few years)

Cheers
Terry

 

[Mr.T]

"Just JT" <Johnnythor@Hotmale.com> wrote in message
news:481696e1$0$28593$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...

~~~~~~~~~~~~
$250 is pretty reasonable for a navigation device IMO.

Agreed, it's the cost of the mapping that is still FAR too high. Just
try
and price a map upgrade for that $250 GPS, and you will throw it away
and
buy a new one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then buy a NEW ONE!!!

Of course, but I wonder how many Melways/UBD's they would sell each year if
they charged $250 for a new one?
Isn't that what the OP was asking, why sales are not higher? The answer, as
is often the case, is simple greed IMO.
They could sell large numbers of reasonably priced map upgrades every year
if they wanted to, or no map upgrades at rip off prices.
(obviously they get a lot less from the GPS manufacturers for each new
device sold)
Maybe one day some manufacturer will choose the former. Possibly one has
that I haven't heard about?

MrT.

 

[Mr.T]

"Just JT" <Johnnythor@Hotmale.com> wrote in message
news:48169744$0$28623$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com...

Idiot, you can buy one you can take from vehicle
to vehicle for less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You mean the one that easily gets STOLEN?!?!?! BWAHAHAHAHAHAWWWRRR!!!

Nah, the one that can be easily removed and used as a portable GPS (great
for hiking) or as a portable MP3 player or photo viewer.
Try that with your Lexus

And of course the same people who break into cars to steal the radio, would
never consider wrecking the dash to get yours out would they?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAWWWRRR!!!


MrT.

 

[Polly the Parrot]

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:41:35 +0000 (UTC) Saab C900 Viggenist
<c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:

Who of you owns a GPS, or more specifically a car navigator?

Roddles has one.

He needs it to find his way to the dunny in the back yard at night.

 

[Trevor Wilson]

"Saab C900 Viggenist" <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote in message
news:fv825q$rg4$2@yoda.apana.org.au...

"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> writes:


"Snapper" <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote in message
news:0357405d$0$3258$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
Trevor Wilson wrote...

**Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

Why would you want to do that?

GPS phones aren't that great. OK for hiking, perhaps like using a Garmin
Etrex. But for car navigation you need something that can be easily
read,
and heard, too. It needs to be able to be sat in a cradle. Do any GPS
phones, such as the N95 do that?

**My 6110 Navigator does all that. And more. I can choose male of female
voice for directions. The N95 is better still. Bigger screen. Nonetheless,
for these 54 year old eyes, I can read the maps without my reading
glasses.
Of course, the Tom Tom is better, but is not as portable.

Except the phones still have one significant failing when using the other
functions in that they're phones, so to actually use them for a call you
generally can't look at the screen at the same time as talking on a call
without extra devices to help.

**Wrong. There's this new-fangled technology in 'phones now. It's called
'loudspeaker 'phone'. It's only been around since the 1970s, so you may be
unaware of it's existence.

And before you mention it, phones with mp3 player capability are illegal
to
use with the music player going and 'bud' earphones in your ears when
driving.

**Indeed. Not everyone who uses a mobile 'phone drives.

Also, these phones aren't cheap and their plans less so. The N95 for
example, requires a subscription in order to download the maps as you
travel, and they also accumulate data usage which you also have to pay
for.

**Bullshit. Both Nokias come equipped with maps for all of Australia and
more (for free). My 6110 costs me $50.00/month with a shit load of 'phone
calls (over $200.00 worth).

To which network(s) though?

**The maps are independent of the network.

All, or just one of the big-three? How much is

the flag-fall per call? On short calls, that's just as expensive as the
air-time charge and it's one of the key ways telco's make their profit
flag-fall is a charge on top of air-time and applies for any 'answered'
call, no matter how short. Could be 1 or 2 seconds, or very long, but
flag-fall is still charged. It's quite a rort!

How much do you get charged to send text messages and to send multimedia
messages?

**I'm not 12 years old. Text messaging is the most nonsensical idea (99% of
the time). It is expensive, cumbersome and just plain stupid. Adults, for
the most part, don't bother, unless they need to transfer specific
information.

Remember the N series are still basically phones, so regardless of

what other fancy stuff they come with, at the end of the day they still
require a telco to allow them to use their wireless network, or they're
fairly useless.

Whereas a standalone TomTom will have the latest maps and it won't cost
you any more in running costs. Sometimes they also have free updates.

**My 'phone costs me nothing, except 'phone calls. Even better, I can
carry
it easily in my pocket, use it to make 'phone calls, listen to music, look
up address details and a whole bunch of other stuff.

