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Who can tell me what GPS Antenna fits it and works.

I have the new XDA II car kit that works well if I'm making a call, well well enough, I now need to get the antenna for the kid, I have been to Tottenham Ct. road and have no help from those sad shop keepers.
Who's antenna fits in to the kit and will it work with everyones software.
Help I've never had sat nav before.
Thanks

Most car kits (if not all) don't include a builtin GPS receiver - so an antenna alone would not be enough! You probably need to buy a GPS receiver (most of these have internal antennae) that connects to the socket on your carkit... the one to get will depend on the socket type.
Let us know exactly which car kit you have (e.g. post a link to it) for more information.

Thanks, I have got tthe Tom Tom reciever and it had the same American phone socket that fitted into the car kit and it fired up first time, I am well impressed.
The onoy problem I now have is if Tom Tom is taking me somewhere and I recieve a call it locks up as I end te call (not during) and I have to exit the program and re launch it. A pain when on the motorway.
Thanks

I know it doesn't answer your question, but both this and this appear to be the same issue.
Let us know if you manage to sort it out!

Thanks for the link mate
There seems to be the same probllem with others.
Just got back with a few beers inside me and really ought to sort this thing out tomorrow.
Hic hic
I love you all
Adz Butler

If you want to use Mapping software then you need a GPS receiver. The Emtac Bluetooth GPS works, provided that you install Bluetooth Tools.
Do you want a GPS Receiver that plugs into the SD slot or one that plugs into the connector at the bottom - i.e. a Serial GPS.
Don't buy a GPS Antenna - they are cheaprer - but they are no use to you except to plug in to a GPS receiver to get better signal
Mike

"Most car kits (if not all) don't include a builtin GPS receiver"
This will confuse people - most people think of a "car kit" being for handsfree audio.
I think what you are referring to is a street navigation kit.

mikeaus said:
"Most car kits (if not all) don't include a builtin GPS receiver"
This will confuse people - most people think of a "car kit" being for handsfree audio.
I think what you are referring to is a street navigation kit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? I think you failed to spot the word don't.

GPS - which is best value for money?

Hi
Those who recognise my name will know I recently got a fantastic Brodit holder and charger for my XDA2, but now I'm looking for GPS stuff too.
Does anyone have any suggestions on which is the best (and more importantly value for money) GPS receiver, and also what is the best software? Not that I would encourage such things, but are the "evaluation" versions you can "acquire" off the net any good, do they show you how it works before you then go and buy the real software?
I'm interested in the smaller gps units as I do not like the look of bulky ones.
Cheers
Anthony

Hi
I use the Fortuna Clipon Bluetooth. it is portable and has an 8 hour battery life. The software i use is TomTom 3.
There are plenty of reviews at www.pocketgps.co.uk .
Regards
The Pilgrim

I would definitely recommend any Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Plusses:
- Own power supply (rechargeable battery)
- Less wires inside car (no "Y-cable", but if you want it permanently powered you still need it wired to +12V)
- Can be used outside of car (bevause of battery)
- When constantly powered keeps its fix (this is the best plus for me)
Minus:
- Price
On eBay you might get lucky in buying a cheap one. I bought my DCONNEX DC230, rebadged Holux GR-230, for about 100euro incl shipping there.

I used Belkin BT GPS...
edsub said:
I would definitely recommend any Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Plusses:
- Own power supply (rechargeable battery)
- Less wires inside car (no "Y-cable", but if you want it permanently powered you still need it wired to +12V)
- Can be used outside of car (bevause of battery)
- When constantly powered keeps its fix (this is the best plus for me)
Minus:
- Price
On eBay you might get lucky in buying a cheap one. I bought my DCONNEX DC230, rebadged Holux GR-230, for about 100euro incl shipping there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with "edsub", bluetooth GPS gives you more freedom to move it around. Here in the United States I bought Belkin BT GPS (its a Fortuna Clip-on rebadge) the navigation software is included ((iNav/iGuidance) Version 1.0 US and Canada) very cheap too $170 including shipping. Usually cost $399.99 but when you using coupon 82242, you will get only $140+S/H=$170.00 here in the US. Buy directly from Belkin website (brand new).
For US resident this is a good opportunity to buy BT GPS. I am not sure if Belkin deliver overseas.

If the gps is for car use only I would suggest a cheap wired version such as Haicom hi-203e. Even if you have charged your bluetooth gps in the house you have to remember to take it to the car, if you get it to the car you have to be confident that the battery will last for the duration of the journey, your xda will need to be on charge all the time in the car so I dont see the problem with having a y cable that works off one cigarette socket. The only drawback I can see is when the car has a windscreen that will not allow gps signal through, the length of lead on wired gps wont allow you to place gps in rear window. I have used and tested dozens of different gps/pda combos and that is my 2 pennies worth of advice.

