I read thru a lot of thread about external gps...i want to know..which one is has the smallest profile..and sirf iii compliance
Saw the Holux 240 and it seems to be quite small
I'd say the Holux 240 is about the smallest out there. It's what I have and I carry it in the change pocket of my jeans. It's smaller than a pack of Double Mint gum...
http://www.semsons.com/vivgblgpsref.html
I use a route 66 bt Gps receiver they aslo claim to be the smallest. Works fine have used both tomtom and destinator no problems. Can also get a mini usb connection to use with laptop but havent tried this.
http://www.66.com/route66/products.php?cid=UK&sec=11&ssec=1&prodid=3321
regards
Stephen
Don't know if it's actually _the_ smallest, but I've been using the Globalsat BT-359W bluetooth receiver (http://www.globalsat.com.tw/eng/product_detail_00000076.htm)
and I'm quite happy with it.
mikegoldnj said:
http://www.semsons.com/vivgblgpsref.html
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That's the one I've got too...
By and large, I am happy with it. I've gotten between 9 and 10 hours on a freeway type trip with it using in conjunction with TomTom a few times, so in my opinion, battery life is pretty good.
Once in a while, it can take up to 3 or 4 minutes to acquire the signal though. Like when I've gone a decent distance from where I last used it I think ... (like 50 + miles)
Very Happy with my Holux GPSlim240. I would recommend it but have no experience with others on the Hermes.
Regards
got a Holux GPSlim240, very well
Related
I don't really need a GPS but I thought it might be kinda interesting to get a cheap'n'cheerful unit and then probably the basic Microsoft streetmaps package for a bit of fun. I don't want to spend a lot, but obviously I would still like it to work! I've narrowed it down to one of two GPS units, and I wonder if anyone here has any comments on them?
BT-77 (£39.99 plus VAT from http://www.inter-activeinformation.com/uk/product_info.php?products_id=31)
8590 (£39.95 inc VAT from http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/8590.htm)
* They both have USB and in-car cigarette-lighter style chargers, which will allow me charge my MDA Vario in the car too, so that's useful.
* The 8590 uses the same Li-ion battery as my old Nokia phone, so that could give me an extra charged battery to keep in the car.
* The 8590 also has a USB port, as well as the Bluetooth connection, so I could connect it directly into my laptop if I wanted to - although I do have a bluetooth dongle for the laptop anyway, so that's not really a major factor.
* The BT-77 has 16 channels while the 8590 only has 12 - how much of a factor to consider is that?
* The BT-77 appears to have slightly better battery life, according to the comments I've seen.
* The BT-77 is a bit more expensive and has a two-week delivery wait at the moment (not critical, no real urgency).
So - does anyone have any experience with either of these units and might care to comment on which would be best, or anything else for me to bear in mind?
Regards,
Andre (very new to this whole GPS lark!)
I use a Fuzion Solar GPS which has a solar panel to keep it charged up. It was £59 from next Generation Sales on Ebay. After a little bit of a sweat trying to set it up with TomTom 5 I've been pretty impressed with it.
It apparently works for 30hours but I haven't had cause to check it as it's not used that long and I leave it by the window when not in use. It uses a Nok3650 replaceable battery so you could keep a spare in the unlikely event of it running flat.
For those with similar problems you need to search for the device in Bluetooth and accept the serial port option. In Windows Make sure blutooth is switched on then go to the CABLE settings in TomTom and set the Baud Rate to 38400. Then click done and go to other bluetooth gps device and in my case it was now available on com 6.
i bought the 8590 from mobilefun last week, it was a good little device but i found it a bit too slow to get a lock, especially in london, sometimes it never got a lock
I returned it and have now got a Holux GPSlim236, which was 70 notes, but you certainly get what you pay for. This device gets a lock a lot quicker and is more appears more precise than the 8590. It also has a usb charger, pairs with Tomtom no problems and is slighty smaller than the 8590.
Perhaps i could have lived with the cheaper device, but now i have the holux i dont think i would go back...
andrewilley said:
I don't really need a GPS but I thought it might be kinda interesting to get a cheap'n'cheerful unit and then probably the basic Microsoft streetmaps package for a bit of fun. I don't want to spend a lot, but obviously I would still like it to work! I've narrowed it down to one of two GPS units, and I wonder if anyone here has any comments on them?
