Their series focuses on applications designed for professionals and hobbyists looking for a field workstation.  But I see the application extend to the expedition traveler - a lot of similar needs, along with a few others.  Let's talk about finding the right laptop - the core of the system.

The Specifications: What an Expedition Laptop Needs

While the field professional needs things like a durable computer, no cables, and long battery life, the overland traveler has a few other uses for an expedition laptop - email, blogging, costing spreadsheets, photo storage, video storage, and maybe even video editing.  It's something you want to mount in a car or at least have easily accessible when driving.  You want to take it to the internet cafe, update your emails at the campfire, transfer photos from your camera by bluetooth, drag it on a canoe with you up the Amazon river...it's got to be durable, and rugged, and reliable.

So combining the features of a GeoPad and an Expedition class laptop I get

• rugged, waterproof, dustproof, drop proof
• touchscreen (digitizer style - read this post on the difference)
• convertible tablet/clamshell style
• WIFI
• built-in GPS (no annoying cables)
• long battery life
• at least 120 GB hard drive (for you photos and videos)

The Panasonic Toughbook CF-18

The Panasonic Toughbook is listed as the first choice on the Free Geography Tools post, but quickly dismissed due to it's prohibitive cost (a new tablet Toughbook CF-19 starts around $3000, and then you add the options like integrated GPS).  But I disagree.  If you lowered your standards just a bit, you can find a the previous Toughbook tablet computer model, the CF-18 on eBay for around $600 USD.

It would come with a touchscreen and WIFI, and be in pretty decent condition.  Many of the models have upgraded hard drives (they came stock with 60 GB back in the day) and if you look hard enough you'll find one with Bluetooth and if you're really lucky, built-in GPS.

But don't spend too much time trying to find all of that in one computer.  Instead get a model in good condition with an upgraded hard drive.  There are lots of those available.  Then jump over to CustomToughbooks.com and buy one of their GPS/bluetooth upgrade kits for $175 USD and install it.  You'll get a modern GPS module, much better than the stock ones that came with the CF-18, and you'll get the bluetooth as well.  The downside is you'll need a bit of handywork to install the GPS module, but the installation documentation is available on the CustomToughbooks website and it looks fairly straight-forward.

The CF-18 is slow: Will it work?

It's a valid point.  The CF-18 came with a 900 to 1.2 Mhz Pentium M processor, quite slow by today's standards.  It will be happy running Windows XP, but don't try running Vista.  I'm not sure how well Windows 7 will work but my guess is it would be too much for it.  And you'll have to forget video editing.  Well, not forget it, but expect to take a long time waiting for your scenes to render.  Large photo editing would be  a problem too, but storing and viewing photos and basic tasks available in standard photo album software should be no problem.

For emailing, working with spreadsheets and blogging - no problem.  Mapping and GIS? Also a snap especially for field work.  Data collection, mapping, and navigation don't need much processor speed.

Other Ideas?

Feedback, experiences, questions - always welcome!  If you've got something to say, do so in the comments section below.  In the meantime, take a look at some current eBay auction listings fro CF-18 Toughbooks.  If you're keen on buying one, take a look at our article on Buying Used Panasonic Toughbooks.  It gives you some good pointers on what to look for, especially from eBay auctions.

Panasonic Toughbook CF 18 MAXIMUM 320HD WARRANTY DVD RW GPS Serial Port
895.00

INTERNAL GPS Panasonic Toughbook CF 18KCHZDVM 12GHz 15GB RAM 160GB HDD Backlit
500.00

36 MTHS WARRANTY XMAS SPECIAL PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK CF 18 TABLET GPS BLUETOOTH
940.52

Panasonic Toughbook CF 18 MAXIMUM 320HD WARRANTY DVD RW Serial Port GPS
895.00

Panasonic Toughbook CF 18 Oem Gps Custom Hydroprint
999.00

TOP OF THE RANGE PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK CF 18 INDUSTRIAL TABLET FACTORY GPRS
940.52

If you have Garmin the GPS 35 TracPak remote GPS antenna/receiver, you might need the manual - Garmin has stopped distributing it via their website. We have an original pdf version of the Garmin GPS 35 TracPak Manual.

This unit came in both USB and 9 pin serial forms. It didn't have a display, so it was designed to interface with a computer with mapping software.

