Database Users

Is there Soft GPS on MDA

Hi,
Have a T-Mobile MDA/HTC Wizard.
Is there some GPS software which can connect via Wifi/T-Zones or Internet and do the same routing/function such as a GPS Device?
I dont want to spend $600 to buy a GPS device and then connect it to my MDA. Rather buy some GPS software which can work on the MDA by itself.
Thanks.
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No GPS software is going to work properly without a GPS receiver from which to extrapolate your current position.

If you want GPS capability of any kind at all, you will need to get a receiver, period. There's nothing GPS related on the phone except for a settings applet that is disabled by default and only lets you set the port of a bonded receiver. There's also no way a network connection is going to be able to determine your position and software that attempts to do so using cell towers are only accurate to within a few miles, if it works at all. There's a bunch of receivers available on ebay (and elsewhere) for cheap...I got a Holux GPSlim236 for a little over $100 and it works great with the wizard via bluetooth. They are your options....getting a receiver or forgetting about it.

Or try Navizon. It was created to do exactly what you want. http://www.navizon.com
Used to be free, now you have to pay for it. But theres a 14 day trial i believe.
B

nextbond said:
I dont want to spend $600 to buy a GPS device and then connect it to my MDA.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw some bluetooth GPS receivers as low as $80. And you can use your GPS receiver anywhere.

If I have the tomtom software, do I have to get the tomtom gps receiver or can I use another brand?

I have TomTom 5.21 and use a non TomTom bluetooth GPs reciever.

Hi all,
Thanks for the responses. Seems I will need a GPS device. If thats the case, why bother with a PDA? Should just buying a Gavin or TomTom GPS device be enough?
--

Depends on what you want. If you have the phone already, $100 for a GPS unit and maybe $100 for decent mapping software is a whole lot cheaper than $500-$800 for a decent Garmin unit. Plus you get a phone and a PDA out of the deal. I went on vacation a few weeks ago and the mapping software plotted a route and told me how to get there. Once there, I used slingplayer to watch my home cable channels while sitting on the beach, I used the camera to take pictures of the beach and whatnot, the network connection to upload those pictures to a phlog, IM with friends and coworkers and check the weather and news with IE. Oh yeah...and it rang when I got a phone call or text message. Then it plotted a route back home (presumably the same way backwards but I didn't really check) and told me how to get there. Depends on what you want.
TomTom can work with other bluetooth receivers. Works with my Holux, at least.

I'm interested in buying a bluetooth gps receiver I found a few on amazon but this one caught my attention because of the price
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...6698/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-8138642-5399340?ie=UTF8
is that one any good?

I strongly advise you to check the type of GPS chip used in the receiver. The best one for the moment seems to be the Sirf star 3.
It's not as much of a detail as you may think : older chips can take a very long time to get fixed (which means that you might wait for dozens of minutes before even getting a GPS position), and are usually more power consuming.

How the GPS works for the wizard

I was curious as to how to get GPS working on my wizard. I see some people purchasing a GPS device of some type, but can't the wizard just act as the gps itself? Why the need for a device?
Maybe im just missing something here. If someone could post up to me how it is I can get one running on my MDA i'd appreciate it as that'd be a great help for me when traveling.
T.c.

veritas17 said:
I was curious as to how to get GPS working on my wizard. I see some people purchasing a GPS device of some type, but can't the wizard just act as the gps itself? Why the need for a device?
Maybe im just missing something here. If someone could post up to me how it is I can get one running on my MDA i'd appreciate it as that'd be a great help for me when traveling.
T.c.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well congrats this is the 1000000 thread regarding the GPS topic. Ok sorry to be sarcastic but people need to learn to use the search button. As to your question, the MDA does nto have a built in GPS chip. You need a GPS device and software in order to use it like a gps unit such as a tomtom car unit.

... Ya know I did look that up by the way. All the topics I found spoke about the tomtom6, tomtom5, or isomethingmap and people BUYING the device but no one saying WHY they were purchasing it. No need to come into the topic and flame me I did search, I always search and it wasn't like I placed a bunch of half thought out questions in my post either.
T.c.

What you need is a Navigator program (eg. TOMTOM) installed on your Wizard and a satilite receiver (GPS - Wire or Bluetooth (better)). Link your device with GPS via bluetooth or wire, open Navigator program and you are now up and running. It is that simple.

