Database Users

Which GPS unit for XDAII?

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.

good gps locator

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.

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.

How is the GPS ?

What do you think about the GPS, which app would you recommand ?

People report back that TomTom version 7.915 is working fine......
Can recommend you TomTom

There's also a Copilot trial already in ROM, which is the other main option.

gps is excellent - better (more sats) than my rhodium and far far faster to lock than my kaiser. best yet in my opinion,

Does anyone know if IGO8 works with the mini? I am seriously considering this device since I at the point of being able to renew my contract.
Would love to know if anyone knows. Thanks!!!

Hi,
I have started a third party program which uses the gps.
When I turn off this program, the gps-icon in the tray doesn't go away.
I assume the gps is still running, but I can't find any settings to turn it off. Only thing that seem to work, is truning the phone off and on..
Anybody got an idea?

Hi stefanthege
I had this too with a little GPS app I use.
As far as I can see there isn't anything you can do to turn the GPS off, although it is supposed to shut down automatically if nothing is calling the GPS hardware.
For me, I noticed the application wasn't shutting down correctly, and was still listed in the task manager. Check there that your application isn't still running in the background when you think you have closed it.
Cheers
ow.

Hi,
Yes, I checked the task manager, and turned off ALL programs.. the GPS-icon was still showing in the icon-tray..
I don't think it's a big problem, because I don't use the GPS all that often.. but a little annoying..

Garmin
I'm using Garmin Mobile XT, Version 5.00.20wp, and is working well.
My ROM is 1.36.410.1 PTG.

GPS works great!
I've tested a lot of PNA & PDA devices with GPS and I'm very very satisfied with the GPS function on HTC HD mini, it works absolutely great! Finds satelites very fast, faster than some PNAs even it uses A-GPS. This can be problem when you are in roaming zones, for that, I use application DATA CONTROLLER (you can find it here in some forum).
I use iGO8 navigation software, with costumized DATA.zip archive, it works fine and I like it very much. Also iGO Primo is great solution.
HTC HD mini has totally satisfied my needs!

Hi Piona,
I was working several years ago with devices + external GPS units and devices with GPS inside (Pda, Notebook, smartphones,..)
I was working with GPS units from several manufacturers, kinds and versions (BT, serial, CF, SD, cable...).
In fact, several months ago, I was talking to HTC to know what is the brand what they included (Sirf,...) because it is a very interesting data to know if it works fine or not, in advance.
They did not confirm me this question but they informed me very good and send me tech. information in order to warranty a good perfomances.
Later, when we checked a couple of terminals (HTC mini) here, I could see is the best GPS what I checked.
Of course there is people with more experience than me but I can confirm you I invested days and days to check this question during a lot of years and GPS units and it is the best one.
It is a real GPS working in COM4 (Nmea, 4800bps)(remember it if you need to configure any software) but, the most important for me is it is very stable.
In short: fast, strong signal (I can work inside my office) and very stable.
Upon my point of view, the GPS is a very good argument from this terminal.
Have a good day

The GPS signal acquisition of my HD Mini is poor in comparison to my previous HD2. It can take 3-4 minutes to get a valid fix whereas the HD2 took only a few seconds.
This may be software related as I think it was better when I bought it, but until we can get the tools to update the Radio ROM I can only think of doing a hard reset to see if it improves.

My HD Mini (bought from Clove) came with a free copy of NDrive on a Micro-SD card.
It works very well. I find the HD Mini usually locks onto the satellites quickly when outside and holds that lock for longer, where my previous Sony Sat-Nav lost signal in the same position, in the same vehicle far faster.
If I had a criticism of NDrive it would be that it will sometimes instruct me to 'keep left' when what is really meant is 'turn left'.
Having said that recalculation of the route is almost instantaneous, it includes safety camera alerts and warns if I exceed the given speed limit for the current road.
I'd certainly recommend it and would probably buy NDrive next time I needed to.

I've now upgraded my ROM though still no new Radio ROM, but since then it has been far better. Fixes in about 20 seconds now from warm start.

GPS works great on HTC HD Mini.
Garmin mobile XT works like a cream.
Miero Via GPS Black edition is another one.

@ people who have the gps icon not removing itself as a status icon...
I myself have this problem using third party GPS navigation software...
try using google maps app after... then close google maps app ... with me this shuts down gps also...
Best of luck..
Joey

Garmin here also, flawless

GPS of HD mini is one of the best, if not the best. It acquires satellite signals and lock on very quickly. Even inside my office room. Takes seconds to lock. It out-performs the dedicated GPS device i bought earlier and installed in my car. So, now, the removed that device, and use my HD mini as primary navigation device.
I use NaviComputer instead of the built-in Google Map.
NaviComputer is a great app. It allows offline maps to be downloaded and saved on the phone. No need for internet access when i go out and use the phone as GPS device. This is a big plus, because in some areas -- especially in places when you most need to find your way back, GPRS/mobile internet is so weak and mostly non-existent. So that makes the wonderful Google map practically useless for me.

I use TomTom and also GPSTuner.
with both programs I haven't any issue

ozi
also oziexplorer works very well. I noticed it continues logging when the display switches off. this is really good for battery life!

