BajaNomad

GPS Info

Anonymous - 8-31-2003 at 02:01 PM

I have never owned or operated a GPS before...so I'm a complete newbie. I'm heading to Baja for the first time in years and I want to be able to create "Hand-drawn" type maps of where I go & camp in the mountians & beaches. I will be taking a laptop with me.

Can anybody give me an idea of what would be an economical starter unit for me? Plus any equipment & baja map software for interfacing with the laptop.

Thanks in advance
Tommy D.

Neal Johns - 8-31-2003 at 05:33 PM

Garmin (www.garmin.com) has most of the GPS business. They have the best maps of the US but no one has good Baja Maps for use with a GPS!

Garmin and maybe others, have a base map of the US and Mexico/Baja in most of their units but just MEX !, 3,5 etc. is shown.

You are in luck since you have a laptop. Scan the excellent maps from the Baja Almanac, use OziExplorer software (http://www.oziexplorer.com/) in your laptop, connect the GPS to your serial port and you are in business. The Baja Almanac roads will show on your laptop and you will leave a "snail trail" wherever you drive which can be saved.

There are no GPSs that will let you download your own maps directly into the GPS. They like to sell their own maps-too bad they don't sell Baja maps.

Thanks

Anonymous - 9-1-2003 at 11:47 AM

I checked out Ozi Explorer. Their 3D feature is awesome!! I'm not sure how...if I scan a map...the software can tell the GPS where I am...(or vice versa). I guess I'll learn as I go :?: Won't be the first time:Droll

Thanks for your help...TD

GPS

Capt. George - 9-1-2003 at 12:51 PM

Have a Garmin 162, guess I'll have to use just the world map.....No Mapquest for Baja?? Combined with my Foruno color and lots of scouting, eventually I'll have my own map.........Any other suggestions out there??
Capt. George

Neal Johns - 9-1-2003 at 02:45 PM

Re: OziExplorer

You tell Ozi what the long/lat coordinates are for the corners of the scanned map shown on the laptop screen and then it takes the GPS input and puts a dot on the laptop screen map where you are.

Scanned Maps uploaded to GPS

Carol - 9-2-2003 at 11:47 PM

I'm totally new at all this GPS stuff but I believe Fugawi will allow you to upload scanned maps to your GPS.

http://www.fugawi.com/docs/navframe.html

For Baja maps- This organization is in the process of creating several GPS maps / books / software

http://www.bajagpsguide.com

We have a Magellan Meridian Gold GPS to be used for Dirt Biking.




Quote:
There are no GPSs that will let you download your own maps directly into the GPS. They like to sell their own maps-too bad they don't sell Baja maps.


[Edited on 9-3-2003 by Carol]

Neal Johns - 9-3-2003 at 04:05 PM

Carol,
Re: Fugawi
Nope, it will not allow maps to download into a GPS.
Fugawi is very similar to OziExplorer (a competitor). We GPSers wish there was a product that would allow downloading your own maps into a GPS - any GPS! But there is none now.

A few hackers are working on the problem and have achieved limited success so maybe it will happen someday.
The GPS companies keep their methods secret so you have to buy their maps. A reasonable business decision but it sure hurts us Baja people.

[Edited on 9-3-2003 by Neal Johns]

gps

Jeff Wagner - 9-3-2003 at 04:35 PM

Why not plot your position on nautical charts. They are numerous, accurate, and cover the baja as well as ay where else as long as you don't get too far off the beach.

GPS

Ski Baja - 9-3-2003 at 05:05 PM

There's a lot more to Baja than just the beach !

David K - 9-3-2003 at 08:56 PM

OK J.R., spill the beans... Where is that photo taken???:Droll

getting the hang of a GPS

msawin - 9-3-2003 at 09:00 PM

I would suggest using at home before you head south and find you don't have the time to play with it. Get use to one you buy and have fun.. Martin

Carol - 9-3-2003 at 10:55 PM

Aawww... thanks for the clarification. So, if I have this straight now, these products let you scan and look at maps on your computer but upload only the waypoints to your GPS (not the map)?

Is that what you mean??
Quote:
Originally posted by Neal Johns
Carol,
Re: Fugawi
Nope, it will not allow maps to download into a GPS.

Ski Baja....

jeans - 9-3-2003 at 11:09 PM

Where is that gorgeous canyon? That road looks fascinating...

I wanna go.. I wanna go....

Neal Johns - 9-3-2003 at 11:39 PM

Carol, you got it!

It also puts a dot on the computer screen map (your scanned map using Ozi or Fugawi or any one of several GPS aware computer maps from Delorme,TOPO!, etc) at your present position at the recompute rate - usually every second or two- of your GPS.

Pappy Jon - 9-4-2003 at 01:00 PM

To add to what Neal is saying.

There are ways to carry digital maps on a GPS. You can use a laptop attached to your GPS. Or you can use a PDA attached to the GPS.

Several products will let you upload maps to the PDA/laptop and you can track, do waypoints, etc. Pocket Navigator (MapTech) and TOPO!sync (Nat Geo) are two. Just make sure the products work with your GPS. I seem to recall that Oziexplorer will work with Navman/iPaq.

[Edited on 9-5-2003 by Pappy Jon]

Gps info

Jeff Wagner - 9-5-2003 at 09:30 AM

Sorry about the confusion over the nautical charts. There are several charts that cover the entire Baja not just the beach. Check with West Marine or Southwest instrument Co. in San Pedro.