RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations

[Steve Sobaski]

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org

[Gen Green]

THis might be of use to you.
Gen Green

----- Original Message -----
From: "TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski"
To:
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 11:49 AM
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


> From: "Steve Sobaski"
>
> Hi All,
>
> We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
> GPS
> receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
> curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
> recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on
experience
> with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
> compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.
>
> Thanks!
> Steve
>
> Steve Sobaski
> GIS Manager
> Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
> 101 E. Grand River Ave.
> Lansing, MI 48906
> (517) 316-2263
> ssobaski@tnc.org
>
>
>
>
>
> To reply: mailto:TNCGIS.385030@groups.conserveonline.org
> To start a new topic: mailto:TNCGIS@groups.conserveonline.org
> To login: http://groups.conserveonline.org:8080
> To (un)subscribe: mailto:TNCGIS.list-request@groups.conserveonline.org
>
> In body of message include:
>
> UNSUBSCRIBE TNCGIS
>
> STOP
>
>

[Jon Fisher]

I did a lot of this for my last job, and I recommend Dell Axims with a
CF-GPS. Axims are cheap, have a CF slot for the GPS, and a SD slot for
memory, and they're pretty reliable. I've had bad experiences with iPAQs,
which I think tend to be overpriced and include a lot of useless features
for this particular need. Bluetooth GPS can work OK, but again I've had
trouble with some models, and the power drain is higher with wireless on.
I
settled on the teletype CF-GPS as my favorite when working with ArcPad.
I've set up maybe 7 different models with various configurations of
PocketPC
and GPS, and the Axim/Teletype-CF combo is my favorite for the cost. You
can get an Axim X51 for $300, add a $250 GPS, and spend maybe $60 on a 1GB
SD card if you have a ton of image data to display (or get a smaller
cheaper
one otherwise).

-Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[Steve Sobaski]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the great information. We've been leaning a bit towards iPaqs
and
taking a wireless approach based on the experience of staff within our
Heritage program in Michigan. However, it's great to hear your success with
the Dell alternative. Do you have a preferred GPS receiver (we're currently
leaning towards some model of Garmin) and what's your typical battery life
with the Axim?

Again, many, many thanks for your input and have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org



-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Jon Fisher
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:11 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Jon Fisher"

I did a lot of this for my last job, and I recommend Dell Axims with a
CF-GPS. Axims are cheap, have a CF slot for the GPS, and a SD slot for
memory, and they're pretty reliable. I've had bad experiences with iPAQs,
which I think tend to be overpriced and include a lot of useless features
for this particular need. Bluetooth GPS can work OK, but again I've had
trouble with some models, and the power drain is higher with wireless on.
I
settled on the teletype CF-GPS as my favorite when working with ArcPad.
I've set up maybe 7 different models with various configurations of
PocketPC
and GPS, and the Axim/Teletype-CF combo is my favorite for the cost. You
can get an Axim X51 for $300, add a $250 GPS, and spend maybe $60 on a 1GB
SD card if you have a ton of image data to display (or get a smaller
cheaper
one otherwise).

-Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[Chris Bruce]

Steve,

We've had decent success with Dell Axim PDAs and EMTAC Trine bluetooth GPS
receivers. I don't know if this is also the case with other PDA models, but
one problem with our Dells is you have to keep them charged regularly. If
they sit for a few weeks without being charged, the batteries can get
completely drained and data and programs you've installed (like ArcPad)
will
be lost. They also don't have the greatest battery life - we only get 3
hours at best from one battery so we've bought spares.

Also, if you're going with a standard, non-rugged PDA, Otterbox field cases
are a must (http://www.otterbox.com/).

cheers,
Chris


______________________
Chris Bruce, GISP
GIS Manager

The Nature Conservancy
Virginia Program
490 Westfield Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901

cbruce@tnc.org
(434) 951-0565 (Phone)
(434) 979-0370 (Fax)

nature.org



-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[jkarl jkarl]

