Kane Car and Bike Pilot GPS with Speed Camera etc warnings!

I am tempted to buy a GPS, but would want to be able to use it in the car, and the GPS units like the SP3 are just another single-function bit of kit to carry around.

I came across the Kane Car and Bike Pilot for a PDA. see http://www.kanegear.com/carpilot.php for more details.

Has anyone tried the Kane package?

It's expensive at £749 plus the PDA but look what you get!

• Satellite navigation system with top software (they claim), GPS receiver and complete specification

• Speed trap and Congestion Zone warnings: visual and audible alerts. Guards against Gatso, Truvelo, SPECS and frequent mobile traps !!!!

• no need to use a PC for set up or map loading! Comes complete with a high spec. 256mb SD card, ready loaded with GB street level maps and major roads of Europe

• Portable from car to car to bike with removable quality car mount kit. Thanks to our software and Bluetooth GPS, you can even carry on receiving full navigation directions even when walking! Comes with conversion pack so you can use in-car and on-bike: converst in seconds, ideal for people with cars as well as bikes

• High quality maps, now with switchable 2d (aerial) or 3d (driver's eye perspective) views, with superior route creation

• Navtech geodata: Kane uses the full "navigable attribute set", just like systems in Lexus, Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes.

• Extensive points of interest with almost 40 categories including restaurants, petrol stations, parking, hotels, hospitals etc.

• Multi-mode address entry system (e.g. by post code)

• Recorded journey video option, Expected time of arrival, Auto re-routing, Night/Day mode, Pedestrian mode

• Handsfree Email-ready(via plug in of Kane Car Office pack - optional)

• Multi-media-ready (via plug-in of forthcoming optional Kane Vision Station - play back favourite recorded movies & programs).

• Leather case with belt-clip for your Bluetooth GPS when not in use.

• In-car and international mains charger kit.


PDA not included

Like you say, Loyd, V. expensive at £749 Plus PDA.

I looked at the same stuff and was considering a Dell Axim with TomTom 2. check out eBay as they regularly come out at about £4-500. Dell.com looked good and gives excellent options for memory as it has both SD and CF expansion slots. One for the GPS CF and the other allows use of a high capacity SD card.

In the end, I decided that I would not use it for anything else so went for a S/H Streetpilot Colour Map as it is better suited to a M/bike, being waterproof/shockproof, and can be powered easily from the bike loom.

HTH,

Nice toy....very nice, but very pricey....

Bluetooth kit is coming down in price very quickly......i think i'd be waiting a few months to get out of that 'bleeding edge' price cliff on this .

Damn I want one!!!

Reduced cocost option...

...if you source the SD Memory card form a PDA specialist rather than Kane, and take their non-Bluetooth Classic package, you can get the price down to ~£600 plus PDA which is close to the price of an SP3. I am suspicious of Bluetooth as I have found it unreliable in other applications.

I have contacted Kane to see if I can take a closer look at the package, the tank bag etc and I let you know how it looks.

You could get the new O2 XDA2 which is a fully-fledged Pocket PC with 400 Mhz processor etc, and bluetooth. But it is also a phone. You can get a GPS mapping application for it when linked up with a GPS receiver via bluetooth. The in car mounting will handle the hands-free phone stuff as well charging it.

Check out http://www.o2.co.uk/xda/landing.html

Not that I work for O2 or anything....

They do a Kane Car/Bike Pilot for the XDA...

and that gives you the option of the Speed Camera Warning package.

It does concern me that Kane has never been mentioned on this or the AdvRider lists. I don't know whether their stuff is good quality, or whether they are going to stay around to support it.

It would be nice to be first but only if it is a good experience!