Thank you WLove. That's all I was wanting to know was why people had to have a secular device to have it running (the satilte receiver). Now I see i'm going to need to pick up that 2.gig mini sd chip.
T.c.

I just started using my navman 4410 GPS with iguidance v3 and they work like a charm!

while we are on the topic, anyone have any reccomendations on some bluetooth GPS receivers?

Just thought I;d point out that it may be slightly easier to get confused as to whether the Wizard has GPS or not, as when I rang O2 for my upgrade I explicitly asked 3 or 4 times if it had built in GPS and they said yes. I also stressed it was GPS not GPRS I was asking about. They still said yes. And also I believe one of the chips in the Wizard has some kind of gps related capability, even though it is not a gps receiver, so maybe someone read that also. I know I have somewhere on this forum.
Thirdly, the search function is useless here.

Magor said:
while we are on the topic, anyone have any reccomendations on some bluetooth GPS receivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just google for Bluetooth GPS receivers. You'll find loads. I bought the cheapest at about £35. Works a treat. I think it's a generic model sold by many sites. Has a pic of a satellite on it!

Magor said:
while we are on the topic, anyone have any reccomendations on some bluetooth GPS receivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy a receiver with SiRFIII chip: quicker, more accurate and better reception than any other chip available on the consumer market. If you want to spend a little less (say about $/€ 50) you could buy a SiRFII receiver. Don't blindly believe claims like "supports up to 20 satellites". In most situations you are lucky to receive 10 satellites or more! Even with as little as 4 or 5 satellites calculating your location is accurate enough for road navigation.
If the software supports TMC (traffic updates free of charge by RDS on certain radio channels; not sure if this exists in the US) you could buy a GPS/TMC combined receiver. Unfortunately TomTom does not support TMC as it has its own paid traffic service.

In regards to the GPS units with the SiRF chipsets, can anyone vouch for the cheap $50 on eBay that are solar/battery powered with linking via Bluetooth or wire? I am getting a T-mobile MDA to unlock for my personal usage and I am highly thinking about getting one, just I wanted to know if anyone had any good things to say about them.
Here's a link for an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Solar-Bluet...34QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4668QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have never ONCE seen "GPS" listed as a feature for any Wizard... I can't grasp why people would ever think it has a feature that is never listed any where :? :roll:

Rutter said:
Magor said:
while we are on the topic, anyone have any reccomendations on some bluetooth GPS receivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just google for Bluetooth GPS receivers. You'll find loads. I bought the cheapest at about £35. Works a treat. I think it's a generic model sold by many sites. Has a pic of a satellite on it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what I've been doing, but I'm new to the GPS stuff so I wasn't sure what to get 8)
Thanks to AgentSmith for the info, something like this should do the job for me http://www.engadget.com/2005/06/02/holux-gpslim-236-bluetooth-receiver-reviewed/

Agreed, the Holux 236 is the one to go for. Has the added advantage of using the same in-car charger as the O2 XDA Mini (i.e. a USB style one).
Don't get Holox (cheap rip off), get Holux.
Get SiRF III, not II.
Don't be fooled by lots of channels, 20 is plenty.
And you don't need a 2GB card. A 512MB with high transfer speeds from a decent manufacturer will be far better than a cheapo no-name 2GB one. I have a 512MB with TomTom 6, full UK maps and speed cam database and it only takes up about 250MB.

I've used an Belkin BT GPS (rebadged Fortuna Clip-On upgraded to Xtrak2) on my Ipaq, both over two years old, which worked well with Belkin's version of iGuidance v1.1. So when I upgraded to the TMo MDA (US version) I kept the Belkin and purchased iGuidance v3, which has worked well.
A friend who also owns an MDA wanted a GPS, but since Belkin quit selling this GPS 18 months ago I started researching, and like others here have noted the Holux GPSlim 236 looked like a winner. I'll know for sure next week when she gets the unit, but I expect it to work fine.

That Holux model seems very good, but you can actually find cheaper SiRFIII receivers (less than 100 bucks).
The needed storage space for maps depends on your personal wishes. If you travel internationally often, you might want a 1GB memory chip for borderless maps like Western or Central Europe. Such maps often occupy 900 MB or more. Otherwise a much smaller card for just one or two countries or regions is indeed enough.

