Gear

Has anyone any experience of gps units that work with a mobile phone via bluetooth? I've got a Nokia 6630 and I know there's software around, but I'm not sure whether it's more how to avoid speed cameras/find your way around the M25 type software.

Not that I really need a GPS as I'm the pround possessor of a pair of M&S Directional walking trousers with built in compass ;-)

Your main problem will be that a GPS receiver for the 6630 will cost the same as a decent low end purpose built handheld GPS.

There are some great Bluetooth gps receivers around that work well with mobile phones. GlobalSat, Socket, Emtac to name just three. In my experience, getting these to connect with your phone is very easy.

Software-wise, there are many driving direction applications available - TomTom and Wayfinder are two of the more popular. Not only will these provide A to B driving directions across most of Western Europe, but will often include points-of-interest (so you can find the nearest filling-station or cinema) and are starting to include safety camera databases. PocketGPSWorld.com also has a good safety camera database.

For outdoors walking/hiking use there are a few apps that will basically record your route. However, these are not anywhere near as sophisticated in capability as you'd find in a dedicated GPS unit.

For something a little different, you may want to take a look at ViewRanger (http://www.viewranger.com). This brand new application runs on mobile phones and provides a panoramic display showing the landscape horizon - and labels the hills, lakes, woodland, etc. within that vista. It uses a Bluetooth GPS unit to provide positioning to the phone & application. (Disclosure: I work for the company developing ViewRanger.)

For walking, we've found that putting the Bluetooth GPS unit in your pocket or rucksack is usually fine and it will still get a good satellite fix. Under very dense tree canopy, then the accuracy of the BT GPS can vary but the accuracy and quality has improved a lot, and will continue to do so, in these types of situations.

I don't know how the performance of Bluetooth GPS units compares against dedicated handheld GPS units in these dense canopy cases. Perhaps it's time Garmin added a Bluetooth commmunication capability to some of their GPS handhelds!

Hi, on the chart it says that the basic garmin etrex can store up to 500, and that the geco 201 can only store 250.

But on garmins website it is actually they other way around??

but what's the battery life?

I just looked at garmins website again, and its actually just the geko 201 thats different.

I didn't know Marks & Spencer made walking trousers.

Does the built in compass in the walking trousers shew direction when stationary or only when moving?

Philip - They're summer range had a few reasonably technical garments. The trousers are a quick drying polymide/cotton blend zip off type that aren't bad. They also did coolmax T's. I don't know about the winter range - I acquired vouchers in the Summer otherwise it wasn't somewhere I'd thought of looking.

Peter - It's on a cord in a small pocket - I tried using it whilst in motion but found I kept walking into trees... To be fair it's just about big enough to give you a reasonable degree of accuracy, but not really any good for triangulation with a map.