BT-77 (£39.99 plus VAT from http://www.inter-activeinformation.com/uk/product_info.php?products_id=31)
8590 (£39.95 inc VAT from http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/8590.htm)
* They both have USB and in-car cigarette-lighter style chargers, which will allow me charge my MDA Vario in the car too, so that's useful.
* The 8590 uses the same Li-ion battery as my old Nokia phone, so that could give me an extra charged battery to keep in the car.
* The 8590 also has a USB port, as well as the Bluetooth connection, so I could connect it directly into my laptop if I wanted to - although I do have a bluetooth dongle for the laptop anyway, so that's not really a major factor.
* The BT-77 has 16 channels while the 8590 only has 12 - how much of a factor to consider is that?
* The BT-77 appears to have slightly better battery life, according to the comments I've seen.
* The BT-77 is a bit more expensive and has a two-week delivery wait at the moment (not critical, no real urgency).
So - does anyone have any experience with either of these units and might care to comment on which would be best, or anything else for me to bear in mind?
Regards,
Andre (very new to this whole GPS lark!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the GlobalSat BT-338 receiver which has 3rd generation SiFr processor, can lock 20 satelites. I use Destinator mapping software on my Wizard. Go to buyGPSnow.com for good prices and support. Good luck.
Thanks for the advice everyone, I've just bought a Holux 236 on eBay for £57 (plus import duties when it arrives from far off lands).
So if it doesn't work, I'll be coming after you Lyallb...
Andre
I second the Holux 236. I'm in Shanghai and consistently get a 10-bird lock within two minutes of turning it on. However, the first unit I bought had a bad bluetooth radio and had to be returned.
andrewilley said:
Thanks for the advice everyone, I've just bought a Holux 236 on eBay for £57 (plus import duties when it arrives from far off lands).
So if it doesn't work, I'll be coming after you Lyallb...
Andre
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Click to collapse
Ive heard the ones you get from overseas are a bit dodgy... :wink:
im confident i wont have to look over my shoulder....
BT-77
I have a BT GPS that is the same make as the BT-77 but branded under another name (Wonde-X BT GPS).
It sometimes takes ages to lock on, and this is with the plug in antenna.
Then on some days it takes 30 seconds, so I really don't know. There are better BT GPS out there, so I would give this one a miss if you have another option.
lyallb said:
Ive heard the ones you get from overseas are a bit dodgy... :wink:
im confident i wont have to look over my shoulder....
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Click to collapse
I guess I'm in a bit of a Catch 22 situation then. If the GPS works fine, I won't need to find you... but if I can't get the GPS to work, I won't be able to find you!
Andre
gps
I have a polestar BT gps which I aquired from http://www.deluoelectronics.com. I like it a lot, it works well, about the size of a zippo cigarette lighter, and the 3 ni-mh AAA batteries last a long time (although after having it about 18 months I finally had to replace the ones that came with the unit, something about being left in my jeep and freezing in the winter and melting in the summer )
This unit is small enough to toss in your pocket, the batteries are placed on the bottom so if it sits on your dash its not top heavy. Even has some rubber feet so it doesnt slide all over. In my jeep (which I take off roads quite often) it has never fallen over which suprises me becuase a few times my jeep almost fell over
Solarius V3 Bluetooth GPS Receiver is great
I just bought Solarius V3 Bluetooth GPS Receiver with Tom Tom software - it is simply great. I'm using it my Cingular 8125 (HTC Wizard). The pairing was a breeze, getting Tom Tom to activate was another matter.
The GPS unit has solar panel for backup power - supposedly lasting for as much as 30 hours between charges. Here's a link to where I got it from:
http://www.semsons.com/soblgpsspofa.html
jwzg said:
I second the Holux 236. I'm in Shanghai and consistently get a 10-bird lock within two minutes of turning it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that was pretty painless... The Holux 236 arrived this morning (Monday - and I only paid for it on eBay last Tuesday and it had to come from Taiwan to the UK!) Nothing extra to pay at the door either, which was good news.
