Sat Nav / GPS

Looking forward to another trip to Argentina in late September. Need to hire a truck / 4x4 to travel to various destinations in Cordoba Region - Does anyone know if Sat Nav / GPS is possible? Thinking about buying a Tom Tom or similar before leaving UK. Any advice / recomendations would be welcome.

There are lots of outfitters that provide guide and equipment services in that region. Check some of their websites and see if you can trade emails with them for a recommendation.

The gps units of different brands all use the same constellation of satellites for determining where your device is. What you want to make sure is that you find the company with the best maps of that region for the application you need. I have a garmin nuvi 370 and think it is great but, I have not used it to navigate in wilderness or remote areas (I am still a compass and map kinda guy)

I have yet to find software that has maps to run on a windows smartphone for BA.

Has anyone found one?

If you ave a GPS transponder in the phone, it's even better.

Yeah that works.

But key thing is though is to not need a internet connection to download maps.

If I have the maps in my phone I just need to use the built in GPS chip, its free. My phone knows where it is, I just need maps.

If I am in BFE with no coverage I am screwed.

By the way can you get prepaid cards for 3G access? What is the price? What provider etc?

Have been searching for a Buenos Aires map for a Garmin Nuvi and seem to have hit a bit of a wall. My best effort is "MAPEAR v6.01." It is a third party thing and it is free. I like free, but, "you get what you pay for." Anyone out there have experience with this map software for a Garmin.

Thanks

[url]http://www.proyectomapear.com.ar/[/url]

[QUOTE=Damman]Have been searching for a Buenos Aires map for a Garmin Nuvi and seem to have hit a bit of a wall. My best effort is "MAPEAR v6.01." It is a third party thing and it is free. I like free, but, "you get what you pay for." Anyone out there have experience with this map software for a Garmin.

Thanks.

[url]http://www.proyectomapear.com.ar/[/url][/QUOTE]Damman,

I've had the same model of GPS for about a year now, and thus I've been down this road, no pun intended.

As of a year ago, the map that was produced via community effort by the members of the proyectomapear.com.ar functions as an image. It is reasonably accurate, but it has none of the functionality that would be available as a genuine Garmin-approved map.

In other words, it does not (or did not as of a year ago) plot routes, display street names, offer 3D viewing perspectives, lookup addresses, offer a database of venues, etc.

Essentially, the proyectomapear.com.ar map will show your current position in relation to the underlying map image, and that's it.

The only true Garmin-licensed map of Argentina, and the only alternative to which I am familiar, is a Garmin map produced and sold by an Argentine company...

Geosistemas S.R.L.
Venezuela 676
Cap Fed, BsAs.
[url]http://www.geosistemassrl.com.ar/[/url]

Toyman visited their offices and purchased their Argentina map on a chip for $325 USD.

Yes, that's right. The map cost more than the GPS.

Of course, we tried to copy the map onto another chip, but the Garmin GPS itself has coding in it which is intended to aid map producers in preventing duplication.

In other words, the map will only function on the one chip in which it was originally installed.

I subsequently made a deal with Toyman wherein I purchased a share in his chip for use when he isn't in Argentina, which I believe makes me the first person to own a timeshare of a GPS map.

Please let us know if you find an alternate map source as I am sure that Geosistema's prices will not go down until they have some real competition.

Thanks,

Jackson

FYI: If you have an iPhone, there's a nice little 99 cent app called "iMapsPro Buenos Aires." It's just a plain map of Capital Federal up to about Tigre and down to about Avellanada, but the nicest feature is that you just press a little button and it shows you where you are on the map via GPS. No, it doesn't do navigation and you can't look up addresses, and it's not perfect, but hello, 99¢ if you already have an iPhone.

Does anyone have any idea if any of the car rental companies are renting cars equipped with a Garmin GPS loaded with a true Garmin-licensed map of Argentina such as one sold by Geosistemas S. R. L. OR if such a GPS loaded with a Garmin licensed map of Argentina is on sale either in Argentina or in USA.

Help / advise / how to go about it, would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[QUOTE=Jackson]Toyman visited their offices and purchased their Argentina map on a chip for $325 USD.

The map cost more than the GPS.[/QUOTE]Thank-You for all that wonderful information Jackson. Fuck it, have more fun getting lost. Me and the Subte. Another gadget I own that has become useless.

This links to a rapidshare free download that supposedly has the garmen argentina files.

As I do not have a gps I can not test but it appears to be what you are looking for.

