10.3 GPS Devices

There are two main types of GPS receivers on the market at the moment:

• Plain GPS receivers

• GPS receivers with maps

A plain GPS receiver simply interprets the readings from the satellite and returns the result in latitude, longitude, and altitude. Figure 10-5 shows the PocketMap (http://www.pocketmap.com) PMG-220 Compact Flash (CF) GPS receiver. You can use the PMG-220 on a handheld or your notebook computer (which may require a PCMCIA adapter for the CF card).

Figure 10-5. The PocketMap PMG-220 CF GPS receiver with a CF-to-PCMCIA adapter

Figure 10-6 shows the Deluo Laptop GPS receiver. This is an affordable receiver ($99) that's available from Deluo (http://www.deluo.com) in serial or USB configurations. We used the Deluo USB model in our testing for this chapter.

Figure 10-6. The Deluo Laptop GPS receiver

Figure 10-7 shows two standalone GPS receivers equipped with their own mapping software. The Magellan Meridian Gold and the Garmin StreetPilot III contain built-in screens to display maps. There is no need to connect the receivers to any device for them to work. Standalone GPS receivers are useful for travelers who need a lightweight GPS solution.

Figure 10-7. The Magellan Meridian Gold GPS (left) and the Garmin StreetPilot III (Magellen used by permission, Thales Navigation, Inc. 2003; Garmin courtesy of Garmin Ltd.)