First reaction: Gosh, it's tiny isn't it?!! I almost thought they'd forgotten to put the GPS unit in the box! For anyone who's not got one, it's far smaller than half the size of the Wizard.
Second reaction: Bluetooth connected perfectly, first time. Couldn't get GPS software to see the unit at first - until I remembered to create an outgoing COM port in the Bluetooth Config screen, after which it all worked straight away. My phone talked me all the way to work half an hour later, how cute is this technology?
Thanks to everyone for all the advice.
Andre
I've got a Holux GPSlim 236 for almost a year now and for me it the best ever. It worked with my Magician and now with my Wizard. When it has a lock it stays locked even when i'm in side my house. You can navigate to the toilet if you want!
It's lays in the back of my car in a closed compartment were it has a 12V connection. When i fire up TomTom it's up and running in 3 seconds.
So you understand by now that i recommend the Holux GPSlim 236.
marshall_teller said:
It's lays in the back of my car in a closed compartment were it has a 12V connection. When i fire up TomTom it's up and running in 3 seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking of doing that too. Do you just leave it switched on all the time, and is it only supplied with power with the ignition switch? Using a permanent 12v supply seems a good idea, and would keep the internal battery trickle-charged, but I wondered whether it might run down the car battery if left parked for a while as the receiver & bluetooth would always be running? On the other hand, if it's on a switched power supply, the Li-ion battery will continue to drain and go flat overnight while the car is parked, and then start re-charging when you're driving, which as far as I know isn't ideal for Li-ion batteries.
Andre
marshall_teller said:
When it has a lock it stays locked even when i'm in side my house. You can navigate to the toilet if you want!
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Click to collapse
Bloody hell, how big is your house.....!!!! :lol:
Anyone have experience with the i-Blue Receiver? I like the sleep mode...goes into super-low powermode until a paired device tries to access it again. You can get several weeks of usage on a charge this way. Reviews are good and the price isn't bad.
Anyone have experience with the i-Blue Receiver
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using one of these for the last 6 months. It's great. Never seems to run out and locks on Sats very quickly too.
pewe said:
Anyone have experience with the i-Blue Receiver
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Click to collapse
I have been using one of these for the last 6 months. It's great. Never seems to run out and locks on Sats very quickly too.
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Click to collapse
Excellent! I'm having a hard time keeping myself from buying one. Hell, I don't even have a car nor do I travel all that much and I know NYC like the back of my hand. I need an excuse to buy one so the girlfriend doesn't freak out! Maybe I'll get into geocaching...hmm..
guys i bought a iBlue and am trying to pair it with the wizard... no luck. I can see the device in BlueTooth settings but it will not catch a signal
Pocket Streets
Earthcomber
or GPSView will not show any location????
help any suggestions
rc said:
guys i bought a iBlue and am trying to pair it with the wizard... no luck. I can see the device in BlueTooth settings but it will not catch a signal
help any suggestions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you set up a new outgoing COM port in your bluetooth setup screen? (I set mine up for COM7, which was free) Everything worked fine after that.
Andre
After looking around for a car mount that would suit me, and hesitant on paying a premium for the Brodit/proclip solutions, i've decided to go with Arkon's unviersal mount solutoin.
While browsing around, i found that you could get one of these mounts for free of for a slight upgrade fee, when u purchase a GPS software/receiver bundle.
I kno there have been threads about this before, but i guess i'll ask again.
Which combination would ppl recommend.
I live in Boston, MA.
I have a tmobile usa Mda, with Rom 2.3
I'm leaning towards Inav's Iguidance 2.1.3 since i've been reading threads of ppl having a terrible time of getting TomTom to work.
So is Iguidance a good call? And what are the rumours that Igudance v3 is coming out soon? Is that worth waiting for?
And now to the receivers?
Globalsat Bt338 vs. Holux GPSlim 236?
or does it not even matter?
Thanks for any helpful comments.
running tomtom 5.21 on mine no problems at all.
as for Holux GPSlim 236, thats what i currenty have, its 100% good, uses same usb charger plug as mda, works indoors too! the reviews on the web speak highly everywhere, have had gps BT recivers for a few years and this is by far the best!
