GPS & MAP OVERLAYS Never get lost again! Presented by Bob Cook, DOAI

REAL TIME NAVIGATION Your exact location in real time – great for emergencies or road service Turn-by-turn visual and audio prompts Find POI (Points of Interest) easily Multiple options for route and road avoidance Automatic reroute if you get off route

THREE GPS ALTERNATIVES Portable, self-contained GPS Laptop based, GPS software, external GPS receiver Smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, etc)

SELF-CONTAINED GPS (Mio, Garmin, TomTom, etc) Prices have fallen drastically Dont overpay for features / screen size Some states do not allow windshield mount Consider update availability/cost Consider POI database Prices range from $70 - $800

GPS BUYING GUIDE - Basic models may be all you need - Extra features on higher-cost models * Text to Speech * Real time Traffic Monitoring / reroute * FM transmitter * Bluetooth * Larger screen * Video / Photo / MP3 / eBook reader * Fuel Prices, Movies and times, etc * Speech recognition / control

Check screen brightness Check sound volume Availability and cost of map updates Maps for Canada and Mexico if you need it Availability of Topo maps if you need it Battery life Memory card slot for viewing videos or playing MP3s Consider shirt pocket size – portable, easily hidden, multi-use

MIND YOUR POIs Having an extensive list of POIs that suit your needs is one of the best features of a GPS. This may be most impt consideration Make sure that the unit you are considering has the POIs that interest you Many GPS units skimp on the POIs, so check before you buy Number of POIs range from approx 1.5MM – 25MM……quite a spread!

SELF CONTAINED GPS ADVANTAGES Small and easily carried, no computer! Costs far less than factory GPS option Quick boot-up May have more POI than laptop software DISADVANTAGES Difficult for trip planning Hard to import and view map overlays

2. LAPTOP BASED GPS Several software programs to choose from (Delorme, CoPilot, MS, etc) Use any NMEA-2 compliant GPS receiver Complete packages under $100 (best $100 you will ever spend)

DELORME STREET ATLAS Plus version includes phone book Pros: - Map overlays - Multiple routes - Easy to export POI data Cons - Routing algorithm not the best - POI drift - Poor maps for CN and MX

MS STREETS & TRIPS MS STREETS & TRIPS 2010 PROS: - Better maps for CN and MX version has POI overlays - Good routing algorithm CONS: - POI listing is not alpha (latest first) - No easy way to extract POI data - Map data created with new versions may not work with older versions -

COPILOT / COPILOT TRUCK PROS - Shows which side of street for destination - RV Option in basic version (height, propane restrictions, sharp turn avoidance) CONS - Expensive - Poor POI management/display Route optimization

SMARTPHONE PROS: - One device to carry - Easy POI, can find anything CONS: - GPS accuracy varies on phone model - Models with online map database must have cell signal (internal database better - Full functionality requires data plan) - Small screen - No real trip planning - No topo maps

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Good idea to review trip routing Most will not take you the wrong way on a one-way road, but you must pay attention Most can give lat/long for emergency service Most are not suitable for hiking or off-road

MAP OVERLAY FILES Specialized map overlay files available on DOAI website ( Member campgrounds, fuel, WalMart, special interest items…most of which are at exact location AND have Google Earth overlay Suitable for use on most map programs (Delorme, MS, CoPilot, etc) AND for import to most handheld GPS units.

16 IMPORT POI INTO YOUR GPS Most handheld GPS devices can import POI data, but it must be in a special format (csv, waypoint, XML, etc) Instructions to convert: 1. Download the desired TEXT POI file 2. Import into Excel and save as.csv 3. Use GPSBabel to convert csv file to desired format (Waypoint, XML, etc) 16

17 THE REMAINING TIME WILL BE SPENT DEMONSTRATING USE OF THE OVERLAY FILES IN MS AND DELORME AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS 17