I was looking into getting a bluetooth GPS for my 8525, anyone have good suggestions as to which one is the best one to get?
Look for something with the SiRF Star III - There are quite a few with this chipset.
I have a Holux GPSlim236 and it works great for me, but it may have since been replaced with a different model, or you might like a different unit.
I recall there was one SiRF Star III-based unit that had built in solar cells for charging, but was a bit larger.
I ordered from semsons.com around a year and a half ago.
ooo the 236 looks really nice...what is G-Mouse? it says that its a bluetooth gps and g-mouse...also, does it drain the battery quick on the phone?
also, is the Holux M1000 any good?
Depends what your needs are. I don't use the full range of possibilities you can get with some of these devices. Some will internally store a host of settings data/plots etc etc.
My needs were simple. Something that was small - easily kept in the pocket, had a good battery life, Sirf Star III and easily set up with google maps / Tomtom etc.
After lots of searching I found the:
Navicore Slim Sirf Star III
It is quick to acquire a lOcked signal but the main benefit is its size - roughly that of a lady's lipstick and a similar shape. It is so small I have added a small sleeve to my TyTn case to hold it. So when walking I don't need to carry it in my pocket and it's always with me and my Tytn.
You won't get all the bells and whistles, but if it's to use with regular GPS applications it's great.
Mike
Specification:
* Tracks up to 20 satellites.*
* Receiver: L1, C/A code.
* Update rate: 1 HZ (max).
* Antenna Type: Built in Patch Antenna.
* Minimum signal tracked: -159dBm. *
* Dimensions: 64 x 22 x 15 mm.
* Weight : < 35g.
* On/off switch: slide switcher.
* 900 mAh Lithium-ion battery lasts for more than 8 hours of use.
* Operation Temperature: -10 0C to + 60 0C.
* Store Temperature: -20 0C to + 70 0C.
* Operation Humidity:5% to 95% No condensing.
* 3 Led Function: Bluetooth, navigation update and battery / charger status indication.
* Position accuracy - Non DGPS (Differential GPS): Position : 5 - 25 m CEP without SA.
* Velocity : 0.1m / sec. Time : 1 μsec sync GPS time.
* EGNOS / WAAS / Beacon: Position :< 2.2 m, horizontal 95 % of time < 5 m, vertical 95 % of time.
* Reacquisition: 0.1sec. Cold start: < 42 seconds. Warm start: < 38 seconds . Hot start: < 1 seconds.
*: SiRF's original chipset spec.
Navicore Slim SiRF III Bluetooth GPS receiver
Interface:
* Output terminal: Mini-USB (DATA I/O CMOS Level)
* NMEA protocol output : V 2.2
* Baud Rate: 38400 bps
* Data bit: 8
* Parity: N
* Stop bit: 1
* Output Format: Standard : GGA(1),GSA(5),GSV(5), RMC(1),VTG(1). Optional : GLL, SiRF Binary
* Compatible Bluetooth device with Serial Port Profile (SPP) Bluetooth version 1.2 compliant
* Bluetooth Class 2 operation (up to 3 meter range)
* Frequency : 2.400 to 2.480 GHz
* Modulation: FHSS / GFSK
* RF channels: 79
* Input sensitivity: -80dBm
* Output level: 4dBm
What's in the box?
* Navicore Slim SiRF III Bluetooth GPS receiver
* Software CD
* Car charger
* Quick-start guide
Some honest reviews here:
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/12398-Navicore-Slim-SiRF-III-Bluetooth-GPS-Receiver-Reviews.htm
MTK chipsets works as well if not better.
im using a BT Q818
bapski said:
MTK chipsets works as well if not better.
im using a BT Q818
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I agree 100% the new MTK is really awesome. Check out www.ncix.com as they were having a sale on the i-blue 737 which has received several good reviews. All the sirfIII only posts are a little dated IMHO.
Here is the direct link if you are interested. (sorry if links aren't allowed)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=23763&promoid=1055
yu130960 said:
Here is the direct link if you are interested. (sorry if links aren't allowed)
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Click to collapse
Yes links are allowed so long as they are not blatant Spam or folk trying to sell their own goods / services for cash and of course that they are relevant to the subject in question.
