Matronics Email Lists :: View topic - Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Europa-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

Ken Hill

Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Pleasanton, CA

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

I'm trying to use Mountainscope software on a Dell Axim PDA.  It looks georgous in the office but when I use  it in the a/c it almost unreadable.  Does anybody else have the same problem?



I have put an antiglare screen on but it is still unreadable. I have also tried to reduce any white background with no improvement.  I even made a little box around the screen with no improvement. 



Any suggestions regarding portable daylight readable GPS systems would be greatly appreciated.  I am aware of the Motion tablets 

( big and expensive) and Garmen's products (single use). The UMPCs look promising but they are not available yet and do not appear to be daylight readable.



Ken

ptag.dev(at)tiscali.co.uk
Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:09 pm Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Hi! Ken

My Skyforce Tracker IIIc reads out ok fixed in the Mono wheel lift lever

recess (G-PTAG is a trike so the recess was unused) It is slightly off

centre view for me and has never been a problem in brilliant sun light.

P2 can't read it though since he looks across the screen.

Regards

Bob Harrison G-PTAG Europa MKI/Jabiru 3300



--

flyinggpa(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Ken



I found my laptop, when on battery power, reduced the intensity of the screen display.  Maybe your PDA is doing that???



Cliff Shaw

1041 Euclid ave.

Edmonds, WA 98020

425 776 5555

http://www.europaowners.org/WileE



do not archive



  ---

g-iani(at)ntlworld.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:18 am Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

I can confirm that the Axim reduces the brightness by about 50% when on

internal battery.  Do you have the 12V car power lead?  It will be fully

bright on this.



I am just about to try out the same combination with an Axim X51v and I

will let you know the outcome.



Ian Rickard  #505 G-IANI XS Trigear

Europa Club Mods Rep (Trigear)

e-mail mods(at)europaclub.org.uk   

   or direct g-iani(at)ntlworld.com





--

M.Grass(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 3:07 am Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

All Axim or Windows CE users,



The brightness is adjustable and by default the brightness on battery power 

is adjustable. This is not only good for daylight flying but it is also 

necessary to adjust for night flying.



On the Dell Axim go to



- "Start"

- "Settings"

- Select on the bottom the tab "System"

- click on "Brightness"



here you have 1 slider for the brightness for battery power and 1 slider for 

external power. Also from there, if you select here the tab "Battery Power", 

you can switch the "Auto Dim" function off. My Axim will run for about 3 h 

using full brightness, full processor speed and the Bluetooth GPS.



Regards



Michael Grass

A266 Trigear, Detroit.

---

n9zes(at)verizon.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 5:00 am Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Cliff Shaw wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  



Ken



I found my laptop, when on battery power, reduced the intensity of the screen display.  Maybe your PDA is doing that???



  



My Dell PDA does have two settings for the display whether it's on 
	


battery or on the docking station.  You have to go into the setup to 

adjust the display intensity.



However, I still don't think it will be bright enough even on max in the 

daylight.



I was really considering using the Dell with a GPS Bluetooth receiver 

and software as a GPS, but never considered until this thread came up 

that I wouldn't be able to read it in bright light.



Chris

Ken Hill

Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Pleasanton, CA

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Thanks for all the prompt responses.



Bob -- Your Skyforce system looks very nice.  I was unaware it existed.  However, I want to fight the PDA issue a little longer before I give up.



Cliff -- I have seen screen brightness reduction before but mine is adjusted to full bright. I should have mentioned that in my writeup.



Ian -- I usually run it from a 12v. car lead in the dash.  Should have mentioned that also.  When do you think you will test the AximX51V?  Since I'm using the original Axim, maybe the new screens are more sunlight readable. When you test your PDA if you would try it with a light shirt then a dark shirt and report the difference I'd appreciate it.



Michael --Thanks I like details.



Cris -- I hope other users will tell us how they make it work since many others currently use PDAs.



Ken

daseitz(at)cfl.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:11 pm Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Look at the Navaero Tpad 800.  I use it with the laptop in the rear baggage

and the Tpad mounted on the tunnel. It's a daylight readable touch screen

monitor. With direct sun on the screen it's a little light but still

readable in direct sun.



 



http://www.navaero.com/t_pad/features_benefits.asp



 



Dean Seitz



 



--

dglauser(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:49 pm Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

Another route is to have a separate display with high brightness, and

use whatever computing unit you wish. The average laptop LCD has a

maximum brightness level of around 250 cd/m

2 (candelas per square

meter or nits). There are some high-brightness displays available -

for true visibility in full sunlight you really want 1000 nits or

better. http://store.earthlcd.com/ has a few - there is a 400 nit

10.4" display at

http://store.earthlcd.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.234/it.A/id.4439/.f and a

600 nit display here:

http://store.earthlcd.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.234/it.A/id.680/.f Note

that the way you get a bright display is with bright backlighting, and

that takes power. Some day we'll have truly bright displays working

from ambient light, but not yet. Sigh.



Search on "high bright lcd" and you get good hits.

http://www.vartechsystems.com/products/crystalvue/default.asp?source=google

has backlit panels fro m700 to 1800 (!!!) nits, or passive systems

that are still brighter than a standard screen. From the site:



We utilize a standard LCD and then integrate a partially reflective

mirror layer between the LCD and the backlight. When a transflective

monitor is used indoors, it is illuminated by the backlight just like

a transmissive LCD, except that the mirror layer blocks some of the

light. When a transflective LCD is used outdoors, ambient light

reflects off the mirror layer and illuminates the LCD. The

transflective monitor is brighter than a traditional monitor, however

is not as bright as a daytime viewable monitor which can be viewed in

any daytime light condition. Note, that outdoor light has to go

through the LCD twice, once on the way in and once on the way out and

this trends to make the outdoor performance of a transflective LCD not

as good as the indoor performance, where the light only has to go

through the monitor once. A transflective monitor is therefore by

definition a compromise. It can never be as bright as a transmissive

LCD indoors, and it can never be as bright as an ultra high-bright LCD

outdoors, but with transflective technology, there is no added power

requirement, the cost savings over

traditional ultra high-bright LCDs can be significant, and the need to

dissipate additional heat is minimized. The transflective monitor can

be a substitute for a daytime viewable monitor in conditions where

very bright direct sunlight is not a constant.



David

europa flugzeug fabrik

Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 65
Location: North Coast, USA

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

I've had an Axim A5 for several years now, and have written a few programs for outside use or in the car, but the screens have to be simple, big buttons, big text, limited color selections available for contrast in sunlight.  GPS map relies too much on color contrast for detail information.  I wouldn't buy a GPS card and software off eBay for $25, just to play with it.  If the screen were twice as bright, it might be OK, but still small screen and very slow computer.  And tapping on it, while in turbulence, while looking down and not for traffic, forget it.  I'm passing this along especially for anyone who hasn't used these devices, to consider before spending big money for the whole package.



Fred F.

jodel(at)nildram.co.uk
Guest

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:01 am Post subject: Daylight readable PDA for GPS navigation

I've just run a little test with three different PDA's. results are at

http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~jodel/Europa/screentest.htm



Might be food for thought?



Simon

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Europa-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum