720 Newbie questions

[rwmay]

Two questions about my new GO 720:

1. Can I use it to track maps other than those from TomTom, such as topo maps or aviation sectional maps. (I'm a pilot and have an aviation map program loaded in my laptop and am wondering if I can load these maps in my TomTom.

2. Or, can I use my TomTom as a peripheral screen for my laptop? The size of the TomTom unit would be ideal for mounting on the dash of my Cessna airplane and using it as an aviation GPS unit.

 

[SShadow]

Unfortunately, unless someone knows better than I, that is a no to both questions. Sorry.

 

[1XL-on-XR650L]

Two questions about my new GO 720:

1. Can I use it to track maps other than those from TomTom, such as topo maps or aviation sectional maps. (I'm a pilot and have an aviation map program loaded in my laptop and am wondering if I can load these maps in my TomTom.

2. Or, can I use my TomTom as a peripheral screen for my laptop? The size of the TomTom unit would be ideal for mounting on the dash of my Cessna airplane and using it as an aviation GPS unit.

Question#1;
The 3rd party software called "Offroad" will allow you to "overlay" BMP files and track your location. It has a feature that allows you to "unsnap" from the road lock that TT built into their maping software (otherwise it trys to put your location on the nearist road). I am a pilot too, and have been looking for a solution to the sectional map availability. Unfortunatly the only thing I have been able to work out is buying the sectionals in electronic format (there are a few companys out there that sell them) and then convert them to BMP format or just scan in the paper sectional. In either case a "calibration" has to be done by defining the upper left and lower right corners of each of the BMP files (Lat/Long).
I've loaded some of the US Forest service maps for my off road activites, but have yet to take on the F.A.A. sectionals as a project. However, I have loaded many of the V.O.R.T.A.C locations as a POI (works great!).

 

[rwmay]

Thanks for the feedback....one of my aviation "poor man's GPS" solutions is to use my laptop and software of maps by Vista (rmstek.com...I think). These are the actual scanned sectional charts and I use a USB GPS antenna. Works like a charm, but the laptop sitting on the floor gets a little crowded in my Cessna 177 if I have a passenger. I do use a Magellan handheld GPS on the yoke that I bought for $100 brand new and found a database on the internet of airports that I put on it. I also have a panel mount Trimble GPS unit that came with the plane. I hate to sound so cheap, but I hate the notion of having to pay $3,000 for an aviation GPS system that can be accomplished with a basic computer. If I could find a small screen for my laptop that I could mount on the yoke, I'd have the color moving map issue solved...oh well, I'll bit the bullet and buy a Garmin panel mount when I finish my IFR anyway...