Yeoman plotter - opinions
 

Has any one tried the Expedition version of Yeoman Plotter (http://www.yeomanuk.co.uk/home/index2.htm)?

It is a device interfacing paper maps with the GPS. It uses a magnetic table on which calibrated the maps are placed, then the pointer picks up the waypoints and transfers them to the GPS. It may also guide you to show on the map your current position registered by the GPS.

Regardless of the price, does it make sense to use it in a vehicle?


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Roman (UK)
www.polandrover.com

I don’t have one but I’ve seen one in action and was thinking of getting one for a while. It’s top quality and reliable but expensive. If it’s what you want, you won’t go wrong getting one.

I decided against getting one myself though, Mainly because of the expense but also because it’s cumbersome to use (having to stop to and change maps) and has a lot less features than a PC running QV. So I got an old laptop, took it apart and installed it permanently in my Jeep and hooked it to my GPS. The laptop is less reliable that the Yeoman since it might crash and loose data, but I carry my paper maps as backup.

You can make a similar setup using a PDA.

Hope this helps.

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A.B.
www.ShortWheelbase.com

Hi,

You could also use a GPS with a build in (loadable) map and a big colour display.

Maarten

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- www.maartensworld.tmfweb.nl -

AB,
Continuing the train of thought from the private post, a PDA might be an option, but how can you load scanned maps using its rather scarce memory resources? Is there a software package that can use existing scanned maps? Some navigation programs run on Pocket PC, some on Windows CE, some on Palm OS or Epoc and neither of them, AFAIK, will achieve what a Windows 95 version can. Will a personal organiser withstand the abuse off-road? And the screen is even smaller than a fixed gps.

Maarten,
Which GPS do you have in mind? The ones I know allow uploading only proprietary maps (which you buy at considerable cost from the vendor) and for most purposes are useless outside USA and Western Europe.

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Roman (UK)
www.polandrover.com

Hi Roman,

Check http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap176C for instance.
It has a fairly large colour-screen and you can "upload" superb detailed map's.

I think paneuropean has one on his bike, you should be able to find a picture of this in the HUBB.

The displayd maps can be zoomed in and out up to about 1:500

Ofcourse this comes with a price-tag, but compared to other system's it's not excesive.

Hope this helps,
Maarten

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- www.maartensworld.tmfweb.nl -

Most PDA come with a cable to connect to your PC. You’ll be able to synchronize your contact information and copy files back and forth, including scanned maps. PDA memory can be upgraded using different types of memory cards. I had one a while ago that had 256 MB of memory. The battery drained faster but I simply left it hooked in the car.

Ozi Explorer makes a Windows PC version of their navigation software, which has a lot of neat features. Not as much features as the full version but more than a GPS. What will distinguish this setup from a GPS with mapping feature is that you’ll be able to use scanned topo maps, rather than raster (streets only) maps. So I guess this makes sense if you venture off-road a lot.

A PDA will handle abuse better than a laptop mainly because of the lack of a hard disk. PDA (and laptop minus the HD) are almost completely solid-state electronics with no moving parts. Assuming it’s well made and you don’t abuse it, it should be reliable.

I strongly recommend getting an Otter Armor box for it ( http://www.armorbyotter.com/index2.cfm ). It’s a very cool Pelican style case that protects the PDA while still letting you use it. Install the PDA in the box and mount it on your dashboard.

If your travel is mainly on roads that are covered by Garmin street maps, then I would stick to a GPS for simplicity and reliability. The unit mmaarten recommended is excellent. The Garmin GPS V can give you directions but it display isnt’t as good as the 176.

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A.B.
www.ShortWheelbase.com

[This message has been edited by A.B. (edited 20 July 2002).]