We’ve created a new web site for the Earthmate GPS PN-40 at www.GetSeriousTool.com. It will continue to grow but for now you can enter our free Serious Tool t-shirt giveaway.
Enter the PN-40 “Serious Tool” T-Shirt Giveaway
August 5, 2008
6 Comments | 
Fun Stuff | Tagged: GPS, PN-40 | 
Permalink
Posted by Caleb Mason - Marketing
DeLorme to Sponsor North Pole ‘09 Expedition
August 5, 2008
Innovative Map and GPS Provider Hosting Related Event at Outdoor Retailer Show
SALT LAKE CITY, UT ― DeLorme, the leader in mapping and GPS technology for serious outdoors adventures, today announced it will be one of the sponsors of North Pole ‘09, as American explorers John Huston and Tyler Fish endeavor to ski to the top of the world with no assistance of any kind.
Huston and Fish would be the first Americans to accomplish the feat, which they describe as “an expedition of optimism, humility, and responsible action.”
A History of Supporting Arctic Expeditions
DeLorme was the GPS provider for a pair of recent Baffin Island, Canada expeditions. The rugged, reliable Earthmate® GPS PN-20 was used on Will Steger’s Global Warming 101 trip in 2007, and Ed Viesturs’ 2008 Canadian Arctic Trek for Earth Health. Huston, who was base camp manager for Steger, also relied on a PN-20 during a trip he led to the South Pole.
DeLorme’s North Pole ‘09 sponsorship announcement comes on the first day of the Open Air Demo event, a prelude to the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008 trade show scheduled for Aug. 8-11 at the Salt Palace. The company will unveil a new GPS, the Earthmate PN-40, at this year’s show.
“We are exceptionally pleased to support the North Pole ‘09 expedition,” said DeLorme vice president Jim Skillings.
“We’ve developed a reputation as a provider of serious products that stand up to even the most demanding customer needs. It absolutely fits our corporate mission to support John and Tyler as they undertake this extraordinary challenge.”
North Pole ‘09 Event at Outdoor Retailer
Huston will be at the DeLorme exhibit (Booth 19010) from 4-6 p.m. MT on Saturday, August 9. His presentation will focus on the North Pole ‘09 expedition, its objectives, his and Tyler Fish’s methods of preparation, and their experiences in previous polar journeys. The presentation will be open to all show attendees.
“It’s a fascinating and inspiring presentation, and we urge people to stop by, meet John, and learn more about North Pole ‘09,”added Skillings.
Ellesmere Island to the North Pole – the Hard Way
In March, Huston and Fish will embark from the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, Canada pulling all of their supplies in sleds while propelling themselves across the polar ice cap on cross-country skis.
The trip is fraught with extreme challenges. It will be entirely over the Arctic Ocean on large sheets of ice, called “pans.” These pans will be, in most cases, anything but smooth, and frequently strewn with ice “rubble and debris” that are a consequence of the severe conditions.
In addition, the polar winds and ocean currents may sometimes push the ice pans backward at a rate faster than Huston’s and Fish’s forward progress. There will be numerous instances when the two will have to don dry suits and swim from pan to pan, with the added challenge of securing their sled and supplies during the water passages.
Other dangers include polar bears, the extreme cold (temperatures may reach -60°F), and the potential for injury in this most unforgiving environment.
Huston and Fish hope to complete the 475-mile trek in 55 days. Along the way, they will chronicle their adventure with daily entries, via satellite phone uploads. To learn more, visit www.northpole09.com.
About North Pole ‘09
North Pole ‘09, an expedition without outside assistance or supply drops, will be an endeavor of absolute optimism and humility, thorough preparation and selfless cooperation. This enormously challenging expedition will endeavor to inspire people to embrace challenge. The live online expedition journal will focus on the mental approach to seemingly insurmountable challenges. “As we, as individuals and as a society, face the daunting challenges of today, we believe we have the responsibility to tell a more uplifting story. We need more simple stories of achievement and passion that inspire positive, forward-thinking action rather than negative stories that lead to increased passivity and feelings of hopelessness.”
Expedition components include a climate change education program and several research projects. For sponsorship information, visit www.northpole09.com.
About John Huston
Huston is a seasoned polar explorer, having most recently led a 720-mile ski expedition to the South Pole for NorthWinds Adventures. That trip spanned 57 days from November 2007 to January 2008.
Prior to that, he was the only American chosen to participate with the Norwegian team in an event that reprised the 1911 competition between Norwegian and British explorers to reach the South Pole. Featured on BBC and the History Channel as the “Race to the Pole,” the expedition was set in Greenland and duplicated the 1911 journey by using 1911-style equipment, clothing, and food.
A former Outward Bound instructor, the Northwestern University alumnus is a cross-country ski racer, writer, and educator.
About Tyler Fish
Tyler Fish has expeditions on Baffin Island, the Canadian Arctic, and Hudson Bay to his credit. He has also led many month-long white water canoe trips on remote Canadian rivers. An elite cross-country ski racer and coach, he is also a speaker, family relationship coach, and wilderness skills expert.
A graduate of Bates College in Maine, he has spent 13 years working for Outward Bound and is currently a youth programs coordinator and supervisor.
About the Earthmate GPS PN Series
DeLorme’s Earthmate GPS PN-20 and PN-40 receivers are designed for serious outdoors adventures. They deliver the unique ability to display proprietary DeLorme topographic maps, as well as USGS 1:24,000 quads, four different types of aerial imagery, and NOAA nautical charts. WAAS-enabled for accuracy to within three meters, the PN series receivers are waterproof with a rock-solid design that has proven its reliability in the most challenging environments on Earth. For more information, go to GetSeriousTool.com.
