Experience with Portable GPS Units?

[Ralph L. Fullenwider]

Gery:

I just toss the delorme on the dash near the windshield and hook up to the
lap top. Works great. Also I can vouch for Roy Andersons unit, that puppy
certainly gets the job done.

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm

At 07:14 PM 4/20/2006 -0400, you wrote:
>Gery, i believe ralph got my Delorme to work inside one of our coaches.
>ernie Ekberg, 83pt40 in louisiana
>
>

[Jeff Miller]

The gps will not receive through the steel skin.

It therefore will see sky through the windshield and some thorough the
side glass. When you are in a valley or road cut into mountains, you
will need enough "birds" above to ahead of the coach to maintain
coverage. Same deal in a city around buildings.
Having my GPS lose coverage temporarily in some conditions where the
terrain is blocking some of the available birds, I added an external
antenna to my Garmin GPS with great results. I wouldn't go back to not
having a 360degree view of the sky, much more reliable.

- Jeff Miller
in Holland, MI


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "gerhardwilliams"
wrote:
>
> I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our
coach. I am concerned as
> to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with
our straight up and down
> windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
receiver. I can not try it
> first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I ask
the forum if you have any
> experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah,
Georgia
>

[sfedeli3]

Hi Gery,

I have a GPS Map 76S from Garmin that works great sitting in the
front windshield. They make a mount and external antenna that will
give you better signals, but mine works fine sitting against the
window.

Shane Fedeli
85PT40
Hershey, PA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "gerhardwilliams"
wrote:
>
> I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in
our coach. I am concerned as
> to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with
our straight up and down
> windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
receiver. I can not try it
> first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I
ask the forum if you have any
> experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI,
Savannah, Georgia
>

[Craig McGray]

Hey Gery,

If you mean portable as to being able to grab it and put it in another
vehicle quickly and go, then the other guys on this forum have it done right
with the Garmin stand-alone units, i.e. - 2610 or some other Garmin unit.
But there is another way to do it if you have a Bluetooth compatible Pocket
PC or Bluetooth compatible computer and that is the Garmin GPS 10 Bluetooth
receiver , http://www.garmin.com/products/gps10/ . Give it a look and see if
that will work for you. It has a Velcro backing for adhesion to any location
inside the vehicle, but it also has a magnetic back plate that might be able
to attach somewhere outside the coach or under some vent cover.

It looks like an option.

It also comes with nRoute software that you can put on your laptop and have
a huge area screen to look at with no wires attached to your laptop.

Didn't mean to be long-winded.

Craig McGray


-----Original Message-----
From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of gerhardwilliams
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 5:17 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Experience with Portable GPS Units?


I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our coach.
I am concerned as
to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with our
straight up and down
windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS receiver.
I can not try it
first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I ask the
forum if you have any
experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah, Georgia








Yahoo! Groups Links

[Richard Hayden]

Jeff, Which Garmin do you have?

Dick Hayden - '87 PT 38 - Lake Stevens, WA

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Miller
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 7:20 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Experience with Portable GPS Units?


The gps will not receive through the steel skin.

It therefore will see sky through the windshield and some thorough the
side glass. When you are in a valley or road cut into mountains, you
will need enough "birds" above to ahead of the coach to maintain
coverage. Same deal in a city around buildings.
Having my GPS lose coverage temporarily in some conditions where the
terrain is blocking some of the available birds, I added an external
antenna to my Garmin GPS with great results. I wouldn't go back to not
having a 360degree view of the sky, much more reliable.

- Jeff Miller
in Holland, MI


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "gerhardwilliams"
wrote:
>
> I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our
coach. I am concerned as
> to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with
our straight up and down
> windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
receiver. I can not try it
> first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I ask
the forum if you have any
> experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah,
Georgia
>






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[Chuck Wheeler]

RadioShack has a adapter that converts Serial to USB. I used it with my old
Magellan gps before I got the Garmin. As for reception I bought a $20
aftermarket external antenna that plugs into the GPS. It acquires quickly
and can be placed anywhere on the dash or doghouse with no problem.


- Chuck Wheeler -
82 FC 31 SB
Fort Worth, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Hayden
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 5:15 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Experience with Portable GPS Units?


We have one that sets on the dash in front and as close to the windshield as
possible and it is only marginally successful. It seems it fails to receive
enough "birds" just when you need it most.