Cheers
Mike
I dont recomend the Holux Bluetooth slim236 had 3 of them break within a year.
the device that has superseded it is very good. m1000 i think its called.
Personaly i wont buy a GPS device that doesn't have a physical power switch. a propper switch rather than button allows you to hard wire it to a car on ignision power and it will doesn't then need any interaction to turn it on for satnav when you startup the car.
(just my 2 cents worth)
I picked up this one from semsons.
http://www.semsons.com/im5blgpsre32.html
I had a Sirf Star III receiver which I lost. I see no performance difference Sirf and MTK chipsets
What sold me on this was is two things, 1) the amazingly long battery life 2) if you leave it on, it will go to sleep and automatically re-activate when a bluetooth connection is established.
I have had 0 problems so far, although it 'feels' as cheap as you can get
I just bought this sucker and can hardly wait for it to get here http://www.buygpsnow.com/WonderX-BT...o-OnOff)-(Your-Choice-of-Free-Mount)_900.aspx. If you download A-GPS data to it, it will get a fix in 5 seconds. The data is good for 7 days. Without the data, it gets a fix in less than 30 seconds. It also has 44 hours of battery life. That should come in handy on some of my longer canoe trips. I am replacing a Earthmate BlueLogger. It was a nice SiFRII unit, but it sometimes took a minute to get a fix with my wife complaining about us sitting in the drive not moving. It also only had 8 hours of battery life, so I would have to use a battery extender for long canoe trips.
Keep in mind that the GPS receiver is not much use without software and maps. You may need two programs with maps, one for street navigation definately and maybe a topographic navigation program. The first is self explanitory, the second is for GPS Cacheing, hiking, backpacking, canoeing, boating, off-road driving and etc. I use OnCourse Navigator 6 for street navigation and Memory-Map Navigator for topographic navigation. Unfortunately there is no perfect GPS navigation program. Depending on what you use it for another program may work better for you. Some additional street navigation programs are TomTom, iGuidance and Destinator to name a few. Topographic navigation has even has more choices. A few addtional topographic program to look at are OZIExplorer, BackCountry Navigator, Fugawi and GPSTuner to name a few.
I'm leaning on the Holux M1000
oh,,,
replaceable batteries is another major plus for me. rechargable batteries never keep their charge after a few hundred cycles, the m1000 and 236(mind) are easy to get batteries off ebay for less than a 10er. I keep a spare charged battery for when i go hiking with my phone and GPS.
I'm using Globalsat BT-359 it's also on Sirf Star III and I'm very happy with it. Never loses signal, accurate, battery time is enough for me, and car charger that also fits to TyTN is a nice addition
I have the Globalsat 359 that I use with my 8525 and TomTom PDA software and it works wonderfully. Also has the cheap replaceable battery and the battery life is forever long.
My 8525 doesnt work with the G-359 car adapter like the above posters did though.
Myself, I've liked the Garmin software since my iQue3600, so I picked up a Garmin GPS20SM. It does the Bluetooth GPS and provides Bluetooth hands-free (although it's a speaker, not a headset). Cyberion Voice Dialer works fine with it.
It also will charge the 8525 if you connect it, but the mini-USB cable needs the solder trick to ground pins 4 and 5 together.
It's portable between cars, but not suitable for hiking (it uses a cigarette lighter for power). I think that it will supposedly only work with Garmin software/maps, but I have gotten it to work with Google Maps. It uses the Sirf III chipset.
-- Joe
Malik05 said:
ooo the 236 looks really nice...what is G-Mouse? it says that its a bluetooth gps and g-mouse...also, does it drain the battery quick on the phone?
also, is the Holux M1000 any good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G-mouse is rather weird terminology for a USB tethered GPS. (Which happens to look like a USB mouse, hence the name.)
i.e. it can be used as a wireless BT GPS or as a USB GPS with a laptop.
Enabling bluetooth by itself will reduce battery life of the phone somewhat, but running whatever navigation software you're using will reduce the phone's life significantly more. External power for the phone is strongly reccommended. External power for the GPS is less important - it lasts quite a long time.
