Questions about Geko 201

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon Mc
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I've got a couple of questions for any 201 owners out there...

1) Can the unit show your current position in OS map format e.g.SH603586 for
Glyders Horseshoe?

Yes but the grid refs have one metre precision - they are ten figure
refs.

Quoted message said:

2) What's the best mapping software to have on the PC end of things? I'd
prefer to plan maps on the PC then download them. Are memory-map and anquet
the main contenders here?

They are the big boys but there are also Fugawi UK and Tracklogs

http://www.fugawi.com/docs/fugawiuk.html
http://www.tracklogs.co.uk/

I would suggest that you download the trial version of each program and
have a play with it to see how it fits your requirements.

Quoted message said:

3) How do I (and how much does it cost) to connect the unit to a PC for
downloading maps?

A cable can be bought from most GPS suppliers but the official Garmin
cable is expensive. Lynks cables sell one for £12.95.

http://www.lynks.co.uk/cables.html

You cannot download any maps to the Geko. Only wapoints, routes and
tracks can be downloaded.

The Garmin mapping units can only accept maps in the Garmin format and,
despite some recent talk, they do not do compatible OS maps yet.

Quoted message said:

4) Is the connection to a serial or a USB connection?

Serial.

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

In article <[email hidden]>, Simon Mc

URL: said:

Hi,

I've got a couple of questions for any 201 owners out there...

Have you bothered to look at the Garmin website?

<URL:http://www.garmin.com/>

Quoted message said:

1) Can the unit show your current position in OS map format
e.g.SH603586 for Glyders Horseshoe?

Yes. Most (but not all) GPS models display position in various
national grid formats including OS GB.

Quoted message said:

2) What's the best mapping software to have on the PC end of things?

It depends what you want to do with the track logs, waypoints, route
planning etc. I use GPS Utility for much of this

<URL:http://www.gpsu.co.uk/>

Quoted message said:

I'd prefer to plan maps on the PC then download them. Are memory-map
and anquet the main contenders here?

They are main contenders, and I have both, but not the same maps for
both. The features of the two products are converging and at present I
think Anquet probably offers the best value if you are only after UK
map coverage. Memory map comes in an international version that accepts
maps for other countries.

Another possibility for UK OS maps is Tracklogs

<URL:http://www.tracklogs.co.uk/>

Quoted message said:

3) How do I (and how much does it cost) to connect the unit to a PC
for downloading maps?

You can't download maps, the Geko 201 is not a mapping unit. You can
download (and upload) waypoints, routes and tracklogs but not digital
map data.

Quoted message said:

4) Is the connection to a serial or a USB connection?

It is a serial connection and requires a serial lead costing about £20.

Quoted message said:

Regards,

Simon Mc.

Mike <URL:http://www.path.cam.ac.uk/~mrc7/>
--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark
<\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing,
"> || _`\<,_ |__\ \> | immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and
` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"

Simon Mc said:

I've got a couple of questions for any 201 owners out there...

1) Can the unit show your current position in OS map format e.g.SH603586 for
Glyders Horseshoe?
2) What's the best mapping software to have on the PC end of things? I'd
prefer to plan maps on the PC then download them. Are memory-map and anquet
the main contenders here?

There is also Fugawi and something else the name of which escapes me,
but somebody will mention it. I use Oziexplorer which I got before
MemoryMap and Anquet did OS maps. Ozi doesn't come with maps, you have
to get them from elsewhere, but it is probably the most sophisticated
GPS software. There are other free applications for managing waypoints
rotes and tracks.

Quoted message said:

3) How do I (and how much does it cost) to connect the unit to a PC for
downloading maps?

The Gekos are plain and simple GPSs. They don't have maps so you can't
download(upload) a map to them. What you can do is prepare a set of
waypoints to upload to teh GPS and then look at the map page on the
display to see your position relative to those waypoints. You can also
upload a track and have that displayed as well but if you do that I
think you will not be ab;e to record a track at the same time.

Quoted message said:

4) Is the connection to a serial or a USB connection?

Serial. But you can get USB to serial converters for your laptop if
that is all it has.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Phil Cook said:

You can also
upload a track and have that displayed as well but if you do that I
think you will not be ab;e to record a track at the same time.

<snip>
You can upload, and navigate, a track whilst still recording your
actual track.