Streets and trips
- Thread starter mrstang01
- Start date
paulj
Expedition Leader
I have a copy from 2003. The road data base is essentially the same as what you find on line at places like Google maps. So it does show roads down to the level of minor forest service ones, but it does not give much information about the terrain or road conditions. Google maps with the ability to show satelite images and the newest terrain view gives more information.
S&T is perhaps the most useful for exploring multiday routes, giving estimated distances and times. You can do the same on google maps, but S&T is faster, and you aren't tied to the net.
paulj
S&T is perhaps the most useful for exploring multiday routes, giving estimated distances and times. You can do the same on google maps, but S&T is faster, and you aren't tied to the net.
paulj
Grim Reaper
Expedition Leader
RobinP said:
That’s impressive that it stays that acurate. I have seen the kits with a USB receiver at Costco and wondered about it.
I am running a GPS V and feeding a laptop that has N-Route on it. The GPS V always under estimates the time and the N-Route always over estimates. I went through and made sure that they had the same settings for avg speeds for the type of streets and it got them closer but still not the same. The N-Route would be accurate if I didn't have a lead foot. I trimmed 32 minutes off a 4 hour trip this week.
Now N-Route will support Google earth for a $20 yearly fee but I have not spent the money to played with it yet.
RoundOut
Explorer
I had the 2006 version and my wife got me the 2008 version for Christmas. I used 2006 during my trip to New Mexico and Colorado last summer and it had all the roads we took on it. They were mostly forest service roads.
The new version has lots of cool bells and whistles that the 2006 version didn't have. My wife has an Avon business and I talked her into using 2008 to incorporate her contacts into a "route" on S&T. The program will optimize the route pretty efficiently. She'll deliver product to 30-40 customers at a time and it cuts her fuel usage and delivery time significantly. This point has no real bearing on expedition travel, but in her Sequoia DD, it makes for efficient customer routing anyhow.
In summary, the 2006 version I bought came with the first generation gps. The new version I got for Christmas, has the SIRF III chipset gps, which tracks more satellites and works better in foul weather/around tall obstructions.
I tried using a SIRF III bluetooth gps, the one that the guys took on the Arctic Circle Expedition (I saw it in their thread). It didn't work near as well as the original usb one did. I never determined if the problem was with bluetooth coms or with the gps itself. It seemed to anticipate where the vehicle was travelling instead of reporting actual locations. I ended up mothballing it in favor of the new one that came with 2008.
The new version has lots of cool bells and whistles that the 2006 version didn't have. My wife has an Avon business and I talked her into using 2008 to incorporate her contacts into a "route" on S&T. The program will optimize the route pretty efficiently. She'll deliver product to 30-40 customers at a time and it cuts her fuel usage and delivery time significantly. This point has no real bearing on expedition travel, but in her Sequoia DD, it makes for efficient customer routing anyhow.
In summary, the 2006 version I bought came with the first generation gps. The new version I got for Christmas, has the SIRF III chipset gps, which tracks more satellites and works better in foul weather/around tall obstructions.
I tried using a SIRF III bluetooth gps, the one that the guys took on the Arctic Circle Expedition (I saw it in their thread). It didn't work near as well as the original usb one did. I never determined if the problem was with bluetooth coms or with the gps itself. It seemed to anticipate where the vehicle was travelling instead of reporting actual locations. I ended up mothballing it in favor of the new one that came with 2008.
Fifthpro
Adventurer
I have used Street & Trips since 97 (not the same one...) and I upgrade each year. It is a valuable planning tool as mentioned and I have used it coupled with a GPS for real time tracking. That function is a bit more cumbersome and not as easly adapted to as a Garmin, but serviceable non the less.
Well worth the few dollars that it cost for the software.
Well worth the few dollars that it cost for the software.