Is this possible??

[Explore]

Not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this: if not point me in the right direction.

IDEA: purchase an Andriod tablet of some sort, with either wifi or 3g and turn it into a GPS with a Garmin program (or Google Maps) and a gps pod w/ usb connection?
*Need off road/overseas capibilities
*Internet a plus
*around 7 - 10 inch display
**No keyboard: either attached or seperate.. must be touch screen

Want something to mount via ram mount to the dash, but not spend 600.00 to do it.

Thoughts??
Suggestions??

Thanks Expos

 

[Mike S]

This is the solution that I am working on now. I think it is very possible but would use a Windows slate with SS memory. I also want to store and play my tunes on this, move it from the LC to the F350, etc.

 

[nvprospector]

I use my phone as a handheld GPS in the field and I have been using BackCountry Navigator for a year now on my phone. For the past 6 weeks I have been using BackCountry Navigator on my android tablet and I do like the setup. Won't give my Ozi, but I really like it. So to answer your question, yes, it is possible to do it.

 

[Explore]

awesome, sounds good to me..

Thanks for the info, I will keep Expo posted on the progress..

 

[Sawyer]

Thanks NVprospector! I just got it and started playing with it. The maps are really nice from Mytopo.com.

 

[nvprospector]

Thanks NVprospector! I just got it and started playing with it. The maps are really nice from Mytopo.com.

Glad to hear. I believe it rivials many of the stand alone GPS systems out there. Mainly because you have so much flexablity. Also, I like the fact that you can keep seperate files on your SD card of all your tracks and waypoints.

Tim

 

[gahi]

I'd be curious to see a side by side between a modern garmin and a droid phone. How do the 2 gps receivers compare as far as accuracy?

 

[evldave]

There are a few solutions you could use. Here are my opinions, I currently use at various times windows (netbook convertible tablet and core i5 convertible tablet), iOS (itouch), android (atrix) , and blackberry (torch) platforms...

Out of all of those, the best-supported is the windows platform - garmin mobile, delorme topo, ozi, overland navigator, national geographic topo, etc.

The drawback of windows platforms is (for now) their size...once thin and light windows tablets come out, and you are able to load up your windows software of choice, none of the other tablets will have the level of software support that windows does

I use Backcountry navigator on my atrix all the time, and have a bunch of topo maps on my itouch - right now the primary benefit of other OS tablets (zoom, iPad, samsungs nice tablet) is their form factor - they are small and thin and light and sexy, but all those apps are still very young and have a long way to go. Of course, try lugging a 4lb laptop out of your car and you're hating life in about 5 minutes

If you are buying today or the near future, android is really the way to go (imho)...the zoom works good, or if you want to go outside the box and do a little hacking, the nook color ereader can be hacked to run full android with all it's topo/mapping software, and doesn't run you $400 or $500

 

[bmh]

Ok, I am looking into this. What are you guys using as the gps to connect to the sat signal? When I talked to the guy at best buy (not the best source, I know) he said that usb ports on tablets are only setup for storage, I can't pass data from a gps to the tablet. I asked about a bluetooth gps puck and he said that wouldn't work either. I am looking for on and off road gps capability. What are you using when you are back in the woods and don't get cell tower signal to triangulate? I need something in the rig for navigation (especially since I can't find my way out of a tube that is open on both ends with daylight on both sides...) and I would rather not get a road gps and a topo gps.

My idea is this tablet from Acer with an external gps puck. I can't go with a netbook or laptop because I have a manual trans and a regular cab, so I need compact and shifter access. I can mount the tablet in front of the radio and it only covers the radio space...

Any first hand knowledge is greatly appreciated.

Brandon

 

[off-roader]

I recommend going with a GPS that's independently powered such as a bluetooth unit. This way, if you're in dense coverage and your tablet shuts off for any reason, it won't take down your gps.

I've had this happen several times with a USB GPS and my netbook and when it shuts down in a poor gps reception area, it sometimes won't reconnect.

 

[evldave]

Ok, I am looking into this. What are you guys using as the gps to connect to the sat signal? When I talked to the guy at best buy (not the best source, I know) he said that usb ports on tablets are only setup for storage, I can't pass data from a gps to the tablet. I asked about a bluetooth gps puck and he said that wouldn't work either. I am looking for on and off road gps capability. What are you using when you are back in the woods and don't get cell tower signal to triangulate? I need something in the rig for navigation (especially since I can't find my way out of a tube that is open on both ends with daylight on both sides...) and I would rather not get a road gps and a topo gps.

My idea is this tablet from Acer with an external gps puck. I can't go with a netbook or laptop because I have a manual trans and a regular cab, so I need compact and shifter access. I can mount the tablet in front of the radio and it only covers the radio space...

Any first hand knowledge is greatly appreciated.

Brandon

I've recently gotten into larger android tablet - a hacked Barnes and Noble Nook Color. I use a bluetooth GPS (BT-359) and the 'Bluetoth GPS' software from the Market. Works great with Backcountry Navigator and other GPS apps (although I pretty much always use BCN).

The Best Buy guys were wrong on the 'bluetooth won't work with a tablet' - some may work right away, some may require the Bluetooth GPS software, but most will work (android, not iPad).

To save space, you can velcro the GPS puck to the back of the tablet so it's all in one place, plus if they are both charged, you can easily take them from the vehicle and wander around. I've found that with a fully charged Nook and GPS, I can go w/out plugging in for hours, certainly more than I'm willing to haul around a Nook and stare at the screen in the woods

 

[JPK]

I use a USB GPS on my ASUS slate and the few times I've had the slate shut down the GPS has reconnected. I have had an issue with GPS reception a couple of times in deep, narrow canyons, but I'm not sure that any GPS wouldn't have had the same issue.

The GPS I'm using has a short extension cord but I haven't needed it. I typically run with the ASUS set up in the "verticle" not the landscape position, which puts the GPS at the top.

JPK