Electronic Gadgets, Vehicle Gadgets
Do-it-yourself GPS system for your car
Some people think they’d have to spend thousands of bucks for built-in or standalone GPS system in their car. Why not? However, if you’re like me who would have to think twice before splurging on such expensive buys, wouldn’t it be more practical if you could just buy the cheapest GPS device and navigation software in the market, install the latter on the device, connect it on the PDA, and run the car “your” way?
It’s even way smarter, if you think about it, since a built-in GPS system may have a non-intuitive interface or inaccurate maps. A do-it-yourself GPS system lets you personalize everything on a bargain. Think: all you really need is an ordinary PDA, a Bluetooth-enabled GPS unit, and a navigation software of your choice. Then go and hit the road!
Ohlamon lets us in on this neat trick: If you already found the nav software, PDA, and GPS unit with Bluetooth capability (there’s even a solar-powered one which you could just position in your car where there is sunlight), then mount it on a holder. When both the devices are turned on and charged, create and enable Bluetooth partnership by following these six easy steps:
1. Tap Start -> Settings -> Connections tab -> Bluetooth.
2. Tap “Turn on” Bluetooth button or checkbox.
3. Tap Bluetooth > Devices tab > New Partnership. Your device searches for other devices with Bluetooth capabilities, and displays them in the list.
4. Tap the name of your GPS device, and tap Next.
5. In Passkey enter an alphanumeric passkey between 1 and 16 characters, and tap Next. (You will find this passkey somewhere in you GPS device documentation)
6. Tap Finish.
Find Connect in the menu of your GPS device, then set up and run your navigation software. This trick isn’t possible with my Nintendo DS (yes, there are custom maps for the DS that you can download on the console) but with any Bluetooth-enabled GPS unit and an ordinary PDA, this is really child’s play. You don’t even have to be a geek to get the GPS thingy going in no time!
Source: OwsWeb
Join 2 Comments
Vinnie (Do it Yourself) McNamma Says: August 15, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Thanks for this great tip. Even I managed to do it with your step by step guide. Thnx!!
Country Keepers by Gary Petersen » Blog Archive » DIY GPS Map System for Your Car Says: November 11, 2006 at 8:38 am
[...] Coolest-gadgets.com may have found an alternative that works for me. They have directions for building a GPS map system using a Pocket PC, and GPS receiver, and map software. It certainly looks like you can build a GPS map system at a cost on par with many dedicated systems and you’d have the Pocket PC for other uses as well. [...]