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Holux GR 230 Bluetooth GPS on XDA2

I have just been following all the developments with the Bluetoth Stack Problems etc, after actually I had Ordered the Holux BT GPS Receiver.
I am still awaiting delivery, but after reading the last thread under GPS/Bluetooth got a bot dissappointed as a lot of people seem to have problems with the Reception.
I actually did some research before ordering and the reviews were promising. So in real life, what are the problems with the actual GPS itsself and how is the reception?
Even though I haven't tried Towas BT Fix, but I must congratulate as it seems very impressive the job he has done. I have downloaded all is required in terms of software fixes.
Please share your experiences with the Holux BT GPS and if anyone likes to do a preview perhaps?

I've already posted my comments in another thread but to summarise - it doesn't work ver well at all. I've used a Navman/iPaq combo - worked quite well, a Nokia LAM1/9210 - worked surprisingly well too, then a CF GPS in an Axim - worked extremely well, then this Holux device with an XDA II - the worst so far, by far. I'm assuming that the problem isn't with the XDA II as it uses a 400 mhz xScale 263 cpu which should be more than sufficient. I had read that these things would pick up a decent signal from within a rucksack or pocket, and indoors from a few feet from a window, but not in my case.
I can't wait to see what other peoples experiences are.
Ged.

How did you get the holux to work with xda2, I am having no luck with it.

I just installed towas patch, when I chose the holux it allowed me to assign a serial port "com4 chosen" this then appeared under gps in tomtom, works great and the headset works at same time, it did prevent me synching via bluetooth which was working fine before, but that is no hardship as I am unlikely to be synching by bluetooth while running tomtom.
P.s. I tried changing com ports for the gps but it didnt help so I removed my bluetooth desktop pc bluetooth profile, went to settings/bluetooth, told it to sync by bluetooth, it searched for and found my pc bluetooth dongle, when I click finish Towas patch pops up, I selected activesync and it now all works, the guys a genius with programming.

Got my Holux working too
Even though I was very nervous about the Holux, it has proved for me working very well, but it did take a bit to get things working.
At first, I removed all bluetooth devices, then installed Towas' Patch and then added the BT Devices (Holux + HBH-65). The HBH-65 worked well all the time, but once I loaded the Holux supplied software GPSviewer, it kept crashing and froze or it automatically kept rebooting. Tried all different ports but no success.
Finally, I had to Hard-Reset the XDA2 and then first install Towas's BT Patch before pairing any devices or installing any applications. Then I tried some third party software and finally Mapopolis and saw it working perfectly (COM 5, 9600). For some reason, GPSviewer is not compatible with either the XDA2 or Towas's Patch at any setting.
The Positioning is very good and usually have 8 sats locked out of 10 visible. I saw the device to be very accurate, perhaps to about 1-2 metres on Mapopolis. I even get around 3-4 Sats locked when I am indoors (thats either on the top floor or near a window. First time to fix is always around 30secs and hotstart seems immediate to me. The only matter which has got to me was that while driving, the positioning seemed to be lagging behind and Mapopolis came up with streets which just passed. I am also quite pissed off with the male voice of mapopolis as it sounds awful. I have now ordered TomTom V.2 and will keep u guys posted how that goes.
PS: The BT Handset works well at the same time as the GPS, but still missing the Handsfree BT Profile.
Anyone any update about O2 (UK) ROM Update?

I found no lag with Tomtom2, it was on the button and extremely accurate, does anybody know if the battery can be swapped out of this unit in the event of a failure once warrany is out?

I would think so. I took mine apart to see what was inside and it's very similar to one that you'd find in a cordless phone. Nothing special really and there are lots of companies out there that supply custom or specialist batteries.