How much music storage?

**Plenty.

multiple-GB? How many GB? A mobile phone is still

basically a talking device. Without a bluetooth headset or car kit you
still
can't talk at the same time as look things up on the phone.

**I have news for you: Blue-tooth apparatus is cheap and easy to buy.
Moreover, there is that pesky 'loudspeaker 'phone' thing.

Done your homework on LED efficiency yet?

Trevor Wilson

 

[Rod Speed]

Trevor Wilson <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote

Saab C900 Viggenist <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote
Trevor Wilson <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote
Snapper <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote
Trevor Wilson wrote

Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

Why would you want to do that?

GPS phones aren't that great. OK for hiking, perhaps like using a Garmin Etrex. But for car navigation you need
something that can be easily read,

Nope, at most you just glance at the current road name etc occasionally.

and heard, too.

Thats what you really want for most car use.

It needs to be able to be sat in a cradle.

I dont even do that with the TomTom, just sit it on the dash where its
a lot easier to enter a new destination on by picking it up than with it
stuck to the windscreen etc where its too far away for that.

Do any GPS phones, such as the N95 do that?

Yes, you can get a windscreen mount etc for the N95.

My 6110 Navigator does all that. And more. I can choose male of female voice for directions. The N95 is better
still. Bigger screen. Nonetheless, for these 54 year old eyes, I can read the maps without my reading glasses.
Of course, the Tom Tom is better, but is not as portable.

The 720 is, because its nice and thin with a decent big screen.
Still small enough to go in the pocket fine.

Except the phones still have one significant failing when using the other functions in that they're phones, so to
actually use them for a call you generally can't look at the screen at the same time as talking on a call without
extra devices to help.

Wrong. There's this new-fangled technology in 'phones now. It's called 'loudspeaker 'phone'. It's only been around
since the 1970s, so you may be unaware of it's existence.

And before you mention it, phones with mp3 player capability are illegal to use with the music player going and 'bud'
earphones in your ears when driving.

Indeed. Not everyone who uses a mobile 'phone drives.

Also, these phones aren't cheap and their plans less so. The N95 for example, requires a subscription in order to
download the maps as you travel, and they also accumulate data usage which you also have to pay for.

Bullshit. Both Nokias come equipped with maps for all of
Australia and more (for free). My 6110 costs me $50.00/
month with a shit load of 'phone calls (over $200.00 worth).

The data useage is still a significant cost if you buy
the phone outright and use a sim where you only
pay for calls and dont have any fixed monthly cost.

To which network(s) though?

The maps are independent of the network.

All, or just one of the big-three? How much is the flag-fall per call? On short calls, that's just as expensive as
the air-time charge and it's one of the key ways telco's make their profit flag-fall is a charge on top of air-time
and applies for any 'answered' call, no matter how short. Could be 1 or 2 seconds, or very long, but flag-fall is
still charged. It's quite a rort!

How much do you get charged to send text messages and to send multimedia messages?

I'm not 12 years old.

Plenty of adults with a clue use texts.

Text messaging is the most nonsensical idea (99% of the time).

Only if you're a dinosaur.

It is expensive,

Like hell it is.

cumbersome

Wrong when you use the PC to send them.

and just plain stupid.

Nope, its you dinosaurs that are that.

Adults, for the most part, don't bother, unless they need to transfer specific information.

And thats what most adults use the phone for, stupid.

Remember the N series are still basically phones, so regardless of
what other fancy stuff they come with, at the end of the day they
still require a telco to allow them to use their wireless network,
or they're fairly useless.

Wrong with the GPS function and a hell of a lot else besides.

I hardly ever use the telco's wireless network when using my N95.

Whereas a standalone TomTom will have the latest maps and it won't cost you any more in running costs. Sometimes
they also have free updates.

My 'phone costs me nothing, except 'phone calls. Even better, I can carry it easily in my pocket, use it to make
'phone calls, listen to
music, look up address details and a whole bunch of other stuff.

How much music storage?

Plenty.

multiple-GB? How many GB?

8GB with the N95 8GB.

A mobile phone is still basically a talking device.

Nope. In my case its basically a laptop I can put in my pocket.

Without a bluetooth headset or car kit you still can't talk at the same time as look things up on the phone.

Wrong.

I have news for you: Blue-tooth apparatus is cheap and easy to buy. Moreover, there is that pesky 'loudspeaker 'phone'
thing.

