Cheap navigation - Mio Moov and OziExplorerCE

[slartibartfast]

Just thought I'd share some info regarding using a PDA (Personal Data Assistant - basically a mini-computer) as a GPS navigation device.

 

For the last 5 years or so, I have used my Mio 168 with built-in GPS for road and air navigation. For the air, I use OziExplorerCE with purchased copies of the WACs, VNCs and VTCs from MapTrax.

 

OziExplorer is great Australian-written software, with the author - Des Newman - always available via email for help.

 

There are 2 components to OziExplorer :-

 

• OziExplorerCE runs on the PDA and allows you to track your position received from a GPS on a map (moving map).
   
   
  
• OziExplorer runs on a PC and allows you to plan your trip, create routes and waypoints (and other data) and upload them to your PDA for use by OziExplorerCE.
  The registered version also allows you to scan your own maps and calibrate them for use on your PDA.
   
   
  

 

 

Both of these have free demo versions you can try, with some functional limitations.

 

Recently, my trusty Mio stopped charging. The plug in the base had worked loose and broken. I tried some surgery I found on the web to provide 5 volts directly to the PCB, but the patient died.

 

After some research, I bought another Mio to replace it. This was a Mio Moov 300 and I picked it up for $260 with 2 years warranty (with a 3rd year if you register before Jan 15). It is sold as a dedicated SatNav device for road vehicles, but I discovered that it is a simple matter to unlock it and reveal the Windows CE operating system underneath. From there, you can install any other WindowsCE software you want.

 

The software can be dowloaded from here, and instructions to unlock it can be found here. It is best to install this and any other software to a seperate SD card so you can just remove the card and reset the device to put it back to original working order.

 

I believe the Moov is a rebadged Navman S, so they should be unlockable too. Since buying, I discovered that JB's and Dick Smith have stopped selling Mios because of support issues. Hopefully I don't get to find out how they really are. Maybe a Navman would be better. Same trick though.

 

In the process of setting this up, I discovered that a new version of OziExplorerCE had been released. I downloaded and installed it to the Mio, and had it up and running in no time. It is a fantastic improvement over the already awesome program. You can download a screen designer, and set up multiple pages with exactly the information you want.

 

When you fire it up (or when you turn on the GPS if it is set to 'off' by default), you get this page to show you satellite information during acquisition :-

 

[ATTACH]6937.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Once it has a fix, it switches to your configured main page.

 

Here's the main page I setup for navigation :-

 

[ATTACH]6936.vB[/ATTACH]

 

And here's what it all means :-

 

[ATTACH]6935.vB[/ATTACH]

 

When you hide the menu, you get the full 4.3" screen of info :-

 

[ATTACH]6943.vB[/ATTACH]

 

I created a list of waypoints (hundreds of them), and you can create new ones on the fly (pun intended). You can configure it so that they are loaded on startup.

 

Once these are loaded, you can press the Waypoint List button to bring up a list of waypoints :-

 

[ATTACH]6942.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Or you can go to the "Nearest Waypoint" page :-

 

[ATTACH]6938.vB[/ATTACH]

 

Either way, hit "Goto" and you have a bearing, distance and ETA to follow.

 

If you prefer, you can have a compass and a map :-

 

[ATTACH]6939.vB[/ATTACH]

 

or just a compass :-

 

[ATTACH]6945.vB[/ATTACH]

 

There are pages for flight analysis :-

 

[ATTACH]6940.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]6941.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]6944.vB[/ATTACH]

 

There's a speed profile too, and tons of other information. It is all as configurable as a very configurable thing.

 

It runs smoothly on the Mio 300, but you could always get a Mio 360 or 370 with a faster processor and bluetooth. They all come with MioMap road navigation software which seems to be excellent so far. Great maps, good interface, and the street names are read out in a very nice female Australian voice.

 

You can also plan trips on the PC and build a route file. You can include multiple waypoints, data points (airport details perhaps), events (switch to 127.15 now) and other cool stuff, then load it into your PDA for the trip. I tend to do this only for long trips to new places. Otherwise, my large store of waypoints is enough.

