PC Software and GPS recommendations

[ree]

Originally Posted by evldave

Here's my current setup. It's worked on 40k+ miles of camping trips over the last 3 years (the US & Canada + Alaska).

I prefer Microsoft Streets & Trips for basic 'where am I at right now?' location. For that, I use a Garmin 12 (old school GPS) with serial connector. I've just upgraded to the 60csx (or whatever the # is), but I'll still use the serial connector because...

For routefinding, I use the Delorme Topo 6.0 & Street Atlas, usually the TOPO 6.0 since I'm offroad a lot. For the GPS for that, I use the Earthmate w/USB interface. You can't use 1 GPS for 2 software packages & using 2 USB GPSs causes mucho conflict for some reason.

For other offroad, I also use NatGeo TOPO! w/the various states (I have WA, CA, AK, IL, WI, ID, UT, OR + Nat'l parks + backroads). I prefer that since I used to be a geologist and can read them better for loading in waypoints, printing on the road,, etc than the delorme, but they aren't as nice while driving.

For regular daily driving, I drop the USB interface for the earthmate and put it in the bluetooth powerpack adapter (rechargeable or plug-in) and use my IPAQ 4700 w/streets & trips. I have the Delorme Street Atlas for handhelds and HATE IT - the refresh is ridiculously (sp) slow - that was a waste of $30.

Yes, I'm a map junkie. My first step was admitting it, then I went and bought more maps.

Yikes. This is not helping me I do know what all those things mean, but it certainly doesn't help me narrow the field for picking a single piece of software and a single GPS unit

I do like the notion of a bluetooth enabled unit. I don't like the idea of it being battery powered. I want something reliable that I don't have to nurse by charging or replacing batteries. I also want something that works well in a lot of environments, e.g. city, tree canopy. I don't need a multipurpose device.

If I can get some good pointers for specific GPS hardware products to consider, I'm going to trial a copy of the delorme software from a friend.