Hi Steve-

We've had experience in Idaho with iPaqs, Axims, the Trimble GeoXT
units, and the Garmin iQue M5. Of course the Trimble is the Cadillac of
the bunch, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg. My favorite alternative
at the moment is the Garmin iQue M5 because it integrates that PDA and
the GPS unit (and it's a whole lot cheaper than a Trimble). I haven't
run into any major problems running ArcPad on the Garmin iQue, but you
might want to research this some to see if other people have run into
issues. We have also had a number of GPS devices for our PDAs. We have
three of the Navman jacket-style GPS units for iPaqs that have worked
well, but last year, one of them mysteriously gave up the ghost. In
terms of CF-card GPS units, I've had very mixed results. Our first CF
GPS was a Pharos. It worked with ArcPad, but was notorious for losing
its fix and giving locations that were significantly off compared to
other GPS units being used simultaneously. The next CF GPS unit that we
got was an EMTAC (distributed by Transplant) because it had received
good reviews. The problem we ran into with that was that our Axim's or
iPaq h2215's couldn't access it over the COM port that was assigned to
the built-in CF slot. If you plugged it into a GPS CF-jacket for an
older iPAQ, it worked beautifully. Our latest venture was a Garmin CF
GPS unit. We opted for the Garmin because we had had good luck with the
iQue M5 units and figured that Garmin was a reputable brand. The CF GPS
units works great with Garmin's navigation software, but since it
doesn't output NMEA sentences (uses Garmin proprietary format), it can't
be used with ArcPad (I don't remember seeing the fact that it doesn't
export NMEA on the spec sheet, but it could just be that I was being
dense [again] when we were looking at it). So my number one caution to
you would be to make sure that the CF Gps unit you get will export in a
format that ArcPad can handle. My PDA/GPS setup is a Dell Axim 3Xi with
an EMTAC bluetooth GPS. Whereas I really love the bluetooth wireless
setup, a couple of the field users that I've lent it to have had
difficulties in making the connection to the bluetooth unit before you
can activate it in ArcPad. Just something to think about if you're
dealing with users that aren't really tech-savy.

In all this hassle with PDAs and GPS units, I'm actually coming back
around to using a stand-alone GPS unit cabled into the PDA. That
generally gives you the maximum battery life as the GPS isn't sucking
juice off of your PDA, and also allows you to continue to use the GPS
when you get a new PDA. I know the cabling can be messy and less than
ideal in the field, but there are a number of companies out there that
are selling custom-cut cables to interface many popular GPS units
(mostly Garmins) with specific brands/models of PDAs.

Give me a call if you want/need more specifics on any of my ramblings...

J

Jason Karl - Idaho GIS Manager
The Nature Conservancy
517-575-0290
jkarl@tnc.org


-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:40 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the great information. We've been leaning a bit towards iPaqs
and taking a wireless approach based on the experience of staff within
our Heritage program in Michigan. However, it's great to hear your
success with the Dell alternative. Do you have a preferred GPS receiver
(we're currently leaning towards some model of Garmin) and what's your
typical battery life with the Axim?

Again, many, many thanks for your input and have a great weekend!

Cheers,
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org



-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Jon Fisher
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:11 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Jon Fisher"

I did a lot of this for my last job, and I recommend Dell Axims with a
CF-GPS. Axims are cheap, have a CF slot for the GPS, and a SD slot for
memory, and they're pretty reliable. I've had bad experiences with
iPAQs, which I think tend to be overpriced and include a lot of useless
features for this particular need. Bluetooth GPS can work OK, but again
I've had trouble with some models, and the power drain is higher with
wireless on. I settled on the teletype CF-GPS as my favorite when
working with ArcPad. I've set up maybe 7 different models with various
configurations of PocketPC and GPS, and the Axim/Teletype-CF combo is my
favorite for the cost. You can get an Axim X51 for $300, add a $250
GPS, and spend maybe $60 on a 1GB SD card if you have a ton of image
data to display (or get a smaller cheaper one otherwise).

-Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad.
I'm curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with
various recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on
experience with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes,
dislikes, compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[Jon Fisher]

Funny, I had the opposite problem. My iPAQ would lose 20% of it's charge
in
a few days of being powered off in a drawer, I've had Axims sit for several
months without being charged and still be fine. Though using ActiveSync's
Backup feature is a good idea anyway just in case. The iPAQ cost almost
double what the Axim did, partly b/c it had WiFI technology that has little
application to most field work (whereas I got the stripped down Axim).

Regardless of the model you go with, I think it's worth the money to get
the
extended life battery, and keep the original as a backup that you can swap
out in the field. I know Axims can have the battery switched without being
pluged in (they have a backup battery), and some models don't, but I'm not
sure about iPAQs.

