Armed with two different GPS navigation tools, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent makes his way across the Midwest without a hitch -- until the GPS navigators disagree about where to turn
Our "Tech On the Go" correspondent Scott Koegler will be filing his column from the road this summer as he crosses the country with his family over the next six weeks. Though there's bound to be some "vacationing" along the way, Scott will continue to operate his small business from the road. Throughout this adventure, he'll share tips, tricks, and insights about how to keep a business running smoothly when you're on the move while maintaining a virtual connection to his office network, server, desktop computer, and video surveillance system.
Scott and his wife, Donna Marie, are traveling in a Ford E-350 van, pulling a travel trailer, accompanied by their dogs, Cody and Mac. They left their home in Wilkesboro, N.C., on June 16, bound for the Rocky Mountains. After crossing the Continental Divide, they'll stop off in Las Vegas, peek into the Grand Canyon, and visit family in New Mexico before heading for home along Route 66 (and more modern byways).
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Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota -- I've always had a pretty good sense of direction. I could always find my way to where I was headed, even if it took several extra hours. But on a drive across country that involves stopping in very specific campground locations while trying to keep driving time around six hours requires better triangulation than "I think it's over here somewhere." So, I've enlisted the help of two navigation devices.
I'm using a TomTom GO 930, a great, portable GPS, and DeLorme's Street Atlas installed on my laptop. I used Street Atlas to plan the entire route, setting up detailed location information for each stop, and even adding notes that can be shown on screen if needed, then hidden when not needed. I have my laptop mounted on a pedestal between the driver and passenger seat, so that I can see it easily, as well as the GO 930.
The technology used in each GPS navigator is different, which leads to some interesting moments. I refer to these incidents as "dueling navigators" because they sometimes direct me (at the same time) to turn in opposite directions. Overall, I have begun to rely on the TomTom for the more precise, local directions. Its new IQ function is helpful in preparing me for lane changes (especially helpful when dragging 50 feet of equipment), but even more to my liking is the voice instruction.
Street Atlas has voice prompts as well, but I've found that the GO 930 acts more "human," as it warns me in advance when I should turn, then just as a friend would do when coming up to a turn, says "Turn left," or whatever, just at the right moment.
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I've also used the GO for finding local places. For example, I used it to find a tire dealership to replace my defective tire, and the next day to find a local Curves, to drop my wife off for a workout. Actually, when we arrived at the Curves, it was closed, so I was able to ask the GO to find the next closest Curves (which WAS open), and then direct us there.
For its part, Street Atlas is a great planning tool, as well as navigation. It just isn't quite as portable as the GO. Additionally, it has a full array of keyboard and voice input functions, so I could talk my commands to it in addition to listening to directions. The GO 930 has voice input only for addresses, but that's likely to be the majority of use in any case.
In other good news, my Sprint connection is wonderfully speedy here, and my NexAira wireless broadband router is supplying connectivity to two laptops and my Chumby. Ahhhh... the luxury of connectivity!
See you on the road!
See more "Tech on the Go" columns by Scott Koegler