TomTom 3 and a BT Receiver. Couple that with our Safety Camera database and Digitools superb UKPostCode Plug-In and you have a system way better than any other.
And as you have an XDAII you can subscribe to the Traffic Service and have live updates overlayed on your map via GPRS

I hafta agree with Griffog. i have everything he says and i would (excuse the pun) be lost without all that :wink:
I have the Leadtek 9537 BT Receiver and regularly travel round with between 7 - 9 sats.

Bluetooth
I use a TOMTOM BT GPS purchased from ebay £70 and it is fantastic. Absolutely no probs whotsoever. No spaghetti junction on the dashboard and alot can be said for that.

cruisin-thru said:
If the gps is for car use only I would suggest a cheap wired version such as Haicom hi-203e.
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Click to collapse
I have a wired GPS antenna and have never tried a BT one, for I have and XDA1 only, but agree with the principle that since you will probably want your XDA powered, a wired solution is fully acceptable.
The model Haicom 203 has been replaced with Haicom 204.

BIG plus for the BT option is to always have a fix, independent whether the MDAII is connected or not. I heard of cases where it can take up to one minute before a GPS mouse has found a new fix.
I solved the battery issue by hooking the BT GPS to a permanent power lead that is put behind the roof-fabric of the car (GPS is located in a bllack box next to the mirror because that is the nly place where there is no heat-resistant layer on the windscreen).

edsub said:
BIG plus for the BT option is to always have a fix, independent whether the MDAII is connected or not. I heard of cases where it can take up to one minute before a GPS mouse has found a new fix.
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Click to collapse
This is correct.
It will matter in the case of a car which will cut power to the cigar plug when the key is off.
It's not the case any more in most of recent cars. It was the case for my previous car where locallisation would take from 20 seconds (normally) to 3-4 minutes in the worth cases (unsure what the reason why but it did some days)!

I have wired the power cable that came with the TOMTOM gps to a USB connector. I then plug this in to my cigarette lighter which has a female connector on it. I also use this to plug my XDA charging cable into should I need it
I got the information I needed to solder all the connections etc from the web! a great little experiment that I helped to teach my son the art of soldering, a couple of sore little blisters later all works perfect.

Bluetooth's certainly good. But if you're a complete cheapskate, I guess the cheapest option is the RadioShack Digitraveler. It's out of production now, but on eBay you can get it for $40 thereabouts if you watch. Comes with its own software, but Mapopolis is so much better that I would advocate getting it. Cheapest software I think is MS ActiveStreets or MapPoint or something. But it too doesn't match up to Mapopolis. My GPS setup is a total of $50.

gps
hi guys
i have been looking for a gps system for ages and i have currently got a global sat sd501. i am running this in partnership with mapopolis and i find its great not too sure on the navigation side yet. but it is really accutate and i think its great with the xda2 you can find a review at the site below
regards kevin beecher
http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/globalsat-sdio-gps-sd501.php

Whilst the GlobaSat SD GPS is superb and very sensitive the big issue with all SD GPS is where do you store the maps?
If you only have the SD slot then you have no other option and if you have a PDa with both CF and SD, why pay the premium for an SD GPS when you can use a CF?

I'm very satisfied with the BT Rikaline 6030 (it is technically the same as the Leadtek 9537, I believe) together with Alturion Pro 5.3 navigation software. The main reason for choosing Bluetooth is that I want to be able to walk around with it, using GPS-supported map-software. With a (replacable) battery with a battery life that lasts for 10-12 hours, the Rikaline suits me fine.
One thing, though. If you regularly are confronted with traffic jams or other traffic nuisances, it might be worth considering to use a GPS device in combination with TMC/RDS and of course the appropriate navigation software (Alturion Pro supports this, I don't know about TomTom). Right now I use the TMC information (via GPRS) that is supplied by Alturion's TMC-server. But that is only limited to the Netherlands & Belgium.
With the combination GPS and TMC/RDS it is possible to avoid traffic jams in all areas where radio stations broadcast traffic info. Up to a few months ago there were only wired and no BT receivers that offered the combination GPS+TMC/RDS, but recently I saw an offer for navigation software (don't recall the name but is was not TomTom or Alturion) including a Bluetooth GPS as well as TMC/RDS receiver.

TomTom also offer a TMC service via GPRS. The BT GPS with TMC you saw was part of the Navigon bundle which we are testing currently.

