GPS selection help

[bigbear]

Hi all,
Our local BMW club is considering purchasing a GPS unit for use on club rides. The intended use would be for the tour director or a member of the group to have this GPS unit for emergencies. The desire is for the capability to call 911 and give them our position so they can send the appropriate help.

Desired features for the GPS unit:
1) Portable, this unit will be transferred from bike to bike depending on who is on the ride. Probably tucked into tank bags seldom hard mounted.
1a) Battery operated and or 12 VDC bike adapter. Not all bikes will have a power outlet or a common outlet.
2) Ease of use since there will be different operators.
3) Easily visible coordinates on the screen. In an accident situation I don’t want to be trying to figure out how to get the coordinates to be displayed or looking for a magnifying glass to read them. Lets face facts, most of us Beemer riders are over 40 and the eyes aren’t what they used to be.
4) Do some GPS unit have an emergency button that will broadcast a distress / come and get me signal?
5) Are some units more reliable than others on signal reception? We take trips ranging from Northern Wisconsin to the BRP.


Thanks from the Black Hawk Region BMW Club

[messenger13]

As I read the requirements for the GPS, for some unknown reason my mind went to a place where it's never gone before, regarding a GPS suggestion. Have you or your club looked into getting a cell phone with a GPS built into it? You could get just a basic plan (low monthly fee), and the GPS would be very easy to use. Otherwise, you may just be opening an huge can of worms. You might even look into a pre-pay plan.

[bigbear]

Joe we discussed using cell phones but the problem is with coverage areas. We have a lack of coverage in the North western part of Illinois and South western part of Wisconsin. People even have problems with cell coverage in central Illinois.

Our club is checking with the 911 centers to see which is a better solution for response times. I.e. is it better to give them coordinates or try and trace a GPS cell signal.

Thanks for the input

Roy

[messenger13]

Excuse my ignorance here...but do the GPS cell phones use cell reception as their GPS receiver, or do they have a separate GPS receiver built into them? Perhaps there are different types of GPS-enabled cell phones out there? I just figured it would be a great multi-functional tool if you could get an emergency cell phone and GPS all in one.

Otherwise, have you looked at the Garmin Rino series GPS'es? http://mail.bmwlt.net/~messenger13/pics/space.gif CLICK (http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/)

[bigbear]

Joe, I am doing more checking but so far I have been told that your "normal" personal cell with GPS capabilities is only active when the phone is in use. I.e. a call is being made. Please don't quote me on this since my ignorance is equal to or greater than yours.

Looked at Garmin Rhino site and this may be a good starting point for comparison.

I am trying to get a meeting set up with a 911 board member to discuss which methods they feel work the best under most real life conditions. If the members here are interested in my findings about how the different systems work please let me know.

If there are any LEO's on this site, I would appreciate any information you may have on this subject.

Thanks

Roy

[Steve_R]

GPS function on a cell phone works just like a regular GPS. I can get my Long and Lat anywhere and it will tell me how many satellites it used to get it. The more satellites the better the position. You just need to make sure someone has cell phone coverage.

The Garmin Rino units are good if you're not going to try and look at them while riding.

JM2CW and what you paid for it. Nothing. ;)

[messenger13]

The Garmin Rino units are good if you're not going to try and look at them while riding.I believe Roy's club is looking into this as an emergency precaution should someone have an accident. They're not interested in a GPS as a routing tool the way we use it. Is this correct Roy?

[pgeller]

If that's the case, I would think a satellite phone might be the most useful. GPS without a phone just tells you where nobody knows you are.

pg

I believe Roy's club is looking into this as an emergency precaution should someone have an accident. They're not interested in a GPS as a routing tool the way we use it. Is this correct Roy?

[bigbear]

I believe Roy's club is looking into this as an emergency precaution should someone have an accident. They're not interested in a GPS as a routing tool the way we use it. Is this correct Roy?

Joe you are correct on intended GPS use at this time.

Reason this became a discussion is that last fall a rider had an accident and he made two calls to 911 but they didn't find him for over five hours. When they did find him it was to late.

Steve R.

What type of phone do you use and who is your service through?

Thanks

Roy

[Steve_R]

Steve R.

What type of phone do you use and who is your service through?

Thanks

RoyMy phone is Motorola i730. NexTel is the service. Unfortunately the coverage is sporadic away from the cities or about 10 miles off the Interstate. Good thing is the GPS is always active, even when not under a tower or in use. I've used it several times to write down waypoints for unusual finds in the GA mountains.

[lord_helmet]

An EPIRB device, such as the one in the attached PDF file may fit the bill , although it's clearly not a 'traditional' GPS.

The URL where this and other similar gizmos can be found is:
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/smartfindplus.html

P.S.: I'm not affiliated with the product or the site.

[bigbear]

I had a lengthy conversation with one of the local 911 supervisors and here is a quick summary of how 911 works Around Rockford, IL.

1) Rockford has just been updated to an "enhanced" system which has the capabilities of using GPS coordinates to find an actual street address.

2) They can also use three cell towers to triangulate your position from a cell phone call. NOTE: Depending on your location there may or may not be three cell towers for them to use. This can also take some time.

3) They can also track an actual GPS 911 signal from a cell phone. I was not smart enough to ask if this required the phone to be in use.

4) This person also stated that each area has it's own operating system and they may or may NOT have GPS capabilities. His actual statement was it is still best if you know road names when giving your location.

5) Most important item is to stay on the phone until help arrives. One of the biggest problems with emergency calls is that people hang up before all of the information 911 requires has been received.


Thanks for all of the input form the members of this site.

Blackhawk Region BMW Association

Roy