CaravanAnd4WD.com

Hi Yawl,
Just a couple of Questions if l may........

I have a Toshiba Satellite Lap Top coupled with a Garmin 12 GPS, loaded up with a heap of Navigational Programs for Both my Boat & the Cruiser.
There is Oziexplorer packed with Raster Maps & Admiralty Charts of South Australia. I had this Software going for around 7 years now & I'm impressed with just how powerful the program is.

There is also Garmins Map Source Loaded,

Map Source I have recently acquired, it has Shonky Maps, Tracks for Australia "T4A", Trip & Way point Manager v4 & City Navigator Australia 2008 all loaded

My First Question

Does anyone else here use a Lap Top for Navigation ?

If so......

Second Question

Can you give any tips on working the dang thing?

As stated above I can use Oziexplorer, but it's only loaded with South Aussie Maps & some of them are out of date , where as Map Source has Aussie Wide Dirt Tracks which has proven itself to be accurate so far

Can't help I'm afraid. I just use my trusty Nokia navigator with all the POI's I need loaded from a couple of free sites. Any more technical than that or an old style map and I'm left scratching my head.

I cant help you either I am thinking of running the dell laptop as a gps with aus maps later for my trip around aussie so I will be watching this post with an eagle eye so I can get some info on some of the systems around.

I don't use my laptop for navigation but fully intend to once I calibrate a GPS unit to suit ...

ATM I use Ozi on a PDA ... totally love it ... have used it a few times to get out of a spot of bother (no, no, not lost ... just 'misplaced')

Are the issues you are having with Ozi and trying to calibrate it to the Laptop or ... what?

Scol.

The problems I have dont include Ozi Ex, in fact I have Ozi Ex all wrapped up, I use it aboard the Nessy all the time, coupled with my Garmin 12 & DATA cable I up load & download Waypoints, Tracks & edit/configure Routes for Night Voyages on Boarder to Boarder Marine Charts

Ozi Ex John Robb Wreck


I have used it with the TOPO styled Maps that I have, only problem here is that the Maps are old and some are out of date with access to secluded areas

Ozi Ex - Cape Jervis


Map source Cape Elizabeth


Dirt TRACKS north of my HB


This is where my problems started
After my Negotiation "Grovaling" I managed to aquire Garmin Map source loaded with Shonky Maps& a heap of other mapping software already listed. Shonky MAPS has more recent up to date data....

Map source can be used as a Street Nav. My problem is getting it to speak.
TURN LEFT NXT 200 METERS stuff. It does do it, I just need help, I can get it to recognise the Garmin via it DATA cable, it does triangulate to the satilites, but I can't figure the speach bit yet

If I had of known you were interested Shane, I would of organised a copy of Shonky Maps & T4A , Maybe if you stop in one area long enough I can send you one.
My best advice would be to download a free copy of Google Earth, provided you are in an area with coverage, it will proove to be usefull

I have down loaded google maps and have used it to plan my trip to Qld via broken hill just have to work out how to down load the sections of the maps i need to post on the computer so I can show the forum the way i have travelled

If posting pics of your Maps is your problem then Maybe I can help you........

Follow these instructions, if they are too hard to understand, I will be home around 15:00 & will log on to help via the main chat room





Once you have on your computer screen the Map you want to post


Press the Print Screen Button, it can be found on the same row as the F Keys above the Delete & Insert Keys - PRTSCN,

You will not see anything different, Now open Paint from you windows system,
Once you have done this up the top of the Blank Paint page yu will see some buttons File, Edit Blah Blah, ,

Click the Edit button & a drop down menu will appear with the only option at this stage being PASTE,

Click Paste and what ever was on your screen when you first pressed PrtScn will apear,

Now Click the File button, another drop down menu will apear, click the SaveAs button, insert a name for your picture and save as a JPEG rather than a BitMap file,

I use Photo Bucket to upload my pictures, if your not a member, become one, its free

once you have uploaded your pic to Photo Bucket it is just a matter of coping the Image path and pasting into the Reply window & your done

Give it a go

Thanks for the help 105 it worked well and i have down loaded some maps and marked the trip route on them so as we do each leg we will post the map and any points of interest will let you know and show them on the map

Now you have no excuss to let us in South Aussie that you have left behind, see your trip Leg by Leg. Safe trip bud,

ok mate look for the first post on wednesday night mate