Another poster said he had reliability problems with the 236 and then slammed it for having a button instead of a power switch. I don't know what he had, but it wasn't a 236, as the GPSlim236 has a quite robust power switch (not button). I've had mine for a year and a half without problems.
lcohen999 said:
I picked up this one from semsons.
http://www.semsons.com/im5blgpsre32.html
I had a Sirf Star III receiver which I lost. I see no performance difference Sirf and MTK chipsets
What sold me on this was is two things, 1) the amazingly long battery life 2) if you leave it on, it will go to sleep and automatically re-activate when a bluetooth connection is established.
I have had 0 problems so far, although it 'feels' as cheap as you can get
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just picked up an M3 on ebay for $33 shipped. Hope it works as well as an M5
Visiontac VGPS-700... i love it... it's small to the point that i can actually attach it via velcro to the back of my battery cover...
Methadras said:
Visiontac VGPS-700... i love it... it's small to the point that i can actually attach it via velcro to the back of my battery cover...
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is battery user replaceable though? when i was searching for my gps receiver, i shied away from receivers that were taunted to be either small or smallest as most of them if not all do not have user replaceable batteries.
just something to consider..
bapski said:
is battery user replaceable though? when i was searching for my gps receiver, i shied away from receivers that were taunted to be either small or smallest as most of them if not all do not have user replaceable batteries.
just something to consider..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
guess not..............
Related
Could someone point me to a GPS unit which works well with the XDAII. There is a large choice, and i'm not sure what to go for. Going to be using Tom Tom 2.
Many thanks!
Faisal
Are you looking for a cable type or bluetooth?
I bought the TomTom package with their BT GPS unit and loved it. It worked great for about a week and was very handy for a 1,600 mile road trip. Then one morning it just simply wouldn't work right. Took a bit of time but I finally got in touch with a human at TomToms U.S. office and they agreed it sounded messed up and that I'd need to send it in for repair, which should be a one day turnaround.
Outside of the faulty device (no idea how common that is) the performance was very pleasing in general.
cruisin-thru said:
Are you looking for a cable type or bluetooth?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looking for a either really but with preference to BT.
graah... was thinking about purchasing it with the gps unit, but can buy the software from a mate who's now using Navman. So looking for unit only.
GPS with TMC
Woohoo!
Managed to order a RDS - TMC unit today + soft ware ( Navigon) . I hope to get it next week.
using XDA2 with digitraveler bought from US - works great!
I have used many gps systems both with xda1/2 and ipaqs, the digitraveler was quite impressive but stocks are no longer available, I am at the moment using a Fortuna Gpsmart bt unit, this works as both a nmea at 38400 on cable and also as a blutooth gps, at the same time if required, I have found this gps to be extremely accurate, very fast and with the added bonus that it operates as a handheld standalone gps. I bought a cable to power the gps and then bought another cable which powers both the gpsmart and the xda, however if you want totally wireless obviously the gps can be battery operated although battery life isnt wonderful.
Hi,
does anybody have any recommendations abt bluetooth gps reciever?
Example: http://www.oncoursenavigator.com/item.aspx?itemid=6009
What is important to think abt when you buy a GPS reciever?
Royaltek RBT-2010...
SirfIII, 17 hrs battery, small, light and cheap.... marvellous!
A week with it and I'm still astonished about the skills of this GPS.
Look for reviews of it and check it!
Thanks for the tip!
Googled but only got results in: spanish, italian, russian or german sites!!! Don´t know any of these languages.
My guess is that it´s called something else in other countries. Anyone knows?
I've got one like this Oasis Media Bluetooth GPS Receiver: € 79,-
www.pdashop.nl probably in others shop as well
M
I can recommend the Holux GPSlim 236. It lasts about 10 hours, is small, light and very good at acquiring and keeping a signal (it's SirfStar III).
Generally you should go for a SirfStar III these days, especially if you want to use it in cities with tall buildings or out hiking in woods.
