For years now, GPS manufacturers have been touting the mantra ‘daylight readable display’. Of course if you have purchased one of these GPS units, you soon realize that the claim is way over stated at best. In a minute I’ll tell you how to really get a daylight readable GPS display, but first we need to understand what GPS manufacturers are up against.
First, LCD displays are a remarkable bit of technology. All color LCD displays are comprised of tiny crystals that flip when an electric current is applied. A light, located behind the crystals is allowed to shine through the display when these crystals are in a certain orientation. The brilliance of the light behind the crystals determines the over all brightness of the display. The opaqueness of the crystals determines the perceived contrast of the display.
The companies that make these displays have a real challenge on their hands. One is that they must compete with millions of candle power of brightness coming from the sun and two; they have limited power with which to do this. Most of these devices (GPS Units) are designed to run on very low power. If not, they would NOT be portable units at all. Even without this restriction, LCD display technology has not advanced to the point where it can provide truly daylight readable displays.
So, is there really a way to get a display that you can read outdoors? Sure, reach over with your hands, cup them around the display, and cast a big shadow on it. So, let’s make this simple act of shading your display with your hands, into something you can do permanently and still have enough hands left to operate the vehicle.
Recently, I ran across a very simple device (GPS accessory really) that does just that. It was so simple in fact, that my first impression was, “how stupid”, but this simple idea made a believer out of me!