On our last WL I had roof mounted a GPS that only had a serial port for the
computer. That particular unit is no longer available and they don't have
any plans to make the "replacement" USB ended. So we would stuck using the
very old computer as it has a serial port. The new ones do not usually.

Sooo, I'm still looking. For good coverage I think it is important to mount
the unit on the roof or at least outside, that worked great for us before.

Dick Hayden - '87 PT 38 - Lk Stevens, WA



----- Original Message -----
From: gerhardwilliams
To:
WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 3:16 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Experience with Portable GPS Units?


I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our coach.
I am concerned as
to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with our
straight up and down
windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
receiver. I can not try it
first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I ask the
forum if you have any
experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah,
Georgia







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[fred89sp]

I put mine below the glass of the sunroof which is where I also place
my E-Zpass tag.



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "gerhardwilliams"
wrote:
>
> I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our
coach. I am concerned as
> to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with
our straight up and down
> windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
receiver. I can not try it
> first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I
ask the forum if you have any
> experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah,
Georgia
>

[fwernlein]

I use both a hand held GPS and a GPS enabled laptop:

The handheld at times must be moved/held near the front or side
windows to get a sky view that has good sat signal. Just sitting on
the console on my FC, about 30 inches from the windshield and about
40 inches from either side window up front, I get about a 50%
tracking rate.

The laptop has a antenna that is on a cable. 95% of the time, I have
good GPS tracking when this antenna pad is stuck on a square of
velcro right on the top of the upper dash. This is about 6" from
the front glass, and about 15" from the drivers side glass. I get
about the same 95% when I stick the antenna on the front side of
interior rear view mirror.

If I were looking at a semi-fixed type mount GPS, i would try to
pick one that at least offered the option of a remote mount antenna,
and place a couple of velcro pads around the front dash area. But
if i had to guess...a high mounted front of the dash mount would
likely see similar results to my current laptop system.

Frank W.
85FC33
Woodbridge, VA.

>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "gerhardwilliams"
> wrote:
> >
> > I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in
our
> coach. I am concerned as
> > to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and
with
> our straight up and down
> > windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the
GPS
> receiver. I can not try it
> > first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I
> ask the forum if you have any
> > experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI,
Savannah,
> Georgia
> >
>

[Joe Hagan]

Gery:

I use a Garmin GPSMap--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "rrob@..."
wrote:
>
> Gery I have a Magellan SporTrak Map. I turn it on and within a minute
or
> two it has located all the satellites it needs and starts feeding me
data
> on it's screen and on the wife's laptop.
>
> Rob 94 WBWL
>
>
> Original Message:
> -----------------
> From: gerhardwilliams gery11@...
> Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 22:16:47 -0000
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Experience with Portable GPS Units?
>
>
> >
>
> I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our
coach.
> I am concerned as

> to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with our
> straight up and down

> windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
> receiver. I can not try it

> first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I ask
the
> forum if you have any

> experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah,
> Georgia

>

>

>

>

>

>
>
>
>
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[Joe Hagan]

Gery:

I use a Garmin GPSMap60CS hand held unit on tour/charter work. The
coaches I drive are Van Hool. The dash is close to the windhield
allowing me to velcro the bottom of my unit to the dash and the antenna
to the windshield glass. I have a custom case for the unit which is
velcro friendly. I have had remarkable results with this setup. I use a
12v connection. I find the GPS invaluable. Passengers can be given
altitude info, miles driven at any given moment, miles to go and of
course mapping/progress displays. As well, it records the trip, locates
points of interest. Also, it will locate businesses with address and
phone information. My tour guides really appreciate the benefits of a
GPS during the trip. I think back to the fifties and sixties when the
only communication on the road was a phone booth - if you could find one
- hand and light signals. My, aren't we spoiled :-)

Joe (Pappy) Hagan

St. George, UT

Wannabe
--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "gerhardwilliams"
wrote:
>
> I am contemplating purchase of a "portable" GPS unit for use in our
coach. I am concerned as
> to whether or not it will operate inside our steel "skin" and with our
straight up and down
> windows. The unit picks up the satellite from the rear of the GPS
receiver. I can not try it
> first, as sellers will not allow return if unsuccessful. Thus, I ask
the forum if you have any
> experience? Thanks, Gery Williams, Lady LeeAnn, 2000LXI, Savannah,
Georgia
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]