Better Alternative to Streets and Trips?

[Todd Rector]

If foresee a need to purchase and configure a laptop with all the needed software and hardware that would last for the next three to four years without upgrading. That could be tricky of course (at least for a end-user type person like me that hates dealing with "configurations").

The "configuration" part kills me. Even though I am an I.T. guy, I live and work in a Linux world. Trying to get my Windows Surface Pro tablet running with all the software I wanted (GR3, DeLorme, MS Streets, GPSgate) took hours upon hours for me because the Windows 8 environment was so foreign. And I learned the hard way to boot it up every week or so to let it update, otherwise I would end up background downloading a thousand updates over 4G Lte while driving to a chase. Ugh.

 

[Tom Stolze]

Doesn't sound like good news for those of us still chasing with laptops.
I have used a discontinued product, Garmin Mobile PC, it is just like using a Garmin GPS on your laptop.
So far, the software is still able to use map updates from Garmin.
It crashes on occasion, but has served me well for several years now.

 

[Justin Wilcox]

I run S&T 2009 and have yet to come to a point where I wish I had a newer version. But then again, while actually chasing I switch to Google Maps.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Delorme Streets Atlas 2014 works quite well on Windows 8.1 with a touchscreen. Unfortunately you have to order a DVD directly from the company for shipment, rather than a digital download or picking it up in a store. I fear that software is heading toward the point of being discontinued.

 

[WX4CB]

I personally use either streets and trips or the navigation app on my tablet. I have never had a problem with either of these. Never got used to using the delorme software personally.

 

[TJKLECKNER]

I use the spotter positioning with Radarscope. I have the radar open on my window mounted tablet/phone, so its automatic. For level3 I use my Verizon hotspot (GPS over Wi-Fi (NMEA)) feature.

 

[Andy Wycislo]

I have S&T, and it works fine. But now I almost exclusively use the detailed road shapefiles imported into GR3. I have everything I need on one screen. Radar, my GPS location, roads. I don't have to flip back and forth while on a storm to figure out where the next turn is or where exactly I am. IMO, it's the only way to go. I usually still run S&T in the background mainly for trip logging as Skip mentioned.

Being able to use this setup is really the only reason I haven't dumped a laptop and chased solely with a tablet running RadarScope. The road overlay on RS is non-existent. I'd love for them to implement some method for getting roads in there. Doubtful they care what I think, though.

 

[Chris Strahan]

Andy, where has been the best place to find the shape files for the states you chase in?

 

[Andy Wycislo]

http://www.meteor.iastate.edu/~slincoln/GRS/shapefiles/

 

[Chris Strahan]

Thank you for posting!

http://www.meteor.iastate.edu/~slincoln/GRS/shapefiles/

 

[Michael Gavan]

I posted this on a different thread but this is a better place for it. S&T is being discontinued now so an alternative is imperitive.

http://download.cnet.com/Google-Maps-with-GPS-Tracker/3000-12940_4-10494227.html

This is totally gray ware...but it does work wonderfully. I've been testing it and so far no big problems. It's extremely lightweight and it uses google maps. However the company running it seems shady as hell. I keep saying it should happen, but someone with very little effort could piece meal an app just like this one and even throw radar overlay on it. Not much more effort and spotter network integration, tablet friendly controls and you've got a 4-in-one app.

 

[Robert Forry]

http://www.meteor.iastate.edu/~slincoln/GRS/shapefiles/

Thanks Andy! I was looking for that link to update my Road shapefile folder for the new Surface 3.