Analyst said:
I have just been following all the developments with the Bluetoth Stack Problems etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i take it ur talking about the prolems "when you change the baud rate on the GR-230, it would lose communication via Bluetooth"?
if so the review on pocketgps.co.uk for the unit is quite good. its available @
http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/holuxgr230.php
but it explains that its a firmware prob with units shipped B4 Dec 03, which can B fixed.
Hope this helps. ive just ordered 1 myself, £95 off ebay, will do nicely if it works, i shall let ya'll know.
Smiley

XDA2 TomTom

Hi....new user
Just got XDA2 set in post as a company phone...great.
Acouple of things:
Can I use TomTom3 via the Bluetooth link...Ive been told its "iffY"?
Im using a Motorola BT car kit at the moment, will the XDA pair with it. Reason I ask is that my brother is a SKY engineer and they all have the above but they refuse to pair automatically.
Finally, is there a cradle especially for the XDA2 with a wired charger?
Ta
Graham

Hello Graham
I'm a newbie myself but trying to learn fast, I don't think the xda will pair-up with the motorola. Have a look at this website, I think its a great website they really help me when I first had my xda. The address is www.eXpansys.com. You will fine everything you need for your xda II
Thx
M8.

As long as you're XDAII is running the v1.60 ROM or later it'll work fine with a BT GPS. If it's running an older ROM you can d/l the update from www.my-xda.com and flash it to improve the BT Stack.
The best cradle IMHO is the Carcomm CDAII Cradle, see here. They're available in the UK from TotalPDA.

TT3 and XDA2 work faultlessley for me

Xda II & gps kit
can someone reccommend some mapping software which offers some decent & relatively detailed coverage of Northern Ireland.
Nothing I have looked at so far, inc "pocket streets" has even A class roads included outside Belfast city centre.
not a lot of use to me and many other people like me.
Thats what is holding my gps purchase back. well that and finding a good reason to justify my buying one.

TOMTOM works fine for me too. The only problem is that it doesnt show the names of the streets you are driving past. A car navigatin system does do that.

tomtom bluetooth
I've had my xdaII and tomtom 3 with Blue tooth reciever for 6months.. NO problems. works fine.

TomTom & GPS
Just thought I would add my thoughts as I have been a user of GPS and PDA's for sometime now.
I currently use a Garmin Etrex Vista connected via a cable to an Ipaq (This will be changing to my new XDA2 as soon as the lead arrives).
I have no real problems using Tom Tom software (but it does require a soft reset occasionally). You can view streetnames whilst driving if you go to the map view (not the navigator view).
This setup option is the most expensive using a PDA but gives the most versatility if you want to use your GPS to do other activities using the equipment ie boating, biking, or walking, when talking the PDA may not be suitable.
Consider the kits available on Ebay for around £125 that include a suction mount (vent mounts break your car) the power and connection cable and the software.
I also use Memory Map Navigator which is very detailed Mapping Software using Ordnance Survey Maps. The software is expensive, but if you really do have a use for it (or just love digital maps) it is very good.

XDA 1 to SX66 upgrade - is it a good idea?

I am currently using an XDA1 with an o2 carkit, Haicom 204e and TT5 wih no problems, however, I am considering ungrading to a Seimens SX66 (Blue Angel?) and using a bluetooth GPS receiver. My questions are:
Is there a carkit available for the SX66?
Are there any problems I am likely to encounter with compatibility (I have noticed a few people reporting issues with TT5/bt/Blue Angel and don't want to upgrade to somthing that doesn't work)?
Thanks.

I think it will no work your idea :roll:

I think you better buy a universal and benefit from WM 2005 while you are at it. You obviously don't need quadband - so I would say a universal is a good device

Deke, is there any need to upgrade if you are happy with your present setup?

Well, I would like a gps system that can be moved from the car, and also a PDA with integral WiFI - an SX66 would satisfy both of these requirements (if the bt gps were battery powered).
Also, Mrs Deke's XDA1 has suffered some damage and won't last much longer. She says an XDA1 is all she needs, but I'm reluctant to get her a s/h XDA1 if I can use this opportunity to replace my system and let her have my XDA1.
But if the SX66 won't run tt5 properly with a bt - or if there are other issues I'm not aware of - then I'll just get her a used XDA1 and I'll keep mine.
I've also been looking at the HP 6365 - any thoughts on that?