There is one slight problem with them however. For car mode you should really engage static navigation mode (this prevents the map rotating or recalculating when you are travellig very slowly or stopped). But for hiking and geocaching you really need to have static navigation turned off. There is a windows app that can switch it on or off but I've found that the pda app to do the same doesn't seem to work on my setup. I therefore use mine with static navigation turned off and get the occasional recalculation and map spins.
Thanks for your reply!
Are there differences between recievers considering static navigation mode? What I mean is if it´s in the software you do the setting or if you change directly at the reciever unit?
Been looking at this one;
http://www.dustin.se/DustinPictures/PDF/G/5010079858.pdf
Nice one, how about the price?
In Sweden the best price is abt 125 euro. Plus delivery costs.
Hmm,
That's about the same price I paid 8 months ago for my GPS, simular to the Oasis one I posted. A collegue of me bought a SirfStar III GPS 2 months ago for around €160, you're deal is much better (depending on the shipping costs). We tested both devices & his device got a lock on more satellites & quicker as well.
So it's up to you whether you want to pay twice the price for the better GPS. Usually my GPS works fine even in cities, but I guess a SirfStar III chipset will be much more capable with tall buildings. I'd go for a SirfStar III chipset, when I had to buy one now & knowing my own experiences.
Regards, M
emil73 said:
Thanks for your reply!
Are there differences between recievers considering static navigation mode? What I mean is if it´s in the software you do the setting or if you change directly at the reciever unit?
Been looking at this one;
http://www.dustin.se/DustinPictures/PDF/G/5010079858.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some manufacturers of SirfStar III GPS may provide their own software for switching between modes - but they may not. The software I use on the PC is provided by someone at SirfStar I think. As I said it works fine on the PC but obviously you really need it on your pocketPC. So far I haven't found any software that will change modes on the pocketPC - I have software but it doesn't seem to work. Maybe someone here can suggest pocketPC software for switching modes?
At the moment I leave mine with static navigation off and it doesn't have too much of an effect on car navigation where I drive.
The PC software seems to allow you to also alter the signal strength at which a satellite's data is disregarded. Upping this a little may help with the problem at the slight disadvantage of making the receiver a little less sensitive. I think you could lower it a reasonable amount and still have a sensitive receiver - mine works fine in the glovebox and I can get a fix in the middle of my house - that's how sensitive they are!
Look on manufacter page http://www.royaltek.com/content/view/97/27/
about the Royaltek. It's in english (or Chinesse :lol: ) and you can search there for a distributor in Sweden.
Good luck!
I recently spent £45 on a wired GPS, but later found out that the wizard is only compatible with bluetooth GPSs.
Are all Bluetooth GPSs compatible with the wizard? I just want to make sure before I buy one.
Yes I think you won't have a problem as long as it's bluetooth.
I'd recommend going for a decent GPS device even if it costs a little extra.
You must get a Sirf III model, as they give better reception.
The best one of these is the GlobalSat BT-338 GPS Receiver.
Check out a new review here:
http://www.mtekk.com.au/tabid/54/ar...ticleId/665/GlobalSat-BT338-GPS-Receiver.aspx
After some comparison tests with two different Garmin device models, the BT-338 performance simply knocks the socks off the others. This unit is very easy to use, very affordable and has exceptional signal sensitivity. The BT-338 works flawlessly with my XDA Atom (running WM5.0) and OziExplorer CE. Battery life is terrific, as my last trip of 12 hours return didn't see the BT-338 indicate low battery at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I have an i-Blue GPS receiver for my Wizard model. It bonds and works flawlessly so far. I use it with iGuidance software from iNav. The latest bugfix on the iNav site fixes a minor 3D display issue.
I choose the iBlue over the Global because I liked that it wakes and sleeps automatically and in sleep mode it gets several hundred hours of stand by time and 30 hours of use time. So far I have used for the last 7 days and have not seen a low batt warning at all. It just sits in my vehicle asleep and when I switch to my car profile turning on BT it does not wake up until I start the iGuidance software which is nice!!! I like it a lot.
