Is it just me/my hardware or is GPS over Bluetooth absolutely rubbish!?
I tried a Holux GR-230 unit first but had the usual problems in getting it connected. When I finally did, I was apalled by it's performance, usually failing to get a gps lock at all.
So I ditched it in favour of a Rikaline GPS-6031-X7. It picked up far mor signals and usually obtained a lock almost instantly. However, it's accuracy is very disappointing. Positional accuracy - it's usually ok on a motorway or dual carriageway but at slower speeds, it jumps all over the place, forwards, backwards, in the middle of fields hundreds of yards away - and that's the worst time for it to happen 'cos it's when you slow down for a junction that you actually need it. The second issue is directional accuracy - it often shows me driving sideways as it's so sloooooow to update/recalc the direction.
If this was my first experience of gps, I might be able to forgive it without a benchmark to judge it against. But I've used Navman with an iPaq, a LAM1 unit with my Nokia 9210 and a (cheap) CF device with my Dell Axim and they all performed far, far better! I know that TomTom Navigator 2 isn't the problem as it performed flawlessly on my Axim (PXA255).
So what's going wrong? Is it the bluetooth devices, or the bluetooth technology, or the XDA II? Will O2's bluetooth update improve matters?
I can no longer rely on this and I'm going to have to start taking map backups - something I've never had to do before and really defeats the object.
Any thoughts, experiences, comments, answers?????
Ged.
I think your problem could be the gps receiver.
I am using the Navman 4400 with my XDAII. It took some time and a couple of patches (from this site, thanks guys) to get it to bond via bluetooth, but now it's setup, it works great. It seems to be very accurate and tells me to exit roundabouts just at the correct time.
It's a bit slow to get the initial fix when first switched on (about 2 minutes) but once connected I have no problems.
Is the gps receiver positioned by a heated screen? If so, this will block the signal and produce the problems you describe.
Have you changed your car? Some newer cars have reflective windshields that can cause problems.
Cheers
Thanks guys. I know of both of the issues you describe but I drive a 3 year old clio 172 - no heated/reflective screen. The receiver usually sits on the dash and receives a very strong signal from upwards of 6 sats.
I've now emailed Rikaline too so we'll see what they come up with (if anything).
I am using the Holux GR-230 and it works flawlessly with towas latest patch 1.0.1.2, a very accurate gps based on my own observations with tomtom2.
Hi guys
I have recently received my new XDA II from Orange (know as SPV M1000)
I am using it with the Fortuna Clip On GPS, Tom Tom Navigator and a Jabra 250 headset.
So far I have had no problems with the GPS, it works every time. On a rare ocasion I have to reset the phone to get the head set to work but this is very rare.
Not sure if orange have modified the software but it all seems to work.
I'm beginning to think that it's the XDA that's at fault. I know TTN2 is ok, you guys aren't having any probs with bluetooth gps devices in general, and I'd have to be extremely unlucky to have TWO faulty gps receivers from different manufacturers!
Persuading O2 that it's faulty is another matter though.
i work in the in car navi business and a 3 year old cleo does have a metalic winscreen apart from the hatched area around the rear view mirror (for use with toll tags and other antennas).You will nead a re-radateing antenna mounted externally to get propper reception as the cleo also has a faradays cage effect making radio reception within the cab area very difficult.(they are a ***** to work on)
pinkslayer, shove it in somebody elses car, or slap it on the roof of yours and see how it go's in that location.
Should know my car a bit better really!
I had tried mounting the Holux in front of the rear view mirror but this didn't help so I didn't bother trying the Rikaline. And my wife has a clio too so no point trying it in hers.
So even though I'm locking on to 5-6 sats, it's still not sufficient!? Or is the metallic screen just causing additional latency?
Its not the number of sats, its the strength of the signal received, I have seen 8 sats showing but tomtom wont attempt a route until the signals are strong enough for a lock,
Rikaline GPS-6031-X7
hi all
i use a Rikaline -x7 with TomTom Navigator 2 on my xda ll with the bluetooth pach from
http://bluetooth.i-networx.de/index_e.html
and the update is slow when taking corners (ie the map is slow to turn to the heads up position) or if you come of a motorway/ dual carriageway thats not on the calulated route it will take some time to acknowledge this
but i do not have the problem of it at slower speeds it jumps all over the place
As for accuracy my old tomtom wired gps was better
but the Rikaline-x7 is usable
Thanks peops. I've now tried mounting it on the rear parcel shelf and also stuck it to the shaded area above the rvm but to no avail (even when it was back on the dash this morning, it took 11 minutes to get a fix and another 5 before it could calc direction - cloudy day!). As soon as it's dry enough, I'll mount it outside the car and see how it is.