 

I considered going full dedicated air navigation, like the Garmin 495, but this stuff gives me everything I need for cross-country and local flying in VMC - at a fraction of the price.

 

As you travel, it automatically switches maps as appropriate. You can hit the "Next Map" or "Previous Map" to switch manually. I have all the Eastern WACs, VNCs and VTCs loaded, and I also have a couple I scanned myself for special purposes.

 

What it will cost you:

 

Mio Moov 300 with Sirf 3 GPS: $260 or less (shop around).

 

Software to unlock it and give you lots of PDA programs: free

 

OziExplorer for the PC (optional if you buy maps and don't want to create routes) : $130

 

OziExplorerCE for the PDA : $40

 

SD card (2Gb is plenty) : $15ish

 

Aviation Charts: various prices - see here. Or scan and calibrate your own (if you buy the PC component).

 

So, for $315 and some charts, you can have a hell of a lot of functionality, convenience and safety.

 

The weather has been too crap this week to try it out in the air, but I have run it every day in the car to ensure it runs reliably, and it looks fantastic.

 

With the money you save over a Garmin, you can build a lot of brownie points with the other half.

 

Simon, Tahiti sounds nice.

 

Hope you find this useful.

 

Cheers,

 

Ross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mkennard]

I wonder how this compares to PocketFMS. I've been using FMS for a while but I like your screen shots, they seem more useful than FMS.

 

 

[JayKay]

Ross,

 

Do the MapTrax VNC and VTC maps expire and stop working if used with OziExplorer (like the VNC and VTC maps in AirNav)?

 

I haven't tried OziExplorerCE yet but I have OziExplorer running on a Asus EEEPC 901 with WinXP. I have WAC, VNC, VTC and ERC-L charts scanned and calibrated and all the country and ERSA airstrips loaded as waypoints including all ERSA VFR and IFR Waypoints. The whole thing connects to a 32 channel bluetooth GPS and for good measure I have ERSA loaded on the hard disk in searchable PDF files.

 

I still have my trusty panel mouted Garmin 296 but am playing around with the EEEPC901 as a potential electronic flightbag. Personally I'm not yet prepared to substitute the reliability and relative simplicity of the Garmin 296 for a device running the Windows operating system.

 

Thanks for sharing the info with us, it is very informative and helpful.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Do the MapTrax VNC and VTC maps expire and stop working if used with OziExplorer (like the VNC and VTC maps in AirNav)?

Nope. As far as I know, there's nothing in the spec to provide that capability.

 

You just start with a BMP, TIF, JPG, PNG, KAP, OZF, ECW or SID file and calibrate and convert it.

 

MapTrax just pays their license fee to Airservices and then does that work for you.

 

I looked at the EEEPCs - lots of scope there. In the end I decided it didn't give me enough extra to take up that space and power. I have internet on my phone, so between the 2 devices I have all I could need. I have the ERSA links saved as favourites on the phone too, along with all the radar, weather and AWS links. Great for checking the current conditions at your destination.

 

I'll admit that the in-flight movies are a bit small, but the hosties are nice.

 

Oh yeah - reliability. The windows on this device is a cut-down version and so far has been rock-steady. Not earthquake-prone rock, but ancient Australian rock. We'll see how long it lasts. The last few years running OziCE it has never crashed. From what I've read, that's better than the Garmin.

 

 

[icebob]

Hi,

 

Just to let you know i got GPS for dummies unit to work will be doing more work on it later(after Christmas) but a trial of just 38kms worked fine. Will try with pocketFMS and let you know how i go.

 

Bob

 

 

[Zank]

I'm also useing OziexplorerCe, what a great alternative this is.

 

This is great value for money, with almost everything a $1500 unit does.

 

Except mine has a much larger display!!

 

 

[Guest paule1]

Need more info about how to unlock the mao link only goes to a readme file ?

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Need more info about how to unlock the mao link only goes to a readme file ?

The link before the readme in my post takes you to the download for the files.

Read this thread on gpspassion.com.

 

 

[Seal]

Could we have some details please, what make and suchlike?

 

DId you have the unlocking step to go through?

 

And one for the OziExplorer users, does anyone know if it has track up navigation yet?

