The Bottom Line
While it's not as handy as my old Garmin GPS II Plus, the combination iPAQ and Navman GPS sleeve with Maptech's great topo maps take GPS to a new level. Easy to use, and positioning was very accurate.
Pros
- Easily portable.
- Handy for finding topo features in the woods.
- I found it to be quite accurate.
Cons
- Sometimes had trouble getting a signal.
- Inconvenient shape can be awkward.
Description
- GPS sleeve for Compaq iPAQ together with Maptech Pocket Navigator software.
- Transfer Maptech digital topo maps from your PC and then navigate them.
- Can also be used with Maptech digital nautical charts, navphotos, or digital aeronautical charts.
- Use routes or tracks, and import both from desktop PC versions of Maptech software.
- Requires Pocket PC or Pocket PC 2002 Operating System, 4 Mb free memory, ActiveSynch 3.0 or higher.
- Needs extra storage for topo maps/nautical charts (2-5 Mb each) and aeronautical charts (20 Mb each)
- Does NOT work with Palm OS (Palm, Handspring Sony) or older Windows CE (CE, CE2, CE3) devices.
- "Go to" navigation displays time and distance on the map, showing you the terrain you need to cross.
Guide Review - Maptech Pocket Navigator
I've been using a handheld GPS in the woods for about five years now, without mapping capabilities. I have also used Maptech Terrain Navigator software, which is very handy indeed. Combining the two and creating a GPS that projects your position right there on the screen, over a topo map -- well, it's one of the best things to happen to GPS and mapping technologies in recent years.
I found Pocket Navigator to be very accurate in displaying my position in relation to the dirt roads in my hunting woods. While it lost signal more often than my Garmin and is less conveniently-shaped, Pocket Navigator in an iPAQ and GPS sleeve still did pretty well. This innovation by Maptech is impressive, but not surprising -- Maptech is often impressive.
