Another GPS question for turn by turn navigation!

Hey guys!

As you all know, I'm no novice when it comes to GPS and whatnot.

Thanks to boomtown, I now have a USB based GPS that I will hook to my CF-29 in my truck. I want to do an all touch navigation! The PC Navigator 11 FREE is a GREAT program but needs an internet connection in order to get exact addresses to navigate to! Not practical!

Any thoughts on other GOOD and FREE mapping software that I could integrate into my CF-29 for an ALL TOUCH based navigation? If I can't get it for free, I don't mind paying up to $50USD, but it has to be GOOD!

I will route the GPS antenna outside of the vehicle to the roof for maximum signal too!

Once this works, it'll be a dream come true!

 

BTW, I'm waiting to hear back from Navteq to see what they have to offer.

 

My choice for roads is iGO. But I don't know whether it's free or not.

There is no sense to do that.
Modern GPS "mouse" (USB GPS with cable) works very well inside the vehicle, under the windshield, without additional antennas.

 

I'll keep this in mind then! It has a magnet on it, so I might glue a magnet or something to the wind or dash to stick it to.

Thanks!

 

I was under the impression that only the paid version had door to door navigation, regardless of the internet connection?
With all the small streets in Holland, it works reasonable well.

But with tomtom on my iPhone, I use that one much more. It's faster and more accurate. And I can easily stick it to my dashboard. My 19 is a tad to big for my current car. Perhaps in the future, I can have a bigger van or truck and use the 19 for navigation.

 

What do you mean by "all touch"? Streets and Trips works fine for me. I have been using a setup like you're putting together for 9 or 10 years. I know there are programs which are a little more touch friendly, but I'm not comfortable with twiddling with the GPS while moving, it's almost as stupid as texting while driving, which is as stupid as driving with a 2.0 blood alcohol level.
CAP

 

Do you switch radio frequencies or volume while driving?
With normal navi software it's equal

 

I will try out streets and trips 2013 then... I bought 2011 and it isn't the best for touchscreen + it DOES NOT HAVE TURN BY TURN!

Yes, it can guild you on a turn by turn basis, but it doesn't show a head up display that follows you like a garmin would.

 

I will see if streets and trips 2012 or 13 is good enough. Texting and ANYTHING that keeps your eyes off the road is just to darn dangerous. Once I was keying up my ham radio microphone and did not know it, I was barreling twords a telephone pole and corrected at the last second. Scarred the pants off me.

Woo HAY come to think about it...is there ANY applications that can detect cell phone movement over 10 mph and text a person saying "Hay, I am in my car moving, can you PLEASE leave a message next time????" Company managers and other people are so irresponsible by not leaving a message. PLEASE DON'T BE A and assume that because I am not answering my cell phone, does not mean it is next to me while driving, while on the toilette while in the shower.

 

No such thing as 2012... 2013 is current or you have to use 2011.

Thanks

 

Actually, it's not. I can raise or lower the volume without looking and change stations with at worst a split second glance at a row of buttons. Any action you might need to do on a GPS will require a much longer period of concentration on the screen with a concurrent period of not concentrating on your driving. There have been sufficient studies to convince me that there is not much to choose between the distracted driver and the drunk driver in terms of the mayhem they wreak on the highway.
CAP

 

Okay! SO!

I got it all working! It took me 2 hours, but it's working VERY WELL now. Working with a front end that is 7+ years old doesn't help! (Mobile Impact). I refuse to switch because it's a very simple and effective program! It also doesn't suck down system resources, which is good because I only have a CF-29 MK1/1.2/512M/40G in my truck!

I ended up using Streets and Trips 2013.

A few things I had to overcome:

1) Working with 800x600 resolution.
2) The fact that Mobile impact is a FULL SCREEN program and it doesn't even have an MINIMIZE button! GAH! I overcame this by writing a script for the "show desktop" button and I put it on the desktop and added an external "app" through Mobile Impact to get back to the desktop.
3) Once I had the map and all the settings how I wanted it, I saved the map as "GPS-MAIN" to the desktop. I then programmed the "GPS app" to load that file within Mobile Impact.
4) Where ohhhhhh where to put the GPS. You guys were right that it didn't need to go on the roof! I ended up sticking it BEHIND the door panel on the center post between the front and back doors. There was just enough room to not affect the way that the doors opened or closed in any way! I then ran the wire behind some plastic that covers up the pillar of where the seatbelt runs. Again, I had to make sure that it didn't interfere with the safety and operation of the seat belt! I then ran it down and over to the computer which is underneath the seat
5) I set the GPS to automatically start navigation with the aforementioned settings as soon as Streets and Trips opens!
6) I used the "Software Keyboard" application from the CF-18 MK1 because the built in Windows on screen keyboard is NWAD (Not worth a damn). I was able to make this app "extra large" so that I can simply type in what I needed.
7) Streets and trips is stupid in that it ALWAYS wants to know the STARTING POINT! Somehow (and I honestly don't know how), I got it to always default the starting address as "current GPS location". That way I only had to type in the "destination address".
8) After you put in a destination address, you have the option to do "Full screen", which is pretty nice! I had to make the font larger for the maps so I could read it too.

Only time will tell if this silly program will work for what I'm trying to do.

Thanks again guys!

 

You all probably already know this but I just found out. Microsoft has a 14 day trial version of Streets & Trips 2013! (Try it before you buy it.) Then if you decide you like it, just pay the $39.99 cost.

Streets & Trips

PS: I am not a Microsoft employee!!

 

Hmm, streets and trips isn't very good in Europe. It works, but I prefer even the free Navigator 11 over the S&S. TomTom is really a lot better, but only on dedicated systems (or on iPhone).

 

It's the direct opposite here lol. S&T is superior here and Navigator 11 isn't so good! hah!

 

How's tomtom overthere? Garmin is used as well overhere, but it's not as userfriendly (or I'm way to much used to TomTom, and it's a Dutch company, so I'm requered to like it )

 

MS Streets & Trips = $39.99. Navigator Free (with non-free USA maps)= $93.93

 

??

I have Navigator 11 Free and I have the entire US for free.......

 

I've used iGuidance. Simple interface, and yes, all touch including a large on-screen keyboard. I use the top-down view only - it's not fancy and that's what's great about it!

S&T is good for planned trips, horrid for on-the-go GPS navigation.

Go over to Laptop GPS World and they'll help ya out.

 

the navigator program is almost identical, but he uses the commercial maps. Makes them a bit mre accurate and gives door to door navigation instead of street to street. But at $93, that is a steeeeep price!