AgentSmith said:
That Holux model seems very good, but you can actually find cheaper SiRFIII receivers (less than 100 bucks).
The needed storage space for maps depends on your personal wishes. If you travel internationally often, you might want a 1GB memory chip for borderless maps like Western or Central Europe. Such maps often occupy 900 MB or more. Otherwise a much smaller card for just one or two countries or regions is indeed enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Holux one I found for $90
I also already have a 2GB card and TomTom so once I get the receiver I'm good to go

I don't see the point of using the MDA as a GPS without having a powered car mount, since you could run out of battery quite easily. Go to semsons.com and find what's the best for you. I got mine there along with the M3.itrek+itrek mount for MDA+iGuidance3.0 for around $200 (but you can surely mix&match what you need). It really worths. I mean if you can get a phone with so many functionalities for such a cheap price (mine is USD $250, sounds expensive, but try to search and compare the price with PPC phones from other countries then you know what I meant), why not having it does the most for you at the least cost. You might not use the GPS all the time, but will definitely love it when needed.

Best GPS Navigation Program For Hermes?

I recently purchased a GPS unit for my Hermes and am very interested in knowing what navigation programs everyone likes for traveling. I'm going to be using this in the US and occasionally in Canada - thanks for your input!

TomTom 6
lacroixdp said:
I recently purchased a GPS unit for my Hermes and am very interested in knowing what navigation programs everyone likes for traveling. I'm going to be using this in the US and occasionally in Canada - thanks for your input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used TomTom 5 and now Version 6 with no issues at all. I've seen co-pilot live 6 up and running and I'm very impressed with that too, but TomTom has never let me down before, so I'd recommend that.

i 2nd tomtom navigator 6 (apart from the lockup sometimes when it sarts its great)

I'll give that a shot - thanks much! It's pretty pricey but it looks to be the best out there!

Tomtom 6 seems to do the job.. expensive though, very old maps in some cases, people in the US have been *****ing about it doing silly things.
Here in australia though, no problems so far. Although I'd like a map update to tell it of some local changes..

i am using tomtom5. it's ok, although sometimes it hangs the hermes.

Best GPS software depends a lot on your location; because of it's obvious purpose, the most important things are area coverage and maps quality, then comes the interface, POI management and so on... Tried TomTom Mobile and iGO and stuck with the latest, because the maps are far better and precise (in Romania where I live).
For off-road I use GPSDash, it has all the features some might need + the posibility to create user maps.

Entire USA in 1GB microSD w/ OCN5
Any body tried OnCourse Navigator 5 on their TYTN? I think this GPS software blows TomTom away w/ seamless USA fitting in 1GB microSD. ETA,elevation,speed displayed in 3D mode, map refresh rate of 4fps compared to the usual 1fps with the other usual display-(like time and next street to turn)
I just hope it is compatible with the Tytn...

Try iGo Europe 2006 (http://www.i-go.com/en/products/iGO_2006_SD/screenshots.php). VERY FAST and has less problem than TT. It also has better graphics.
The downside is that the POI listing sucks. If I search for McDonald's around my current location, it'll list those from 100 meters to 50 kilometers! The software enough to know I won't drive that long from my current location just to get a fries.

Well, I got Tomtom6, but my GPS unit that was supposed to be shipped to me today was reported as out of stock - so sounds like I'll be waiting a few more days to try it :/

I use the Garmin Que software with a Garmin GPS10 receiver. Works great. I own the North America maps as well as the Europe maps. Have used them extensively in NA and in the UK - very happy with the combo.
When I researched the options, the above combo was rather cheaper than the TomTom option.

If TT works then most other software will work too.
I've a few other programs I'm going to test to make sure they work but assuming they do then I'll have the folllowing installed and to use:
GPS Tuner
GPS Auto
VisualGPSce
Memory Map
Navigon Navigator

try mapopolis
mapopolis has a free demo. at 99.00 it is cheaper too.
I've been using it for a year on my harrier, and now on my 8525. Works pretty well on both.
I use an I-blue gps. sensitivity and reliability is very good, mini-usb charger is non-standard pinout though.
wes

wwwes said:
mapopolis has a free demo. at 99.00 it is cheaper too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, however, not unless you already own the software

the software is free to download. you pay for the maps only. to download the app, go to demo maps and the first step is downloading the app. the demo maps are short lived, but full function. I think you can keep downloading them over and over when when they expire.

iGuidance v3.0.1. It is excellent!
Everybody says "tom tom" because it's the most common name. After doing my research I settled on iGuidance and could not be happier. Good luck.

