This is a tiny bluetooth GPS receiver which i bought from Mobile Pleasure Ltd, I bought this to connect to my O2 XDA 2i PDA also it cost around £ 40. I was intially exploring on google for cheap GPS receivers and this came up as the least expensive. I thought at that price they'll be a catch, and the actual catch usually being negative performance, but I was pleasantly surprised! This thing really does work, and works well!
After searching for initial reviews about this device I came up with very little other as opposed to the reviews from Mobile Pleasure Ltd, which I was not willing to trust for fear of them being somewhat biased. I thought for £ 40 I'll take a chance and so purchased, all credit to Cellular Fun the receiver arrived the very next morning. Upon opening the box I was a little disappointed, all the there was by means of instructions was a smaller sheet of paper that had been loosely translated from Japanese to English utilizing a dyslexic toddler. You can download the user manual from here and also the Tomtom pairing manual coming from here. After following these instructions you will have it set up in no time. Another thing I noticed was that there is no manufaturer's name or marks anywhere about the device or the packing and shipping, which makes searching for support quite difficult.
A nice touch with this little device is that it is supplied with a variety that is common to a lot of Nokia phones (3. 7V 850mAh Li-polymer battery, BL-5C), a quick search on ebay means that you can get replacement batteries for these receivers for about £ 4 which is good to know should you need a single.
What's In The Container?
Bluetooth GPS Receiver x1 12v In Car Adapter (USB) x1 Important Instructions x1 Battery x1 UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS Charging Cable x1
Installation
Provided you follow the actual limited instructions for pairing with your device, and the Tomtom setup instructions, you should be up and running in less than 5 minutes. I have only energized the receiver once since i bought it about only two months ago, the battery just seems to last forever! The supplied in automotive charger and USB cable implies that the receiver can be charged on the move from a 12v source and can also be charged from any PERSONAL PC or laptop. From cold start up the receiver aquires an important usuable GPS signal exremely instantly, quicker than most of the really expensive GPS receivers that I've come in contact with. The device is extremely small and may easily fit into any space inside your car, or even your pocket if you're using it for taking walks or cycling.
One small problem I did have is that when utilizing it with my XDA 2i the particular Tomtom software would usually freeze and cause me to stop the car, reboot my phone, then carry on my journey. At first I thought this was the result of the XDA losing its connection with the bluetooth receiver so therefore confirming my fears about the price of this product. It quickly became very clear that this was false and it was actually an issue with my PDA plus the Tomtom software.
I quickly discovered a workaround just for this issue between the Tomtom software programs and my XDA that enables the whole system to your workplace flawlessly. I shall write a 'how to' for this workaround shortly as I'm certain many other XDA 2i users share precisely the same problem.
I do know that there's a known issue if you use any bluetooth GPS receivers using the O2 XDA 2 (note not XDA 2i) due to the bluetooth stack settings that happen to be shipped with the mobile phone, please be aware of your before buying this device while sure to encounter troubles.
Key Features
Compatible with TomTom, Navicore, and all major GPS software applications. 12 parallel satellite-tracking routes for fast acquisition plus reacquisition. Provides superior navigation performance in city conditions. Built-in rechargeable Lithium-polymer battery provides over 10 hours of continuous use. Unit can be charged with all the included car charger while still in use. Mini-USB charger compatiblty, charge not simply the Bluetooth GPS Receiver but in addition compatible PDAs & Smart Phones while using same charger. 3 colours Triggered show the status of Bluetooth/GPS/Power activities with this device.
Specifications
GPS recipient: L1, C/A code, 12 routes Tracking sensitivity: – 152dBm (average) as well as better Acquisition sensitivity: – 139dBm (average) as well as betterTTFF (Time to First Fix): Cold Start: 50s (average) or 60s (95% possibility) Warm Start: 35s (average) or 40s (95% possibility) Hot Start: 2s (minimum) or 6s (95% possibility) Placing accuracy: Standard Positioning Service (SPS), WAAS (optional) 2DRMS: approx. 5m Measurement data output: Update time: 1 subsequent NMEA output protocol: Sixth is v. 3. 01 Baud charge: 38400 bps (8-N-1) Datum: WGS-84 Variety: GGA, GSA, GSV, RMC Electrical power consumption: 75mA (average) Wireless bluetooth: Bluetooth version 1. only two compliant Class 2 business (up to 10 metre range) Serial Town Profile (SPP) Output airport terminal: Type B Mini-USB (TTL Level) Antenna Type: Built in Patch Antenna Power: 3. 7V 850mAh Li-polymer battery pack, built-in charger LED: Electrical power (red), GPS (green), Wireless bluetooth (blue) Dimension: 64(L) by 39(W) x18. 5(H) mm Functioning temperature: -20° C ~ +60° H Storage temperature: -20° H ~ +60° C; Battery pack: -20° C ~ +45° H
Conclusion
A great little machine that performs well beyond its budget range. Check if there is any known problems with your device and wireless GPS receivers before purchase as this will save you a lot of troubles. The only thing that lets this strategy down is too little documentation and online support, other than this worth the buy!
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