I definitely agree that the Pharos CF-GPS is terrible, I only got it to
work
with the extra antenna plugged in and it was still marginal. The Teletype
CF-GPS, however, has been very easy to use and reliable for me. It does
pull power from the PDA (as opposed to separate batteries), but it's fairly
low power consumption so I found that it wasn't much worse than the drain
of
having Bluetooth on. One disadvantage of the CF-GPS is that they won't fit
a standard ($50) otterbox, you need to go for the $100 model if you want a
floatable, waterproof, dustproof, non-crushable unit. Alternatively, you
can buy a waterproof sealable bag for around $25 and just be careful not to
drop it (this worked well enough for me).

In the event you go with Axims and a CF-GPS, I have a checklist of steps to
go through for installation to get everything working properly, and how to
make backups, etc.

-Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Chris Bruce
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:57 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Chris Bruce"

Steve,

We've had decent success with Dell Axim PDAs and EMTAC Trine bluetooth GPS
receivers. I don't know if this is also the case with other PDA models, but
one problem with our Dells is you have to keep them charged regularly. If
they sit for a few weeks without being charged, the batteries can get
completely drained and data and programs you've installed (like ArcPad)
will
be lost. They also don't have the greatest battery life - we only get 3
hours at best from one battery so we've bought spares.

Also, if you're going with a standard, non-rugged PDA, Otterbox field cases
are a must (http://www.otterbox.com/).

cheers,
Chris


______________________
Chris Bruce, GISP
GIS Manager

The Nature Conservancy
Virginia Program
490 Westfield Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901

cbruce@tnc.org
(434) 951-0565 (Phone)
(434) 979-0370 (Fax)

nature.org



-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[Jesse Langdon]

We have a Dell Axim, which is a great PDA but doesn't hold a charge all
that
well. For the GPS we have an EMTAC bluetooth. I personally would rather
have a CF unit, as having the bluetooth GPS creates two potential points
for
signal loss... one being between the GPS receiver and the satellite, and
the
other being between the GPS unit and the PDA.

So, I would recommend the Axim, but NOT recommend the Emtac.

~jesse


-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Jon Fisher
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:57 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Jon Fisher"

Funny, I had the opposite problem. My iPAQ would lose 20% of it's charge
in
a few days of being powered off in a drawer, I've had Axims sit for several
months without being charged and still be fine. Though using ActiveSync's
Backup feature is a good idea anyway just in case. The iPAQ cost almost
double what the Axim did, partly b/c it had WiFI technology that has little
application to most field work (whereas I got the stripped down Axim).

Regardless of the model you go with, I think it's worth the money to get
the
extended life battery, and keep the original as a backup that you can swap
out in the field. I know Axims can have the battery switched without being
pluged in (they have a backup battery), and some models don't, but I'm not
sure about iPAQs.

I definitely agree that the Pharos CF-GPS is terrible, I only got it to
work
with the extra antenna plugged in and it was still marginal. The Teletype
CF-GPS, however, has been very easy to use and reliable for me. It does
pull power from the PDA (as opposed to separate batteries), but it's fairly
low power consumption so I found that it wasn't much worse than the drain
of
having Bluetooth on. One disadvantage of the CF-GPS is that they won't fit
a standard ($50) otterbox, you need to go for the $100 model if you want a
floatable, waterproof, dustproof, non-crushable unit. Alternatively, you
can buy a waterproof sealable bag for around $25 and just be careful not to
drop it (this worked well enough for me).

In the event you go with Axims and a CF-GPS, I have a checklist of steps to
go through for installation to get everything working properly, and how to
make backups, etc.

-Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Chris Bruce
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:57 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Chris Bruce"

Steve,

We've had decent success with Dell Axim PDAs and EMTAC Trine bluetooth GPS
receivers. I don't know if this is also the case with other PDA models, but
one problem with our Dells is you have to keep them charged regularly. If
they sit for a few weeks without being charged, the batteries can get
completely drained and data and programs you've installed (like ArcPad)
will
be lost. They also don't have the greatest battery life - we only get 3
hours at best from one battery so we've bought spares.