[url]http://www.taringa.net/posts/downloads/1415316/Mapas-Para-Garmin-de-Argentina_.html[/url]

Thanks again to everyone for the information. Do not wish to appear flippant, but getting used to the Argentine way of doing things takes some getting used to. Most local retailers use the freeware "Mapear v 8.00" available at [url]http://www.proyectomapear.com.ar/[/url] when they tout their GPS devices. Difficult to believe retailers are using the freeware. If they used the genuine Garmin stuff that Jackson pointed out, well you can do the math.

Jackson, keep working on cracking that Garmin chip. If they can hack a new Iphone in less than a week, you surely can copy that chip. You are not trying hard enough.

If you have a GPS from Garmin I suggest buying a SD card at GPSMUNDO located at 919, Blanco Encalada in Nuñez ([url]www.gpsmundo.com[/url])

Around 1 year ago I bought a SD-Card with maps covering Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela.

I can no longer remember the exact price but I believe it was 149 or 199 pesos (yes pesos, not USD)

The maps are very good and I use them all over Argentina - The maps may not be quite as detailed as regular Garmin-maps covering the US and Europe.

I can highly recommend buying these maps as it is a much better option (price & quality) compared to the other options mentioned below

I really like your post about the Nuvi Map at 200 pesos. I bought my chip 3 years ago and it was the only real working Garmin chip for Argentina. Although it was very expensive, I was able to sublet it to El Jeffe so as to minimize the pain. I use the Garmin to travel out of BA to the northern provinces on my bi-annual fishing / fucking trips. In reality, it's the getting in and out of BA that motivated my purchase. For what ever it's worth, the Garmin has performed exceptionally well within the Capital and surrounding province as well as throughout Argentina. Very good indeed. My only question relating to the Nuvi / cheap chip GPS unit is have you used it as a navigational tool while driving in argentina, especially BA proper. I kinda of find it hard to believe that the price of the Garmin chip would still be really high if a 200 pesos competitor existed. Your comments will be appreciated on the performance of you're NUVI with the 200 pesos chip.

Happy Mongering All.

Toymann

Competition is on the horizon: [url]http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/index.php?duty=Show&id=34994[/url]

TomTom turn by turn navigation is now available for download from the app store. Available are US / Canada, Western Europe, Australia & New Zealand. Argentina is NOT available yet, but is likely coming soon. The price varies, but look for it to cost about $99USD.

I brought a Garmin from USA and downloaded Argentina maps onto it online.

[QUOTE=Hubbster]I brought a Garmin from USA and downloaded Argentina maps onto it online[/QUOTE]From which website and for how much? I have a Garmin also and have never seen map for Argentina in Garmin website.

Two years ago before I got my Garmin, I was walking by an electronic store on Talcahuano somewhere between Cordoba and Tucuman. The clerk told me that if I bring a GPS to them and they can download Argentina (or may be only Buenos Aires) map to it for 90 pesos. Since I don't really travel too far in BsAs so I have not gotten the map yet.

Its not a Garmin site. Its a site created by people in Argentina.

Found it

[url]www.proyectomapear.com.ar[/url]

If you own a Navigon or any other GPS that comes with WinCE, you can load "miopocket" in it, and it'll turn your gps into a PDA. With the benefit of being able to install Garmin Mobile XT with Argentina Maps (the most detailed available) among other GPS software; play movies; listen to mp3; etc.

More info at gpspassion here:

[url]http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=126303[/url]

There's Argentina maps for Igo 8 and 8.3 here:
[url]http://www.taringa.net/posts/links/2391873/igo-8_3-+-mapas-actualizados-de-argentina.html[/url]

Of course it's not as detailed as mapear's.

I am certainly getting a bit of a chuckle out of this thread. Yes, there are some internet free downloads for argentina as far as maps go. As far as I know, at this time, there is only one GARMIN, navigating map set for argentina. It's very pricey, but works quite well. Good luck with the knock-offs! Been there, done that! Doesn't get it done. Happy Mongering All. Toymann

This is just to let you all know that the Tom Tom application for iPhone is now available with the Argentine / Uruguay maps. This is turn-by-turn navigation and it's on sale until January 11th for just $49 at the iTunes store. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

I have used the maps from: [url]www.proyectomapear.com.ar[/url] and they have not failed me. Its a good map and its free.

Get an unlocked smart phone: GPS Navigation, 3G, WiFi, Skype etc.