Newbie needs your help in choosing a phone

hello,
first of all let me thank you for a brilliant forum. I was looking for a forum with loads of information on pocket pc phones and i guess i found you guys.
Okay I'm a total newbie and I need help with choosing between three phones and i'm extremely confused as to what i should choose.
I'm with orange and they are offering me:-
1. NOKIA N95 (Not the black edition, but does come with 8gb) - Has all the features, but i've heard these are very buggy and slow
2. TYTN II - Has all the features that i need, except the keypad is eithier virtual or i have to pull out the keyboard to make calls, which is a NO NO
3. TOUCH DUAL - Now this phone is the dream i was wishing for..i.e there is a keypad which exists, allowing me to quickly make calls, but then it has NO GPS and NO WI-FI .
My problem is that all phones have their advantages and disadvantages and therefore make it difficult for me to choose. Here is what i'm looking for:-
1. The phone must have a hard keypad (Not a keyboard or virtual keypad) to make immediate calls.
2. GPS is not immediately needed, but i hope that i can add it in the near future
3. WI-FI again is not urgently needed, but i hope that it can be added later in future
4. The phone software must be very adaptable software wise
5. Must be unlockable to all networks
6. Needs to have a decent battery life
I especially want to know about the Touch Dual..can this give me what i need?
Your help is much appreciated

i would check out the asus ones recall them at least having the keypad

Touch Dual
Its worth the sacrifice (WiFI, GPS and Battery).
I do not even use my Kaiser anymore.

Rudegar said:
i would check out the asus ones recall them at least having the keypad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which ones are the asus ones? Never heard of them.
The other problem is that i can only stay with orange network as they are offering me a good tariff for cheap price:-
1400 xnet minutes
unlimited landline calls
unlimited calls to 4 chosen family/friend numbers
They only have given me the choices that i mentioned earlier and i don't think they do an asus.

how about a HTC vox. Wifi is there with a decent battery life (provided you need wifi occasionally, which seems to be the case). But remember there is no inbuilt GPS. The phone is fast after I have upgraded to Dr Martin Gonzo's windows 6.1 rom. In fact wifi and issues with qualcomm processor in touch were the main reason that I opted for the vox. I am pretty satisfied with the phone.

thanks for replying gogiasiddhartha, but i think you guys have misunderstood what i was trying to say.
I can only choose a phone from www.orange.co.uk and they do have a limited range.
Would someone be kind enough and have a quick glance at what they are offering pls and let me know.
thanks very much again.

Out of the three mentioned in the link provided HTC TyTn II wins hands down.
Hopefully with a rom upgrade and soon to be released drivers from HTC, the phone would become as good a device as it was expected to be. Cost would be a prime consideration though.

U should check out the Asus P750. Mine P525 doesn't have GPS but still work great (even compare w/ my latest toy ATT Tilt/Tytn II except no 3G and GPS)

Overall quality trend of recent HTC devices

Hi!
I am wondering if I am the only one who thinks that quality of HTC products is constantly decreasing...
Some years ago, I had a HTC Magician which was a great mobile phone. The metal case showed absolutely no signs of wear and tear after using it for two years and the software was at least what I call stable. There were some minor bugs and the fact that all data is lost on power failure (broken as designed), but it had more flexibility than any other phone in its time.
Then I got an HTC Elf. Its case is significantly worse compared to Magician. The software was unstable when using features like the camera, because HTC decided to make the built-in apps more memory-intensive than the hardware can take. It was usable, but needed a soft reset almost every day. Using the custom WM6 firmware from xda-devs fixed some of the problems (and brought some new ones ).
Now I am using an HTC Touch Diamond for half a year and I have never been so disappointed by a phone. The phone hangs during almost every call, the GSM/UMTS module stops working in standby mode for no particular reason and so on. Whenever I am waiting for a call, I have to check every once in a while whether the phone is still connected with my service provider. Sometimes I have the phone wake up from standby and see a mosaic like graphics error. Frequently, TouchFLO crashes and I am repeatedly prompted to file a bug report until I soft reset the phone.
I already tried a hard reset without installing my favourite apps afterwards, so I am using the phone out-of-the-box and it really sucks as I primarily need a reliable mobile phone.
Additionally, I used HTC Elf and Diamond with automotive Handsfree kits from Mercedes-Benz, JVC and Parrot and neither worked. After each call, I have to reconnect the phone manually, the bluetooth protocols for dialing a number from the carkit's controls does not work and so on. There are some Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones in my family which all work fine with these carkits.
I have an iPod Touch which works so smoothly and I rebooted it three times in a year (when I bought it and with each firmware update). No problems so far...
So I ordered a Sony Ericsson C905 now - bye bye HTC. Sorry.
Anyone else who can share this opinion?
Regards,
Schlot