 

[Rod Speed]

Saab C900 Viggenist <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:

GrassyNoel <geracen@webace.com.au> writes:

On Apr 29, 6:45=A0am, "Trevor Wilson"
trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

**Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

I have one of those - an Asus. The display is small for in-car use
but because it runs Windows Mobile 6 it is compatible with TomTom
Navigator software. Easy as.

Is there any way to get TomTom Navigator 6 to display altitude? I
know my Asus will read it from GPS data but Navigator doesn't
display it (other software I used in Malaysia did display altitude).

Good thing I like about my trusty old Garmin GPS12-XL is that it
displays speed, heading, altitude, etc. plus has an MCX socket at
the back for an external antenna. How many commercial 'in-car'
navigation units with GPS actually have an external antenna socket?

Most of the tomtoms do. Tho you dont need it, they're fine without that.

Or have the ruggedness of the older hand-held Garmin units?

You dont need ruggedness with an in car GPS.

 

[Saab C900 Viggenist]

GrassyNoel <geracen@webace.com.au> writes:

On Apr 29, 6:45=A0am, "Trevor Wilson"
trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

**Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

I have one of those - an Asus. The display is small for in-car use but
because it runs Windows Mobile 6 it is compatible with TomTom
Navigator software. Easy as.

Is there any way to get TomTom Navigator 6 to display altitude? I know
my Asus will read it from GPS data but Navigator doesn't display it
(other software I used in Malaysia did display altitude).

Good thing I like about my trusty old Garmin GPS12-XL is that it displays
speed, heading, altitude, etc. plus has an MCX socket at the back for an
external antenna. How many commercial 'in-car' navigation units with GPS
actually have an external antenna socket? Or have the ruggedness of the
older hand-held Garmin units?

Craig.


--
Craig's Saab C900 Page at | Craig's Classic Saab Workshop - Sydney .au
http://lios.apana.org.au/~c900 | http://www.classicsaab.net and other URL's
Email: c900@lios.apana.org.au | For Saab 99/C900/9000 Enthusiasts World-Wide!
Alternate: saabonaut@gmail.com | Web-forums, galleries, library, links, etc.

 

[Saab C900 Viggenist]

"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> writes:

"Snapper" <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote in message
news:0357405d$0$3258$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
Trevor Wilson wrote...

**Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

Why would you want to do that?

GPS phones aren't that great. OK for hiking, perhaps like using a Garmin
Etrex. But for car navigation you need something that can be easily read,
and heard, too. It needs to be able to be sat in a cradle. Do any GPS
phones, such as the N95 do that?

**My 6110 Navigator does all that. And more. I can choose male of female
voice for directions. The N95 is better still. Bigger screen. Nonetheless,
for these 54 year old eyes, I can read the maps without my reading glasses.
Of course, the Tom Tom is better, but is not as portable.

Except the phones still have one significant failing when using the other
functions in that they're phones, so to actually use them for a call you
generally can't look at the screen at the same time as talking on a call
without extra devices to help.

And before you mention it, phones with mp3 player capability are illegal to
use with the music player going and 'bud' earphones in your ears when
driving.

Also, these phones aren't cheap and their plans less so. The N95 for
example, requires a subscription in order to download the maps as you
travel, and they also accumulate data usage which you also have to pay
for.

**Bullshit. Both Nokias come equipped with maps for all of Australia and
more (for free). My 6110 costs me $50.00/month with a shit load of 'phone
calls (over $200.00 worth).

To which network(s) though? All, or just one of the big-three? How much is
the flag-fall per call? On short calls, that's just as expensive as the
air-time charge and it's one of the key ways telco's make their profit
flag-fall is a charge on top of air-time and applies for any 'answered'
call, no matter how short. Could be 1 or 2 seconds, or very long, but
flag-fall is still charged. It's quite a rort!

How much do you get charged to send text messages and to send multimedia
messages? Remember the N series are still basically phones, so regardless of
what other fancy stuff they come with, at the end of the day they still
require a telco to allow them to use their wireless network, or they're
fairly useless.

Whereas a standalone TomTom will have the latest maps and it won't cost
you any more in running costs. Sometimes they also have free updates.

**My 'phone costs me nothing, except 'phone calls. Even better, I can carry
it easily in my pocket, use it to make 'phone calls, listen to music, look
up address details and a whole bunch of other stuff.

How much music storage? multiple-GB? How many GB? A mobile phone is still
basically a talking device. Without a bluetooth headset or car kit you still
can't talk at the same time as look things up on the phone.

Craig.
