RE: [A/S] Navigation Systems..

["Perry Joe Scudder" <perryjoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hubby is pushing to buy an expensive ($700)  navigation 
> system from our local boating store.  Another friend (boater) 
> bought one even more expensive (over 1k).  I see in a recent 
> RV catalogue, a system for my computer (software + GPS + maps 
> + voice directions) in the $300 range.  We are looking for 
> something for our Airstream travels that is easy to operate 
> and reliable.  We have the laptop already.
> 
> Any pros and cons that you can share?

Hi Vicki,
I have 3 different GPS based software programs that will run on my lap top.
I have the small DeLorme GPS unit that will work for any of the programs
with the proper setup on the individual software packages. I also have a
Garmin Street Pilot 2620 - the one with all the maps on an internal hard
drive.
I used the lap top and the DeLorme Street Atlas USA for navigation for about
5 years before my laptop died on one of our extended trips. I purchased the
Garmin unit at that time. I find it to be good for traveling, but it is much
more difficult to program in trips that the laptop programs.
I think the DeLorme system of their GPS unit and the latest version of
"Street Atlas USA" is the best all around system for ease of use, the data
base of places and services for the RVers, and the way the system presents
the data as you travel down the road. It has two areas that fall short of
the other programs. 1. It does not use dates on the stops, and that comes in
handy for planning long trips. 2. It has a limited data base of campgrounds
that can be used as stop points just using the supplied data base. You can
locate a campground using some other data source - big campground directory
or another software program, then rename the stop name supplied by the
software to make the stop end up labeled with the campground name.
I have Microsoft "Street & Trips" that is very good all around also. They
also have a version of this that comes with their GPS unit for about $100
like the DeLorme package. S&T has a good data base of campgrounds embedded -
it has all the campgrounds listed in the big Woodall's Directory in the data
base. I don't like the display of your route information as you drive along
near as well as the DeLorme package, but the S&T format is usable. My
biggest complaints with S&T is lack of dates, lack of "Via Points" to steer
the program to the route you wish to follow, and you can't "rename" a point
to the name you wont to have show up in your trip plan.
Last but not least, I have the Trailer Life "Campground Navigator" on my
laptop also. The latest version of this software has gotten to the point
where it could be used to navigate with also. I don't think this part of the
program is in the same league with the other two programs, but it does have
all the campgrounds listed in the big "Trailer Life Directory" along with
more data on each campground than either one of the other programs.
I am just about finished planning our summer travels that will last 5 months
this year. I use all three programs to do my planning, because each has some
features that are better than the others. I get all the routes along with
all the campgrounds laid out to suite our likes, then go into the Garmin
Street Pilot and load all the stops into the "Way Point" data base. This way
I can load each day on the road into the Garmin unit by going from way point
to way point that is already is preprogrammed into the unit. 
I then use the smaller more compact Garmin unit during the days we are
traveling. The Garmin unit also has all the Wal-Marts and lots of other
services loaded in the program, so it is easy to find services in strange
towns as we travel around. The unit also tells you how far it is to the next
turn, and to the final destination - as well as some other programmable data
fields (speed, altitude, next street along route, etc.) as you travel along
your highlighted route.
All the programs display your location on the map with some type of GPS
guided pointer that travels along as you move down the highway.
You will need to keep your software up to date, because they all stay about
1 to 2 years behind the road construction  and new streets in towns, so you
will find some roads and streets that are not correct at best.

I am sorry for the length of this answer, but there is no short way to do a
good job of describing navigation software and devices.

Joe Scudder - Who has followed his GPS arrow through 45 of the lower 48
states, most roads in Alaska, and most of Canada.