$49.99 - SIRF III GPS - Bluetooth

[JackSilb]

Another good finding (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GPT-600&cpc=SCH) if you are looking for a GPS unit for your computer, PDA, Phone, etc.
@ geeks.com.
$49.99

Features/Specifications:
Bluetooth GPS Receiver


General Features:
SiRF Star III chipset
GPS and Bluetooth receiver in one
20 channels all in view tracking
High Sensitivity: -159 dBm
Fast TTFF (time to fix first)
Built-in low noise high sensitivity patch antenna
Superior sensitivity for urban canyon environment
Status LEDs
Compact size

Unit Dimensions:
0.86 x 1.61 x 2.63-inches (H x W x D, approximate)


Regulatory Approvals:
FCC
CEPackage Includes:
Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Quick Install Guide
Software CD
USB cable
3.7V Li-ion battery pack
AC adapter (100-240V, 50/06Hz)
Car cigarette adapterBest price I found so far on SIRF III GPS. AND this unit will do Bluetooth. What a deal if the quality is good.
-JACK

[HenryJ]

Another good finding (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GPT-600&cpc=SCH)...
I see nothing about it being WAAS enabled. That is pretty important for increased accuracy.

[JackSilb]

Hi Henry,

It was probably just a miss on the marketing.

For what I was able to research Sirf III is the newest chipset there is for GPS today. Fast and accurate.

I will know better by end of the week :wink:.

Thanks,
-JACK

[cruiseroutfit]

Cool... I just ordered one up too :cool:

[JackSilb]

Nice, we will be able to give feedback to the group.

Mine should be here tomorrow or Thursday. I am just wondering if the dimensions listed are correct. It seems really small. A good thing for me.

-JACK

[JackSilb]

http://www.expeditionutah.com/

Hey, talk to us about my favorite place for 4wd trips. What are you cooking?

-JACK

[alanh]

Jack,

GPS receivers are really getting tiny. See the one in the link below.

http://www.synergy-gps.com/images/stories/pdf/brochure%20fc%20oncore%20v10_web.pdf

[JackSilb]

Nice Alan, that explains. It seems that what people have been doing now is putting them on different boxes. Who wants to reinvent the whole board/unit if you can buy it OEM. Pay for the R&D, it would not make sense unless you need more than what a consumer OEM unit can do.

I got a SPAM e-mail the other day, showing a GPS in a pen drive (USB "JUMP drive").

-JACK

[JackSilb]

Got my GPS today.
It took me 5 min to make it work.
1) Unpack
2) Install the battery
3) Plug the USB cable (used only to charge the unit)
4) Turn it on, hold power button for 2s to start paring with the computer
5) Add paring at your computer
6) Configured Ozi to use the comm port assigned during paring

It acquired signal inside my garage. Nice! I have my other USB WAAS GPS side by side that can't aquire signal in the garage.

It is small and light. We will see if it will survive washboards and other tests on 4WDTrips.

So far, it seems a great deal.
Just wish the USB cable could be used for data too in the case a computer does not have bluetooth and you don't want to get a USB to bluetooth adapter.

-JACK

[JackSilb]

Just in case you care, DeLorme Topo USA 5.0 and Street Atlas USA 2007 are working with this GPS unit too. No surprises since what these software do is to read a serial port.

BUT, so far for some reason, Ozi crashed twice and the GPS hangs after that. Maybe something to do with Vista, since Ozi is really not Vista ready yet. I will let the GPS run over night with Street atlas to see if the problem happens as in Ozi.

Did some more testing. I can replicate the problem. If I start and stop the GPS communication in Ozi, both Ozi and the GPS crashes. I have to remove the battery of the GPS for it to recover. Tried the same with my USB GPS, it works just fine. I am guessing this is an issue with Ozi explorer - Bluetooh - Vista.
I tried to start and stop the USB GPS comm with Street Atlas and Topo USA. Both works just fine.
I will leave running overnight Streets Atlas with the bluetooth GPS and OziExplorer with the USB GPS
We will see.
-JACK

[HenryJ]

Great reports. I am watching. Thank you.

[JackSilb]

Still running ~ 24 hours.

I am more confident that the problem with the bluetooth GPS is actually a problem with OziExplorer and Windows Vista. Street Atlas 2007 has been running with the bluetooth GPS since yesterday nigh, and so has been OziExplorer running with a USB GPS.

That means I will have to use the USB GPS until a new version for OziExplorer it out.

-JACK

[JackSilb]

Here is the deal. I don't have very good news.
It seems that this GPS unit does not work that well with OziExplorer on Windows Vista. Some how the GPS locks out. I left it running for two days on Delorme Street Atlas and Ozi working with a USB GPS. No problem.

But, for some reason, when I start and stop the Ozi communication with this bluetooth GPS, things go wrong.

I was able to replicate the problem with Jim Wasson this weekend.
I am curious if anyone had this kind of problem with bluetooth GPS' and if this particular unit is working good for them in Windows XP.
:confused:

I got the Hilux bluetooth GPSlim 236 from Jim Wasson today to run some tests. It seems to work well.