I'll definitely have to look at that too! My GPS unit is backordered... I'm still waiting on it ><

The problem w/ iGuidance is that you cannot fit the entire USA on a 2GB microSD. Map file is 2.5GB

lacroixdp said:
I recently purchased a GPS unit for my Hermes and am very interested in knowing what navigation programs everyone likes for traveling. I'm going to be using this in the US and occasionally in Canada - thanks for your input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi i m using IGO 2006 in Germany and Turkey... its very cool Try it

Elwyn M3100 said:
If TT works then most other software will work too.
I've a few other programs I'm going to test to make sure they work but assuming they do then I'll have the folllowing installed and to use:
GPS Tuner
GPS Auto
VisualGPSce
Memory Map
Navigon Navigator
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have GPS Tuner. Where do find the best source of maps? I have tried the OS site but once I've deleted all of the surround and extra graphics, you're left with a blurry image. google and multimap down't have sufficient detail for "off road".

best gps software and bt gps receiver...

Hey guys,
I want to buy some gps software for my dopod 838pro and a bluetooth gps receiver. I was wondering what ones work best with your hermes devices and what problems arise when using them.
I was looking at the papago software and it seems pretty good. If there is anyone here using it I would like to know your feedback on how it performs and also what kind of gps reciever you are using.
Thanks for your time and input
oh I am also in Australia..I don't know if that makes much difference or not
Cheers

I suggest IBlue 737 with the latest MTK chipset, it has nice auto on/off feature an 25 hours of battery life. another more expensive option is the Garmin Gps10X (the new Sirf3 model only, the old one is crap)
Software that i use:
Garmin Que + Franson GPSGate
OZI Explorer
IGO
TomTom

sorry to threadjack.
but regarding the IBlue 737, will it or does it need anything else other then my 8525 to work?
I have google maps on the 8525. will it work with that alone or do I have to add something else?
Once again sorry to threadjack but I think it fits into the OP's questions.
if needed delete this and I'll make a new thread.

google map is good with any GPS. (just nmake sure you have unlimited data) else it could be expensive.

ive used iGuidance 4 and iGO my way plus 2006 with BT-Q818
GUI:
iGO rocks.. smooth.. and really nice...
iGuidance .. just plain and dull.. gps tracking not smooth as iGO is.
what i really like about iGuidance though is the TTS feature, and it tells you which side the destination is.. iGO does not..
if the features i liked in iGuidance would just be integrated in iGO, ill get it in a heartbeat.

Fantastic!
and yes I have the unlimited data plan, had it for a long time. I used to have a smt 5600 before the 8525.
one more question... will it also work with the yahoo go 2.0?
thanks guys, one more thing to spend money on

yes, it will work with yahoo go 2.0. i use one myself(live in UK). make sure u have a data package though.(unlimited would be the best). i use t-mobile wnw £7.50 and a BT gps.its amazing what you can do with this phone.i love it

The thread jacking is ok its all relevant
So any other suggestions with people who have the papago software at all?
And does anyone have any other gps receivers?
Cheers

My favorite GPS sw is TomTom, great features, easy to use and no bugs. I use it with a earthmate bt-20. Takes up 1gb of space but worth it. Tomtom automatically connects to my BT receiver, responds quickly and has nice smooth 3d graphics.
My next favorite is MSN streets. It is easy to use and has the most up to date maps of my area.
I really dont care for Google maps unless I'm in a G network. If you dont have internet reception which is often the case when you travel then Google maps is completely useless.
The Earthmate BT-20 receiver seems to work ok but it is the only one I have tried. Its a ugly yellow, blue, and black 2"x3.5" plastic box. I look forward to the day when GPS is built in.

im in aussie town too, tomtom 6 (soon 7) on the hermes with some bluetooth gps that i got off ebay works wonders.
also has no issues running on prophet (my wifes phone) and my now retired magician.
microsoft streets was good when running in offline mode however it looks like they dont support australia anymore with the only map set available being a few years old.

