Mini Review: GlobalSat GPS

Firstly bollocks to all the "Get a Map" people. This is nothing more
than me having a waffle and not a GPS deliberation.

I decided I wanted to have a go with SatNav but didn't want to spend a
fortune. I've got an IPAQ HX4700 already which is a cracking PDA with
it's large VGA screen. I therefore decided to get a separate GPS
device to use with this and obtain some SatNav software.

TOMTOM 5 seemed to be the software of choice for the PDA so I
downloaded that. Next I needed the GPS device and the GlobalSat
BT-338 (GPS from here on in) seemed to get some good reviews with it's
latest chipset giving quick startup times and accuracy through some
other TLA I can't remember. Prices were around £130 + P&P on various
websites but a quick scan of ebay scored one for £100. It arrived the
following day by recorded delivery so a recommendation to ebay user
mr_affordable. It's cracking little device with it's own leather case
that's a little smaller than the current smallest clamshell mobile

TomTom installed and the GPS paired to the PDA, I was well pleased to
see the GPS got a fix within 20 seconds. The biggest test though was
how it would perform on the bike and tbh wasn't holding out much hope.
Being a happily married man I decided I needed to select a female for
the voice commands as it's the closest I'll ever get to an affair with
another woman. UKRM, say hello to Jane, she's 32 and from Oxford
vital stats are...OK maybe not but hey I'm a gimpy nerd now I have a
GPS so I may aswel act like one when it comes to the ladies.

I used a pair of small Sony headphones and dropped the IPAQ and GPS
into the top of the tankbag [1]. Onto the bike, headphones and helmet
on I punch in my destination asking it to take me the SHORTEST route.
I must add at this point that I actually knew exactly how to get to
where I was going!

I could hear the voice commands well but I'm a religious earplug
wearer and I wasn't keen on the extra noise my unprotected ears were
now subjected to (must see if I can sort that out as Suzuki's sound
like they're falling to bits). Half way up my road the IPAQ starts
beeping at me like a lunatic so I pull over and realise the wireless
is still enabled and desparately trying to connect me to every
wireless network on my road as I wizz past it. Wireless disabled [2]
and we're on our way again.

First roundabout I come to and the new love of my life asks me to take
the 3rd exit on the left. Great, pleasant as Jane might sound she
clearly hasn't a fucking clue how to navigate as straight on is the
"correct" way to go. I follow her instructions and she basically runs
me along a road parallel so she wasn't too far off.

Left here, right, then over that blah blah blah and it's all going
jolly well. Problem number two occurs when she asks me to cross the
roundabout 3rd exit. Mmm OK Jane my dear, I assume you mean straight
on when you say cross the roundabout as 3rd exit would put me in a
field. I carry on and she seems quite happy with my overruling her
decision (nothing like a real women then)and thinks I'm still on the
same course as her.

A few more junctions pass without problem and I'm feeling rather
impressed with the whole SatNav thing. Jane then proceeds to direct
me down a road I never even knew existed but that's fine as it's a
nice country lane but unfortunately it's been temporarily closed.
Turn around and head towards the direction I'd usually take. After a
couple of attempts by Jane to get me to turn around she stops arguing
and works out another route for me, I'm beginning to like her more and
more.

A few more turns later made entirely through my entrusting navigation
to Jane and I find myself at my destination. Do I bollocks! I find
myself winding down a narrow road that looks like it hasn't seem a
vehicle in 60 years, fucking bitch. It's at this moment that I
suddenly find myself at the all too familiar mercy of SatNav, no idea
where you're taking me and can't be arsed to turn around, ho hum let's
see where we end up. Well I did indeed end up in the correct location
but by **** it certianly wasn't the route I'd have chosen. What was
interesting though was that although I was on an unintended route,
having the information in front of me that said the next turn in x
distance away was *extermemly* pleasant. OK fine, the system got me
into the shite situation in the first place but it was useful once it
had me there!

On the way back I decided to try the "safer" routing option of simply
'Avoid Motorways'. Ah, this is more like it. It basically took me
*exactly* the way I would expect it to. I've since had another play
with it today heading over to Tamworth and once again using the
"safer" routing it worked a treat. On both occasions I've cheated
somewhat as I actually knew where I was going so I'll reserve complete
judgement until it's got me somewhere I've never been before, roll on
the TOG tour in September, who'd like to take bets on whether I make
the evening meal!

Summary:

** Using the earphones on the bike wasn't nearly as bad as I thought
it would be. Wires are a bit of a PITA so I may see if I can get a
bluetooth headset that'll fit in the lid along with my ugly head.
Actually can a single bluetooth device (my IPAQ) have two other
devices connected concurrently? <goes off to google>

** Using shortest route is shite and will end up sending you off in
the wrong direction down some farmers shite coated "road".

** Avoid Motorways *appears* to work a treat

** TomTom software saying cross the roundabout at "x" exit just means
ignore me and go straight on. If I want you to go left or right I'll
say so.

** IMO blindly following what a SatNav tells you to do will get you
lost, well OK not lost but not at your intended destination
efficiently. Follow it's advice and keep an eye on the roads and
you're laughing. If you think of a better way, it'll adapt, if you
get into the shit, it'll get you out of it.

** Better than a map? No, it's just different and I for one like it.

** Writing *Mini* Review as the subject line wasn't very accurate was
it?

[1] Need to get the new one off Loz ASAP as resting an Oxford tankbag
on top of a Baglux cover isn't ideal when it doesn't stick.
[2] I must take a walk down my road one day with the IPAQ to see how
many networks I can get onto.

 

Daz wrote:

Almost certainly, yes

No, it means take the nth exit. The directions are worked out from people
looking at maps. *Some* are sometiomes wrong (there are is a roundabout in
Harlow where they have the wrong number of exits) but every time I've
encountered the same thing closer inspection shows that the extra exit
(IYSWIM) is either a no entry, dead end or not on the map (for which you
can hardly blame TomTom)

Satnav will not beat local knowledge. IME it will *always* get you there
unless the road layout has been seriously changed since the map was coded.

*much* better than a map IMO, but it does take some adjustment of attitude.

No



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On Sat, 09 Jul 2005 21:20:07 GMT, Catman

I've done two trips and had two "failures" at roundabouts.
Interestingly both were fairly small but they *definitely* didn't have
the exit it wanted me to take.

I'll see when I try it out more if my approach is right or not, but it
telling me to *cross* the roundabout always meant straight on. Left
or right and it specifically said so.

<snip>

 

You're saying it didn't have the third exit, for example?

Could be different from my version. Mine nearly always says 'cross'. I'm
waiting for my new iPaq before I install 5

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

On Sat, 09 Jul 2005 21:30:39 GMT, Catman

Correct. Twice I've had it say take third exit when I could only go
left or straight on. Third of course being back where you started!
Having gone straight over on both occasions the software has been
happy with my decision and made no attempt to recalc the route.

5 is a hefty beast. I had to hard reset it and start from scratch as
it kills resources when doing long routes. Still a *cracking* piece
of software though. Plenty of stuff I'd like to see that it doesn't
have though.

 

It does happen

As always with software. IME memory management leaves a lot to be desired
under PocketPC
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk