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Initial Report: DeLorme Earthmate GPS
LT-20
Date: September 9, 2005
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Last year I finally acted on a long time
interest in backpacking, starting out slowly by day hiking, researching
backpacking products and
techniques, purchasing gear, and doing a few
overnight trips, including one solo. This year I’ve turned into a
“weekend
warrior”, taking a number of short trips, and hoping to take a longer
trip this
fall. I hike and backpack mainly in the
hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system.
For a
two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg), and I’m
striving to
lighten that a bit. |
 Product
Information
-
Manufacturer: DeLorme
Year of manufacture:
2005
Date of Delivery: September 2, 2005
Weight of unit: 2.8 oz (
79 g)
Size: Unit - 1.8 in (4.6 cm) x 2.6 in (6.6 cm) x 0.6 in
(1.5 cm)
Cord -
approximately 5 ft (1.5 m) long
Color: Yellow with black base
Manufacturer Website: http://www.delorme.com/
MSRP: $99.95
U.S.
Included Software: Street Atlas USA 2005
Included Accessories: Suction cup
Minimum computer system requirements:
- Microsoft Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3 and higher): 64 MB RAM
(256 MB recommended)
- or Microsoft Windows XP: 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)
- Intel Pentium 300 MHz or higher processor (600 MHZ recommended)
- 700 MB of available hard-disk space
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later
- 32x CD Drive
Earthmate GPS LT-20 Specifications:
- NMEA-compliant 12-channel receiver
- WAAS-enabled
- Low-power baseband and RF chip set
- Warm start: < 38 seconds Hot start: < 3 seconds
- Full power:165mW Sleep mode: < 55mW
- Maximum Velocity: 1000 knots
- Advanced high-sensitivity algorithms
- Weak signal tracking: < 145dBm
- Proprietary Kalman filter
- Noise rejection for high EMI environments
- Operating temperature range -40 ºC to +85 ºC
- Storage temperature range -55 ºC to +100 ºC
The Earthmate LT-20 Global Positioning System is powered by a laptop
computer through a USB port. In addition to the Street Atlas USA
2005 mapping software, Delorme provided me with Topo USA Version 5.0
software to use in testing the unit, however this software is not
included in the purchase price of the unit, while the Street Atlas
software is.
The computer I am using the GPS unit with is a tablet computer - a
2001 model Compaq TC 1000 with a 977
MHZ Crusoe Transmeta processor, 744 MB RAM, 30 GB
hard drive, 2 USB-2.0 ports, and a tablet
enhanced Windows XP operating system. Although my tablet computer
doesn't have an integrated CD Rom Drive, I do have an auxiliary drive
that connects via USB port.
Packaging and instructions:
The GPS unit and suction cup came packaged in a thin plastic
snap-together case inside a bubble wrap style manila envelope with a
Street Atlas USA 2005 CD Rom set consisting of two CD's - one the
installation CD, and the other the program data CD and an instructional
booklet. The Topo USA CD set included 8 CD's .and a getting
started guide, with the Earthmate GPS unit pictured on the back of the
guide. The instructions were clearly written, and easy to follow.
Getting started:
I was easily able to install the Street Atlas USA software by inserting
the disk into
the CD Rom Drive connected to my computer and following the on-screen
directions. I downloaded the program data onto my hard drive for
convenience, although this data can be accessed via CD Rom drive each
time if preferred. My computer did crash after the installation,
however this has occurred before and may be a result of other software
already installed on my computer. The crash did not appear to
affect the installation, since the software seems to be functioning
correctly. Once the software was installed, I followed the simple
directions in the getting started guide to start the GPS system
working. The first step was to open Street Atlas USA, then plug
the GPS unit into a USB port, click on the GPS tab in the software,
click the Device button, select DeLorme Earthmate from a drop-down
list,
select USB from a drop-down list, click done, and finally click Start
GPS. The directions do caution that if you already have Street
Atlas USA 2005 installed, you must first uninstall it and then
re-install it with the disc provided with the GPS unit or it will not
recognize the GPS unit.
To use the GPS unit, once it is plugged into the computer USB port, it
should be placed on the dashboard or windshield of the vehicle,
positioned to have a clear view of the sky. I found that the
suction cup will adhere to the windshield of my Jeep, but not the
dash. The suction cup has a slit to hold the USB cord, and will
slide loosely up and down the cord. The GPS unit will slide
around a good bit as the cord
slides through the slit, but I haven't had any trouble so far keeping
it on my dashboard. Once the software is started and the GPS unit
plugged into the USB port, it begins searching for satellites during
which time a blinking red light appears on the unit, and a blinking red
dot
appears on the computer screen. I found it took 20 minutes or so
for the unit to obtain a 2-D fix the first time, at which point the
blinking light turns yellow and the computer begins tracking
movement. After the first time, the unit has obtained a 2-D
fix within 5 minutes or less on two subsequent short uses. Once a
3-D fix is obtained, the
light blinks green, which allows elevation data to be obtained.