 

I'm also useing OziexplorerCe, what a great alternative this is.This is great value for money, with almost everything a $1500 unit does.

 

Except mine has a much larger display!!

[JayKay]

Seal,

 

And one for the OziExplorer users, does anyone know if it has track up navigation yet?

OziExplorer uses Raster Maps. If the 'track up' feature is implemented in OziExplorer, when travelling South you will be reading the map upside down. When travelling East or West you will be reading the map sideways bottom to top or top to bottom. When executing a turn the basemap will make you dizzy.

 

Are you sure you want 'track up' display in OziExplorer?

 

 

[Seal]

Well, I am a fan of the "orient the map to the ground" school of navigation so I prefer to have track up display to conform to that. That way I don't have to try to rotate the map image in my head when I'm locating landmarks. If I label my waypoints then those labels remain right side up, the printing on the map may be inverted but that's the case with a paper map as well. The rotation of the image on the display during a turn is mandated by that display mode.

 

So yes, I do want track up display. It's here or coming in Ozi Explorer, but I'm not sure about the CE version hence my question.

 

 

[JayKay]

So yes, I do want track up display. It's here or coming in Ozi Explorer, but I'm not sure about the CE version hence my question.

I just purchased OziExplorerCE and tested the latest development version 2.22d. This version has a "track up" display but not implemented quite the way I expected. Based on my obseravations here's how it works:

 

OziExplorer 2.22d offers 4 track up options: North up, East up, South up and West up. The software looks at your current track and depending which of the above is closest to your track, that's the display you will get.

 

eg. If your track in 360 or 44 you will get North up. If your track is 270 you will get West up. If your track is 46 you will get East up. If your track is 165 you will get South up.

 

So it approximates a 'track up' display. This is really quite a clever solution given the limitation of Raster Maps, but I've emailed support asking how I can turn this feature OFF, as it seems to be ON by default and I can't find the lock North up option.

 

Being as ex Microlight pilot with an open cockpit I'm not used to turning maps upside down and sideways during flight.

 

Hope that answers your question Seal. I'm interested to know if you think this solution will satisfy your requirements.

 

 

[JayKay]

My experience with a Mio Moov 360

 

Ross,

 

Just want to thank you again for your post. I'm a Garmin man, but after reading your post I decided to give it a go just for the experience.

 

I purchased a Mio Moov 360. I chose the 360 because I already own bluetooth GPS receivers and find them to be excellent units. I was hoping that I could use the bluetooth feature of the 360 to connect to my external bluetooth GPS. Unfortunately, this did not work as it only seems to connect to a phone or earpiece.

 

In hindsight I should have purchased the 300 model without bluetooth. I also purchased a 2GB High Speed SD Card from ALDI (pack of two for $19.95). Then I downloaded the trial version of OziExplorer CE 2.22d and got to work following your instructions. Once loaded I converted my scanned WAC VNC VTC ERC-L maps and loaded them in.

 

Initial observations are that all seems to be working nicely using the internal GPS. I have no idea how stable it will be, but I'll be running it alongside my Garmin 296 for a few weeks. I should also note that the unlocking process was a little tricky at the part where it asked me to ... "Create, in the root of your SD card, a folder with one of the following "Cobia" names, depending on your model". Of course my Australian model was not listed so it didn't work. I worked it out after some snooping into the system files of the Mio.

 

The other thing I did today is got myself a stylus. My fingers are far too big to accurately press the small buttons on the OziExplorer touch screen. For the moment I'll blutac the stylus to the Mio 360.

 

I also purchased OziExplorerCE ($40) because for extended testing the timeouts were getting irritating.

 

Still trying to switch off the "track up" feature as per my previous post. Any ideas how I can do this?

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Hi JK. No problem - glad someone found it useful.

 

The folder name is a little tricky - normally just append _AU instead of _NA to the names found online.

 

I tried to download 2.22 so I could check the "track up" issue, but I can't even see it.

 

I have 2.19, which is the latest I can see on the website. Where'd'ya get it?

 

Des is normally very prompt with email help. He'll sort you out.

