Database Users

what is the best car kit or mounting solution for XDAII

I need to use my XDAII installed TomTom Nav 2 with bluetooth GPS sometime on the move.
I've seen a picture of TomTom's car kit but don't know what it called so wonder if anyone knows about it.
Basically it is a single car cigarette charger one end goes into the back of the XDAII (data and power) activeSycn port and on the half way of the cable there is a port for RJ45 that goes into TomTom bluetooth’s AV port.
Don’t know if I made it clear.
But anyway what solution are you using. why
cheers

I have an XDA cradle from Carcomm (www.carcomm.nl) and it's great, looks well made and does the job. The cable provides 12v power and also has serial and ps/2 connectors on the end for connection to a variety of GPS receivers (adapters available for Leadtek, Haicom and a few more).
We're awaiting review units from TomTom of their Carkit for the XDAII so I'll let you know how they compare. Also consider Brodit (www.brosit.com).

griffog said:
I have an XDA cradle from Carcomm (www.carcomm.nl) and it's great, looks well made and does the job. The cable provides 12v power and also has serial and ps/2 connectors on the end for connection to a variety of GPS receivers (adapters available for Leadtek, Haicom and a few more).
We're awaiting review units from TomTom of their Carkit for the XDAII so I'll let you know how they compare. Also consider Brodit (www.brosit.com).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where I can get this Carcomm holder? I does look nice!

TotalPDA are the Appointed Dealers here in the UK, www.totalpda.co.uk, I don't know about Canada but I will ask Carcomm if they have a stockist there. Failing that TotalPDA may ship to Canada. I can assure you that they are similar in quality to manufacturer cellphone carkits i.e. High quality ABS etc 8)

Carcomm do not have a US/Canada distributor but TotalPDA may ship there. Another brand worth considering is the Swedish Brodit, they have a US Operation which can be found at www.proclipusa.com . Check out their cradles of which I have a few for my 2210 and 5550 and are also superb.

@xdapartsfromtw: I youre referring to a more general GPS solution with a wired GPS mouse. But since you allready using a bluetooth GPS mouse, I would suggest the following:
Car cradle. Brodit has excellent with (at least) 2 options: Power via separate cable on cigarette lighter OR Power via fixed wires. This option only supports charging the XDAII. If you want to use it as a carkit, you will have to use the headset or the speakerphone. For a 'real' carkit I would suggest the O2 XDAII carkit (original).
DashMount. When shopping at Brodit, get yourelf a vehicle specific pro-clip. This will mount the cradle drill-free onto the dashboard.

I'm always a bit paranoid about those suction pads on the window.
I use a magnetic tag to hold it up. "But your data" I hear you all scream!
It uses the metal bit on the case and it is a weak magnet. The little change tray in the Ford Focus holds the rest of the weight.
..ALong with a normal car Charger..The best car kit ever.

Without a doubt the best car kits are either Brodit or Carcomm coupled with a ProClip, this is a car specific clip to which the cradle is screwed. The clip requires no drilling of your car and is designed to clip over trim. See some of our reviews of Brodit http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/brodit.php and Carcomm http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/carcomm.php . I'll have an Carcomm XDAII cradle review up in a day or two.

Sorry, I notice the words 'car kit' are not used correctly here.
A car kit is something that lets you use your phone handsfree (with mic/speaker/antenna/cradle)
The brodits / carcomm's are only cradles!!!! The only thing they do is hold the XDA and charge it.
In most cases you can connect other accesoiries like a GPS mouse.

Not necessarily. A car-kit is a kit for using a device in-car. In PocketPC GPS circles this means a cradle and TomTom decribe their PDA GPS cradles as car-kits.
The OP's question was in relation to using GPS.

I use a sonyericsson BT kit HCA-20, installed with a radiomute from qbit , the speakersound from XDA through my car speakers, a mounting device from brodit, a holder with a build in connector thats allow any gps cable to be connect, i use a holux. Used a tt bt gps for a while, with a seperate charger (ipaq fits) and a xda charger i the brodit holder, but swithing the bt on/off was a pest..

Car mount for jam

Hi,
Anyone know car mount for jam that has external speaker?
Thanks

www.seidio-europe.com

Arkon from Expansys
I've got the Arkon cradle - it's not specifically for the Jam and it's a little uglier than the Seidio but I won't need to swap it when I get the Jam v2 (HTC Wizard which has better camera, flash, WM2005 and keypad, and they also mentioned WiFi b not g).... see www.expansys.co.uk for the cradle
One thing related to both these cradles: they have a RJ45 connector so you can attach a wired GPS reciever to the cradle which should feed the GPS data into the phone through the USB charging connector. Apparently this doesn't work for the Jam - I'm wondering why not....