The GPS tracks the progress of the vehicle, and a voice module in the
program tells the user the distance to the next turn, and in what time
frame the driver will reach that turn. The voice module is a
clear sounding male voice, which is a bit mechanical, but is easy to
understand.
The unit arrived on a Friday, just in time for a trip across the state
for a backpacking trip, so I skimmed through enough of the directions
to get it running and try it out. It helped that I was familiar
with another version of Street Atlas USA, although there are quite a
few changes in the two versions. I printed a map of the route and
took along directions sent to me to the trailhead for back-up. Although
I've never used a GPS unit before, I found the DeLorme Earthmate GPS
LT-20 intuitive and easy to use.
Although I've only used it a couple of times so far, I have found a
couple of problems with the software. The first is that the route
the program selects may not be the best route. On the two uses so
far, the program routes me down a small gravel road shortly after
leaving my house, which is not the shortest or fastest way to get to
the main highway. This also occurs in my earlier version of
Street Atlas USA. I hope to find some instructions on changing
the route, so as I use the unit it won't tell me I'm off route to start
with. The second problem is that at least some of the map data is
out of date, as I found on the section of U.S. Route 33 between Weston
and Elkins, West Virginia. This became rather annoying as I
traveled this section, since
the voice module was telling me I was off route every few
minutes. It re-calculates
the route automatically, and it kept trying to direct me to turn down
small county roads, which sometimes weren't even there anymore, to try
to get me back on the old route. There may be a way to fix this,
since the back of the CD case lists "Add new routable streets as
they're developed" as one of the features. I will be
investigating this possibility during the Field Review stage of the
test.
The unit and map got me to the trail head in about the same amount of
time that the map route said it would take. I found it very
interesting to track my progress as I went, although since I was
driving without a passenger, I only glanced at the screen
occasionally. Other than the newer section of road which wasn't
mapped, the voice module directions seemed accurate on the way,
although when I reversed the route, the turns weren't announced
correctly most of the time. I did this in a hurry though, as I
was anxious to get home, and I may have missed a step somewhere along
they way. This will be another feature I will be investigating
more thoroughly as I test the unit.
So far, once the unit obtains a signal, it has kept the signal the
entire trip. It will be interesting to see if this continues to
be the case in the hilly, wooded terrain of West Virginia.
Field Information -
I will be testing the DeLorme GPS LT-20 primarily
in West
Virginia, and perhaps some nearby bordering states,
as I drive to various trail heads, and will also experiment with using
it in my work, which has me on the road covering about five different
counties, often on small back roads consulting a map to find the
quickest way to get from point A to point B. Elevations
will
vary from the mountainous eastern region of the state with elevations
from 2500
to over 4000 feet (762 to over 1219 meters), to the river valley
corridors in
the eastern, western and central part of the state, with elevations
from 550 to
1000 feet (168 to 305 meters).
Bordering states I might visit might include Virginia, Ohio,
and/or
Pennsylvania. Temperatures may
range from lows in the 20F (-7C) range to highs around 90F
(32C), with conditions ranging from dry and
dusty to hot and humid, to wet and chilly.
Testing
plan:
I
use a inverter in my car to power my tablet computer as needed, and it
has a fairly good battery life should I want to run it outside of the
vehicle. I'll be using the unit
both when driving on my own and when a co-navigator is available.
I'll be using the system at least three days a week for work
for several weeks to determine whether it is beneficial in my everyday
travels. I will be using the
DeLorme GPS LT-20 to find my way to trails I use during the entirety of
the test period, both for backpacking and day hiking.
Over the course of the test, I'll be looking at
the following and reporting my conclusions:
Ease of use of the system
The basic ins and outs of the system – how to plan
a route,
how the GPS works, how well the spoken directions work, what is needed
to speak
commands.
The accuracy and detail of the maps and directions
– on my
older software many local roads are marked “No name”, and some roads
aren’t
shown at all. Has this improved? We have a mixture of addresses from streets
to rural routes. Can the system find a
rural route address? Many areas are
undergoing address changes from rural routes to street names and
addresses from
9-1-1 systems, and some new subdivisions are being built.
Are the maps current with these changes in
this rural area? Are the directions
usually correct?
Do I find the system convenient to use or overly
slow and
cumbersome? Do I become more proficient in
route making? Do I find some useful tips and shortcuts?
Is there a pause or stall in the information sometimes?
Does it make my computer lock up?
Personal impressions – How well do I like the
DeLorme GPS
LT-20 overall? Do I plan to continue to
use it after the test period?
Will I need to update the software often?
Preliminary Likes
–
Compact
size
Easy to operate
Computer interface allows a large viewing screen
Preliminary Concerns –
Maps not up to date in some
areas - how much of a problem will this be?
The program may not map the routes in the best way - will this occur
often?
Thanks to DeLorme and BackpackGearTest for
the
opportunity to test the Earthmate GPS LT-20.
Read more reviews of Delorme gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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