 

I can't see why you'd want an external GPS - the inbuilt one is the latest SiRF Star3 with InstantFixII. Less complexity and power in the cockpit = good.

 

The stylus and small button issue - I toyed with that too. I think the answer is to design your own screens with big buttons. There's the screen menu feature too - it divides the screen into 9 zones. It would have to be really bumpy to not hit them. It works for me even when fairly turbulent. I got by without a stylus even with the old version and a smaller screen. You'll be right.

 

I'll be very interested to read your report after you've used them side-by-side for a while.

 

Cheers,

 

Ross

 

 

[JayKay]

I tried to download 2.22 so I could check the "track up" issue, but I can't even see it.

Hi Ross,

 

Goto Development Version

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Thanks JK - while reading the changes I found this:

 

OziExplorerCE can now rotate the map to "Course Up" when in moving map.

 

• There is an option on the View menu for "Course Up".
   
   
  
• Direction of travel will be within roughly 45 degrees of vertical as the map is only rotated in 90 degree increments to keep performance reasonable.
   
   
  
• There is a new button available in the screen designer to display a North arrow, it also works as a button to turn "Course Up" off and on.
   
   
  
• New page files (*.par1) have been provided with the North arrow on page 1.
   
   
  

 

 

Does adding the North arrow fix your problem? I'll try it later.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

There's the answer JK.

 

On the main menu :-

 

View --> Course Up

 

It's a toggle.

 

The North Arrow button is good too.

 

 

[JayKay]

Thanks Ross. It is so obvious I missed it! :confused:

 

I went for a drive and tried it out already. It works. I'm happy.

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

hi all, i have put ozie explorer on my new htc touch and it will not load. it says autorun Etc is not a proper executable file or somthing of the similar.

 

i need help this is killing me.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Adrian - if you use Active Sync to connect the phone to the computer, then you just download the correct file and run it on your PC, then follow the prompts.

 

PDA's which use ActiveSync

 

1. Download the installation file to suit your PDA type.
    
    
   
2. Connect your PDA to the PC using ActiveSync.
    
    
   
3. Run the installation on the PC and you will be prompted to install OziExplorerCE file to your PDA.
    
    
   

 

 

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

ep i got that, but forgot to mention one small thing. i have a Mac ? going to get a external HDD and back her up, and set up boot camp on her tonight.

 

 

[Seal]

Regarding the Ozi Explorer "track up" issue, the 90 degree steps would probably be OK. The way my brain works, if I have to rotate the image through 180 degrees between inside and outside then I just know I'm going to stuff it up.

 

I'm assuming that the compass display has a heading bug and will operate in a track up mode but it occurs to me that I may be assuming too much.

 

 

[Guest paule1]

cheap nav

 

Thanks Ross :clap:and others for all the info , have got my mio running very well with ozo ex its a great program

 

any tips on the quickest way to plan a nav ? is it best to save tracks etc on a map or just save as a route ?

 

Thanks

 

Paul:laugh:

 

 

[Adrian Lewer]

ok guy's i have it installed on my htc touch 3g mobile. all i need is for the maps to arrive in my e mail and i should be set.

 

how will i go about putting the maps from maptrax on to the phone and making sure all is good, then how do i make a list of airports Etc so all i can do is dial it all up ?

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Hi Adrian.

 

I love the HTC phones. I have a Tytn that's probably into it's 3rd year and don't feel the need to change just yet. I use it for internet-in-the-air .

 

You would have a few options for getting data in. The easiest is probably via ActiveSync. Your phone would have a cradle or maybe just a USB cable to connect to your PC. When it connects, ActiveSync on your PC (or Mobile Device Centre if Vista) should detect it and create a connection. You can use this to transfer files.

 

The other way would be to use a Micro SD card. Get a card reader for your PC, stick the card in, copy the data. If you install OziCE to the card, just copy straight to the data directory. Otherwise, copy it to the data directory after you stick the card back in the phone.

 

As for creating the waypoints, you can create them yourself on the phone, or more easily on the PC using OziExplorer there. Even easier - I can give you my waypoint file. There's a few hundred already done.

 

Cheers,

 

Ross