This is basic description is from the Garmin site :

"The Garmin GPS 35 TracPak is a complete GPS receiver and embedded antenna designed for a broad spectrum of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) system applications. Based on the proven technology found in other Garmin 12-channel GPS receivers, the GPS 35 will track up to twelve satellites at a time while providing one-second navigation updates and low power consumption. Its far-reaching capability meets the sensitivity requirements of land navigation as well as the dynamics requirements of high-performance aircraft."

We have used one for the past 5 years - it's bolted to the roof of the truck, has a really low profile, and has excellent reception. The downside is it needs a display or laptop mounted in the vehicle, and we can't just grab it to go on a hike at any time.

Are you looking for more? Check out

• Garmin's GPS Guide for Beginners and
• Using a Garmin GPS with Paper Maps.

Map Availability

Maps are much more readily available with laptops. A full computer supports multiple applications, whether you use a proprietary software that comes with your GPS or if you use a generic GPS/Mapping application such as Fugawi or OziExplorer. With both of those peices of software, you can import any digitized map, scanned or otherwise, and calibrate it to georeference with a GPS. See our related article on Calibrating Maps for OziExplorer.

With a handheld unit you are limited to the maps provided by the GPS company, either stored with internal memory or by a flash style memory card. In modern countries the map availability and coverage is excellent. In developing countries it can be hit and miss.

Reliability and Durability

It took 6 months of overland travel for us to go through one standard laptop. It was an old Dell PII, and just barely ran Windows 2000. But for mapping it was all we needed and did the job. But all the banging and shaking in the truck broke the screen hinges. Dirt got under the keys and the CD ROM stopped working. Screens on standard laptops are hard to read in the daylight as well. We've upgraded to a Panasonic Toughbook now - vibration, dust, water, and actually reading the screen in the daytime are no longer issues.

On the other hand, a handheld GPS is often water resistant, and can stand being thrown around, for a fraction of the price of a laptop.

Cables, Cables, and Cables

I hate the cable between the gps reciever and the laptop. I have similar disdain for the 12V power cable for either machine. I've since converted my serial gps to a bluetooth unit to eliminate the one cable between computer and GPS. A docking station mounted onto a laptop stand is a great way to control the cables, but takes a lot of room in the vehicle.

On the other hand, a handheld GPS doesn't need to have any cables as long as there is battery power. Eventually you need to plug into 12V DC. Except for a more permanent gps unit mounted into a dash, cables are all but unavoidable.

Other Perks

Laptops provide the flexibility of having offline email and the ability to store digital photos and movies without running out of flash card space. We like to share music with other travellers via thumb drives and CDRWs. We also maintain the ability to maintain a website while on the road. Handheld GPS units do none of these things.

I like the big screen of a laptop. Route planning with a handheld is next to impossible.

Summary

If you're staying close to home, don't need access to computer applications, storage, or you can rely on the maps provided by a GPS company a handheld gps is simpler, cheaper, and more reliable. If you're planning an extended international trip, you probably want the flexibility and power of a full laptop.

The Grid System

We have scanned many different maps of varying types - we've bought single large scale maps that have a whole country or state, and we've ripped apart detailed map books at small scales. In all cases, for the maps to be effectively calibrated, they all have some sort of grid system. This is either in the form of latitudes and longitudes, or in a UTM style grid. If you don't have a grid, then you need to have some other known points on the map (preferably a minimum of 4). For example you could go to the intersection of a road on the map, take a GPS reading, and use that as a known point.

A Clean Scan

The first thing is to have a good scan of a map. This means that you want to minimize distortion by getting the map scanned with a large format scanner. Most copy stores will do this for you. Using a small home scanner is ok for small maps, but you'll find that they tend to skew the image quite a bit. If you have a skewed map, there is a process you can go through to stretch it back into place, using a piece of software called Global Mapper . I'll talk about using that in a future article.

Selecting the Map Projection

The next thing is to choose the projection. The projection is a way of projecting the earths "non-sperical" sphere onto a flat plane (a piece of paper). If the map has it the written in the legend then you're laughing. If it doesn't you'll have to guess. You'll be able to verify your guess when you do the calibration check. Many projections have supporting data that you need to input. For example, some maps made in the southern hemisphere are based on the Lambert Conformal Conic projection. This projection needs to have the two bounding north and south latitudes, and a central meridian so that coordinates can be calculated correctly. OziExplorer has an exhaustive list of projections.