Dont know if its the same Bt GPS, but Engin (www.engin.nl, Navigation solution by ANWB, the dutch AA) also offers a BT GPS/TMC receiver now. They even claim its modular (so you can buy with or without the TMC module).

Yes that's the same one and the screen shots are identical to Navigon, perhaps this is a rebadged version?

[Q] Droid Charge external 4g Connection?

The Charge has 4 ports on the back (behind the cover), which look like external antenna ports.
Has anyone tried to plug in antenna's to these ports?
(BE CAREFUL! ) I heard one person say pluggin in an external antenna might sever the tie to the internal antenna.... Any solid info on this?
I gett -98db on my charge, when it decides to connect to 4g, its awesome.... but its only about half the time.
I have till the 6th to return it. (I tried the TB, it gets slightly better internet, could my Charge be a dud? I get about -93)
At work all I care about is getting good internet.

They are antenna connectors. Apparently, they are a proprietary Samsung type that you can purchase an adapter cable to go a common connector at bestselldist.com My post count isn't high enough to post a link yet...
The bottom of page 6 of Anandtech.com's Droid Charge review shows a diagram of the antennas on the charge (but not the ports.)
They mention that the 4G and 3G are handled by separate antennas. 3G and 4G each have diversity. What I don't understand is why there is L1R2 on one port but R1 and L2 get separate ports. I presume the smaller connector on the right labeled "G" is for wifi.
If anybody could enlighten us, that would be great. I noticed some antenna/amp booster products for the Droid Charge, but I would prefer to some real antennas with large coax running to a pigtail to hook right up to the Charge.
by the way: I highly doubt that connecting an antenna will cause a problem. You generally don't want to connect antennas when the radio is on. That could damage the phone, but I'm not an expert. I was always told to never connect or disconnect an antenna when the device is on...

xdadevnube said:
They are antenna connectors. Apparently, they are a proprietary Samsung type that you can purchase an adapter cable to go a common connector at bestselldist.com My post count isn't high enough to post a link yet...
The bottom of page 6 of Anandtech.com's Droid Charge review shows a diagram of the antennas on the charge (but not the ports.)
They mention that the 4G and 3G are handled by separate antennas. 3G and 4G each have diversity. What I don't understand is why there is L1R2 on one port but R1 and L2 get separate ports. I presume the smaller connector on the right labeled "G" is for wifi.
If anybody could enlighten us, that would be great. I noticed some antenna/amp booster products for the Droid Charge, but I would prefer to some real antennas with large coax running to a pigtail to hook right up to the Charge.
by the way: I highly doubt that connecting an antenna will cause a problem. You generally don't want to connect antennas when the radio is on. That could damage the phone, but I'm not an expert. I was always told to never connect or disconnect an antenna when the device is on...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever find a solution to what you were looking for? I'm interested in doing something like this as well.

External Droid Charge Antenna
I know that those ports on the back of the driod charge have a connector that fits them somewhere, and it seems that I'm not the only one looking. Very curious, isn't it?

The G is ground.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab running MIUI

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A

so?
Anyone find a definite answer on this?

I would like to revive this thread, as I am in a poor signal area and would like to figure out how to boost my signal properly by plugging in some external antennas.
I am looking to enhance 3G performance (no LTE here.)
Wifi and Bluetooth are a little strip in the back next to the battery. 4G and 3G have separate antennas: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4465/samsung-droid-charge-review-droid-goes-lte/6
Check out this post where a guy connects an external antenna to the Charge:
https://plus.google.com/115676199813038165917/posts/jCmtnbQvgun
If anybody knows what each connector is for, I would love to know. My understanding is that 3G and 4G antennas each are separate and have their own receive diversity. It seems that the Charge uses a single antenna L1R2 to transmit, but I could be wrong.
Also, if G is ground, in where scenario would you use it when connector external antennas? I'm kindof a nube, and plan on doing more research.

screwed up 4G
Ok.. so I was reading some internet sites on how to boost signal.. should have come to this thread first. I have officially screwed up my Charge. I can get 3G but 4G is never connecting.. not sure how to test.
At one time I lost all signal strength, messing with R1 port.
Then i finally got that up.. I lost data messing with L2 port.. compeletly GONE!
Finally got that up.. don't know what L1 R2 is.. but yeah stay away from touching these ports. can't figure out how to get 4G.. One time I was on a hill and i saw 4G pop up! and then it quickly went away..
only have 3G speeds now..
Back to the Lab again.