I don't really want to do down the re-radateing antenna route as the whole point of having portable equipment is that you can use it anywhere and in any vehicle.
Im using the Rikaline GPS 6031-X7 and Im really happy with, no problems at all in fact I think its brilliant............
I'm using the fortuna clipon in a landy with heated windscreen. It doesn't seem to affect the signal (with or without the screen on) and I have to say i was expecting problems with it. It has been the only thing about the whole BT GPS/XDAII setup that I haven't had problems with..
Technology eh!
Hi.
I already own a Pretec Compact Flash GPS unit from my days with a Toshiba E740 (another story!), has anybody tested this with the BackPack for XDAII?
If it works I will try and get a backpack, otherwise will get a new Bluetooth GPS unit. Prefer to get the backpack though, as it has other benifits.
Thanks
PBman
Good luck getting a backpack HTC doesn't seem much interested in supporting their old customers by making accessories.
I have one backpack and one wifi CF card with my Qtek2020 and all works fine. I think that the GPS CF card works fine too.
Well even if it works in the device I wonder how well a GPS unit will work with the aerial at the bottom... I am right in thinking that the compact flash unit is at the bottom of the backpack.
As for getting one, this is Moscow... if its been released you can normally find it, and if its not been released you will probably still find it
Perhaps I will go bluetooth GPS, and flogthe pretec off on Ebay...
i really doubt that connecting a grps in the buttom should matter much to the signal strength
i mean i can turn my phone upside down and speak just fine
or a HAMM radio antenna for that matter
it's much more about the length of the antenna then how high as in hand held human heigth you put it
if you want to know more search on google about dipol antenna math
But surely if the GPS unit is at the bottom some of the satellite signal will be blocked by the unit and your hands etc. also in a car the aerial would be down into the car and not up high in the windscreen.
Thought GPS needed pretty good line of sight.
not sure about gps
but in general those cm's difference in heigth from the ground should not be that different for radio waves
and your hand should not be able to block that much
i cant claim to know all that much about gps
but i would worry much more about the quality of the gps reciever then the location when the difference is not greater
It depends on the GPS. A lot of the newer ones, like the Bluetooth GPS's, can work through minor obstructions. I saw a review of the Socket Bluetooth GPS and it worked for the tester in his car's glove compartment.
Seems like we might have to wait another year before we get a decent bluetooth on a HTC phone, my a2dp headset becomes static ridden when using another bluetooth device at same time, this also results in call disconnects on 3G network when a application tries to access the internet. Argh HTC is going to ****.
I've tried two Motorola and one Jabra bluetooth headset with my Fuze (and with a Touch Pro 2) and regardless of the device and headset the bluetooth range is maybe 20 feet. At that point it gets weak and ends the connection. On the TP2 I can even see the signal strength die as I walk using the built in software. This is without walls both indoors and outdoors.
Are you guys seeing similar results with bluetooth headsets on these devices? Any suggestions?
http://www.mobileinfo.com/Bluetooth/FAQ.htm#g1
no it's the hardware spc of the bluetooth in the phone
bluetooth is close range it only send with ½watt
thanks. I could deal with the 32' they mention...I'm 1/3 less than that but I guess it is what it is...
I have the same problem with my jawbone2, even just walking with
the phone in my pocket the sound through the bluetooth sounds terrible on both ends is there a tweak for this or certin settings....on my moto q9h the sound was unbeatable
I fly alot and I like recording GPS tracks in planes. I previously owned an HTC Incredible 4G LTE. If I had a window seat, I'd nearly always be able to get a GPS fix. Though I think it could be even better.
I recently upgraded to a new phone (Xperia Z5 Compact). The GPS reception sucks. It seems like every time the plane turns, I lose the fix. However sometimes for long stretches it still has no signal, even pressing the phone up against the window. Using my old phone, it still has a good signal.
I've given my old phone to my parents. I could buy a bluetooth external GPS, however, I got thinking and I could save money and buy another HTC Incredible 4g LTE for cheap on ebay for maybe $50. That got me thinking, maybe I could buy an old used phone that has even better gps reception and use it only for GPS logging.
That's why I ask which phones have the best reception. (Note, in a plane, A-GPS doesnt help)