 In-Car
Tutorial
Copyright- Kimball J Thurlow 2007
What exactly is In-Car navigation?
Well, it uses a GPS unit to help you find a street,
a restaurant, or a service station.
Any GPS can do this if you know the coordinates of
the destination. But the ideal unit for a vehicle and for most users,
is one that has a built-in map so you do not need to know the destination
coordinates. In this case, the GPS knows the coordinates.
Firstly, the GPS calculates your exact position on earth (to less
than 10 metres normally). It then pinpoints that position on the
electronic map display.
From that position, the GPS can calculate the direction, and the
distance to any other point on the map which you choose from the
Find function. If the electronic map is smart enough, the map may
include details such as the location of restaurants, individual
streets and other features. If both the GPS and mapping are smart
enough, the GPS can calculate directions street-by-street, and
tell you where to turn.
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Navigating Cities - a Challenge
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What do I see on the GPS?
It automatically starts on a map
page, which shows your position as a triangle or other symbol
(position icon), and the road you are on, and other roads
around you. This position should show up within a minute
of your starting the vehicle. As your vehicle moves, the
position icon stays in the middle of the GPS screen, but
the road slides along underneath you. In fact, the whole
map
slides along, or moves underneath you. This is why it is
called a "moving map". Everything on the map
is to scale, just like a street directory in book form.
A "Find" button, or
"Find" menu on the GPS screen, means you can choose a
destination,
such as a
town,
or a street and number, or
even an ATM, post office, bank, or parking station. The
GPS draws a line on the map page, from your position,
to the
destination.
Dedicated in-car navigators calculate the line street by
street, and then translate through speakers to give you
voice-guided
navigation.
All basic GPS can calculate
distance and direction to a destination. If it is one
into which you can load street mapping, it can work
OK by giving the general direction to a street and number.
You can then choose
the most effective
route from the streets shown near the line.
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What do we mean by "smart" mapping?
Smart** mapping has links between the map,
and related information which is also stored in the GPS unit. For
example, if the GPS position
shows you on a road, then the "smart" mapping can display
a label with the road name. Or it may display nearby points, such
as an ATM, a service station, or a hotel. As you can guess, there
are varying degrees of "smart". In Australia, we do have
the type of mapping data required for really "smart" in-car
navigation. Specialized companies in Australia, including "Whereis
Navigation",
a Telstra subsidiary, are supplying the smart mapping for the Garmin
and other map type GPS units. This data is also used by larger
companies, who run sophisticated vehicle tracking systems, so they
see positions
on a computer map back in an office. This same data is also used
in the "up-market vehicles" in-car navigation systems.
So
what can I get now, that's not going to cost me an arm and a leg?
There are two levels. Entry level Garmin products which will suit
your needs, are the GPSMAP 76 and 60 (colour) series.
You might also consider the pocket sized eTrex Legend CX and the
eTrex Vista CX,
which are very small, but also very convenient for the light traveller.
All entry level map products can be used as a hand-held unit, and
as an in-car unit, by clipping in to a holder. These units do nto
provide "voice" for navigation.
At the next level, the Garmin Street Pilot series, Nuvi, Quest,
iQue, Route 66, TomTom, Travroute, and Destinator products are
all proven in-car performers.
All these are sophisticated
units which
can
calculate either the
shortest
or quickest
route, and guide you turn by turn. Many actually mention the street name
when talking, "300
mtres ahead, turn left into Rowton Street" , or "keep right, and
enter ramp to freeway",
and so on. These units are compatible with street level smart mapping for
all Australian roads, tracks and streets..
Garmin Mapsource City Navigator Australia, Route 66, and Travroute mapping products are available for use on PDA's, phones, and laptop computers. You can use the maps for planning, and route calculation on a computer. If you buy from Johnny Appleseed GPS, you can ring free on the 1800 number, to get help with any problems you may have (which is not likely, they are pretty simple once you understand the concept).
Does the GPS require any installation?
Absolutely not. It can come with a car bracket, or a bag type car mount, which sticks to, or sits on, the dashboard. Or you can simply velcro it in a suitable place. The only real criteria, is that it has a clear view of the sky, so it needs to be forward under the windscreen.
If that is not ideal, you can get an external aerial, which plugs in the back of the GPS (some models), with a cord which runs up through the door rubber, and a magnetic pad for the car roof. Or you can have it suction cupped on the inside of the windscreen, where it does not have to be removed every time you leave the car.
In-car navigation GPS
The story of the Magic Carpet- or how 40 purses can buy you swift and precise navigation anywhere on the globe.
Smart mapping available now!
Notes:
** Another word for smart mapping, is vector data. This means that the map skeleton is stored as a series of points, and related information, in computer memory. During operation, the stored information is restored graphically to look a like a map with labels that are context sensitive. The labels show only when relative to your current location. Index of Garmin mapping for GPS.
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