|
|
Navman GPS 3420.
Product:
Navman GPS 3420 for iPAQ.
Manufacturer: Navman
(http://www.navmanusa.com/land/gps3420/index.html)
Software: Navman SmartST, 2CDs for East and
West Coast US
Price: $299
GPS stands for Global Positioning system. Any computer equipped with a GPS module will be able to find its relative position on earth based on coordinates. These coordinates are obtained from satellites circulating the earth.
The Navman GPS 3420 was my first GPS module. GPS is a completely different technology and working with satellites can sometimes be a little frustrating but thanks to Navman’s help and the simplicity of their software, I was able to get started in a breeze.
The packaging:
The Navman GPS 3420 just came out a few months ago. It now offers the already popular Navman GPS sleeve as well as a brand new Navman software, cigarette lighter adapter and windshield holder (with powerful suction cup). The sleeve has been bundled for several months with third party mapping software and is now available with these third party applications for as little as $199 but as you will see in this review, the $100 difference might not be that great considering the improvements brought with the new maps. A small instruction pamphlet was also supplied though you will find a detailed user guide in HTML format on the CD..
The GPS receiver:
The GPS sleeve offers a very effective omni directional antenna (full 360 around the unit). It also provides a Type II CF slot so Microdrive users will be completely satisfied. If you are planning on using a Microdrive of other CF memory without a notch to remove it, make sure that you have a solid piece of tape attached to the storage card or else it might be difficult to remove it from the GPS receiver.
The sleeve adds significant size to the iPAQ but provides very good reception (compared to other portable GPS receivers). Unfortunately there is no battery built-in the sleeve which would have been a great addition. Talking about battery, the GPS will consume more power than using your iPAQ alone. Communicating to satellites isn’t easy and can significantly reduce your battery life. Though I was personally impressed by the limited power consumption; my 3970 lost about an hour over regular use with the Microdrive. Navman is advertising the battery life with full brightness to be around 2 hours. I believe this estimate is about right, even with maps installed on a Microdrive (especially if you have an Xscale equipped PPC, which would help consume less power).
The cigarette lighter adapter:
Nothing much here, just a plain power cable that will power your iPAQ while in a car. The H38/3900 power adapter isn’t supplied so you will need to use the one provided by HP.
The suction cup holder:
The suction cup features a locking mechanism that is very effective. Once you push the lever on the cup, the arm will be sucked and secured to the windshield. Unfortunately the arm is much too short and unless you are driving a truck or an SUV with almost vertical windshields, you will have some problems finding the right placement for the unit. As a note, I did end up cracking the HP power connector as it extended too far down and hit the top of the dashboard. This was done in a regular Nissan Sentra but I believe it could have been worse in my Mustang especially with a much steeper windshield. The good point is that the suction cup will withstand and hold your iPAQ securely in any type of driving (trust me this was put to the test).
The software:
Here comes the interesting part. The Navman GPS 3420 comes bundled with Navman's brand new mapping software, the SmartST Professional. The kit includes two CD-ROMs for both the Eastern and Western part of the US. I would also like to mention that the software is available for other parts of the world though the 3420 doesn't included any of those maps. For instance the Navman GPS 3400 kit is sold over in Europe.
The Install:
The install of
the GPS software is pretty much standard. Sync your iPAQ with your desktop,
and launch the Navman install utility. One disappointment is that I
was unable to install the navigation software on my CF card. I tried
several times but each time it resulted in an error message while loading
the application. I didn't try installing it on an SD card as I thought
it would run a little too slow. The reason why the software probably
didn't install properly is because the GPS sleeve needs to be recognized
first in order to be used thus, requiring the proper drivers to be installed
in main memory.
The software package took about 3.1MB of space which is still reasonable
considering that most PPCs come with 64MB of internal RAM. If you have
a 3970 (or 5450) you might also consider installing it in ROM for added
piece of mind.
Once the software is installed, you'll need to register it in order
to use it. This is done through your desktop with the iPAQ synchronized.
The process is relatively easy (enter the CD key provided and sync)
though I have had problems in the past with this type of software protection,
especially due to firewalls. Be aware that you might have to open up
your firewall in order to perform the registration process.
The
maps installation was slightly different. Once the iPAQ is synchronized
with AS, simply launch the provided map installer. The installer will
scan your PPC for installed maps. You will be able to select regions
by simply clicking on the map (or enter a zip or city name which is
contained in the region you want) and install them onto your device.
For the purpose of this review I selected both states of NY and MA.
Both maps took about 65MB on my Microdrive which is still very reasonable
considering the details found on these maps.
One little drawback was the time it took to sync the maps. I first tried
to install the maps over Bluetooth which took about 45min, then over
AS, about 25min and finally over 802.11b which was about that same as
AS. Bottom line, make sure you have some time and a battery that will
last that long if using wireless. My recommendation is to use the cradle
and let the maps install while you get a coffee break. The good thing
is that you really don't have to do it more than once. Once the maps
are on the device, you're ready to go. Also make sure you have a decent
sized CF or SD card (this can add some extra cost but GPS users usually
expect this from mapping software).
I was also surprised that the maps would automatically transition; for
instance, if you move the map from Boston to NYC (I will get back as
to how to do this later) the software will automatically select the
map to use... actually, I'm not sure how this works but you can't even
see the transition effect. It simply appears as a large map of the Northeast
or whatever regions you selected. Pretty cool.
Info
Want
to know more about us?
Or get in touch with us?
Click here!