Did you connect the ports with the device on? If so, it is possible that the it shorted the radios. This may or may not cause permanent damage.
I honestly don't know whether plugging into these ports with the phone on would cause a problem.
I believe that L1R2 is trasmit for the 4g and 3g radios. I believe that R1 and L2 are the receive for 3g and 4g, but I don't know which is which.
I could wrong about this, however. G is likely ground.
In any case, unless you know what your doing, you should be very careful. As soon as I figure out what each of the ports are, I will likely use them.
Look at the link I posted above where a guy hooks his Charge up to an external antenna.
It is very possible to hook up external antennas. There is no doubt about that. It has to been properly to avoid damage. It is possible that the whatever you connected to the port of the Charge has an internal short in it, which would cause damage the Charge radios.
Other considerations are impedance, SWR, tuning frequency, etc. The the right knowledge, it would be a simple matter to connect a very effective antenna for signal boosting on the Charge.

xdadevnube said:
I honestly don't know whether plugging into these ports with the phone on would cause a problem.
It is very possible to hook up external antennas. There is no doubt about that. It has to been properly to avoid damage. It is possible that the whatever you connected to the port of the Charge has an internal short in it, which would cause damage the Charge radios.
Other considerations are impedance, SWR, tuning frequency, etc. The the right knowledge, it would be a simple matter to connect a very effective antenna for signal boosting on the Charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not quite correct. I work for a company that specializes in antenna's for cell phones. The Charge, like most Android phones, doesn't have a workable port for an externally connected antenna - sure, you can hook up to the aforementioned port, but that permanently disconnects the phone's antenna (in our experience, from doing this lots of times). Impedance needs to be between 50 and 75ohms, SWR is not a factor, and the frequency is in the 1900 band (for most areas, for 3G).
You can use a wireless repeater (read amplifier), and that works really well - I go from a -98 to a -71, in my house.

chevybythesea said:
Not quite correct. I work for a company that specializes in antenna's for cell phones. The Charge, like most Android phones, doesn't have a workable port for an externally connected antenna - sure, you can hook up to the aforementioned port, but that permanently disconnects the phone's antenna (in our experience, from doing this lots of times). Impedance needs to be between 50 and 75ohms, SWR is not a factor, and the frequency is in the 1900 band (for most areas, for 3G).
You can use a wireless repeater (read amplifier), and that works really well - I go from a -98 to a -71, in my house.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have any more information pertaining to what each port on the Charge is?
My Wilson repeater is nearly worthless (massive amounts of lockups, reverting to 1X, flashing red lights that aren't described in the manual, and many more issues even after experimenting with a multitude of installation types) and I just unplugged it after massive amounts of frustration.
In any case, I'd love to get specific information about the ports and how to properly use them, its kindof a shame to let them go to waste.

xdadevnube said:
Did you connect the ports with the device on? If so, it is possible that the it shorted the radios. This may or may not cause permanent damage.
I honestly don't know whether plugging into these ports with the phone on would cause a problem.
I believe that L1R2 is trasmit for the 4g and 3g radios. I believe that R1 and L2 are the receive for 3g and 4g, but I don't know which is which.
I could wrong about this, however. G is likely ground.
In any case, unless you know what your doing, you should be very careful. As soon as I figure out what each of the ports are, I will likely use them.
Look at the link I posted above where a guy hooks his Charge up to an external antenna.
It is very possible to hook up external antennas. There is no doubt about that. It has to been properly to avoid damage. It is possible that the whatever you connected to the port of the Charge has an internal short in it, which would cause damage the Charge radios.
Other considerations are impedance, SWR, tuning frequency, etc. The the right knowledge, it would be a simple matter to connect a very effective antenna for signal boosting on the Charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.. i believe i shorted the radio.. it never goes to 4G.. and it will sometimes i get the big X on the signal.. saying i lost all connection.. I really messed something up.. people gotta learn the hard way sometimes. well.. i'm working on getting a replacement. But i agree with everyone on the internet.. this is def.. a taboo thing to do.. don't mess with it.. like ESN hacking.. Sorry i can't be of help.. just wanted to post my experience.

xdadevnube said:
My Wilson repeater is nearly worthless (massive amounts of lockups, reverting to 1X, flashing red lights that aren't described in the manual, and many more issues even after experimenting with a multitude of installation types) and I just unplugged it after massive amounts of frustration.
In any case, I'd love to get specific information about the ports and how to properly use them, its kindof a shame to let them go to waste.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PM me - we'll get it figured out for you, no problem.

xdadevnube said:
Do you have any more information pertaining to what each port on the Charge is?
My Wilson repeater is nearly worthless (massive amounts of lockups, reverting to 1X, flashing red lights that aren't described in the manual, and many more issues even after experimenting with a multitude of installation types) and I just unplugged it after massive amounts of frustration.
In any case, I'd love to get specific information about the ports and how to properly use them, its kindof a shame to let them go to waste.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get the Wilson repeater for 4G.. it runs in the 700mhz band.
The HTC Thunderbolt has an external antenna on the battery cover.. take it off, and you get bad signal.. It's connected via 2 copper ends on the back of the phone. That would be interesting to copy/mimic on the Charge if it's available.