I just got the IGuideance V3 in yesterday and it is so user freindly. I am using the BT reciever that came with MS streets and Trips. I think it's a Pharo. Anyhow, it's all working great. :wink:
GSXR_6 said:
I just got the IGuideance V3 in yesterday and it is so user freindly. I am using the BT reciever that came with MS streets and Trips. I think it's a Pharo. Anyhow, it's all working great. :wink:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the receiver that comes with Streets & Trips BT, or does it require some adapter? I have been looking to purchase either that, or Mappoint 2006, but wasn't sure if the adapter was BT.
Yes it is BT, or you can slip it off the battery adapter and hook a USB to the laptop from the GPS receiver. :wink:
Where did you see the all togeather package?
www.buygpsnow.com
or
www.semsons.com
as a cheaper alternative, consider the i-blue.
i got this for my wizard and have had no trouble at all with TOMTOM 5.
regularly picks up 10 sattelites and has no compatability problems.
I was in the market for a gps. I enabled the GPS on the Hermes, but since it has no antenna, it is pretty much useless. I decided to buy the cheapest bluetooth gps I could find.
I settled on this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16858702001
It is pretty cheap and very, very small. I turned it on, synced it with my phone running WM6, and boom! It worked great.
If you need a gps and dont want to spend a boat load, the iTrek one is for you.
Looks a lot like the Holux GPSlim 236 that I have.
Holux!!!!!
Holux GR 239 is also a keeper. This one is a tiny receiver that plugs into the cigarette lighter, my car has several accy plugs so I leave this Bluetooth GPS always plugged in. I'm no longer playing with batteries and tiny receivers bouncing around the car.
The Holux GPSslim is also great for portable use as well. My 8525 works great with these.
Till Kaiser begins shipping!
DeniaL said:
Looks a lot like the Holux GPSlim 236 that I have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is! I have the same one that you do. They are like our phones.....multi-branded but the same inside! It really is a nice little unit.
Later...............
Are these device compatible with all map software?
do they come with maps?
If you are looking for a cheap yet powerfull GPS gps receiver fo your hermes try to find the Qstarz BT 818. I paid just under 50GBP for the device delivered. I believe you can pick it up in the US delivered for under 100 USD.It is a 32 channel device and tomtom picks up 8 useful sats in the middle of my house or office (middle of a 1 story building)!!!! It will even pick up 10+ sats in my glovebox!!! even better still it has a 32hr navigating battery life!!!! I cannot rave about this enough. Only problem is that there is only 1 seller in the UK and they are exclusive to ebay. But even still they are good mine arrived in 2 days.
My Delorme is okay
I just bought a delorme bt-20. It is pretty good and the signal seems to be okay. The only gripe I have about it is the software that comes with it. It is crap! I've tried TomTom, Live Search and Google Maps and they all seem to work great. However, Google Maps has some bugs in it that makes it kind of quirky.
The nice thing about the bt-20 is that it also comes with a mini-usb port that you can use as the connection to your laptop, if you really wanted to.
so , what is the best and what is the cheapest
?
for cingular 8525
thanks
I'd say any with Sirf3 chips are going to be good, I mentioned the Holux GR239 cause it was $60 on Ebay, doesn't need batteries, and on the road is getting 10 to 12 sattellites! In my car it's plugged into a 12V accy plug in the back seat so I don't even see it, but it's always ready.
Whenever I open up my nav app (iGuidance), it's up and running like it was built into my 8525. I have other bluetooth GPS, GPSlim and Socket Bluetooth for portable battery use, but this plug-in is very good and cheap.
Any recommendations for a GOOD & COMPACT
Bluetooth GPS ???
It should be sirf3 compatible, be able to work 12 satelites,
have a good battery life
and has to be as compact as possible (with the above specs in mind)
what works ??
also, what software do you recommend?
I've heared there's also a more "garmin" like app for "outdoor stuff"...??
thanks
sirf3 and good battery life is tough. The MTK devices tend to have double the battery life. The downside of the MTK devices is that they do not do pedestrian navigation well. I believe that have the static navigation on, whereas its off on the sirf3 devices. That or its the other way around.
