[Nfbmt] Mobility and more

Thu Jan 16 04:04:53 UTC 2014

Hi Dar, Becca and all,

A GPS solution is only as good as the maps which are available for it.  
Of course, a GPS solution should not substitute for a cane or dog.  It 
certainly is a nice accessory to have when traveling!  It is almost 
like having a mobility specialist at your side telling you where to 
travel. Or should I say, telling you where to go (grin smile)!

The Trekker Breeze is a good GPS solution but it has a few 
shortcomings. The maps aren't updated often enough but they are quite 
accurate for the most part.  It works well in a vehicle or when one is 
walking to a specific destination. I especially liked the fact I could 
put in a verbal landmark.  I use to have one for the dumpster.  When 
the snow is deep and it just fell, I could find that dumpster with the 
Trekker Breeze.  One would be on scene where the store, house, or 
trailer might be when recording the landmark.  I probably could locate 
a specific trailer in a trailer park  with this feature. Another 
shortcoming with the Trekker Breeze is its boot up time.  I'd probably 
need to wait five minutes before it was ready to work accurately.  It 
is always a good idea to turn it on ahead of time before using. One 
should place it in a window or be outside while it orients itself to 
the satellites. One this happens, it works very well! There are days 
however when it may not orient itself properly or work at all.  Yes!  
One must put the maps on the card with the provided maps which one can 
get on CD and a program to get those maps to the Breeze.  The Breeze 
only accepts three maps which can be used at any one time but some of 
these maps may cover a number of states.  This is true with the 
Washington DC area.  I of course didn't always have my Trekker Breeze 
with me and it might have come in handy in some situations.  One also 
must keep in mind that there may be a discrepancy between where you are 
walking or driving than what the satellite is reading. This could be 30 
to a hundred feet difference!  Quite often when I came home from 
church, I'd be across the street from my house and the Breeze would say 
my address as if I had arrived at my house.  When setting up my Trekker 
Breeze, I had it tell me as much information as possible! A    number 
of us here have used the Trekker Breeze!  I still have one but I 
finally found a much nicer solution which I'm using from my IPhone. It 
is called BlindSquare. It uses information from the FourSquare app.  
Foursquare is much like FaceBook but it consentrates on the places 
where people like to travel to and enjoy. Between one's current 
location in the phone, the Apple Maps or Google Maps if installed, one 
has instant access to current maps including information people put in 
through Foursquare.  This is interesting at times! no matter where one 
goes, one usually has access to current information!  Since the phone 
is with me much of the time, so is my GPS if I choose to use it! I also 
have that feature where I can go to a specific place only it is a bit 
different.  BlindSquare gave the dumpster an address so it is now known 
by 507 Houward Avenue Billings Dumpster.

I was asked to take out the trash!  Dar got it ready for me so out I 
went!  I didn't want to put my boots on!  I figured I'd get it 
accomplished in short order as I usually do!  I got to the dumpster by 
walking very carefully!  It was icy!  After disposing of the trash, I 
found the ice had many nubs in it!  Walking on it was getting 
difficult! I tried to find the best ice to walk on if there was such a 
thing and I'd find my walk which would get me back to my house.  I 
apparently crossed the alley and ended up at a neighbor's house or 
garage, I'm not certain where I ended up.  I know I was in back of some 
building.  I called Dar to see if she'd come out and I could tell where 
I was.  She came out and started to holler for me.  I heard her on the 
phone but couldn't hear her at all from where I was standing!  Now if 
you know Dar, she doesn't holler faintly!  She is usually very loud and 
distinctive!  I couldn't hear her at all!  I decided it was time for my 
GPS.  I turned on the app, set it to track my house which is one of the 
places I often track with the app.  I started walking and it was 
telling me a general address which was not close to my house.  I 
thought I heard Dar faintly now and that is something I don't normally 
experience!  I kept walking and the GPS was giving me indication in 
feet I was getting closer to my house! I finally got the welcome sound 
of the dumpster address complete with the music box chimes associated 
with getting close to a destination. Despite the ice, I found my 
sidewalk and was home again!  All in a day's errands.

I believe Blind Square might tell me my address when I'm across the 
street but it will tell me how many feet I'm away from there which is 
better than the Breeze.  When I came in from my errand, I was inside 
the house before the GPS told me I arrived at my destination!  Go 
figure!  These things happen! I'm glad I had the GPS with me!

Jim

Original message:
> Hi Dar.  I have a Trekker but I haven't used it much.  I've found it to be
> not very accurate and so I haven't put myself in any situations where I've
> actually used it for orientation, I think it would get me very lost.
> Granted, the streets here are quite a maze for sighted people to use, llet
> alone a blind woman with a gps but I thought that since it relies on gps,
> that it would have better information.  I travel a lot but haven't tried it
> in strange cities because the opportunity hasn't come up.  I'm very
> frustrated with it.  I should take it with me to D. C. later this month and
> try it but I don't have D. C. loaded into it and I don't know how to swap
> one map out of it for another yet.  Like I've said, I need better computer
> skills. I really hate trying to walk around outside here with the wind and
> the ice also, very frustrating.  We're actually looking to move to Arizona
> for the winters so I can get out of this horrible weather.  I'm sure I will
> be able  to get out more there and do more of these things.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nfbmt [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of d m gina
> Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 8:21 AM
> To: nfbmt at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Nfbmt] Mobility and more

> When I started taking mobility in the seventies, I would have never thought
> of a gps device for the blind.
> I often wonder now how on earth did I stay on track when the wind was
> blowing as hard then as it is now?
> I must say now that I am learning how to use a gps system life is a bit
> better.
> We are told in training, one must not panic.
> Well gee, that is saying to me panic.
> It happens and I just don't say sorry any more.
> Working with a gps program getting lost doesn't seem as though I am lost any
> more.
> the other morning, Jim was taking the trash out.
> With the ice trying to get around it, and the wind trying to blow you off
> your feet, Jim called me asking to talk a minute.
> I was outside giving the cheerleader yell, where he didn't hear me at all.
> On our I phones we have the gps program called blind square.
> Now this silly program decided that the dumpster needed an address.
> Once Jim turned the gps on, he got the dumpster address loll.
> Then he realized that he was near the neighbors garage.
> He had become disoriniated with the wind, and ice.
> He got back out on the sidewalk where I could hear his cane.
> I was inside the gate, trying to hang on to it with the wind blowing hard.
> I am wondering, when teaching mobility now, Are the different programs
> shared with persons in training on the gps?
> Or shall I say about the gps?
> Blind square also can do what the Trekker breeze does, where you can put in
> land marks.
> We went over to alnbertsons near our home, added this to the addresses we
> have.
> When I go back again, I can track my way to the store, and track it home
> again.
> What other programs are you folks using when out and about?
> Or do you have the problem getting turned around with the wind?
> Just some thoughts, and wanted to share.
> Happy Traveling

> --
> --Dar
> skype: dmgina23
>   FB: dmgina
> www.twitter.com/dmgina
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future

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