GPS Total Solution - Not there yet!

[CornishDaddy]

Hi there - I know there are a myriad of threads on GPS, but none seem to specifically answer the questions I have.

I am trying to build the complete GPS solution for our trip by land rover to Australia (and for all the fun before it too!). I startred off with an inherited Garmin GPS V, which although OK, seemed to be very basic. KNowing that I was always going to be taking a laptop on the trip, it seemed to make sense to incorporate a GPS system in with this.

I have bought from eBay a GPS mouse, the Holux GR-213U. I aim to hook this up with my nice Toshiba Tecra M5 and any appropriate software. I have Garmin worldmap, the European city select, V4 and have purchased smellybikers Wanderlust maps. I can see the GPS mouse works, at least at my house, as it shows the correct longitude and latitude.

What I want to be able to do is hook up all this kit and see a nice straightforward image of where I am on a map. I don't want to over complicate things, and I don't want to become the ubergeek of GPS, but I don't mind investing some time in figuring stuff out.

I have also downloaded the shareware version of Oziexplorer, but haven't really tried putting that piece of the puzzle in yet.

So, where I am now is with all these bits and pieces, but I don't know what software I should be running and how to configure it.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

[CornishDaddy]

Better add that after reinstalling the driver for the USB GPS mouse I can now see my position on Mapsource.

So I suppose from here I have the bare minimum to work with. And if I want to add my own maps I should get down to learning Oziexplorer.
Any other tips or advice?

[roamingyak]

My advice would be stick with the Garmin V and forget all of the rest. Your laptop you want sealed away from dust, water and view, not paraded on your dash attracting dust etc.

Everytime you want to get out and wonder around for a while you will have to pack the laptop away somewhere. Things like that you will have to do hundreds of times during the course of your trip and slows you down and puts you off from stopping etc

Spend as much money on the mechanics of your vehicle, on making yourselves comfortable and healthy, on extending your trip, doing cool things when out there and experiencing the local culture, not on gadgets and whizzbangs that will further alienate yourself from them (though I realise how tempting this is when your waiting patiantly to actually leave - spend this on learning mechanics and driving practise etc).

(I've plodded all over the place with a GPS 3 and waypoints from the internet combined with a good map)

Just my view anyway....

[CornishDaddy]

Money spent now! No going back .......

We are having our first shakedown trip down to Portugal this summer, so will test out both there.

In the mean time I still will explore the the laptop route ....

Thanks for your opinion Darren anyhow ......

[roamingyak]

Less is best.

Consumption and materialism are rampant diseases in the west. Hopefully you will find a cure by the end of your trip ;-)

[CornishDaddy]

You've hit a nail on the head there.

Half the reason we are going on this is because we found ourselves too excited with our new fridge (it does serve crushed ice mind you).

We have now replaced these consumerables with land rover/trip based goodies. It is a hard habbit to break. We are trying though ....