Quick Question For You Bluetooth Gpsr Users

[+DocDiTTo]

I'm thinking of getting a Bluetooth GPS for the car, but say me and both of my friends are in the car at the same time, each with a PDA, can we all "get signal" from the one Bluetooth GPSr? Or can it communicate to only 1 PDA at a time?

 

In other words, would I need just one Bluetooth GPSr or 3 in order to have everyone's maps update simultaneously?

 

If it varies by device, how would I know which devices allow sharing? What would I look for in the tech specs?

[+Pasha]

I just read this TreoCentral review of the new Seidio BT GPS unit and they specifically mention that it can be accessed by more than one BT device at a time. Empirical, I know, but I literally just read it 5 minutes ago.

[+JDandDD]

The bluetooth standard is for a bluetooth device to be able to make connections with up to 8 other devices. So, if the bluetooth GPS is following the standard, then it could connect to up to 8 palms, or treos or whatever has bluetooth. The bluetooth security model also says that each device has to accept the connection individually and they must be within about 10 metres of each other. This means that if someone nearby who is not part of your group can be denied access even if all 8 connections are not in use.

 

JDandDD

 

(edited for typos)

Edited January 5, 2006 by JDandDD

[+DocDiTTo]

Thanks to both of you for the response. That's what I was hoping. Looks like bluetooth is the way to go, especially for multi-cacher road trips with PDAs and laptops.

[+oneeyesquare]

A] I see nothing in either the Treo review or the tech specs listed at Seidio about multiple connect ability. The review author mentions switching devices without repairing, drastically different than multiple connects and a fairly common BT GPSr feature.

 

B] Regardless of whatever the Bluetooth standard is or SHOULD be, there is only one mutiple connect BT GPSr to my knowledge, the Emtac/Socket/whoever-owns-it-now "Trine" unit .

 

I don't predispose to be the last authority, but mutiple connects is a rare bird in BTG GPSr world.

Edited January 5, 2006 by oneeyesquare

[+Greymane]

As far as I know, this is not possible at this time. GPS units pair to a device and only communicate with that device. (Treated very similar to a standard serial connection.) Although it would be very easy to create a BT GPS unit that has the ability to pair with multiple devices, I know of none on the market right now that contains the hardware to do that.

 

Sorry, oneeyesquare is correct about the Emtac BTGPS II Trine. It can connect to up to four devices. Just not a lot of demand for this, so most GPS manufacturers don't bother.

Edited January 5, 2006 by Greymane

[+JDandDD]

B] Regardless of whatever the Bluetooth standard is or SHOULD be, there is only one mutiple connect BT GPSr to my knowledge, the Emtac/Socket/whoever-owns-it-now "Trine" unit .

The basic operation standard of Bluetooth V1.2 is to setup up a piconet. That's a network of devices. In its base implementation, V1.2 requires that this occur. If a bluetooth device says it is fully V1.2 compliant then it can operate in a piconet communicating to several devices simultaneously using time division techniques. In the base V1.2 specification there are also ways to connect to multiple piconets.

 

Palm Treo 650 phones support that but you have to dig down in the Palm site to find Palm's compliance to the Bluetooth V1.2 standard. They have a common page about that rather than in each device's specifications. The Globalsat BT338 GPSr is fully V1.2 compliant.

 

There are Bluetooth devices that are unable to handle multiple connections because they don't provide sufficient system resources, earlier bluetooth phones were that way, but look for FULL V1.2 compliance and then you will get the required piconet capability. Not saying its always easy to get operating though. Each device has to be setup by its manual's procedures to make it happen but when you do its magic.

 

(edited to add) I always advise, do your research. Give the manufacturer a call and check that everyone's devices can do what you are planning before you spend the money.

 

JDandDD

Edited January 6, 2006 by JDandDD