On-board, laptop based GPS?? also, laptop mounting questions...

[Safari Ary]

I was helping my Uncle move and came across some laptop carrying bags in his garage. I asked if he needed one 'cause my laptop is caseless. He goes, "you can have it.....and the computer inside." So long story short I just scored myself a free laptop(he's got computers everywhere, there were 3 more there). I had been wanting to do this for a while anyway, but it just became a lot more feasible. I'm wanting to mount the laptop over the console and use it for GPS and MP3s. I'm more concerned with the GPS part, my head unit makes it easy to do the MP3 part. Any software/hardware combos you recommend? I found a rand mcnally unit for 140$, but it seems pretty weak. It's essentially just a USB based antenna and the software for the computer. Just reading over the specs it seemed slow(updates every second, warm start takes 48 seconds, cold start 120-150). I admit I don't know much about GPS's, maybe this is a great unit and I'm just a moron. Educate me!

Also, any ideas on mounting the laptop? I was thinking about one of those "snake" style mounts that bolts to the side of the tranny hump. Thanks

Ary

 

[Rev Den]

http://www.laptraveler.com/ultimate.htm
http://www.stores.ebay.com/axzarcom/plistings/list/fixed/dept0/
http://www.strobes-r-us.com/strobes-r-us_012.htm

Many more... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=police++"laptop+mount"

HTH.

Rev

 

[Ivan]

Ary,

I found the site below very useful when I was looking for mapping software for my Garmin II GPS. Good insight on GPS receivers and other goodies.

http://gpsnow.com/

My Garmin II is a basic workhorse which allows me the quality of a base rugged GPS, and gives great reception when I use it in conjuction with my lap top. Plus, if I park along the trail and want to hike, I still have a full functioning GPS I bring along with me and leave the lap top behind. I have the auxillary cable that connects my GPS to my lap and provides a power sourse from the accessory plug of my Jeep so I don't wear the GPS batteries out. For my lap top, I have another plug in power source so that I don't have to rely on the lap top batteries as well when I'm out on the trails.

I love the viewing area my lap top gives me, along with the real time location and tracking capabities of Topo USA. I have an older version 2 that I will soon up grade to version 4.0 which comes on DVD and would cover the entire US. Right now I only have the West Coast edition. The level of detail Topo USA gives is incredible. You can visit their web site to run a site based demo.

As far as securing the lap top, I just use a web strap around the base of the front seat. Rich P (I think) a while back posted a link of a site that provides radio equipment bases for law enforcement vehicles and such, which looked pretty good. They were pretty beefy and would handle the weight of a lap top easily. I don't think a simple "goose neck" type of mount would work because of the weight involved. My GPS mounts on my windshield by the use of a suction cupped radar dector windshield mount I got at Radio Shack

Ivan

 

[Glenn B]

www.galls.com has laptop mounts and more..... not really inexpensive though.
When I was a Firefighter, I used to order quite a bit of stuff from them. Quick shipping and good customer service.

Glenn

 

[woody]

IIRC Macgyvr built a laptop bracket/stand for his XJ...it seemed 'overkill' beefy (IIRC mainly for theft prevention) and also looked like it would score some flesh & bone if you or passenger made contact...,maybe he padded it since he built it.

In my neck of the woods, I don't see a need for Jeep mounted GPS...the trails are pretty short and well defined (maps are dime a dozen and often only barely useful) Maybe I am abnormal...but after riding the same trails a time or three, I know exactly where I am in relation to the other trails. Having GPS coord's for obstacles might be 'neat' but only useful if others use GPS to find-or avoid- them.

 

[Safari Ary]

Woody, there's this horrific thing, it's called traffic. Have you heard of it? There's another horrific thing, it's called getting lost in unfamiliar cities. A city is a place where a LOT of people live, in case you were unaware. All kidding aside:angel: I travel a lot(55k miles in 2 years didn't happen by themselves) and often times I'm not in a familiar stretch of woods. I agree, I can usually find my way if I've been somewhere 2 or 3 times before, but I often find myself in new and interesting places without a map or local to point me in the right direction. I also would love the ability to say "I'm here, this is where I'm going, find me another way to get there so I can avoid this traffic." All in all I realize it's a luxury item, but I think it's pretty cool, and it would make life just that much easier

Thanks for the ideas guys, anyone have personal experience with any of the systems on the market?

 

[woody]

Woody, there's another horrific thing, it's called getting lost in unfamiliar cities. A city is a place where a LOT of people live, in case you were unaware.

Oh ya, I forgot about those LOL I was in one once....it wasn't the same afterwards. There is something creepy about the whole vertical stacking thing. Ever been to a pet store?

The only traffic jam I've seen lately was last Wednesday following both halves of a double-wide MH through Nantahala Gorge on NC19/74. Iron Maiden's "A Real Live One" on the discman headphones worked for me....that and intermittent verbal harrasment to the MH drivers/spotter team from the Tailgunner :viking: I was lucky, as I could see (and rant at) what was balling up traffic... the hundred or so folks behind were clueless.

Good luck in your search...that TLC would be a sweet setup with a laptop/GPS/DVD plumbed through a 13 speaker Nakamichi system. You may still be stuck or broke, but at least you'd know the exact coords, and be able to slip in the latest Barney flick for entertainment. Loud Barney works equally well for traffic jams, or so I've been told.

 

[Matthew Currie]

I have a Garmin GPS12 with an accessory cord which plugs into the serial port of a laptop. It works nicely with Microsoft Streets & Trips, which came with my laptop. Just set the GPS on the dashboard, and it will show where you are on the map. I don't actually use it much, so have no good suggestions for mounting, though.

Garmin support seems pretty good. I bought the GPS at a yard sale, and got the complete instructions on line. Later, I got a firmware update too, all quite trouble-free.