--
Craig's Saab C900 Page at | Craig's Classic Saab Workshop - Sydney .au
http://lios.apana.org.au/~c900 | http://www.classicsaab.net and other URL's
Email: c900@lios.apana.org.au | For Saab 99/C900/9000 Enthusiasts World-Wide!
Alternate: saabonaut@gmail.com | Web-forums, galleries, library, links, etc.

 

[Kwyjibo]

"Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:67pj86F2prb2kU1@mid.individual.net...

Trevor Wilson <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote
Saab C900 Viggenist <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote
Trevor Wilson <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote
Snapper <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote
Trevor Wilson wrote

Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

Why would you want to do that?

GPS phones aren't that great. OK for hiking, perhaps like using a
Garmin Etrex. But for car navigation you need something that can be
easily read,

Nope, at most you just glance at the current road name etc occasionally.

and heard, too.

Thats what you really want for most car use.

It needs to be able to be sat in a cradle.

I dont even do that with the TomTom, just sit it on the dash where its
a lot easier to enter a new destination on by picking it up than with it
stuck to the windscreen etc where its too far away for that.

Do any GPS phones, such as the N95 do that?

Yes, you can get a windscreen mount etc for the N95.

My 6110 Navigator does all that. And more. I can choose male of female
voice for directions. The N95 is better still. Bigger screen.
Nonetheless, for these 54 year old eyes, I can read the maps without my
reading glasses.
Of course, the Tom Tom is better, but is not as portable.

The 720 is, because its nice and thin with a decent big screen.
Still small enough to go in the pocket fine.

Except the phones still have one significant failing when using the
other functions in that they're phones, so to actually use them for a
call you generally can't look at the screen at the same time as talking
on a call without extra devices to help.

Wrong. There's this new-fangled technology in 'phones now. It's called
'loudspeaker 'phone'. It's only been around since the 1970s, so you may
be unaware of it's existence.

And before you mention it, phones with mp3 player capability are illegal
to use with the music player going and 'bud' earphones in your ears when
driving.

Indeed. Not everyone who uses a mobile 'phone drives.

Also, these phones aren't cheap and their plans less so. The N95 for
example, requires a subscription in order to download the maps as you
travel, and they also accumulate data usage which you also have to pay
for.

Bullshit. Both Nokias come equipped with maps for all of
Australia and more (for free). My 6110 costs me $50.00/
month with a shit load of 'phone calls (over $200.00 worth).

The data useage is still a significant cost if you buy
the phone outright and use a sim where you only
pay for calls and dont have any fixed monthly cost.

What data usage are you referring to? The 6110 will use data when you
activate 'assisted GPS' or whatever it's called to try to lock onto a GPS
signal quicker, but that can be turned off within the phone settings. The
maps can be downloaded using your PC then transfered over USB. Or are you
referring to general data usage? (web browsing etc.)

--
Kwyj.

 

[Atheist Chaplain]

"Saab C900 Viggenist" <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote in message
news:fv81et$rg4$1@yoda.apana.org.au...

GrassyNoel <geracen@webace.com.au> writes:

On Apr 29, 6:45=A0am, "Trevor Wilson"
trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

**Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

I have one of those - an Asus. The display is small for in-car use but
because it runs Windows Mobile 6 it is compatible with TomTom
Navigator software. Easy as.

Is there any way to get TomTom Navigator 6 to display altitude? I know
my Asus will read it from GPS data but Navigator doesn't display it
(other software I used in Malaysia did display altitude).

Good thing I like about my trusty old Garmin GPS12-XL is that it displays
speed, heading, altitude, etc. plus has an MCX socket at the back for an
external antenna. How many commercial 'in-car' navigation units with GPS
actually have an external antenna socket? Or have the ruggedness of the
older hand-held Garmin units?

Craig.


--
Craig's Saab C900 Page at | Craig's Classic Saab Workshop - Sydney
.au
http://lios.apana.org.au/~c900 | http://www.classicsaab.net and other
URL's
Email: c900@lios.apana.org.au | For Saab 99/C900/9000 Enthusiasts
World-Wide!
Alternate: saabonaut@gmail.com | Web-forums, galleries, library, links,
etc.

Navman S30 has an external antenna socket on the side (and its the povpac
model) never had to use one yet as it seems to pick up more than enough
satellites without one

--
"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
Don Hirschberg

 

[Atheist Chaplain]

"Saab C900 Viggenist" <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote in message
news:fv825q$rg4$2@yoda.apana.org.au...

"Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> writes:


"Snapper" <snapper1@y7mail.com> wrote in message
news:0357405d$0$3258$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com...
Trevor Wilson wrote...

