Outdoorsy software for Palm Pilot

johnniet

Gold Member
Joined
Jul 12, 1999
Messages
4,682
There are some programs that allow you to use the Palm as a solar compass (or, for that matter, lunar or stellar compass). Your Palm already knows the date, time, latitude, and longitude, so it can compute where the sun, moon, planets, and stars should be with respect to true north.
It seems silly to think of using a hand-held computer as a backup compass, but why not? It should make a superior car compass also (no magnetic interference).
There may be software that can be used as a tide predictor. Does anyone know where to get it?
What other Palm software might be handy for outdoor adventures?
 
Originally posted by johnniet
There may be software that can be used as a tide predictor. Does anyone know where to get it?
This site has links to tide predictions and tide software. http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/tide/ I don't use my handheld for tides. I have a Tidelands (http://www.tidelines.com) calendar in my office and one of those little tidebooks for use in the field. I tear out the current month's page and keep it in the credit card slot in my wallet. It's low tech but since I always carry my wallet it works well for me.
 
johnniet -- Very interesting idea, the compass software! Do you have a compass program already? If so, can you tell me what you have, and how you like it? thanks!

Joe
 
I downloaded a few programs like that the other night--compass, star charts, eclipse predictors--and I'm going to try them all out. One of them that is set up as a compass is called Astro Compass. If you want to try it out yourself, you can download it from Palm Gear and pay them $5 if you like it. It has a "big brother" program called Planet 2000, which I think also has a compass feature.
 
Originally posted by Frank
I tear out the current month's page and keep it in the credit card slot in my wallet. It's low tech but since I always carry my wallet it works well for me.
That's probably the real solution, but I always like to have a backup, and I always like to us the Palm.
I also see that there are GPS modules available for the Visor--has anyone tried them out?
What I'd really like would be a "weather radio" module for the Visor. With a regular weather radio, you have to listen to a bunch of different forecasts and data before you hear the ones that you want. It would be nice to just plug in my coordinates and have the Visor give me only the relevant forecasts.

Has anyone had trouble using the Visor out on the ocean? I would probably be kayaking, so there's going to be some saltwater somewhere. Does one of these pocket computers have any better protection from saltwater? Or should I just use it through two Ziploc bags? (If I put some foam in too, would it float?)
 
The reviews for the first generation of Springboard-based gps modules were not good at all. I think there were some follow-ons that did a bit better. Too bad, I'd had dreams of a springboard gps, running in concert with mapopolis or other mapping software, all contained within my Visor. But, I've more or less decided that if I want gps, I do the same thing I did with my cell phone: buy a separate gps (cell phone), and find a wire that will connect the two, if I want them to talk together.

I'm at least a year, and probably two, out of date on the latest Visor gps modules though, so you should probably hunt through the review sites to see if any of the newer ones worked out. On the other hand, with the springboard's future in serious doubt ...


Joe
 
I'll try to write a more detailed review later, but here's the bottom line for now.
If you want a free, fast, simple solar compass, go to
http://www.mew3.com/mew3/pilot/sol/index.html
and click on the link that says "Download Sol!"
You should be able to install Sol! on its own, with no other dependent files. (If I am wrong, shoot me an email.)
When you run Sol!, set your location first (click on where it says "Danville, VA"). Go into compass mode. The diamond on top should be pointed toward the sun...you know the rest. There are no detailed angle indicators, just NSEW, it should get you where you're going.
If you want something more precise, and with night capability, I recommend Planetarium, which is $24 shareware, but you can try before you buy. Planetarium is a general-purpose astronomy program, so it will display the compass orientation of any heavenly object in the database (including the sun of course).
Astro Compass works fine, and also has night capability, but it's just slow enough that I dislike using it.
 
Back
Top