Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2000 20:28:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Michael J. Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: GPS - what's best for 70 CT?
> The eTrex is about the same retail cost, is close enough to the same size,
> has a little better battery life, and does have a screen and independent
> functionality when compared to the Earthmate. If you can use the eTrex to
> drive the Street Atlas software tracking function, it would be a great
> alternative to the Earthmate for feeding position data to the laptop. I
> had the Earthmate system before the eTrex came out. I did not get an
> instruction book with the eTrex. My eTrex came to me used as a trade-in
> on a Libretto/StAtlas7/TopoUSA/Earthmate setup. I do not know if it will
> output standard NMEA position data to a laptop.
Sorry - I was unclear. What I meant to suggest was *not* that the eTrex
was better than Street Atlas, but that if you were already using Street
Atlas then the eTrex IMHO is a better choice than the Earthmate/Tripmate to
use as a GPS antenna for SA.
Yes, the eTrex can download data in NMEA format (just get into the setup
screen for the eTrex to do this), and Street Atlas can understand NMEA
(choose that option from the SA "initiaize GPS" screen). You *do* need to
buy an extra eTrex-to-Libretto-serial-port cable though, for about $40.
Also the eTrex can upload routes from SA (although as I recall you need to
reset both? communications protocols to something else - Garmin/Garmin on
Street Atlas, I forget what on the eTrex). Why bother? Well, in the car,
it's a lot easier for me to read the "time/miles to the next turn" from the
eTrex than from SA (at least during the day!) Plus (as has been mentioned)
you can then use the eTrex independently to navigate (yes, I concede that
doing so is not as good as using Street Atlas - but it's significantly
better than nothing!)
I also believe (but haven't actually done it!) that the eTrex can
upload/download waypoints from Street Atlas. That means that rather than
dealing with the clunky interface on the eTrex (no keyboard, so all
"typing" has to be done by using arrow keys to select letters) you could do
all that on your Lib!
Mike
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