Search for Versatile GPS Receiver

I have seen a car with built-in GPS receiver whre you can relax, drive and have directions dictated to you. However it is pricey. A better alternative is to have a non-built in and you can even take it in your friend's car and have the same benefit. And that is versatility.
I guess a good characteristic would be:
1. Can be used to your Bluetooth enabled device, such as a Pocket PC, Palm, laptop or tablet PC wirelessly so that you can just set aside the receiver in the backseat,etc so not messy.
2. You dont need to pay subscription to internet or telephone company for connection service. (I am not sure if all GPS receiver are like that... Is it???)
3. Tracking every move accurately, and giving driving directions ahead. So good software and GPS-sensitivity to satellite.
4. Can be plugged in the car and possibly be battery operated also.

I search the internet and found 2.

1. TripNav TN-206 Bluetooth GPS Receiver

http://www.rayming.com/products/tripnav_tn206.asp#benefits

2. Belkin Bluetooth GPS Navigation System Part # F8T051

http://google-cnet.com.com/Belkin_Bluetooth_GPS_compact_receiver/4505-3490_7-30713236.html?tag=fr

However, the review was given only to Belkin product. In the real world, how would this GPS Receiver compare or are there better ones available...???

 

This website is really great it is just like a world conference.
Experts from different fields of computer and beginners alike participate. The disadvantage is the wait... It has suspense...
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THe Belkin unit is nice, I've not heard of the other one before. There were a few deals a while back on the Belkin for $175 or so. Socket makes another one, it looks nearly identical to the Belkin. In any event, they're really nice, and you're right, the Bluetooth models can be used whenever or whereever you want with notebooks, PDAs or whatever. I'm not entirely sure which accessories each offer, but you should have no trouble getting a car charger for any of them. And no, there is no fee for GPS.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

My in-car GPS solution is:

Ipaq 5555 in auto mount, loaded with Delorme Handheld
Socket BT GPS unit

The BT unit was somewhat expensive but reasonable, about $300. The software was another $50 or so. The Delorme package does include voice dictation. Another cool feature is that you can plot waypoints and direct the software to direct you to that point based on your current position. One of the best features (sentimental crap warning) is that both my wife and I like to drive so we sometimes go out and 'get lost' and then use GPS to get back home.

1. GPS devices are available as standalone units, in Bluetooth Format, Serial, and USB. Obviously with serial and USB, you're limiting it's use with a PDA plus you have to deal with the cords. If you go with a BlueTooth unit, it should work with any BT enabled device...although you may need to do some registry tweaking.

2. GPS is free. All the units are doing is receiving time signals from the various sattelites. BAsed on the sattelite sending the signal and the time, your unit does all the work by calculating your position, and if supported, your altitude.

3. Your tracking ability depends on your software. Some software only updates your position in 5 or 10 second intervals. Other software updates your position in real time. You'll have to check the box of the software package. I can tell you that Delorme (Handheld and the full version) both update in real time.

4. The Socket BT adapter has an internal battery that lasts up to 6 hours...I have gotten about 5 1/2 out of it. This unit does come with a car adapter to charge it but not an AC adapter. However, I've found that my Ipaq charger uses roughly the same power and use that to charge it at home.

Definately do your research on the software. Updating a position every 10 seconds is not exactely what I would call accurate. Also make sure your GPS unit is NMEA compliant. Most software uses this standard to communicate with GPS units.

 

Thanks Big Calhoun and Brian... I included the Delorme Earthmate in the comparison list. Thanks for the advise with regards to software, the "real-time" and NMEA compliant...
Could you please elaborate more on the NMEA compliant (what does it mean and how does it affect eficiency of bluetooth)
And what are the available "real time" softwares? What do you think is the best in the market today?

So #3 in the comparison list...

New Earthmate GPS receiver
http://www.delorme.com/earthmate/bluetoothconfig.asp

Bluetooth PDA PowerPack - provides the option to power the Earthmate
1. GPS with four AAA batteries (not included), a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery with A/C charger (included), or your vehicle's 12-volt cigarette outlet using the included cable
2. 12-pin / USB cable included for Earthmate GPS use with a USB laptop
3. 12-pin / DB9 serial port connection cable for connecting to other handheld devices using their proprietary data cables
Street Atlas USA 2004 and Street Atlas USA 2004 Handheld software

I think the AAA battery option is a good idea. A good scenario is when you are in the middle of nowhere and your car loses battery power and gasoline. All you have is the GPS unit and a laptop. You can look up the nearest gasoline station.
Plus with the AAA battery option, you don't need to constantly order "exclusively" to the company their own battery. You just buy a rechargeable AAA battery and it is much cheaper in the long run...
Plus it has also cable option if you dont want to use bluetooth (that is if you have a PDA or computer that has bluetooth) you can still use it. That is like having a swiss army knife equivalent of the GPS receiver.
Plus it is the only one so far I found to have a position accuracy of <3 Meters (in a WAAS-corrected GPS signals)
I think what is off on this product is the color... It would be great if it wear not yellow. Black would do...