Also, if you're going with a standard, non-rugged PDA, Otterbox field cases
are a must (http://www.otterbox.com/).

cheers,
Chris


______________________
Chris Bruce, GISP
GIS Manager

The Nature Conservancy
Virginia Program
490 Westfield Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901

cbruce@tnc.org
(434) 951-0565 (Phone)
(434) 979-0370 (Fax)

nature.org



-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[Kevin Ruddock]

I have a personal PDA/CF-GPS combo that works pretty well for me. It's a
Dell Axim with a Syson Memory GPS. This model has the added benefit of 256
(or 512) Megs of storage space to hold data.
It uses Xtrac2 which from my research and experience works well under leaf
cover. I was under the impression that the accuracy of these CF units were
comparable, but I've got nothing to compare mine to. There does seem to be
a
considerable amount of error as I can often watch my position drift around
the map as I sit in one place. At it's worst it can be off by 100'. What
kind of error are all of you seeing in the field?
My Axim is the 400MHz x5 and was often slow to load data, this has improved
quite a bit since I started using a demo of ArcPad 7.

-Kevin


-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Jon Fisher
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 3:57 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Jon Fisher"

Funny, I had the opposite problem. My iPAQ would lose 20% of it's charge
in
a few days of being powered off in a drawer, I've had Axims sit for several
months without being charged and still be fine. Though using ActiveSync's
Backup feature is a good idea anyway just in case. The iPAQ cost almost
double what the Axim did, partly b/c it had WiFI technology that has little
application to most field work (whereas I got the stripped down Axim).

Regardless of the model you go with, I think it's worth the money to get
the
extended life battery, and keep the original as a backup that you can swap
out in the field. I know Axims can have the battery switched without being
pluged in (they have a backup battery), and some models don't, but I'm not
sure about iPAQs.

I definitely agree that the Pharos CF-GPS is terrible, I only got it to
work
with the extra antenna plugged in and it was still marginal. The Teletype
CF-GPS, however, has been very easy to use and reliable for me. It does
pull power from the PDA (as opposed to separate batteries), but it's fairly
low power consumption so I found that it wasn't much worse than the drain
of
having Bluetooth on. One disadvantage of the CF-GPS is that they won't fit
a standard ($50) otterbox, you need to go for the $100 model if you want a
floatable, waterproof, dustproof, non-crushable unit. Alternatively, you
can buy a waterproof sealable bag for around $25 and just be careful not to
drop it (this worked well enough for me).

In the event you go with Axims and a CF-GPS, I have a checklist of steps to
go through for installation to get everything working properly, and how to
make backups, etc.

-Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Chris Bruce
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:57 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Chris Bruce"

Steve,

We've had decent success with Dell Axim PDAs and EMTAC Trine bluetooth GPS
receivers. I don't know if this is also the case with other PDA models, but
one problem with our Dells is you have to keep them charged regularly. If
they sit for a few weeks without being charged, the batteries can get
completely drained and data and programs you've installed (like ArcPad)
will
be lost. They also don't have the greatest battery life - we only get 3
hours at best from one battery so we've bought spares.

Also, if you're going with a standard, non-rugged PDA, Otterbox field cases
are a must (http://www.otterbox.com/).

cheers,
Chris


______________________
Chris Bruce, GISP
GIS Manager

The Nature Conservancy
Virginia Program
490 Westfield Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901

cbruce@tnc.org
(434) 951-0565 (Phone)
(434) 979-0370 (Fax)

nature.org



-----Original Message-----
From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
[mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations


From: "Steve Sobaski"

Hi All,

We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our use of
GPS
receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on experience
with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.

Thanks!
Steve

Steve Sobaski
GIS Manager
Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
101 E. Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-2263
ssobaski@tnc.org





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[Nathan Rudd]

The Oregon program primarily uses Dell Axims (X5 and X50), and we seem to
have really good luck with battery life as long as we use the 'enhanced
life' battery. We started with the Pharos CF GPS units, and found similar
problems with keeping a fix reported by others. Other than that, it's been
mostly the Holux GM-270 and the GM-270 Ultra. The former is WAAS capable,
but the latter is not, which is a disappointment. It has XTrac2, which
increases sensitivity, but also appears to create a lag in updating the
current position. This causes the position indicator to jump in ArcPad,
which can make it difficult to relocate points. Some staff have also noted
occassional inaccuracies with the Holux Ultra when comparing it different
Garmin GPS units. We now have a GlobalSat BC-337, which is WAAS capable
and
appears to be very sensitive (I can get a fix indoors, though I don't know
how accurate it is), but we have not field tested this yet.