I was going to use the tom tom software but after seeing the hoops you have to jump through to get it installed on the Wizard I went with the iGuidance software. Mind you its not that tough to install but I just did not want to pay good money to have to jump around to get it working on my handheld. Take care and I really am enjoying the nav features the software provides.
can anyone tell me about a good gps locator which I can use in conjunction with my phone? I don't want to spend too much on it either, but at the same time don't want it to have bad quality, any suggestions?
Holux 236 is the best for me... My future one !
holux
wow bluetooth gps thats pretty sweet! it would automatically work with Pocket Streets right? As far as software goes, is there anything that can give like Voice Directions while you drive?
some good apps that has voice guidance: Tomtom, iGuidance.
The current best of the crop GPS which everything is compared to (according to gpspassion) is Globalsat BT-338.
buygpsnow dot com has combo packages on all of these.
I have one of these and it has outperformed any of the PDA/GPS combo units I have seen.
It's over £20 cheaper than when I bought mine 6 months ago too.
Have a look.
http://www.inter-activeinformation....id=31&osCsid=22355926e8caeb052f2d717d6cd2e370
I mainly used it with TomTom Mobile on a Nokia 7610. Now I have the wizard, as soon as I get my memory card in the post Tomtom 5 is going on that.
Pixel69 said:
Holux 236 is the best for me... My future one !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a Holux 236 on advice from the forums here and it's grest. And tiny too, about the size of a small box of matches! I got it from a Taiwan dealer on eBay, they sell every hour for about £40-£44 plus £13 shipping to UK.
20 channels for good location finding, and it even works inside my house. Connectiing with my Vario (Wizard) was a dream - just remember to set up an outgoing COM port (I used port 7) to let other programs see the device.
Highly recommended.
Andre
I just got the i-Blue reciever and it's worked great!!
http://www.semsons.com/ibhiseaublgp.html
the thing I like about it, is it has auto on and off sensing technology...
Auto On/Off - When you use i-Blue for the first time, just power up and place the receiver under the windshield in car. Anytime when a paired PDA or laptop computer with Bluetooth connectivity is onboard, i-Blue will wake up on Bluetooth for your navigating usage. When Bluetooth signal is not present, i-Blue will go into sleeping mode automatically (Slow blinking blue LED).
Works perfectly too, I got a external antenna for it, so the antenna is mounted on my dash, and the reciever is secured in my glove box, so all I have to do is turn bluetooth on on my 8125 when i get in the car and the i-Blue pairs up within a second or two.. pretty slick!
I like my Holux 236. Quality piece plus it's small and even in the tall buildings around Shanghai I cab still pick up 6-8 birds and a very close lock (10m or so).
g0nk said:
Works perfectly too, I got a external antenna for it, so the antenna is mounted on my dash, and the reciever is secured in my glove box, so all I have to do is turn bluetooth on on my 8125 when i get in the car and the i-Blue pairs up within a second or two.. pretty slick!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definately slick mate. I didn't realise how these things had progressed.
Any idea of battery life with this sleep mode thingybob?
What we could really do with is an external antenna with a uilt in solar panel to recharge/power the gps unit.
A truly "Fit 'n' Forget" situation
Jerry-S said:
g0nk said:
Works perfectly too, I got a external antenna for it, so the antenna is mounted on my dash, and the reciever is secured in my glove box, so all I have to do is turn bluetooth on on my 8125 when i get in the car and the i-Blue pairs up within a second or two.. pretty slick!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definately slick mate. I didn't realise how these things had progressed.
Any idea of battery life with this sleep mode thingybob?
What we could really do with is an external antenna with a uilt in solar panel to recharge/power the gps unit.
A truly "Fit 'n' Forget" situation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not quite sure on the battery life yet, i've only had it for about 4-5 days.. and it's been "on" and in my glove box since then.. everytime I get into my truck, i turn bluetooth on and it's there magically.. and it only took about 3 hours to fully charge it when i first got it.. comes with a car charger/wall charger as well..
The Holux 236 is very, very sensitive, but i use GARMIN GPS10, very professional, very discret, waterproof, and with the best battery life. And it´s the only one that measures velocity up 400Km/h. If you try in a plane the HOLUX 236 for example, passing the 400-450Km Velocity barrier, the HOLUX 236 receives signal but do not comput it. It´s unuselless in a aero trip...