About DeLorme
Based in Yarmouth, ME, DeLorme offers a unique set of core competencies across the complex areas of map data creation and management, software development, and integration with GPS. The ability to develop all the critical components necessary to compete in the fast-changing navigation world provides a distinct competitive advantage. DeLorme is one of a handful of mapmakers that still own and produce their own content, and its Earthmate GPS, Street Atlas USA®, Topo USA®, and Atlas & Gazetteer™ products have introduced countless first-to-market innovations. For more, visit www.delorme.com.
1 Comment | 
GPS In Use | Tagged: GPS, John Huston, North Pole, PN-40 | 
Permalink
Posted by Caleb Mason - Marketing
Trip Planning on the PN-20
April 1, 2008One of the great things about working here at DeLorme is we get to try just about every type of GPS being made. My own evaluations lead me back to the same place everytime: there are pros and cons with every system and every map database. That’s why it is important (and so difficult to know in advance of buying) what it is you want your GPS to do for you.
Almost every customer I’ve talked with agrees that DeLorme maps, especially our integrated topos and street maps, are far more detailed and useful than what’s typically out there. Are we perfect? Of course not — no one is and much of a user’s perception is formed based on testing against known areas. But I’ve seen all kinds of examples where Google has it right and DeLorme has it wrong and Google has it wrong but DeLorme has it right. In the end, it is all a bit of Russian roulette.
Which leads me to my main point here: knowing that every GPS and mapping solution is going to be flawed at some point, isn’t is better to plan in advance and depart on a lengthy road trip with the best preplanned information you can assemble? It is for me.
Sure the on-dash navigators are excellent at many things but the first time they send me on a route I don’t feel comfortable about, one that I cannot tell for sure is correct because I cannot get much context on the relatively small screen, I start to panic. I just blindly follow and hope it eventually gets me out of trouble but oftentimes end up pulled over to the side of the road reaching for a paper atlas.
Instead, I’ve started using Topo USA, which is included free with the Earthmate GPS PN-20, to plan my long trips in advance on the desktop. This way I can preview the routes and make sure I am going the way I prefer. Then, I can search the DeLorme places of interest and add them to my itinerary. Oftentimes I do want more information so I go online and get a phone number or two and check out a hotel rating before booking. Sometimes, if it is a very important stop, I’ll reference what Topo USA shows versus what Google Maps shows. It’s a sanity check well worth doing. Who wouldn’t rather have two sources of information versus just one?
Just so you don’t think I’m a hopeless DeLorme pitchman — sure, there have been times when Google showed a new local road that we didn’t have. (As said before, the opposite has also been true.) But you know what? When we don’t have a local road that is important to my trip, I can add it to our database and include it in my route. How cool is that?
Once I have planned my trip on the desktop, done some Internet checking, and saved my map — then I transfer it to the PN-20. Once in the car, I bring up that route and mount the PN-20 to the windshield and listen for the turn beeps and keep an eye on the screen (occasionally) to make sure I’m going the way I wanted. No need to constantly stare at the screen, no need to become anxious as happens when an on-dash model suggests a new way that feels wrong. I’ve already selected exactly the way I want to go so as long as I do what the GPS says, all will be fine. (This is another topic all in itself — when man wrongly overrules machine and pays the price.)
Depending where I’m going, I also enjoy the fact I can bring the PN-20 with me when I go off-road. The GPS fits nicely in my coat pocket, is waterproof, and the screen actually gets brighter and clearer when you tilt it into direct sunlight. My weary eyes like that a lot.
Sure..sometimes I need to perform spontaneous routing while on the road, although honestly with my preplanned route information I don’t stray much or often. With firmware 1.4 loaded on the PN-20, I have found the device quickly can find nearby food, lodging, and other travel places. No, it does not like highly complex on-device urban routing but it does the job for me.
In fact, in all my city trips around the U.S., only once did I not get the automatic route I wanted and later I discovered it was my fault — I had placed a waypoint off beside the actual road so the routing logic could not actually complete to the end.
Anyway, this is how I use the PN-20 for trip planning. But I mostly use it for hiking and backcountry exploration as DeLorme is one of the very few companies offering 1:24,000k USGS quad maps for the entire country — not just the state parks as some do. The PN-20 does very well for me and is now the only GPS I use when out and about.
–Caleb
Leave a Comment » | 
GPS In Use | Tagged: GPS, PN-20, Technology, Topo USA, Travel, USGS Quad | 
Permalink
Posted by Caleb Mason - Marketing
DeLorme Earthmate® GPS PN-20 Chosen by BNSF as GPS Solution for Track Maintenance Crews
March 20, 2008The PN-20 provides BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad) field technicians with access to the company’s track and milepost data, displayed against a background of DeLorme’s USA street-level or topographic base maps. The ability to view aerial imagery enhances field intelligence for better decision making.
Field personnel will be able to search on BNSF data for track defects, view and query track and milepost locations, and create waypoints with basic descriptions. Armed with location data that has been custom-cut for BNSF, field technicians will have the ability to automatically download defect information directly from BNSF geometry cars to the PN-20 GPS handheld.
Leave a Comment » | PN-20 News | Tagged: GPS, Maps, PN-20, Technology | Permalink
Posted by Caleb Mason - Marketing
RSS Feed