Re: Arkon from Expansys
aamp said:
One thing related to both these cradles: they have a RJ45 connector so you can attach a wired GPS reciever to the cradle which should feed the GPS data into the phone through the USB charging connector. Apparently this doesn't work for the Jam - I'm wondering why not....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Magician does not support serial connection over the USB connector. The serial profile is not implemented. You have to use a bluetooth GPS.
Cheers
Mundl

www.brodit.com

Mundl, thank for info!
BTW, how many bluetooth devices can my Jam connect to at the same time? Basically, can I use a bluetooth GPS unit and a headset at the same time?
Thanks.

aamp said:
Mundl, thank for info!
BTW, how many bluetooth devices can my Jam connect to at the same time? Basically, can I use a bluetooth GPS unit and a headset at the same time?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you should be able to. I havent tried it myself but somewhere on this forum I have read it works. The magic "search" function should help you.
Kind regards
Mundl

bamse said:
www.brodit.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I second that. Excellent stuff.
I have an active Brodit holder for my MDA compact, and I glued a 2,5 mm jack to the holder, so that not only my MDA is charged, but also automatically connected to my car radio for listening MP3 files.
Kind regards
Mundl

Power consumption with TT5 and Holux BT GPS

I have an XDAII with 1GB SD card housing TT5, and using Holux GPSlim BT GPS receiver. My problem is power consumption.
The car charger I'm using can't keep up, on a 45 minute journey, I still loose 20% battery power even though I'm using a car charger!!!!
Anyone heard this, I'm not using the O2 car charger, will it make a difference?
Also thinking of going to WM2003SE or WM5, is the normal power consumption better or worse on these OSs?
Please help.
Rob

Hi rkernutt,
It's a complete different setup, I got a magician & a original T-Mobile car-charger & WM2003SE, but my device charges good while running TT & BT with full brightness. Does your device charge normally using your car-charger, without running TT & BT? Check the output of the car-charger against the output of your normal charger/cradle, I think it's not strong enough. And in the magician case I noticed that the power consumption decreased slightly with each new rom release, though never enough to make up for your 20% power loss in 45mins.
So best option is to check the output of your charger I guess.
Regards, M

Thanks M,
I'm using a USB Sync/Charge cable with a USB Car charger adapter - http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=EXP_USB-CLA
I think it's probably the output of the adapter, because it doesn't charge that fast when i'm not using TT5.

I have a similar problem except on my last 8 Hour journey I flattened my Holux battery after 4 hours and now I can't recharge it :!: :evil:
The expansys charger can only deliver 700mA - not enough for the Holux GPS alone that requires 850mA. The 12v-24v adapter that comes with the Holux is rated at 850mA @5v.
I also made the mistake of not using the Holux supplied 12v-24v adapter so it drained my Holux battery. Unfortunately the Holux 240v Main mini-USB 5v charger will not charge the Holux battery because it is now too flat and draws more current than the mains adapter can supply! So it immediately cuts out (red LED goes off).
My solution -
1) Buy another Holux GPSlim 236 kit because its cheap on ebay.
2) Buy another replacement Nokia Battery WITH Nokia Charger - again because it is cheap on ebay.
3) Always use the supplied Holux 12v-24v adapter in the car ONLY on the Holux BT GPS unit!
I am still waiting delivery of purchased items from ebay. Once they have arrived I can ascertain whether the 2 month old Holux BT GPSlim 236 unit is faulty or not by comparison with new unit. I will see if the Holux battery is faulty compared with the Nokia replacement and whether the Nokia charger can charge the dead Holux battery.
I suspect all power problems to be with the Holux BT GPSlim unit and not the PDA. I had a O2 XDA II running WM2003se with a Co-Pilot BT GPS unit previously. I upgraded to i-mate Jasjar WM2005 which worked with Co-Pilot BT GPS but handed old unit down to a relative who was into GPS stuff. I bought the Holux BT GPSlim on ebay to replace the Co-Pilot BT GPS unit I gave away. :roll:

Think so, I got something simular with my BT GPS & that one doesn't charge my magician at all. It's barely enough to keep the backlight on.
If you lived just a little bit closer to me you could have tried mine.
What's the output of yours, then I'll check my mine.
M

oltp and rkernutt,
I just looked in my car and I found I was also using the expansys adapter with a USB to mini-USB cable to power my Holux BT GPSlim unit. :!:
It is only rated at 700mA but I now suspect it can only deliver less than that... :roll:

Sure hope you're eBay deliveries are coming soon, cause these cheap chargers are really ... well cheap. I checked my AC charger & that one delivers 1A, unfortunately T-Mobile has put a new sticker on my car-charger without specs. It tells me now it's compatible with a TMO SDA, yeah right :-( & I threw all papers away as I bought it on holiday. I remember it claimed to be 12V/24V & stabilized. So seems very simular to yours, it's equipped with a mini-usb plug. That's a charger I can advice to everyone (don't forget to check the specs!!). My GPS charger, maybe simular to the Expansys one, only does it job with the GPS. I'm not complaining about that, the GPS can be used for 36hours on one full charge.
Bottomline: only use a decent charger. Wish those chargers were easy to get.
M

Thanks.......
......to all, I'm going to try a friends i-mate badged car charger and see how I get on.