External Antenna Patch Cable

Hi Guys,
This is a reference thread for anybody who has patchy reception and is considering using an external antenna to boost reception.
I have found that the patch cable required is the same as most other samsung phones.
The particular cable I used is this one: http://www.cellink.com.au/productde...=1&pcr=WES0830&tsb=Samsung&tsm=Omnia+2+(i8000)
I imagine that the same type of product would exist overseas as well - but if you are in a tight squeeze Cellink distribute worldwide.
Note that plugging in this cable disables the internal antenna (so if you don't have an antenna plugged to the other side of the patch cable then you will lose reception immediately).
Finally note that YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE BATTERY COVER TO USE THE PATCH CABLE. I'm hoping to get a second cover and drill a hole in it so that I can simply plug the cable in through the whole. I can confirm that there is enough clearance to drill a hole and plug the cable in that way.
Let me know if you have any questions.

I quite like the idea, but I have a few concerns:
Does the antenna work for both internet (all networks), wifi, gps, and normal cell connectivity?
Would one theoretically be able to connect an RP-SMA antenna, I have some nice wifi antennas lying around
I have read some concerns about the manual switch responsible for turning the internal antenna on / off is not that reliable and can cause issues stopping your internal antennas from working

Hi fed44,
Answers in red below.
fed44 said:
I quite like the idea, but I have a few concerns:
Does the antenna work for both internet (all networks), wifi, gps, and normal cell connectivity? Yes, no, no and yes is the short answer. The external antenna is ONLY for the telephone radio.
Would one theoretically be able to connect an RP-SMA antenna, I have some nice wifi antennas lying around I'm not an expert here but from my limited knowledge: (1) you would need some kind of patch cable because the standard patch cable outputs to a male SMA connector (and not an RP-SMA) and, (2) there appear to be different antennas for different purposes (wifi, mobile network, etc.) my understanding is that a wifi antenna is not optimal for boosting mobile signal - that said it may or may not provide a boost over the internal antenna.
I have read some concerns about the manual switch responsible for turning the internal antenna on / off is not that reliable and can cause issues stopping your internal antennas from working I think this is an issue with older samsung phones. I have experienced no such issue with my external antenna (over around 10 uses). I'm not sure but I don't think it actually uses a manual switch - the reason why I say this is because when you unplug the antenna it takes a few seconds to switch back to the internal antenna.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I was thinking about using something like that. My problem is that 3G signal is very weak in two places where I spend most of the time - home and work. And for some reason phone is preffering 3G even if signal is so weak that internet is not working. So I had to turn off 3G. But it seems stupid to have HSDPA capable phone using EDGE only.

amaric said:
I was thinking about using something like that. My problem is that 3G signal is very weak in two places where I spend most of the time - home and work. And for some reason phone is preffering 3G even if signal is so weak that internet is not working. So I had to turn off 3G. But it seems stupid to have HSDPA capable phone using EDGE only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm that this setup will be awesome for that.
I haven't drilled the hole yet (in the case that is) - but once I do that it will make the setup much more functional.

[Q] Galaxy Gio internal antena conector?

Can anyone tell me what kind of connector is this? I can upload a better picture if needed.
Thanks

I also have this phone, and i had actually noticed that port before.
I think it is indeed an antenna connector.
the reason is, when i dissasembled my old laptop completly, i found a similar port that connected the wireless card to the antenna that ran aroud the screen.
As for what it does, i have no idea.
But im not an expert, this is just an opinion

S0m30n309 said:
I also have this phone, and i had actually noticed that port before.
I think it is indeed an antenna connector.
the reason is, when i dissasembled my old laptop completly, i found a similar port that connected the wireless card to the antenna that ran aroud the screen.
As for what it does, i have no idea.
But im not an expert, this is just an opinion
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured that much, what I would like to know is the type / name of it, so I could find an antena for it. Why? Because I can and for the fun of it, just to see what happens .
It could bee for the wifi radio, or the gps radio or all of them, can't be sure without actualy testing it

This as an externel antena for 3g/2g