[aprssig] Lowrance HDS-5 Baja

[Tom Mandera]

> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:09:40 -0000
> From: "Dave Baxter" <dave at uk-ar.co.uk>
>
> I'd have thought a laptop on a RAM mount, would have been less cost,
> more flexible, and with a solid state disk, rugged too.
>
> Dave G0WBX.

I don't know exactly what Ken's after, but there are companies
(pciraceradios.com in particular) that sell ruggedized versions of the
HDS-5 BAJA and similar units.

They are intended for use in off-road vehicles, and in the case of many of
PCI's offerings, particularly in high-speed off-road race vehicles ($1M
USD Trophy Trucks down to open-cockpit buggies).  They need something that
will survive landing a jump at 120mph, dirt and dust and silt galore, and
be readable by the driver or navigator at 120mph on a bumpy road.

That said, my race truck is now where near competitive with a Trophy
Truck, and my budget is significantly less as well.

I've considered taking a used laptop (sub-Ghz even), replacing the hard
drive with a 4 or 8GB CF chip and CFtoIDE adapter to eliminate the moving
parts, add in a Bluetooth GPS receiver mounted somewhere in the clear, and
build my own 10-12" LCD "navigation system."

Might work great in the race truck, though probably too big for my trail
4x4 since I wouldn't build the truck around the laptop like I might in the
race truck.

Goofy things like a heater, doors, windshield and so on get in the way.

I wouldn't mind one of the Lowrance Bajas and their ilk.  I just haven't
made it a spending priority yet.

-Tom Mandera
KE7VUX