3 weeks on the road with GPS 10 and iPAQ 3970

[Store]

iPAQ 3970 running PPC 2003.
GPS 10 on the floor between the front seats close to a reradiating antenna.
Que v 2.70 installed in main storage and City Select 7 for all of Sweden and Denmark on memory card, total 121 MB.
Also Fugawi PPC in main storage and maps on memory card.
GPSMAP 76CS with same CS7 maps.
Laptop with nRoute 2.3 and CS7.

Summer vacation and 3000+ kms on the road with GPS 10. Only two crashes and lost BT connection twice for no obvious reason.

If the iPAQ is turned off while Que is running, it freezes and requires a soft reset. If Que is closed and then the iPAQ is turned off Que will start without problems about 50% of the time. When Que is started after a soft reset it works all the time. So soft reset it is.

When Cue starts the iPAQ automatically points to the GPS 10, but I need to tap the GPS 10 icon to start the connection. Maybe I have configured it incorrectly. The whole process takes about 8 seconds including tapping the Que screen twice to continue.

Time to fix on cold start is less than 10 seconds when the GPS 10 has been off over night.

Driving 90 km/h on a road with speed limit 90 I get advance notice to turn 1,3 km ahead. Second reminder only 150 m before turn which is a little short. (For comparison I fired up the laptop with nRoute. The same lovely female voice but instructions at different distances!)

When the GPS 10 has been used with Que it must be turned off and on again to be reset to NMEA to use with Fugawi. The Que software switches the GPS 10 to Garmin mode.

I was running Que and Fugawi at the same time, with the GPS 10 and the 76CS connected by wire to the serial port of the iPAQ. Then I could look at Swedish topo-maps and listen to the Que directions. Neat.

Overall I am very satisfied with the Que software.

On the wish list:
Larger on screen button for fat fingers, like Tomtom. Using the stylus is a pain.
Quick on screen toggle on/off for sound.

[jonasolof]

Thanks for the nice report.

Would it be possible to run a GPS10 side by side with a NMEA BT GPS to have Que and Fugawi at the same time? Academic quesion but nevertheless interesting.

What rerad antenna did you use? How does GPS10 signal via rerad compare to direct signal if GPS10 is on the roof?

[Bokkie]

Also on my wish list is true 640x480 with scaling of the control icons to match.

Something more useful for chubby fingers would be very useful.

[JMckie]

Before anything else, I'd like the GPS to reconnect painlessly when coming out of sleep mode, or at least have an option prevent the PPC from going to sleep mode while navigating.

Next up on my list is for them to speed up the recalculation, which currently makes missing a turn a huge pain in the behind.

If they issue a new release without addressing these two things, I would find it quite disappointing.

[Store]

Would it be possible to run a GPS10 side by side with a NMEA BT GPS to have Que and Fugawi at the same time? Academic question but nevertheless interesting.
Well, if the PDA supports dual BT connections, I guess it would work.
What rerad antenna did you use?
RRAD-46 http://www.gpsw.co.uk/details/prod445.html the receiving antenna is right on top of the car roof, the transmitting antenna between the front seats in the console. This position enables reception in the entire car, favourably in the middle where the signals coming directly from the satellites are not interfering with the reradiated signals. I always use this antenna in rental cars around the Mediterranean (often French cars with shielded windows) with great results.
How does GPS10 signal via rerad compare to direct signal if GPS10 is on the roof?
I never checked. But I also use the GPS 10 on my bike, the magnet clings to the frame and then I put a safety strap around it. Great reception. Then the iPAQ goes in the bag on the handle bar.
Before anything else, I'd like the GPS to reconnect painlessly when coming out of sleep mode, or at least have an option prevent the PPC from going to sleep mode while navigating.
My iPAQ never goes to sleep while navigating but it dies coming out of sleep mode.
Next up on my list is for them to speed up the recalculation, which currently makes missing a turn a huge pain in the behind.
Hm, on the iPAQ I find the recalc time fully acceptable.

[jonasolof]

The RA 46 is the more powerful of the two rerad antennas made by San José Navigation (www.sanav.com) and also sold by GPSgeek. There was some talk about rerad antennas being prohibited in the US because they constitute GPS transmittors, I don't know if that problem has been solved.

In fact, the cheaper RA45 wouild probably serve as well, but then the rerad element should be quite close to the BT GPS.

IN my experience, RA46+GPS10 gives a much stronger signal than GPS10 alone.

The wake up snafu should be solved!