**Get a GPS equipped 'phone on a plan. Stick it in a plastic bag.

Why would you want to do that?

GPS phones aren't that great. OK for hiking, perhaps like using a Garmin
Etrex. But for car navigation you need something that can be easily
read,
and heard, too. It needs to be able to be sat in a cradle. Do any GPS
phones, such as the N95 do that?

**My 6110 Navigator does all that. And more. I can choose male of female
voice for directions. The N95 is better still. Bigger screen. Nonetheless,
for these 54 year old eyes, I can read the maps without my reading
glasses.
Of course, the Tom Tom is better, but is not as portable.

Except the phones still have one significant failing when using the other
functions in that they're phones, so to actually use them for a call you
generally can't look at the screen at the same time as talking on a call
without extra devices to help.

hands free speaker phone.

And before you mention it, phones with mp3 player capability are illegal
to
use with the music player going and 'bud' earphones in your ears when
driving.

and just about every modern mobile phone I have seen now has speakers so you
dont need to use earphones, the speakers on my N80 are loud enough to drown
out general conversation if I turn them up. you also have to remember that
most sane people would peobably prefeer to use the in car radio/CD player to
listen to music and quite a few of the newer ones have MP3 capability, I'm
looking at one to put in my daughters car that even hase USB in capabilities
so she can just plug in a memory stick full of MP3's.

Also, these phones aren't cheap and their plans less so. The N95 for
example, requires a subscription in order to download the maps as you
travel, and they also accumulate data usage which you also have to pay
for.

**Bullshit. Both Nokias come equipped with maps for all of Australia and
more (for free). My 6110 costs me $50.00/month with a shit load of 'phone
calls (over $200.00 worth).

To which network(s) though? All, or just one of the big-three? How much is
the flag-fall per call? On short calls, that's just as expensive as the
air-time charge and it's one of the key ways telco's make their profit
flag-fall is a charge on top of air-time and applies for any 'answered'
call, no matter how short. Could be 1 or 2 seconds, or very long, but
flag-fall is still charged. It's quite a rort!

So how many of these things does your GPS do ??

How much do you get charged to send text messages and to send multimedia
messages? Remember the N series are still basically phones, so regardless
of
what other fancy stuff they come with, at the end of the day they still
require a telco to allow them to use their wireless network, or they're
fairly useless.

why do you need a wireless network to use the GPS in a phone ??
My N80 doesnt require any subscription to enable a fully functional GPS to
work, and as a matter of fact it works fine even when I remove the sim card
(I checked just a minute ago)

Whereas a standalone TomTom will have the latest maps and it won't cost
you any more in running costs. Sometimes they also have free updates.

I have the latest Tom tom maps on my phone, exactly the same ones that come
with the current crop of dedicated Tom tom GPS devices sold all over
Australia, and the only time I have EVER seen a free map update form any of
the manufacturers was when they were selling runout stock and the newer
devices had the new maps.

**My 'phone costs me nothing, except 'phone calls. Even better, I can
carry
it easily in my pocket, use it to make 'phone calls, listen to music, look
up address details and a whole bunch of other stuff.

How much music storage? multiple-GB? How many GB? A mobile phone is still
basically a talking device. Without a bluetooth headset or car kit you
still
can't talk at the same time as look things up on the phone.

my N80 quite happily accepts a 4 gig mini SD card, more than enough space
for music and I even have a couple of videos on there.
Speaker phone takes care of using the phone while driving and the GPS just
keeps running in the background.

Craig.
--
Craig's Saab C900 Page at | Craig's Classic Saab Workshop - Sydney
.au
http://lios.apana.org.au/~c900 | http://www.classicsaab.net and other
URL's
Email: c900@lios.apana.org.au | For Saab 99/C900/9000 Enthusiasts
World-Wide!
Alternate: saabonaut@gmail.com | Web-forums, galleries, library, links,
etc.

--
"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."
Don Hirschberg

 

[Mr.T]

"Saab C900 Viggenist" <c900@lios.apana.org.au> wrote in message
news:fv81et$rg4$1@yoda.apana.org.au...

Good thing I like about my trusty old Garmin GPS12-XL is that it displays
speed, heading, altitude, etc. plus has an MCX socket at the back for an
external antenna. How many commercial 'in-car' navigation units with GPS
actually have an external antenna socket?

My ultra cheap Tevion unit (ALdi) does, but much better is the fact that
I've never needed to use one. It works fine even on the floor of the car, or
inside a building.
And yes it has altitude, even if the user interface and maps are less than
stellar. Not bad for under $200 though IMO.

MrT.