Travel Planning software

[VanMan]

Chester - no voice prompts in S & T that I know of

Bowie - before you throw those maps out, you may want to check out e-bay and see anyone's selling any there. sometimes it's neat to see those old ones !

[Chester]

Thanks. Thought I was losing it here for awhile.

[OntMont]

Brad,

Our old, 2002 version does not have voice prompts, but someone at the rally mentioned that the 2005 version did have that capability, (might have been GypsySCM?)

[Montana_1683]

We have the National Geographic Trip Planner, purchased in 2003. It has 100,000 points of interest and over 3,000 photos. Also contains over 20,000 rated restaurants and hotels plus state and national parks. The price @ Office Max or Office Depot, can't remember which one we purchased it, was $29.99 but there was a $10.00 mail in rebate and an in-store discount. Usually these are discounted in stores, look at the store ads in the sunday paper. I haven't looked for these for quite sometime. We also have MS Streets & Trips that came with MS Works Suite.

Gary

[sreigle]

I also had heard S&T now has voice prompts so am a bit concerned that it doesn't. I just bought it but can't test it out until we get back to Indiana. I'm used to Street Atlas speaking up before I arrive at a turn, catching my attention and causing me to look at the laptop for specifics. I hope I'll like S&T but if I miss many turns I'll be back to SA's voice prompts.

[Chester]

I've taken S&T for a few test trips now. I really do like how easy it is to use and how accurate the GPS is. I was travelling under an overpass and the GPS and map showed me under the overpass at the exact time. The maps are really easy to read. Still wished it had voice prompts though. Guess my co pilot will still have to be the voice.

[CountryGuy]

I cannot help myself, I've been reading all these notes about GPS and talking computers and inverters and all------and I want to know how you can keep your eyes on the road and on the GPS at the same time?? I am half serious here and half black humor funny.

And, seriously, would these programs run on a Win 98 computer???

[sreigle]

Carol, with Street Atlas I just wait for the voice to tell me I have a turn coming up then I glance at the laptop for specifics. The laptop is on the console, just aft of the dashboard so I do take my eyes off the road but it's for a very short period of time and only when traffic allows.

I'm not sure how this will work when I try navigating with Streets and Trips since it doesn't talk to me. I do like it's route planning better than SA but I'm finding both programs to have some shortcomings. Each is better than the other in some things. Wish I could get the best of each.

[CountryGuy]

Steve, Keep us posted on that will ya??

I am quite serious, concerned how one would drive and use the GPS?? Most of the time I am doing the navigating and Al the driving, but what happens when I am alone, or driving the rig and he is napping?? (that does not happen much, but when he was working midnights, I drove a LOT, he would sleep all the way to the campground and then wake up in time to back into the site, I have not figured out backing in yet)

I have a rather new copy of Streets & Trips, gonna dig around a bit and see if it would run on my old 98 laptop. I'll bet not, probably won't have the right kind of hookups??

Yep, gonna have to do some serious consideration on this.

I cannot remember, did any one ever say, can you use this system to get you around horrible construction sites?? Can you dial up any of the State sites that list the construction and use that data WITH this system??

I am gonna have to start using S & T for more than locating cemeteries.

[Chester]

Steves right. The PC sits on the console right beside me so I do glance quickly. The mapping is pretty obvious for your eyes to take in. Also most of the time Glenda will be doing the watching while I drive so she can be my voice prompts.

[sreigle]

Carol, my new "Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator" says it will run on Win98 SEcond Edition, which means SE only, not the first edition. Reason is the gps that comes with it is USB, which win98 first edition does not support. If you buy the S&T 2005 but use a GPS that runs on a COM port, I'd bet it will work. The box would tell you if it will. If I recall, someone at the rally was running an older S&T on Win95. Let us know if it installs ok for you. I have four gps units now, a DeLorme Earthmate (com port type), a newer DeLorme USB Earthmate (this one is nmea compliant), this microsoft gps that came with S&T, and another one (can't remember the name. Maybe a garmin, don't recall). Soon I need to settle on one and sell the others.

[CountryGuy]

Pretty sure the ole 98 laptop does not have a USB, real sure! So, now, I have to look at the GPS machines and decide what to do.

Thanks for the hints.

[sreigle]

Carol, you can get gps that use a COM port. The latest one I bought has an adapter for the usb gps to work on a com port. Your laptop may have a com port. Mine does and the truck's does but Vicki's does not. The com port may be labeled 'com' or 'serial' and probably has 9 pins in two rows. If you go the com port route, be aware the laptop needs to be turned off before plugging in or unplugging the gps to the com port. If usb, you can plug it in any time.

Also, forgot to say earlier that I'm usually doing the navigating as well as the driving and it's not a problem. There have been times when I don't get to look at the screen because I refuse to take my eyes off potential traffic problems but most of the time it's not a problem. I have a board strapped to the console lid and the board is covered with velcro. The bottom of the laptop is covered with the mating velcro, other than over access doors and cooling vents. This allows me to position the laptop on the console so it's easiest for me to read. I've been doing it this way for over 18 months and have been happy with the result although a 'heads up' display on the lower windshield would be nice .

[CountryGuy]

Thanks again Steve, some great ideas, thanks for the heads up on the velcro attachment.

now, to look at that GM interior, hmmmm, where CAN I put a laptop????

[sreigle]

Forgot to mention Streets and Trips 2005 is available WITHOUT an included GPS. You can use any gps that is nmea compliant. Most are but not all. Anyhow, the box on that version of S&T says a COM port is needed. No mention of USB on that box.

Street Atlas also will handle a gps using the com port. The newest version also will handle a usb gps. If you have an older Earthmate gps, those are not nmea compliant and run only on DeLorme software, including Street Atlas. The newer earthmates are nmea compliant.

Hope this doesn't just make it more confusing.

[CountryGuy]

Well, I will now turn this thread over to Al, he is more "tech savy" than I am.

Lots of great info here, pulling out the old lap top right now to see if we can find a place to mount it.