Don't know about all that stuff, BUT!!!
I just got the Garmin Mobile 10 GPS with Mobile NT software. Works great! Lots of features! It's small and comes with a belt clip so you can take it Geocaching!
check this out http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BT-5&cat=GPS&cpc=GPSbsc
Im planing to buy one of these soon
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HOLUX-GPSli...oryZ4668QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem
I bought one of these for like $50 on ebay, Its so tiny and works great. I hang mine from my rearview mirror.
Some sites you may want to check out include:
semsons.com
buygpsnow.com
I hear the Visiontac VGPS-700 is the smallest reciever around. As for software, iguidance, tomtom, mio are just a few.
I can also recommend the Holux GPSlim 236. Amazingly fast acquisition.
GPS4EvyOne took FOUR days to even ship it to me, though, even though I paid for Express Mail. Bought on Thursday, shipped on Monday. That blows.
im using i-Trek M6 Bluetooth GPS Receiver on my MDA with Tomtom 6 and it works great... tried the Holux 236 and it works fine too only try not to drop it or the bluetooth function will start malfunctioning.
ultraprimeomega said:
check this out http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BT-5&cat=GPS&cpc=GPSbsc
Im planing to buy one of these soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone else try this one? Looking for a receiver to use with my 8125 for usage on my motorcycle primarily.
Software wise. If you're looking for a more outdoor type software try MemoryMap. Believe it has a free trial too.
Try: http://www.memory-map.co.uk/
Thanks
looney_loey said:
im using i-Trek M6 Bluetooth GPS Receiver on my MDA with Tomtom 6 and it works great... tried the Holux 236 and it works fine too only try not to drop it or the bluetooth function will start malfunctioning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got this problem with my Holux 236 too. Is there a cure (apart from buying a new one)? What's Holux's UK service / guarantee like, as this unit is about 18 months old and the Bluetooth has been dodgy for at least 6 months.
Andre
what would be a good GPS for the 8125?
Pretty much any unit with a Sirf III chipset will work very well with the Wizard. www.buygpsnow.com and www.semsons.com offer hardware/software bundles that can save you some $$$.
Check http://geeks.com/ they got good deals on gps adapters if you want to save $$
3waygeek said:
Pretty much any unit with a Sirf III chipset will work very well with the Wizard. www.buygpsnow.com and www.semsons.com offer hardware/software bundles that can save you some $$$.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any idea if the Garmin GPS 10 has this chipset?
Navi GT-11 is a model of some note since it is water resistance. But is it wizard resistant?
G
Using a Holux M1000 with no complaints.
VERY fast startup/warm up time. Ive got it under the front seat of the car and usually receive 8-10 sats.
Picked it up on fleaBay for $20-30 (if I remember). ;-)
Try Beeline GPS its pretty cool for nav stuff.
Both Googlemaps and MSlive search work fine.
My Holux M1200 very tiny and powerful!
Hi,
The RoyalTek RBT-1000 GPS Receiver is very good. It's a bluetooth device. i use it with iGO my way 2006 plus.
http://www.royaltek.com/index.php/content/view/99/81/
Tip: ebay ca. 40€
The Garmin GPS 10 will work with the MDA but you need to go into the registry and turn on the GPS icon so you can select which port it uses. There's threads that tell you how to do this. I had to do that.
I don't know what the internal chip is, but the GPS 10 uses up to 12 sats and usually locates really quickly. I even stuck it on the roof of the WhiteHorse Pass Train in Alaska and it worked perfectly all the way up.
I got the GPS 10 originally to use with the IPAQ 6315 (which had better B/T support by far and didn't need the GPS icon) and it was fine (except the 6315 is a POS that crashes all the time--MDA is far better).
I couldn't connect it to the MDA until I updated the firmware from T-Mobile and then modified the registry to reveal the hidden GPS icon--it's there, but T-Mo blocks it.
Once you figure it out (it's a little byzantine) the GPS 10 works great with the MDA. Once you figure out the correct steps.