Selecting the Map Datum

The datum is also extremely important. It should also be written in the map legend. Using the wrong datum will make the coordinate readings from your GPS incorrectly translate into coordinate points on the map.

Defining the Map Boundary

OziExplorer doesn't know when a map has a border or legend around the perimeter. That's why we use the corner markers shown in the video to define that boundary. When you are using the moving map feature, OziExplorer will know when it reaches the edge of the useful map area, and look in its database for the next map to use.

Small handheld GPS units are great for shorter trips, and most of them can now have large libraries of maps stored in their memory. They are great for simplicity, they are cost effective, and portable. The downside is that on longer trips they may not have enough memory for all of the maps required. You are also limited to the proprietary maps and system from the GPS company. For vehicle travel an antenna might be useful especially when travelling through treed areas.

If you plan on travelling in anywhere in Europe or North America these are great units to have. If you are going on the road less travelled, Africa, South America, or Asia read on. These small units will probably not help you out too much.

Permant GPS in Vehicle

Permanent GPS's are found on many late model cars today, and most of the major GPS manufacturers offer permanent dash mount units. Like the handheld units, they are easy to use, but have the benefit of no cables, and a stronger reception (the antenna is mounted outside the vehicle). They have larger screens, many of them touch sensitive. Once again, the availabilty of maps is limited to those provided by the GPS company. These trump the the handhelds in ease-of-use, but not really in any other major way. The Tomtom GPS series are great for navigating around cities, complete with voice directions, but they won't help you outside of highly developed countries, or in the bush.

GPS Receiver with a Laptop

This is probably the most complex yet flexible solution. It comprises of a GPS receiver (can be a permanent roof mounted unit or a handheld), connected by cable or Bluetooth to a laptop computer. We talk about the pros and cons in this article.   The computer needs to run a GPS mapping software program, either proprietary to the GPS unit or it can be a generic one such as OziExplorer or Fugawi. The big advantage to running laptop based mapping software is the ability to import and calibrate your own maps, either scans of paper copies or other digital versions.

This is the system we use, and with good software it seems to be the best choice for most serious Overlanders out there. A good rule of the thumb here is the more money you spend, the simpler it gets - there are lots of map retailers who sell the software and the maps on CD or DVD but they don't come cheap!

The receiver is first step in setting up a wireless GPS->Computer communication system. The receiver belongs on the computer end. Many new laptop computers have Bluetooth receivers built-in, and older ones can be retrofitted with USB dongles or PCMCIA cards. For a laptop, especially if you intend on using it in-vehicle I recommend the PCMCIA Card style, as they fit inside the computer with only a small plastic piece protruding out the side which is unlikely to break off.

You can get these cards on eBay:

Transmitter

The second step is the transmitter. The transmitter connects to your GPS computer cable and is either a 9-pin serial or a USB connection depending the type that you have. We have a serial system, so this article is focussed on that. The transmitter needs two things: 1) the ability to receive data from your GPS, and 2) power.

The data portion is sent through a standard RS232 Serial to Bluetooth converter which plugs into your GPS cable. There are a number of these on the market - our favourite is the Brainbox model shown in the picture. You likely need to get a male connection as the existing cable from your GPS will be a female.

Power is supplied from a secondary source. Most converters have a separate 5V - 12V power input, and some come configured so that pin 9 of the serial plug can send power as well (these are usually on female models). If you have an inverter installed in your vehicle then it's as easy as plugging the supplied AC-DC transformer from the inverter into the power input. If you want to get a little more elegant then you can wire up a 12V lead from the car accessory circuit and splice it in to the 9-pin connector. Make sure that pin 9 supports power!

Once you've plugged it all in, the rest becomes a configuration problem. Configuring the unit is done through software on the computer (the supplier should have a good software package that comes with their converter). Settings are things like baud rate, parity, and stop bits (most GPS's run at 4800 bps, no parity, and 1 stop bit), but read up on your GPS manual for that information. Other models have security functions, power options, and more.

The Garmin Solution

Semsons & Co. have developed a few solutions for some of the Garmin GPS models. One is a cable where one end plugs directly into the cable port of your GPS and the other plugs into a 12 V car cigarette lighter. The end that plugs into the lighter socket doubles as a power source and transmitter. Dale DePriest does a review of this solution here. We haven't found any out-of-box any solutions for other GPS manufacturers - leave a comment below if you know of any.