plug in gps/converts laptop to a gps?
 

Anybody ever heard of this? If so, what brand and where is the best place to purchase.? Is it any good? Thanks

BGIII........One thing I used in the past was that little yellow GPS antenna that came with the DeLorme StreetMaps USA package. It seemed to work pretty good. (the newer unit is much much smaller).


Bob

heard it works fine, but you can get a decent handheld GPS for $100, a data cord to plug it into a PC for $20, and several different mapping packages from $30 up to $500.

A laptop on a boat needs to be mounted in some kind of ungodly shock resistant mount (the hard drives can take a mean lick when powered down (the read/write heads move to a "park" position), but you don't want to shake em up while they are running...

I use the new e-trex (green one... it comes with the cable for the computer) and the Captain Voyager or First Mate software... Very easy to use to navigate.

Hope this helps....:D

mcollinstn, not for a boat, for my brother-in-law. Carries a laptop w/ him for work, lots of travel, Best Buy told him to get the type that plugs into laptop so he'll have bigger screen and easier to use. Only thing was, they don't sell them, didn't know who made them and couldn't tell him where to go to get it.

West marine sells the ant and cable kits. I use a GPS-76 which is a marine GPS and a Panasonic Toughbook laptop.

I have the Delorme for my laptop. It's great in the car. The problem is that my laptop is impossible to see the screen in bright sunlight.

The DeLorme unit costs around $120 without software, etc..

Whatever software is used will still need a GPS receiver to give the functionality he is after.

Instead of a $120 GPS card for the laptop, I think he should get a $80 Magellan GPS handheld and a $20 data/power cable.

Then he can sit the handheld on the dash where it will get a better satellite view, and plug it into the laptop. The software on the laptop doesn't care what kind of GPS is plugged in, it just needs position data...

When he is not in the car, he still has a handheld to play with.

Sweet, I can plug my GPS into my lattop?? I am going to go buy the stuff soon.:p Love learning new stuff on OSO.;)

27,

You will need a mapping package that does accept GPS positioning data. Lowrance, Garmin, and several others do offer software designed to be used with their units that will upload/download routes, waypoints, etc. to the units. If you do not have a handheld with charting capabilities, then you will be just as well off with less expensive software such as MapQuest or the already mentioned DeLorme (not the $120 receiver, but the $40 software..). Both accept GPS info (may others do also).

You'll also need the data cord for your unit. You can make one for $12 or buy one for $20.