[QUOTE=Toymann]I am certainly getting a bit of a chuckle out of this thread. Yes, there are some internet free downloads for argentina as far as maps go. As far as I know, at this time, there is only one GARMIN, navigating map set for argentina. It's very pricey, but works quite well. Good luck with the knock-offs! Been there, done that! Doesn't get it done. Happy Mongering All. Toymann[/QUOTE]I have both the original garmin maps (bought on a sd disk from garmin) and the proyectomapear. Com. Ar free downloaded once joined free forum and the mapsource program and at least for now in the Buenos Aires and surroundings (I have gone to Gualiguachu and found hotels using it) the projecto mapear newest version (8.6) is very very good and gets you anywhere with no problem and so far it has helped me find anyplace I need & it had all the info I need and worked great with my garmin nuvi

Thanks for the update on the GPS situation. At the time of my post I had tried several knockoffs without any success. The Garmin authorized argentine mapset was the only one that worked with the garmin when I purchased it years ago. The point is now moot for me as I take busses north to corrientes everytime. Can't beat the executive bus in argentina fellas. LOL. I know somewhere Exon is smiling. Happy Mongering All. Toymann

ps. Kevins. At the time I purchased my mapset Garmin did not sell an argentine mapset but had contracted with an authorized group in argentina, that also created the mapset. In other words I couldn't buy directly from Garmin or I would have. As with all technology these days things change quite rapidly and based on your post there are now affordable mapsets you can get that work on a garmin. Good news for the consumer for sure. For whatever it's worth the mapset I bought has worked great and was partically good at navigating in and out of buenos aires.

I wonder how GPS adjusts for shifts in the Earth crust?

After the earthquake in Chile, B. A. has moved 3 cm West and Concepcion is now 10 feet West of where it was.

The gps does not adjust. It will tell you, your position on the earth surface using longitude and latitude. The maps put into the gps is what you look at. The map uses Longitude and latitude to tell you where you are in the map. If the surface moves 10 feet or more, then it's going to be off by 10 feet or more, until someone update the map with the new longitude and latitude of the street you are on. The satellites in orbit don't know the surface has moved.

Usually car gps are not supper accurate, but a move of more then 10 feet might be noticed. There are other gps that are accurate within an few inches. Those are usually used by scientist monitoring glaciers movements or fault lines, and it is also used on some very large constructions sites.

[QUOTE=WorldTravel69]I wonder how GPS adjusts for shifts in the Earth crust?

After the earthquake in Chile, BA has moved 3 cm West and Concepcion is now 10 feet West of where it was.[/QUOTE]Your ordinary navigation-grade GPS might register the 10-foot shift. It would take (it [u]took[/u]) a surveying-grade GPS to register the shift of Buenos Aires.

GPS works by time differences. The receiver starts with the difference between "time tick" signals from the satellites in view, and a mathematical model of their positions relative to the center of Earth's gravity. If you've ever looked at the "estimated position error" figures on a GPS when you turn it on, the position gets better with time - it may start out with an EPE of 150 feet or worse, and after a couple of minutes it settles down to 15 feet or better. This is because more time, and more computations, improve the math model.

There are, however, several items that change the signals enough that a navigation-grade GPS will never get much better than 10 feet accuracy. First and worst is "multi-path error," where the signal gets reflected and re-reflected from buildings or even trees. Try using one in the downtown area and you'll soon see what I mean. A similar error can be caused by rain, as the raindrops actually do diffuse the signal. Variations in the ionosphere can slow down or bend the signal (this is familiar to shortwave-radio users); and the troposphere, the lowest layer of our atmosphere, can also bend the signals enough to introduce error. And there are tiny variances in the satellites themselves; although the GPS "control segment", with its monitoring network, keeps pretty good tabs on that. They figure the "satellite almanac" that your receiver uses to predict the orbital position of the satellites on a moment-to-moment basis; it's broadcast with the GPS signal from each satellite, and the receiver downloads it every time you use it.

You can improve that position quite a bit by using "differential GPS," which means you have a GPS receiver at a known, surveyed location near the area where you're working. This broadcasts the difference between its actual position and its "GPS position," in such a way that your GPS receiver can also receive that difference and apply it to the position it's calculating. This wouldn't help after an earthquake that shifted the crust under the benchmarks too!

Surveying GPS receivers operate differently. Rather than calculate your position on a moment-to-moment basis, they save up all of the raw data over an extended period of time. Then the surveyor loads this raw data into a computer for post-processing, using far more positioning data and more sophisticated processing programs than you'd be able to use in a navigation-grade GPS. They can also download the satellites' actual position data from the GPS control segment, 24 hours after they collected their position data; with all that help, they can calculate a position to within a centimeter or better [I]independent of local control.[/i]

This post-processing is what the "national survey" would have used to come up with that 3cm shift in Buenos Aires' position.

(Geez, this should teach you not to dangle an "instructional opportunity" in front of a retired teacher!)