Archos + GPS (external)

hi there..
i would like to discuss about having archos as navigator or GPS..
im using A70IT,so it does no has internal gps receiver..
from theory, we can achieve it by using bluetooth gps receiver and gps software..
anyone had tried this??
can you tell what brand of bluetooth gps receiver that you use..
plus with the gps software..
(im still experimenting..,any findings will be updated here)
one of working gps on archos..
sorry for my bad english..
Tested bluetooth GPS receiver:
BT-359S (GlobalSat)
BT-359 (Globalsat)
TomTom MK-II
Hama bluetooth gps receiver
iBlutooth gps receiver
Jentro BT-gps-8
BTGP-38KM/65C
phone:-
Nexus One
Nokia N79
Htc Droid Eris
Tested Navigation software
iGO
NDrive
Oruxmaps
Google maps navigation
Yandex.Maps -Detailed maps of cities in Russia
Copilot
NavDroyd
Sygic Aura
you might need to install software like "bluetooth gps provider" or "Bluetooth GPS" on archos and something like "Bluetooth GPS Output" on your gps receiver (at market) or "GpsGate" for windows mobile (phone only).

I shared my Nexus Ones gps via bluetooth to my A43, it was very simple and worked with any program I used.
I did a search and had found some usb bluetooth receivers around $50-60, probably don't need anything special to get the job done.

daveid said:
I shared my Nexus Ones gps via bluetooth to my A43, it was very simple and worked with any program I used.
I did a search and had found some usb bluetooth receivers around $50-60, probably don't need anything special to get the job done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
owh..nice job..what gps software you use?

I use a hama bluetooth gps with Google navigation.
I intend to port my own aviation navigation software as soon as I get some time

dfauvarq said:
I use a hama bluetooth gps with Google navigation.
I intend to port my own aviation navigation software as soon as I get some time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use an iBlutooth gps receiver and it works with google and Oruxmaps, no problem.
Check out Orux maps for use with aviation. He has PC software to import geo-referenced charts. It works great with charts from FAA Aeronav. It's one of the main things I bought my tablet for. I was using my phone in the cockpit.

see that
http://www.jbmm.fr/2010/12/07/utiliser-le-gps-de-son-telephone-android-sur-son-gen8/
http://www.jbmm.fr/2010/10/07/recette-archos-gen-8-a-la-sauce-gps/
after the seconf news, archos add this possiblity in the firmware

I use my Nokia N79 as Internet bluetooth GPRS modem and GPS at once.
http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=211557&view=findpost&p=6340799

phoenixstudio said:
owh..nice job..what gps software you use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used NDrive and Google Maps on my A43, I use Sygic Aura on my Nexus One (actually bought this one, it is really nice and in the general Android Apps & Games forum I started a thread of discount codes). Ndrive is a little more friendly to the resistive screen as its controls are larger and easier to hit.

Hi!
I use a Jentro BT-gps-8, works without any aditional software with Copilot, but have some Problems with the graphics if I turn the Archos 101 pad.
Maybe I make tomorow some screenshots of the display
regards

reporting,papago x5 failed on my archos..anyone successfully install papago x5 on archos tablet?

On the Archos: Bluetooth GPS by Googoo Android.
On my phone (an Eris): Bluetooth GPS Output by Meowsbox.
Both are free on the market, but "output" is limited to 10 minutes. If it works, its only about $1.60 for the full version.
Turn on bt on both devices, start output on phone, then start the one on the Archos. Pair and connect. Once you start seeing the readings on the Archos, you can start Google Maps and navigate! Google Maps will kick you to the settings to choose "choose bluetooth gps".
Enjoy!

I use a bt-359 gps connected with bluetooth to my A70. Found it on ebay for 7 euro and it works perfect!
Sent from my A70S using Tapatalk

Agent Orange12 said:
I use a bt-359 gps connected with bluetooth to my A70. Found it on ebay for 7 euro and it works perfect!
Sent from my A70S using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm goin to buy this one from amazon..=)

Papago X5 failed on my 101 as well, but NavDroyd and Sygic Aura work like charm.
A101 + BTGP-38KM/65C from http://www.dealextreme.com/p/65-cha...king-bluetooth-gps-receiver-data-logger-26337

Globalsat bt-359 is a nice size, works well and is the best GPS I have ever used.

I use my wm phone MWG Zinc II as the gps receiver, the wm phone install the app gpsgate to become a bluetooth gps receiver, then use google map in archos to connect to the wm phone through the bluetooth.

jan_tsui said:
I use my wm phone MWG Zinc II as the gps receiver, the wm phone install the app gpsgate to become a bluetooth gps receiver, then use google map in archos to connect to the wm phone through the bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did the same thing with my old Omnia...using GPS2Blue...works with CoPilot, Google navigation & Sygic Aura (only 3 tested so far...

Tried phone but takes longer to fix, much worse sensativity in bad signal areas.
Plus I want phone for tethering sometimes
The bt-359 is amazing. Seconds to fix (warm start) indoors (none of my other GPS devices work in house). Also worked in a city, in car with coated windscreen with GPS just chucked in pocket down beside gearstick (also dropped in same location on another car the other day it didn't loose signal once).
Superb is the word for it

NExus one BT cannot pair?
I'm trying to test using my Nexus One's GPS
I can't even connect. I can pair the devices but thats it, its not actually connected. If I long press on the nexus one device entry the only option that comes up is unpair. Anyone else get this?
Its identical if I try it from Archos to Nexus one i.e. the N1 has paired with the archos, but there is no option to connect.
N1 running 2.2 stock
Archos running 2.1.08 stock

wintermute000 said:
I'm trying to test using my Nexus One's GPS
I can't even connect. I can pair the devices but thats it, its not actually connected. If I long press on the nexus one device entry the only option that comes up is unpair. Anyone else get this?
Its identical if I try it from Archos to Nexus one i.e. the N1 has paired with the archos, but there is no option to connect.
N1 running 2.2 stock
Archos running 2.1.08 stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will keep saying that connect but not fair until you start your GPS software if you configure the GPS correctly.