My recently-completed trip on the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle was in the planning stage for more than 5-months and one of the gadgets I purchased to bring along was Microsoft Street & Trips software for my laptop computer, with a GPS receiver.
The only prior experience I've had with a GPS device is with what's included as part of my iPhone and my test of the software at home resulted in inaccurate position identification. I wanted to be able to track my trip progress, to know where I was, what I was approaching and to have a heads up before arriving at do not miss sights along the trip route.
The GPS receiver comes with a suction cup which I attached to my roomette window and then plugged-into my laptop. The laptop and software was kept on continuously except when I was sleeping, overnight.
My pre-trip expectations for the software/receiver were exceeded - I can't imagine taking a long-distance rail trip in the future without it. The receiver was bouncing signals back and forth to 8 > 10 satellites and the train's position was tracked exactly, best I could tell. Information provided included, also, the time of day, the altitude level and the speed at which we were traveling. I had the level of comfort that I knew where we were, what we were passing and/or passing through, how long it would be before we arrived at certain points for which I would prepare my cameras (and myself) to jump off/jump on the train at short and long stops. No more "Where are we?" questions or uncertainty.
Technology doesn't always work the way we expect, especially when it comes to mobile devices. Neither my laptop nor the Streets & Trips/GPS let me down and that software package was a major contributor to my overall enjoyment riding the Empire Builder.
The only prior experience I've had with a GPS device is with what's included as part of my iPhone and my test of the software at home resulted in inaccurate position identification. I wanted to be able to track my trip progress, to know where I was, what I was approaching and to have a heads up before arriving at do not miss sights along the trip route.
The GPS receiver comes with a suction cup which I attached to my roomette window and then plugged-into my laptop. The laptop and software was kept on continuously except when I was sleeping, overnight.
My pre-trip expectations for the software/receiver were exceeded - I can't imagine taking a long-distance rail trip in the future without it. The receiver was bouncing signals back and forth to 8 > 10 satellites and the train's position was tracked exactly, best I could tell. Information provided included, also, the time of day, the altitude level and the speed at which we were traveling. I had the level of comfort that I knew where we were, what we were passing and/or passing through, how long it would be before we arrived at certain points for which I would prepare my cameras (and myself) to jump off/jump on the train at short and long stops. No more "Where are we?" questions or uncertainty.
Technology doesn't always work the way we expect, especially when it comes to mobile devices. Neither my laptop nor the Streets & Trips/GPS let me down and that software package was a major contributor to my overall enjoyment riding the Empire Builder.
(I have a cat at home, and she doesn't take up any more room on my bed than the netbook! 
