[Nfbmt] Mobility and more

Thu Jan 16 04:34:09 UTC 2014

Hi Jim.  I have used my Trecker a few times but have found it to be very
inaccurate, so much so that I haven't used it in unfamiliar areas where I
might get lost.  I've only taken it out and tried it in areas where aI know
wher I am or when I was with a sighted friend.  Thus far, it hasn't shown
itself to be trustworthy enough for me to use it for anything but a toy to
play with.  When I first got it, I stood in my front yard and pushed the
"Where am I" button and it gave me an address on a completely different
street.  This makes me hesitant to try iit for real.  My street is a really
goofy street, it loops back on itself and it intersects with Benton avenue
twice at the end of my block so I'm not sure if this may have something to
do with the way it got my address wrong but ZI didn't even recognize the
name of the street it named, I don't think it's a street in my neighborhood.
I'm afraid I wasted my money on my Trecker.  How can I depend on it since
it's so inaccurateZ?  

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbmt [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James Aldrich
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 9:05 PM
To: nfbmt at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Nfbmt] Mobility and more

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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