Has anybody tried using this GPS CF device?

[n8a]

AmbiCom GPS CF Card:

http://www.ambicom.com/products/gps/gps-cf.html

I have seen that many Z users have been configuring GPS devices to work with their Z, but they\'re all serial-connected GPS devices.  I would personally prefer this device due to portability, even though one couldn\'t use the CF for other purposes then.  

Anyone?  Are there other GPS CFs or anyone using a particular GPS device that they\'d recommend?

Thanks-[/url]

[zbones]

That looks a litlle bulky,  it would also be usefless for mounting on a dashboard as the sensor needs to point at the sky, not you.

Check this out http://www.ja-gps.com.au/gps-haicom.html.

Mine came with pcmcia adatpter, external magmount arial (useful if like me you have a heated front windscreen) and serial/ps2 leads.

The mmf stands for multimode foldable.

The multi mode means it works as seriai/usb/ps2 cable as well as with the cf slot.
I have it working with qpegps on my 5500 and 760, It works as serial too with the 5500 and serialio cable, although I have not tried it as serial with the 760 as I would need to cut the lugs of the serial cable.

Mine also came with a neat little velcro pouch for attaching to things like rucksacks etc.

Peter.

[n8a]

That\'s great! Thanks for the info - exactly what I was looking to find out.  Out of curiosity, are there any limitations that you would note from using that device?  I guess now that you\'re pointing out a device that works with the 5500, I\'m interested in knowing the following when you have a chance  

- How is the power usage on the 5500?
- How accurate is the device - can it pick up where you are at fairly easily/accurately?
- How is the software?  Can it provide A to B directions?  Does it have a fairly decent database of location information?  ie - does it have names of places, or addresses built in at all?  

Any other + or - that you\'d mention?  Thanks in advance.  That product is a little out of price range @ around $320+, but I may just have to splurge...

[zbones]

I only use mine in the car, (with power adptor) so the battery life doesn\'t bother me.

The unit has it\'s own battery which doesn\'t power the unit, but just remembers the last satelites and it\'s position.  this means that if you power it up near to where you powered it off, it\'s alomost instant at aquiring a lock :-

Snap Start 2 sec.
Hot Start 8 sec.
Warm Start 38 sec.
Cold Start 48 sec.

As for price, I just grabbed a page with reasonable info, try searching for it, I found this which is a lot lower, ( I take it you are in the us?)

http://www.buygpsnow.com/item.aspx?itemid=91

I can get it in the uk for about £100.

Acurracy is also pretty good, you can tell which lane of the motorway you are on, with a good enough map.

Now comes the problem, I am not aware of any decent comercial software for the zaurus. If you are in the us checkout zroadmap
http://killefiz.de/zaurus/showdetail.php?app=1117
it\'s no good for me in the UK.

The program I use http://qpegps.sourceforge.net/index.html needs to have maps input to make it work, eiher scanned or taken from websites.

It is brilliant for telling you where you are, or where you have been, but cannot give directions other than a basic pre-coded route, coded using lat/long co-ordinates in advance.

also see this thread :-
http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board/index.php?...?showtopic=5248

Maybe if the 6000 takes off, we may get a decent app.

Peter.

[n8a]

Thanks again.  I just started looking for deals minutes before I checked here and saw your post!  Work keeps me from doing any real serious searching

I also took a look at the different GPS software available on Killefiz, and agree that the zRoadMap is the most impressive looking for the Z thus far.  Hopefully it\'ll be as good as it looks, although it also does not provide directions.  Good thing that it\'s made for the US!

When you say that you use your power adapter when in the car, do you mean your power adaptor for the 5500?  Is there a car adapter for the 5500?  If so, I\'d be interested as well if I\'m using GPRS.

Again, thanks for all the help, as I could have searched for some of that info, but there\'s nothing like hearing about someone\'s experience.
Cheers,
Nate

[zbones]

You can buy zaurus car chargers on Ebay, but I used an old 5 volt car phone charger, cut off the plug and soldered a zaurus style plug on instead.

You can also get a dual charger for the haicom card, one socket powers the gps while in serial mode, the other for the pda.

There is another review of it here too.

http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/haicom303mmf.php

Don\'t get confused where it says firewire connector :?  It uses a firewire style socket, but is proprietry.

It was alittle bit fiddly to get it working on the zaurus, you need the patched serialio_cs module, and depending on what rom/zaurus you are running you need to edit a file too.

I posted a quick how to on the www.zaurus.com/sharp forums.
Peter.

[n8a]

I posted a quick how to on the www.zaurus.com/sharp forums. 

Thanks - I found the thread:
http://www.zaurus.com/dev/board/index.php?...pic=6586&hl=gps

That\'ll be very nice once I order it - it sounds good based on that review.

[doublec]

Where did you get the Zaurus style plug from? Are they available from electronics stores or did you hack one together?

[zbones]

I got it from Maplins in the UK.

I don\'t know the part number as I binned the bag.

I took my zaurus in and tried them for size   .

I belive in the US radio shack do similar parts.

[doublec]

Thanks, I\'ll look around for the New Zealand equivalents.

[n8a]

FYI zbones - I made the move on the Haicom GPS and ordered it yesterday.  When I get it, I intend to make use of your instructions and I\'ll definitely post regarding the zRoadMap software.  I travel by car for my job all over the midwest almost weekly, so I\'m sure that I\'ll have plenty of practice with it!

I\'m in the process of bidding for a serial cable for the 5500 now.  The only issue is how to mount the dang thing...

[tsackett]

Can anyone tell me where to get a working installer for zRoadmap? The readme file at http://moria.ionkov.net/zaurus/zroadmap/readme.txt says
   \"The zroadmap files are moved to http://community.zaurus.com/projects/zroadmap\".
There seems to be an ipk file there, but the package installer on my 5600 (with Zynergy) doesn\'t see it when I try to install it.