-JACK

[BajaTaco]

Jack, I have recently been using the GPT-800 which looks the same as the GPT-600 that you have. Not sure what the difference is, if any. We just took it on the 9,000 mile arctic ocean expedition and used it the entire trip. Overall it works really well, and acquires signal fast and keeps it. But since I have been using it I have noticed that occasionally it will "crash" and I can't even get it to turn off. I have to remove the battery to "reset" it so it will work normally again. Very odd. Luckily, this does not happen very often, but is annoying when it does. I have also had a couple of instances where it will not stay connected to the computer via bluetooth. Not sure why. A restart of the GPS and computer fixed it. I haven't used it with Ozi yet, just DeLorme Street Atlas and "Goops" the Google Earth plug-in.

[JackSilb]

But since I have been using it I have noticed that occasionally it will "crash" and I can't even get it to turn off. I have to remove the battery to "reset" it so it will work normally again.Yep, that is the problem I see. That is, it can work for hours but it may crash. I am not 100% happy. I would not trust it for mission critical navigation. The other GPS(es) I have never crash.

Bluetooth has value but, if I have to have a cable connected to the GPS for charging it (~ 8 hours operation range), it looses some of its appeal. I kind of like the USB version. Expect I will be able to use the bluetooth version with my PDA too.

Thanks for the post Chris. Glad you are back safe at home and managing the time to chat with us after such a great adventure.

-JACK

[BajaTaco]

Yep, that is the problem I see. That is, it can work for hours but it may crash. I am not 100% happy. I would not trust it for mission critical navigation. The other GPS(es) I have never crash.

Bluetooth has value but, if I have to have a cable connected to the GPS for charging it (~ 8 hours operation range), it looses some of its appeal. I kind of like the USB version. Expect I will be able to use the bluetooth version with my PDA too.

Thanks for the post Chris. Glad you are back safe at home and managing the time to chat with us after such a great adventure.

-JACK

Jack, I agree that these little guys would not be my first choice for some critical navigation/tracking tasks. But I still see it as a useful device with the Bluetooth feature. I definitely would not use it for a competition event like the Nevada Trophy or similar. You can't afford the downtime in those situations. And same goes for any kind of critical tracking record. Unless you stop right when the GPS crashes, you will lose track data.

Thanks Jack, it's good to be back.

[TimB]

I was trying to run some blue tooth devices in my vehicle - and kept loosing signal. What I think was the cause is the other devices I carry in too close proximity. For example, the Blue Tooth radio was mounted on a USB cable since my computer resides in a metal box and signal could not get in/out. The radio was in my consol - every time I would get in the jeep the blue tooth would loose connection - and be very difficult to get back. I carry my cell phone in a tool pocket on my carpenter jeans - very close to the console. If I left it on the work bench and got in the jeep - the connection would stay up. I also carry a Blackberry, and have a camera with Wifi - I finally gave up on the blue tooth devices because there was just too much transmitting and receiving going on in close quarters.

I know they are different frequencies - but it sure seemed to be messing with things.

[JackSilb]

Here is another update.

I have been running some tests.

It seems that once the GPS is working, it will not crash. If I start and stop the communication with the computer and /or switch the mapping software a couple of times, it crashes.

The funny thing is when I try hard to crash it so I can know how it is happening, it keeps going and going. Go figure.

Anyway, if you don't mind removing the battery for a reset once and a while, this seems a budget GPS option with features from much more expensive units. Please keep in mind that you need bluetooth on the computer or PDA that you are planning to use with this unit.

-JACK

[JackSilb]

Another update.

It seems that in some occasions, the SIRF III based GPS I have, show the truck turning around in circle when I am parked. I read some comments of other people having the same problem. Therefore, if you can't leave with that once and a while, I would take another chip-set based GPS (http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=67511).
Here is on for $49 (http://www.buygpsnow.com/qstarz-bt-q816-32-channel-bluetooth-gps-receiver-32-ch-25-hr-waas-auto-on-off-free-vent-mount-835.aspx)
-JACK

[JackSilb]

Cool... I just ordered one up too :cool:

What is your experience so far?
-JACK

[BajaTaco]

I am trying to use my GPT-800 bluetooth GPS with my laptop after installing Windows Vista. No luck - the laptop does not see the GPS. Any ideas? It worked before when I was running Tablet XP.

[YukonBob]

Baja

I would expect you need to updated your drivers for the device so that it will work with Vista. The GPS manufacturer should have current drivers available on their website.

[JackSilb]

Baja,


We will need more information before we can give you some ideas:

1) Can you pair the computer and the GPS using the Bluetooth manager?
2) What serial port the bluetooth manager is giving to the GPS? It should assign two ports to it.
3) Do you have the software that came with the GPS to test the connection? If so, can it see the serial ports from [2]? Not all the software can use high serial port numbers like 14~20+

We will make it work.

Thanks,
-JACK