So for now ... Earthmate GPS receiver tops my list
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The Delorme Earthmate looks to be a nice model and I can't say I've read anything negative about it. I probably would have gone for that one had I not found the Socket BT model. The one thing I liked is that it uses the SiRF protocol. That is supposed to provide better sat locks and improved performance under foliage. It also supports WAAS out of the box. For the Socket model, I had to find the configuration utility, set the feature, and then recalibrate it - I thought I'd have to replace it b/c it was screwed up for a while. The battery usage is a turn off for me, but you make an excellent point. If you're in the middle of East JaBlip and your car dies, you still have an option to at least see what is around and where you're going. I'm a little of the opposite; when in the car, I leave the GPS plugged in until I need to plug in something else.

NMEA is simply a standard of transmitting information from the GPS unit to your software; it basically dictates how information is sent between devices and in what order. Most GPS units and software supports the NMEA standard so you shouldn't have too much of a problem. The Earthmate actually incorporates it's own standard, which is supported by the Delorme software, and also supports NMEA.

As far as software goes, I believe the latest version of Microsoft Streets and Trips only updates in 15 second intervals. Delorme and Teletype software provides real time updates. Rand McNally software still has realtime updates but I think there is a problem using BlueTooth units because of a COM port conflict. There are also newer 'top-down' packages that give a 3-d view of your map from an overhead perspective. One of the most popular is called Tom-Tom and also supports real time updates. The other thing I'll throw out there about software is decide what features you want beforehand instead of picking a package and having to adapt....

I started out with an old version of Rand Mcnally that supported real time updates. I liked this software because it had alot of Points of Interests (POIs - ATMS, gas stations, hotels, etc.). When I went to a BT GPS and went for the latest version of Mictrosoft Streets and Trips, I found that the updates were increased to 15 second intervals. So then I went with Teletype. Well, it worked with my GPS and provided real time tracking, but came with very few POIs. I ended up settling on Delorme b/c it worked with my BT GPS, had a good number of POIs, easy to use GUI, and voice dictation. So, decide what's important to you before plopping down the $50 - $120.

 

Check out the Garmin Streetpilot III Deluxe. They're less than $500 now. This includes an unlock key for the MapSource CDs. They aren't as high-tech as the ones mentioned in this thread, but they get the job done. They feature WAAS, auto-routing, and even spoken directions. The only downside is the proprietary memory card. An alternative is the Magellan GPS receivers with Compact Flash memory for waypoint storage.

Another thing to consider is where you'll be using the device. The two lines I mentioned can be used on a motorcycle as well as in a car. Some of the smaller GPS like the eTrex can be used while hiking, think geo-caching. A device that has to be hooked up to a PC limits your mobility. The Palm-based options are easier to use while walking, but I don't know how good the software is.

look twice : save a life : motorcycles are everywhere

 

I research the pros and cons of Earthmate. I found one review.

http://reviews.cnet.com/DeLorme_Earthmate_GPS/4505-3490_7-30473998.html

But, sometimes it makes me think that some of the consumer reviews are a ploy ( when they write their review, are they employee of the competing product???) The pros and cons are sometimes extremes... Extremely good in one end and terrible in the other...

I have nothing against with the website but it would be best if a survey be made...
What is your personal experience with your GPS receiver particularly [?][?][?]
1. Delorme Earthmate with Bluetooth Powerpack,
2. Belkin Bluetooth GPS Navigation System Part # F8T051
3. TripNav TN-206 Bluetooth GPS Receiver

What will be your approval rate (0-100%) [?][?][?]

If you have a comparable GPS receiver, pls do tell and we will put it in the survey...

 

This are current forum and reviews on EarthMate and its software[ ]

http://www.abfnet.com/modules.php?name=News&file=showarticle&threadid=21661

http://www.abfnet.com/modules.php?name=News&file=showarticle&threadid=21868

Bottom line from the reviews above... it says Earthmate is an excellent product[ ] (better than Belkin) but bundles with an average software. But for everyday use will do...

Reviews can also be dependent on the unit you use. If you use an incompatible unit then you will have a failing grade for the product... So its wise to take everything with a grain of salt...

Please feel free to give suggestion, conclusion or violent reactions....[ ][ ][ ]

With this in mind...

The next order of discussion is to find the best software...


N.B. To the makers of the product... Please don't be offended if your product is compared to others in close scrutiny. The objective is to find out the creme of the crop by discussions like this.

 

Don't put all of your faith in reviews. There are too many differences in hardware to capture every experience. I've had bad luck using a bluetooth adapter on most computers I own. Only recently did I try it on a newer one and have had the opposite experience. If you see an overwhelming number of negative reviews, that usually is a good indicator that the product may not be worth it. But if you see a few reviews and 1 or 2 are extremely negative, that's usally people with axes to grind. Take it all for what it's worth...an opinion.

 

I agree with you Big Calhoun. That is why I said "to take everything with a grain of salt"... meaning not to take their word for it. As you stated, they are opinions.

However, that does not mean that they are of no use. If you can get the real world experience "opinions" of many users then you will get a pretty good idea of its real performance.

Just like in research or survey, the power of their conclusion depends on the number of respondents or sample size. 1000 opinions surely has a stronger impact than 5 or 10 opinions.

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After some research... I have found out that Earthmate GPS has the best "potential". I say that because its positional accuracy has the smallest radius among all its competitors. That is it can pin point your position up to < 3 meters radius while others >5 meters.

It is a potential because the positional accuracy is shared in part with the GPS software. If a software updates its position every 3 minutes then you will be lost... (travelling in a highway at 60 or 70 mph and making exits would surely be difficult).

A software that updates in realtime would be the best performer...
And the search for that software is on hand ...