Thanks guys for the advice
Seems like tomtom might be the go..its what I've been hearing as being the best out there.
I think I will just get a gps receiver off ebay too
Cheers

I might as well throw in my .02 as well hehe
I'm in Australia and using Tomtom 6 with a Globalsat BT receiver and it works perfectly
Good luck with your decision

naughty said:
I suggest IBlue 737 with the latest MTK chipset, it has nice auto on/off feature an 25 hours of battery life. another more expensive option is the Garmin Gps10X (the new Sirf3 model only, the old one is crap)
Software that i use:
Garmin Que + Franson GPSGate
OZI Explorer
IGO
TomTom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the garmin GPS 10x and i get a weird error - ive only had it a week, long story short sometimes it wont turn on. --- how do you tell which model you have?
when it works, its awesome. tells you which turns to make, has a "recalculate" feature, good maps with a lot of detail
how do you connect it to google maps? i did it one time but haven't been able to do it since! would like to run it simulatneous with garmin XT the software that comes with it, google in satellite mode so you see from the sky where you travel to and hear from the garmin software which way to turn, would be pretty neat
i get confused which settings need to be put to which com port? i tried to add it in blue tooth and set up COM port 0 in there, and then go intot he GPS external setting (WM6) and set up both hardware and program port to 0 as well. cant get it to work alongside garmin XT software

Microsoft was offering a BT Pharos GPS for about $70 for PocketPC devices awhile back, not sure if they still are.
I got one and it works very well. The only difference between this and the typical Pharos offering is that it doesn't come with any software. Using it with Livesearch works perfectly -- the only thing Livesearch is lacking is vocal turn-by-turn directions and automatic trip recalculation. But of course you're not limited to just using livesearch with the GPS anyway.
Looks like it is still available:
http://www.amazon.com/Pharos-Blueto...6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1187064734&sr=8-3

Nokia Smart2GO.. It's tomtom but for free worldwide. (with some very minor limits/payable extras)
Have a search for the word nokia and posts by me and youll find some info about it in one of the hundreds of other gps threads around the hermes

thank you for your info. I am thinking of getting a bt gps receiver with software

my favourite is Navigon (you can tinker soo nicely with all the settings 'under the hood' ).
Dunno whether Navigon has a AU map at all, but they sell under a different name in the USA.
I would recommend any sirfIII GPS antenna with a good review in one of the navigation fora. I am using a cheap Mainnav that is OK.(great reception even behind metal coated car windows)

Wait for a Natural Disaster!!
I use TomTom 6 with a Nokia Bluetooth GPS reciever.. i got it for 29.99 from Fry's!!!
I live in central texas and when Katrina was on its way to New Orleans fries had CRAZY discounts on GPS units, Maglites, Waterproof cases for pdas.. basicly almost anything that can be used for "survival" so i grabbed a bunch of other stuff... now that Hurricane Dean is on its way i'm pretty sure they'll have discounts again... Time to hit up Fry's!!

lol its "natural disaster" sales at frys...for every hurricane that comes along we drop the prices by 20%
Cheers

WM5, iGuidance 3.x, i.Trek M5+
Never a hiccup.

So which GPS would you recomend for me?

Hi,
I should touch wood get my HD this week and will want some good gps software on it.
Now I have been looking at the following:
IGO8
TomTom
Garmin
I don't mind paying but obviously I want the software to work on the HD. I also need the software to have a good global coverage of mps as there is a high probability next year I could be travelling to a few countries. Which would you recommend and why?

Obviously, I would recomment IGO08.
It is the most user friendly, and has beautiful graphics.
IGO08 has the best map coverage.
tomtom is purely ****.

Yeah I do like the looks of the IGO8. Anyone know when it will be for sale as it says to be announced on Expansys? I know there are other ways of getting it but just curious to when I can buy it/see the price.

I'd like a cheap (preferably free) GPS that doesn't use too much data (250MB, sigh...) - I've looked at Google Mobile Maps but it seems to use a lot?
I only really need it for a very limited area - 2 cities plus London (pref. with underground map!) so don't want to shell out for a complex program. Only going to use it on the train, bus and walking as I don't drive - so a little bit out is fine.
Any suggestions?

If you're going to buy the software then I'd be suspicious of TomTom's licencing system.
My wife bought TomTom6 plus the bluetooth GPS receiver for me as a gift when I had my XDA2 about four years ago. It worked great. However, a few months later when I upgraded my phone I discovered that I couldn't install TT on the new machine (a Universal) because it was already registered to the XDA2. TomTom's licencing conditions are specific about this.
I had no choice but to find a cracked copy of TomTom online and use that, and I've been doing that ever since, despite the fact that I've got a legal copy of the same software on CD. Old versions of the software also refuse to install on more modern machines, even though these machines tend to be backwards-compatible.
I found the situation so objectionable that out of principle now I would refuse to give TomTom any more money. Their software is expensive and so IMHO they should be flexible in allowing us to upgrade our PDAs.
/rant