vertresq

all - I am a member of a Wilderness Search and Rescue team in Virginia and would like to convert my x51 to GPS capable with topo software so I'll have the maps of Virginia at my fingertips. Are there any suggestions as to which card to use for the GPS, how large of a SANDisk I'll need and good topo software for this device?

spud42

if the x51 has BT i would look into getting a BT GPS unit. it has its own battery and would last longer than using a CF or SD GPS solution. also they have a socket for an external aerial which may come in handy in rough terrain.put the aerial up on a pole to get a clearer view of the sky.... also they have a charging socket to power the unit up externally... how long does the bat last on the x51? if you are going to use it as a serious tool for search & rescue maybe look into an extended battery solution. as i am not american i have no idea what software to use sorry.... as for size the whole map of australia fits in approx 128Meg.. so the more detailed maps for you would easily fit on a 2 Gig SD card.. plus give lots of room for training docs ,manuals etc....sounds like a great idea... i wonder what google would turn up?

Maptech : Topo Maps Charts Navigation Software GPS and Online MapServer this came up and looks good... from this search...search and rescue GPS maps and software - Google Search

__________________
... here are a few of my favorite things.... Hx4700 WM6.1 , AcerAspire One A150 , Canon 30D DSLR . . . .new GF not necessarily in this order.....

vertresq

Thanks! However, I'm not sure what BT means?

zacksba

BT = Bluetooth

The other thing to consider is that you may want to purchase (if you have not already) some sort of protective case for the Axim to protect it from water/dust etc.

an example would be like this

Dell Axim X51 Waterproof Drypak : (5 Star Rating) Google Checkout available.

or this....

2600 Series PDA Case // OtterBox.com

of course, it will all depend on what GPS receiver solution you go with so you would still need to do some research on costs, sizes, extended battery thickness, check some other forums out etc.

JakeRich

For your purposes, look for a BlueTooth GPS that has a long battery life (so you can keep it going in the wilderness) or one with replaceable batteries so you can carry spares and swap them out. If you don't have BT, then a good CF GPS will do you well. There are some really reasonably priced ones out there. Given that you will be under trees, which attenuate the satellite signal, look for something with either SirfStarIII or MTK chipset. The both work better in degraded signal areas than the older chipsets.

For maps, MemoryMap is a pretty good solution, as are some others. There is a website at GpsPasSion - Reference site GPS that has some good forum discussions on terrain mapping.

There are reviews of GPS productshere.