[aprssig] advice on purchesing GPS for use with D-710

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 8/28/2011 3:04 PM, k2sar at aol.com wrote:
> Hi all, I am looking for options on which is the best GPS to purchase for use 
> with the D-710.
> 1) I would like it to be able to show back road U.S. Forest, logging roads, ect.
> 2) Be portable to use in other vehicles (renter cars, ect)
> 3) easy to hook up to the D-710 preferring plug n play.


If you are referring to a full-display car-navigator GPS that will will also 
map received APRS posits from the D710, then pretty much your ONLY 
currently-available choice will be the GeoSat AVmap unit which explicitly 
supports APRS when used with the Kenwoods or the Argent Data Tracker2.  I doubt 
if any USFS back roads show on the AVmap.     Unless you get lucky and come 
across the long-discontinued Garmin 350 which will work with the Kenwoods via 
Argent's magic "G-Trans" converter cable.    (Note that the AVmap gives you a 
5.5" screen while the Garmin 350 is a small conventional 3:4 aspect 3.5" screen.)

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An alternative would be a cheap lightweight "netbook" PC.   Netbooks have been 
overshadowed by tablets like the iPad, and are now passe in the consumer 
market.  Netbooks are available for around $200 at NewEgg or TigerDirect -- 
sometimes cheaper on special promotional blowouts.    Note that netbooks are 
actual lightweight X86 Windows PCs, not iOS, Android or Windows Mobile devices. 
They  run normal Windows software including APRS programs like UIview, 
APRSpoint, APRSi32, etc.

A netbook running UIview/Precision Mapping  or APRSpoint/MapPoint combined with 
a cheap USB-interfaced faceless hockeypuck GPS.  makes an excellent companion 
for a Kenwood APRS radio.   Precision Mapping can run simultaneously OUTSIDE 
UIview, even as it is being used for maps INSIDE UIview.     This allows you to 
have APRS operations/display in one window and point-to-point car navigation in 
a second window at the same time.      Precision Mapping shows an astonishing 
amount (for a consumer app) of dirt road details.    Or, you could do as I do 
and run UIview, Precision Mapping and TopoUSA simultaneously on the netbook 
with the freeware  XPort serial port splitter sharing the GPS data with all 
three apps at once.

As I type this, an Acer ZG5 netbook with 2GB ram, a 200 MB HDD, WiFi and a 
1.6GHx "Atom" CPU is connected via a USB<-->serial dongle to my TH-D7 
handheld's computer port.  It is operating as my "porta-mini" igate/digipeater 
running UIview with a WiFi link to the Internet, until I can get my main 
"hamserver" PC igate installation unpacked and running.   This netbook is 
fitted with an oversize battery pack which will run the thing for 9-10 hours 
without an external power source -- ideal for a temporary instant digi/igate 
for special events.  Or as an instant car navigator with just the GPS attached, 
and no power hookup required.

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--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
=== Now relocated from Pasadena, CA back to 8-land (East Lansing, MI) ===
Skype:        WA8LMF
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.net

=====  Vista & Win7 Install Issues for UI-View and Precision Mapping =====
     http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/UIview_Notes.htm#VistaWin7

*** HF APRS over PSK63 ***
    http://wa8lmf.net/APRS_PSK63/index.htm

"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
   http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths





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