OK, New BT GPSlim 236 arrived. New Nokia Battery with charger adapter also arrived.
Note, OLD BT GPSlim 236 will NOT work on charger with NO battery anymore. DEAD. :evil:
New BT GPSlim 236 works fine. :lol:
New Nokia battery works fine in new BT GPSlim 236. :lol:
OLD Holux BT GPSlim 236 battery WILL NOT Charge in NEW BT GPSlim 236 unit. New Unit will not power on if OLD Holux battery is fitted.
Now note an electrical burning smell when I try to charge OLD Holux battery in old BT GPSlim 236 unit. :roll:
Conclusions:
The Holux battery baked on the car dash in the 45+ Celsius temp and shorted internally. This most likely destroyed the charging and power circuits in the Holux BT GPSlim 236 receiver.
I will now always use an external antenna on the BT GPSlim 236 receiver so to keep the receiver out of direct sunlight.
I will now use the Nokia battery as it may be less prone to short circuiting - fingers crossed.
I have spare pair of 5v adapters from my old Kit that I still use on my PDA/Phone as it uses the same connectors (mini-USB).
These units are still very cheap compared to other store prices and auction sites I've seen.

foxnolds said:
Conclusions:
The Holux battery baked on the car dash in the 45+ Celsius temp and shorted internally. This most likely destroyed the charging and power circuits in the Holux BT GPSlim 236 receiver.
I will now always use an external antenna on the BT GPSlim 236 receiver so to keep the receiver out of direct sunlight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good advice sad story 'bout the old gps though.
I got a gps like the Oasis Media Bluetooth GPS Receive, even less expensive less advanced as well. Works fine though.
Now looking for an external antenna, maybe it improves reception as well.
M

rkernutt,
weird problem you got there. I have the same set up as you (TT 5, Holux Gslim), with an Andes. I make a 2 hours journey and no problem whatsoever. No need to use the car charger... weird. Is the car charger working properly? I doubt it. You should try another one. Also, it could be a problem with the slot on the himalaya?

rkernutt,
weird problem you got there. I have the same set up as you (TT 5, Holux Gslim), with an Andes. I make a 2 hours journey and no problem whatsoever. No need to use the car charger... weird. Is the car charger working properly? I doubt it. You should try another one. Also, it could be a problem with the slot on the himalaya?

As expected.....
....I've tried an O2 XDAII car charger, and no problems, the XDAII keeps charged.
My suggestion, don't cut corners by using a USB car charger, with a USB charge/sync cable. :evil:

Dopod 818 Pro and TomTom

I managed to successfully install TomTom on my Dopod 818 Pro, but TomTom is unable to locate a GPS. Is this someting I must buy separately? My really old Zack Morris Nokia had a built in GPS that connected to satellites okay. Doesn't the Dopod have GPS capability? Is it a config problem? Thanks for your advise.

No the 818 Pro does not have a built in GPS, you need to go and buy a Bluetooth (or cable) GPS separately.

digger said:
No the 818 Pro does not have a built in GPS, you need to go and buy a Bluetooth (or cable) GPS separately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No cable - it MUST be bluetooth.

Thanks
Thanks a bunch. Now I am thinking of buying a GPS receiver with Sirf Star 3 chipset. Ones from ebay are: New Solar Bluetooth GPS Receiver 20 CH SiRF Star III 3, or Holux GR 236 Bluetooth GPS Receiver SiRF Star 3 III. Anyone have any problems with these in the past?

Hi,
I'm currently using the Holux receiver without any problems at all.
As far as I know, given most BT GPS receivers comply with NEMEA standards and Bluetooth SPP protocol, it is quite hard to find one that's not working with our devices.
I bought the Holux 236 because it uses the same mini USB connector as the Prophet to recharge the battery...
This way I have to take with me just one charger (or car charger) for both devices.
Bye!

slvrbllt said:
Hi,
I'm currently using the Holux receiver without any problems at all.
As far as I know, given most BT GPS receivers comply with NEMEA standards and Bluetooth SPP protocol, it is quite hard to find one that's not working with our devices.
I bought the Holux 236 because it uses the same mini USB connector as the Prophet to recharge the battery...
This way I have to take with me just one charger (or car charger) for both devices.
Bye!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too, using the Holux 236. So far it has been flawless and it is a tiny little thing.

Carkit and GPS

Hi people,
Currently I use a THB Bury Take & Talk DSP car kit, with a cradle for the XDA IIs (Blue Angel). I have a Mini S (Wizard) aswell that I want to use with the car kit, and essentially replace the old XDA IIs. I have found a cradle that fits this car kit on the o2 website, the only problem with this is that the current wired GPS I use will not work with this cradle of the Mini S in fact.
Ideally I'm looking for a Bluetooth GPS that is powered in the car. Can be through the cigarette lighter but ideally could be mounted in the car and maybe wired into the same powerbox as the car kit? Anyone know of a solution like this or similar?
Many thanks,
Andy.

There's a thread discussing this in Wizard Accessories entitled "What's the best GPS setup???" and a post which describes an application like the one you want.
Go play in the right forum.
Hope this helps!

Yes if you go here
http://www.gpsforless.co.uk/product_details.php?id=3227
its a nice tomtom style cradle with power output for a bluttooth GPS via RJ11 connector lead (supplied free) and 3 mounting options (included) for a princely sum of £25 i had one for my 2i and it was excellent. the mechanical arm gave no vibrations at all.
Riptos