But this is nothing related just to HTC
In general all products now are made with lower quality than before, they are made to last less so you go and buy another one!
Of course there are some exceptions...
I´ll stick to HTC and WM definetly!! as any other brand will present the same situation.
Not any other brand will have the great suport and knowledge that XDA gives to HTC/WM devices

I've had several HTC Devices, starting with the Magician, and the only time the build quality was not up to scratch was with my Hermes. As for the Hero I have now...it's probably the best built HTC device I've had.

I've had the Touch and Touch Diamond, and I've had none of the problems that you've been having. My Touch Diamond has a much better build quality than my previous phones, including the Touch. It sounds like the network you're using is rubbish, and what's your problem with soft resets? I've always soft reset pretty much every piece of technology I've had at least once per day...

orb3000 said:
But this is nothing related just to HTC
In general all products now are made with lower quality than before, they are made to last less so you go and buy another one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi again,
so now, I have a Sony Ericsson C905. Of course, it does not have that "smartphone feeling", so it is not that much customized like a WM device. My last three phones had enough setup options to keep me playing around for a week after a hard reset. The "dumbphone" is ready to use out-of-the-box, which is good and bad indeed. 10 minutes after unboxing, everything is configured and working. Then:
- BT connection to my Mac. Address Book sync, copy ringtones and files. Just works.
- Open the camera lid. Loads 2 seconds and is ready to shoot. No memory problems afterwards...
- BT connection to my carkit. Pairing, ready. HFP, A2DP, AVRCP, PBAP and SMS work fine.
So I do like smartphones as their functionality impress me, but when it comes to reliability, a normal phone does a better job FOR MY PURPOSE.
Materials and mechanical finish of C905 feels a bit better than HTC Touch and Diamond, comparable to HTC Magician.
Key response is faster than any WM phone I ever had.
BUT it does not have an offline wikipedia. So ideally, I need a smartphone and a dumbphone, so now I use the C905 and an iPod Touch.
It sounds like the network you're using is rubbish
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vodafone DE, no problems with Nokia, Sony Ericsson etc.
and what's your problem with soft resets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a Mac user for a while now. My Mac is rebooted whenever there is a new OSX release. Same for my iPod Touch. Do you reset your car every day? Your TV? Satellite Receiver? Grandma's pacemaker?
It is OK for me to soft reset a PDA or something. But it is not ok to miss urgent calls because a phone does not work without a daily reset (my opinion).
I don't want to say that HTC devices are just bad (otherwise I would not have bought them for three generations). But they really have to work on reliability and usability.
They have to prioritize features to see which are important (phone, adress book, communications) and which are "nice to have" (customization, games, 3D GUI, ...).

I have had a Touch (Elf) and My Diamond II (6 months) and the build quality and problems you have had a have not had at all. I used to be a loyal Nokia and MOTO fan but now will never change from an HTC. But I may change to Android if we will never get a port for it on the TD2. But that is coming along now so yeah. We will see what comes out in 2010.

I'm finding I don't have to keep rebooting my HTC Hero. Android is well stable.