I bought a Holux GPSlim 236 about 3 months ago and it is brilliant. It will last for several hours without gharge but runs fine from the cigarette lighter socket when low. It locks on as quick as my TomTom loads. Can't fault it.
ps
Got it off e-bay for about £50.
I still use my old XDA 1 (Himilaya) for sat nav (running TomTom5 - haven't upgraded to 6 yet) with a wired GPS mouse, so both the GPS receiver and XDA are always charging when the ignition is on/engine running. I leave all that kit in the car all the time. I've also got an MDA Pro (Universal) and am thinking of using that for TomTom instead because:
a) Take advantage of the data tariff on it and subscribe to Traffic Plus (or whatever TomTom call it)
b) I also intend to get a Parrot CK bluetooth add on for the car (allow the car speakers to be part of a speakerphone) so I can make/receive calls and also listen to WMAs whilst driving (I hate all headphones)
So, questions.
1) TomTom5 works really well on the original XDA 1 (no crashes, smooth scrolling, very responsive, etc). Will it work just as well on my Universal?
2) If using the traffic service (over GPRS/UMTS), will voice calls still come through OK? T Mobile UK
3) Would pretty much any BT GPS unit off ebay be OK?
4) How long do the batteries last before needing a charge on these BT units?
5) Are there any wired solutions, so I don't need batteries and the Universal could also be on charge? I'd much prefer that.
6) Is the traffic service good? I mean, does it warn/reroute you sufficiently in advance? Does it know, for instance, that some roads are always slow and avoid them?
7) Anything in TomTom6 worth the ugprade over 5?
Or should I forget the traffic (and still rely on the radio) and just stick to the satus quo, or maybe still get the BT thing for MP3/WMAs? Anyone got any experience of a similar setup to report? TomTom5 on the XDA is one of very few tech products with which I'm completely and utterly happy.
Can no one help on any of the questions?
Hi Xiasma,
I sell a Car Kit for £40, which sounds like it should do what you want.
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/shop/xcart/T-Mobile-MDA-PRO-Handsfree-Custom-Car-Kit-with-speaker-pr-36.html
It'll charge your phone and GPS at the same time, amplify the voice, etc. and comes with 3 different mounts to attach to your car. I haven't sold many and one person is complaining about people not hearing him when he makes recieves a call, although we've proved that the microphone is working correctly. See this thread for an in depth discussion on pro's, con's, etc.
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/phpBB-2.0.18/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=275
I have no experiance of other solutions, but I think that as you have problems with loudspeaker, you'll have the same trouble as the guy in the thread. The thread goes on a bit, but I think you'll find it usefull.
Any bluetooth GPS reciever should work well with your phone, but I'd advise going for one with a Sirf III chipset, people seem to find them much better than sirf II. I have some new ones due in next week around the £50 mark, which sound a better deal than any others I sell at the minute.
HTH
Dave
That's great, Dave, thanks. It's got a built in microphone, but does it have line out so I could have the sound going through my car speakers (ie for MP3 and the like)? That would be perfect. Well, almost, I'd prefer to mount the MDA Pro open with the keyboard underneath - I guess this won't allow that, will it?
How many hours use does a good BT GPS unit last between charges?
Hi Xiasma,
unfortunately it doesn't have a line out, but I've seen Y-adapters around for a few pence which could well serve the purpose you require.
As you wish to plug it into your stereo anyway, you don't neccessarily need an amplified mount. Herbert Richter make several suitable mounts and a body which will hold your device with the keyboard open. (Laptop Style) It has cutouts for most buttons, sockets, etc. So you could easily plug your phone in to charge and connect it to your stereo.
Heres a good GPS reciever, the manufacturer claims the battery will last 11 hours. I honestly haven't tested one myself, so I don't know how accurate this info is.
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/shop/xcart/GlobalSat-359S-Sirf-III-Bluetooth-GPS-Receiver-pr-42.html
HTH
Dave