Anyone using the Delorme Earthmate PN-60w?

[Blind Squirrel]

According to their website it will "Locate places of interest, create driving and hiking routes, identify public lands, import maps and imagery" Delorme linky

I am interested to know how well the software works for route planning.

It would be nice to have a way of being tracked and being able to send text messages from anywhere without having to add an extra piece of gear to the bike (I would use it to replace the Zumo 660 that I currently use).

 

[ScottyUSN]

I don't think the GPS unit itself is ready for your needs on the bike. But that is a direction they should take the GPS +Spot.

A Tailored Motorcycle GPS unit +Spot would be a winner.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Thanks. I have a SPOT I, but have not mounted it or activated it yet. Guess I will start looking for a good spot for the SPOT.

 

[bobg3723]

The PN-xx series are great hiking GPS devices. I own a PN-60 version that doesn't communicate to a Spot Messenger. But Delorme's Street Atlas makes great paper maps and I do use it for routing on paper.

 

[bobg3723]

According to their website it will "Locate places of interest, create driving and hiking routes, identify public lands, import maps and imagery" Delorme linky

I am interested to know how well the software works for route planning.

It would be nice to have a way of being tracked and being able to send text messages from anywhere without having to add an extra piece of gear to the bike (I would use it to replace the Zumo 660 that I currently use).

Delorme's PN-xx series of hiking GPS recievers don't in and of themselves do address to address street routing, or street navigation. Rather, they're designed for bearing navigation from waypoint to waypoint.

They require Delorme's Street Atlas or Xmap to create address to address routes and transfer them to the PN-xx, but it's a limited functionality for hiking GPS type devices and not an appropriate substitute for your Zumo.

However, you can use Street Atlas or Xmap programs themselves in place of a Zumo in a Netbook PC or UMPC with a satellite antenna to function as an address to address street routing navigator.

BTW, there is a specific SPOT Messenger device on the market that communicates to a Bluetooth enabled cellphone.