********************************
Nathan Rudd
Stewardship Biometrician
The Nature Conservancy of Oregon
821 SE 14th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503) 802-8144
Fax (503) 802-8199
nrudd@tnc.org


> -----Original Message-----
> From: TNCGIS: Jesse Langdon
> [mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
> Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:54 PM
> To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
> Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations
>
>
> From: "Jesse Langdon"
>
> We have a Dell Axim, which is a great PDA but doesn't hold a
> charge all that
> well. For the GPS we have an EMTAC bluetooth. I personally would
rather
> have a CF unit, as having the bluetooth GPS creates two potential
> points for
> signal loss... one being between the GPS receiver and the
> satellite, and the
> other being between the GPS unit and the PDA.
>
> So, I would recommend the Axim, but NOT recommend the Emtac.
>
> ~jesse
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TNCGIS: Jon Fisher
> [mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
> Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:57 PM
> To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
> Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations
>
>
> From: "Jon Fisher"
>
> Funny, I had the opposite problem. My iPAQ would lose 20% of
> it's charge in
> a few days of being powered off in a drawer, I've had Axims sit
> for several
> months without being charged and still be fine. Though using
ActiveSync's
> Backup feature is a good idea anyway just in case. The iPAQ cost almost
> double what the Axim did, partly b/c it had WiFI technology that
> has little
> application to most field work (whereas I got the stripped down Axim).
>
> Regardless of the model you go with, I think it's worth the money
> to get the
> extended life battery, and keep the original as a backup that you can
swap
> out in the field. I know Axims can have the battery switched
> without being
> pluged in (they have a backup battery), and some models don't, but I'm
not
> sure about iPAQs.
>
> I definitely agree that the Pharos CF-GPS is terrible, I only got
> it to work
> with the extra antenna plugged in and it was still marginal. The
Teletype
> CF-GPS, however, has been very easy to use and reliable for me. It does
> pull power from the PDA (as opposed to separate batteries), but
> it's fairly
> low power consumption so I found that it wasn't much worse than
> the drain of
> having Bluetooth on. One disadvantage of the CF-GPS is that they
> won't fit
> a standard ($50) otterbox, you need to go for the $100 model if you want
a
> floatable, waterproof, dustproof, non-crushable unit. Alternatively, you
> can buy a waterproof sealable bag for around $25 and just be
> careful not to
> drop it (this worked well enough for me).
>
> In the event you go with Axims and a CF-GPS, I have a checklist
> of steps to
> go through for installation to get everything working properly, and how
to
> make backups, etc.
>
> -Jon
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TNCGIS: Chris Bruce
> [mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
> Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 2:57 PM
> To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
> Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations
>
>
> From: "Chris Bruce"
>
> Steve,
>
> We've had decent success with Dell Axim PDAs and EMTAC Trine bluetooth
GPS
> receivers. I don't know if this is also the case with other PDA
> models, but
> one problem with our Dells is you have to keep them charged regularly. If
> they sit for a few weeks without being charged, the batteries can get
> completely drained and data and programs you've installed (like
> ArcPad) will
> be lost. They also don't have the greatest battery life - we only get 3
> hours at best from one battery so we've bought spares.
>
> Also, if you're going with a standard, non-rugged PDA, Otterbox
> field cases
> are a must (http://www.otterbox.com/).
>
> cheers,
> Chris
>
>
> ______________________
> Chris Bruce, GISP
> GIS Manager
>
> The Nature Conservancy
> Virginia Program
> 490 Westfield Road
> Charlottesville, VA 22901
>
> cbruce@tnc.org
> (434) 951-0565 (Phone)
> (434) 979-0370 (Fax)
>
> nature.org
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TNCGIS: Steve Sobaski
> [mailto:TNCGIS.listmanager@groups.conserveonline.org]
> Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 1:50 PM
> To: Recipients of 'TNCGIS' suppressed
> Subject: RE: PDA/GPS unit recommendations
>
>
> From: "Steve Sobaski"
>
> Hi All,
>
> We had some recent interest within the chapter for increasing our
> use of GPS
> receivers and PDAs to gather mapping data in the field using ArcPad. I'm
> curious to hear what other chapter's experiences have been with various
> recent models of either and if any of you have had any hands on
experience
> with using an integrated unit (PDA with GPS): likes, dislikes,
> compatibilities and incompatibilities, expense, etc.
>
> Thanks!
> Steve
>
> Steve Sobaski
> GIS Manager
> Michigan Field Office - The Nature Conservancy
> 101 E. Grand River Ave.
> Lansing, MI 48906
> (517) 316-2263
> ssobaski@tnc.org
>
>
>
>
>
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