thanks everyone for your replies. i have looked at several of these options. it appears that OziExplorer (http://www.oziexplorer.com/) has got to be the best option in this case for starter software. the whole package is relatively inexpensive, even for a personal pursuit, and it's not one of those things that tries to do everything.
frankly, many of the suggestions, while appreciated, are far too overblown in features for what i need. the main function is that it just shows a map with the current position. supplementary functions would be to be able to plot points and basic data on the road, one hand on the wheel kinda stuff. then the ability to have extra features on the base computer in the comfort of a lounge room, with easy synchronizing between them. i have had a quick look at the exa-min solution before, i don't recall the cost, but i do remember it sounded alright at the time, however that was for a corporate project where money is less of an option. this is a private enterprise where overheads are already inflated, so there is a significant tradeoff between what the end-user will see as useful features versus prohibitive setup costs. so as for PDA vs Laptop vs GPS, what recommendations are there. i've noted neil's prior reccomendation, and would appreciate further input. i as yet have very limited knowledge of these things, have never used one. however i will be interested in programming custom options for my "customers", so i don't mind getting technical. however the final product MUST be extremely simple to use, robust, and reliable for constant/frequent use. by the way, to clear any misconceptions about the application, these aren't cowboy game hunters, this is my parent's business. they supply pet meat, hides, and some human consumption meat to australia, and do it by culling kangaroos. international guests have no fear, they are a relatively small operation with less than 20 employees, and even with a turnover of up to 10 tonne of meat per week, the roos are still increasing in numbers faster than they can be culled. but it's a very difficult and frustrating job driving around slowly 10 hours a night in the middle of nowhere (this is as remote as it gets), and i want to do what i can to make it easier for them. ash -----Original Message----- From: Karl Kliparchuk [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 30 May 2003 11:36 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MI-L mobile system reccomendations Hi. Another Aussie built software is Discover Mobile by ENCOM. It has been very well received here in Canada to companies that I have shown it to. www.encom.com.au is their website. We also have some info on our website, www.mcelhanney.com under Software > Discover. Karl -----Original Message----- From: Neil Havermale [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 30 May 2003 11:27 AM To: 'Simmonds, Ashley (PTB)'; 'Mapinfo List (E-mail)' Subject: RE: MI-L mobile system recommendations - Aussi, Aussi, Aussi! Save your money and take a look at Oziexplorer for the software (http://www.oziexplorer.com/). Aussi! Aussi! Aussi! I am totally amazed and awed by its ease-of-use, quality, completeness and low cost. Down load a demo version and give a go yourself. It can reside in either a Windows laptop or on a WinCE PDA. Best solution is both - the PDA in the field and the PC to manage background maps as well as store hunting "tracks" and the like. Also you can pick up heaps of "Australian" data for it at real bargains versus the absurd cost demands from commercial GIS outfits. And doubly neat is its selectable "night-vision" color scheme. As far as "thermal" sights and radar like remote sensing, I doubt you'll find such a solution. (As an old outfitter from the Wyoming Bridger National Forests, your quest for thermal mapping leaves me wondering about the Australian "sport" of night hunting, but I am just a new immigrant....) As for the platform, I suggest a Compaq PocketPC 3970 with "Bluetooth" to match a Socket Bluetooth GPS. This design essentially looses the cables that seem to always be in the way or disconnected at the wrong moment. Been at this heads-up feet-down mobile mapping for better than a decade now and the Bluetoothed GPS is the best innovation other than sub-$500 costs for 12-channel 8m RMS SA=OFF receivers! You can order the Socket Bluetooth GPS directly via (http://www.socketcom.com/product/gps.asp) As for ruggedness, dust, and hard use the issue becomes one of trade off. The "hardened" PDA you seek like a Trimble GeoXT is $US5,000 ($8,000AUD+) but you can float down a river with it and its GPS is darned good as are its "all day" batteries (http://www.trimble.com/geoxt.html). Or you could risk the purchase of several less hardened $1200AUD iPAQs 3970s if your hunters crush one or two... Oh, and lastly, the Oziexploer noted above also has the ability to download and upload background maps to most Garmin and Magellan handhelds so you could eliminate the PDA completely. As an alternative PDA software you might also take a look at EzMAP from Trimble (http://www.trimble.com/aggps_ezmap.html). It is designed for aggies and crop scouts using on any WinCE PDA but if you take a moment and actually consider it you'll quickly realize that at $395US it is an incredible tool that makes other ArcGIS and MapInfo PDA solutions over-costed and second place IMHO. Good hunting... MidNight Mapper aka neil -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 30 May 2003 10:45 AM To: Simmonds, Ashley (PTB) Cc: MapInfo Listers Subject: RE: MI-L mobile system reccomendations I concur! Have a look at GBM Mobile. Out-of-the-box solution = faster, lower risk, known cost. Cheers, David Jerrard -----Original Message----- From: Landmark Geographic Solutions [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 30 May 2003 1:51 PM To: Simmonds, Ashley (PTB) Cc: MapInfo Listers Subject: RE: MI-L mobile system reccomendations hey ashley, I currently have a Dell axim PDA with a holux GPS ultra cf card. I am evaluating a Australia based company mapping software called GBM Mobile. The company is called Exa-min technologies, I am still evaluating the product. It is currently working very well. Acquisition time is great and accuracy is very well. I am not sure the conversion from Canadian dollars to the Australian dollar but the system cost just under $2000. LGS -----Original Message----- From: Thomas Colley [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, 2 June 2003 9:38 AM To: 'Simmonds, Ashley'; MapInfo-L List Input (E-mail) Subject: MI-L mobile system reccomendations Ash, You're budget suggests you'll have to keep it simple and cheap. For PDA options, you should check out Field Access Systems (02 4655 2853) who traded for a while as Fieldvision (see http://www.fieldvision.com.au), and Open Spatial Technology (http://www.openspatial.com.au/). Windows CE is not the most reliable operating system, so any system built on it needs to build in appropriate protection. For laptop scenarios, I know you can: - put MapInfo on laptop with a GPS, and use the free, but operationally cumbersome, Geographic Tracker tool to control the interaction - get the makers of Geographic Tracker (Blue Marble) to customise it to your application - use Assetware Mobile software, by Field Access Systems . Laptops are more stable, and better suited to long hours of viewing. The size of a PDA screen is a huge limitation. I've had to jump a few hurdles in the last 6 months while I set up a mobile weed mapping system, with a centralised database that issues notice to the public. Please feel free to call me. Regards Tom Colley Environmental GIS Analyst Blue Mountains City Council Tel: (61.2) 4780 5433 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Simmonds, Ashley (PTB) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 4:29 PM To: 'Mapinfo List (E-mail)' Subject: MI-L mobile system reccomendations hiya, i want to put together a mobile mapping system for some nighttime shooters in outback australia and want to see what ideas people here have for the project. the budget will be between $1000-$2000 Australian. (approx 20 bucks US) there's no specific requirements yet, so it could be an all-in-one GPS, or a combination of PDA/small laptop and GPS etc. general requirements: ease of use: end-user will NOT be interested in programming and fancy stuff, just knowing where he is, and some basic plotting and editing. eg, adding fence lines and tracks and gates and such, or noting locations of dams and sheds or hazards, and perhaps other things such as downed game. low to medium accuracy: it's in the outback, they only need to know where they are to within a few hundred metres most of the time, but there will nearly always be easy line of sight to a whole hemisphere of satellites. reliability: this system will be on all night every night. don't want to have to keep changing or charging batteries, it should run off the car battery. the end-user will not likely suffer down-time, they would rather not use it if it requires too much effort to maintain. robustness: this system will be in a bumpy car all the time, so it is a definite requirement that it is NOT delicate. any connections must be solid, capable of taking decent knocks. other ideas: would like to interface with thermal sensing/night vision equipment. eg, rather than shooter having to drive around paddocks at 20km/h for 8 hours spotlighting for game, it would be nice if they could drive at normal speeds with a thermal overlay on the map which indicated heat zones. i know next to nothing about this side of things, but if anyone has any ideas i would love to hear them. this system will be within a darkened cabin environment, so requires easy access buttons and highly visible display with at-a-glance operability. minimal user interaction should be required for it's main functions. would also be nice if data were easily transferred to a home computer for a possible database and for sharing of mapping information with other users, and for easy updates to the system for some custom tools etc. if there is such a system out-of-the-box, then that's great. however i'm not scared of putting this together myself. i can do integrated mapping and programming and stuff myself, and i won't have any major difficulty learning new systems/languages. anyway, an intermediate system will be good for the short term, something that does MOST of the mapping stuff easily, so these guys will be happy with a mid-range GPS or something in the mean time while i make a fully featured system. answers to the ideas i've posted will be much appreciated, and i'd love to hear any other ideas that would be applicable to such a system. thanks ash --------------------------------------------------------------------- List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message number: 7113
