[nagdu] GPS was Test Walk?

[Tracy Carcione]

No indeed, they weren't designed with walkers in mind, not even those made
specifically for blind people.  For instance, I once asked mine to make a
pedestrian route to a business I knew was on the highway.  I hoped the GPS
would show me a street way to get there.  But no, it advised me to walk on
the highway, which around here is almost certain death.  It also doesn't
point out if the block I'm coming to doesn't have a sidewalk. Benny's
sidewalkless work is very good, but it would still be nice to know.
Tracy

> Tracey I couldn't stand lugging a Braille notetaker around.  I'd be
> paranoid
> of getting it wet or dropping it or something much worse.
>
> I use the Trekker Breeze and love it.  The issue with not working in a
> city
> is an unfortunate flaw with these GPSs because they weren't initially
> designed with walkers and more specifically blind walkers in mind.  Most
> of
> the time we are close enough for the GPS to work but not close enough for
> us
> to reach out and touch the object, which is why a seasoned dog and GPS are
> an awesome combination.
>
> My Breeze can't ever get me to my apartment door because I'm off my street
> grid, so it gets me to the closest street and can guide me with clock
> directions with a good enough degree of accuracy.  It will let you input
> an
> address and create a route that way or you can make your own as you walk.
>
> It's also smaller and can be worn around your neck, across your body or
> clipped to something.
>
> Katy knows that if the Breeze comes on, we're going out.  She's even
> started
> giving the Breeze a good tail thrashing if she thinks I'm not spending
> enough time walking.
>
>
>
>
> I'd like an order of ambition, & a side of focus, and a large coffee. And
> could you super size that please? It really needs to last for the rest of
> the day.
> Lisa Belville
> missktlab1217 at frontier.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 8:55 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GPS was Test Walk?
>
>
>>I have the Sendero GPS running on a BrailleNote PK.  I'm not real happy
>> with it, though I've seen others do better, so maybe it's me.
>> It does give directions, and I have used it often to find roughly where
>> something is.  But, even if I put in an address and create a route to
>> that
>> address, it doesn't reliably tell me when I've arrived.  The last thing
>> I
>> tried this with was back across a parking lot, but I thought at least
>> the
>> GPS should say I was close.  It didn't.  It's also not very useful in
>> midtown Manhattan, with all its tall buildings.  It frequently tells me
>> I'm on 43rd going west, when in truth I'm past 41st and heading south.
>> I
>> was advised to stand still on the corner until the GPS catches up with
>> itself, but I've got places to go, things to do.
>> It has however been very helpful on buses in New Jersey, where it has
>> several times helped me find my stop.  On the other hand, in NJ, I
>> recently got off the bus early to walk the rest of the way, and
>> mistakenly
>> went around a round corner, and the GPS did not catch that my direction
>> had changed, or what street I was walking down.
>> And the BrailleNote PK crashes  about once a month, and sometimes
>> freezes
>> up in the GPS ap.  It's small, which is why I got it, but I think it
>> really doesn't have enough RAM or something.
>>
>> Maybe the Sendero GPS  works better in a more open area than the
>> megalopolis.  Or maybe some other system works better.  I'd be
>> interested
>> to hear.
>> Tracy
>>
>>> William,
>>>
>>> Have you used the Captain Plus?  We've talked about it briefly on this
>>> list before, but it's pretty new and not a lot of people have used it.
>>> I'd be very interested to know what those of you who use GPS systems
>>> like and don't like about the model you use.
>>>
>>> I keep thinking about purchasing one.  Then I remember the prices and
>>> think about how much I would actually use it.  I can't make the benefit
>>> to cost ratio work out. *smile* The Captain Plus is a lot more
>>> affordable than anything else I've seen though.  So maybe...
>>>
>>> Julie
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/3/2012 3:17 PM, William Vandervest wrote:
>>>> Leader sells theCaptain Plus in their online store, and you don't need
>>>> to be a Leader grad to buy one either
>>>> William And LD Lynard
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
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