Sunday, May 11, 2003
GPS Shootout: Semsons & Co. Holux CF GPS Receiver, Mapopolis' Navigator GPS Map Packs
Posted by Jason Dunn in "ARTICLE" @ 09:09 PM
Kevin Kulic over at pocketnow.com has written a very thorough review of a GPS hardware & software package.
"Well, first let me apologize to my fellow New Yorkers. I have to admit, I've been trying my new GPS candy on the fair streets of NY, and probably was a menace to society for a little while. I don't care what kind of car mount you have in your car, paying attention to a little screen while you're driving is just not good practice! So kids, don't try this at home - get a friend to do the navigating. However, I have to admit, I had a ball working with Semsons' Holux CF GPS GM-270 receiver and Mapopolis' Navigator software. I received several extra items for the review, including Semsons' external antenna for the CF GPS unit (which I strongly advise you get). What I received from Semsons was actually a combination package that includes the Mapopolis "Platinum Plus" map pack, which are the second-highest level of maps in terms of features. Being a map freak, however, I contacted Mapopolis directly and was provided with the highest level of GPS mapping software they sell. Please note that if you purchase the combination directly from Semsons, you will receive access to the Platinum Plus Maps, not the Navigator maps. I'll explain the differences later. Anyway, I am a complete and total map freak. I love 'em all, I am totally fascinated by them, so to progress to working with GPS was only natural. For those of you who do not yet know what GPS is (where have you been?), it stands for Global Positioning System. I won't get into the detailed explanations here (I'll leave that to howstuffworks.com - you should really read this, it's quite interesting and informative), but basically, there are 27 satellites orbiting the earth, and at any given time your GPS receiver can hone in on the signals from at least 3 or 4 of them.
Based on these signals, GPS calculates where you are on the earth! Pretty amazing stuff, as far as I'm concerned. This technology was originally developed by and for the U.S. military, but was soon opened up to anyone who could afford a GPS receiver; it is part and parcel of aviation and maritime work. And, like any technology, GPS has gotten better and cheaper over time. The receivers can now tell your location within a distance of about 3 meters, and have all kinds of neat technology packed into them. I was very excited to begin my flirtation with GPS, but all did not go as planned with this experiment..."
"Well, first let me apologize to my fellow New Yorkers. I have to admit, I've been trying my new GPS candy on the fair streets of NY, and probably was a menace to society for a little while. I don't care what kind of car mount you have in your car, paying attention to a little screen while you're driving is just not good practice! So kids, don't try this at home - get a friend to do the navigating. However, I have to admit, I had a ball working with Semsons' Holux CF GPS GM-270 receiver and Mapopolis' Navigator software. I received several extra items for the review, including Semsons' external antenna for the CF GPS unit (which I strongly advise you get). What I received from Semsons was actually a combination package that includes the Mapopolis "Platinum Plus" map pack, which are the second-highest level of maps in terms of features. Being a map freak, however, I contacted Mapopolis directly and was provided with the highest level of GPS mapping software they sell. Please note that if you purchase the combination directly from Semsons, you will receive access to the Platinum Plus Maps, not the Navigator maps. I'll explain the differences later. Anyway, I am a complete and total map freak. I love 'em all, I am totally fascinated by them, so to progress to working with GPS was only natural. For those of you who do not yet know what GPS is (where have you been?), it stands for Global Positioning System. I won't get into the detailed explanations here (I'll leave that to howstuffworks.com - you should really read this, it's quite interesting and informative), but basically, there are 27 satellites orbiting the earth, and at any given time your GPS receiver can hone in on the signals from at least 3 or 4 of them.
Based on these signals, GPS calculates where you are on the earth! Pretty amazing stuff, as far as I'm concerned. This technology was originally developed by and for the U.S. military, but was soon opened up to anyone who could afford a GPS receiver; it is part and parcel of aviation and maritime work. And, like any technology, GPS has gotten better and cheaper over time. The receivers can now tell your location within a distance of about 3 meters, and have all kinds of neat technology packed into them. I was very excited to begin my flirtation with GPS, but all did not go as planned with this experiment..."
