Wintec Bluetooth GPS receiver is a winner

[+dpbabcock]

When we go out family caching, there is always a "discussion" among the youger ones about who gets to hold the GPS (on multi-caches, we have the kids swap on legs..). So Dad (that's me) began to consider options for getting another GPS. I'm also a programmer and wanted to try my hand at handheld device programming so I started looking at little Bluetooth GPS units that I could use with my cell phone. I tried a HOLUX GPSlim unit but it had problems and I sent it back in exchange for a Wintec 4-in-1 unit (Bluetooth GPS, USB GPS, logger, compass. ) This unit uses one of the new high sensitivity chipsets. In terms of time to aquire a fix and sensitivity, it puts my E-trex Legend to shame. It will aquire and hold a fix when my E-trex right next to it can barely see a satellite or two. I'm very impressed with the unit. Now understand that these units don't have any displays other than some blinking status L.E.Ds. The position data is transmitted WIRELESSLY via Bluetooth to your phone or PDA and the readout happens there. A number of cell phones are coming out now that can use this technology. Some have built in GPS's but these are generally not nearly as good as the stand alone units.

 

My intent with this unit is to sew a little pocket in one of my ball caps and just wear it in the woods when caching. Then I just use my cell phone to read out the coordinates. So far the accuracy and sensitivity has been amazing. You can buy them for about $100 at various GPS outlets. The Li-ion battery lasts for much longer than I typically cache and the units typically come with BOTH chargers (AC and mobile) as they are typically intended for use with PDA's or laptops in the car. The output is the standard NMEA strings and should work with any PC and software that uses either USB or Bluetooth "com" ports. I can use the same unit with my laptop and software like DeLormes to get to the caching location and then hop out and use the same unit with my cell phone (I'm using a Sony-Ericsson W810i) to find the cache.

 

I wrote a small Java program that runs on my phone that is especially designed for geocaching. Most of the other software I've looked at seems more oriented to salesmen and street navigation. But you can use street nav software too. So if you have a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or PDA, you might want to consider one of these little units to leverage your phone/PDA into serving your GPS needs as well.

[+jjmcwill]

What does your Java program do?

 

Does it just display your current Lat & Lon or can it help guide you to a waypoint/geocache?

 

My phone doesn't support bluetooth, and as a Verizon user, I probably couldn't write custom software for it anyway.

 

However, I'm intrigued by the idea of using a bluetooth capable PDA to do the same thing. An HP iPaq PDA running Windows CE or Linux should be pretty easy to write custom software for, but I've no idea how you'd integrate topo maps into it.

 

Of course, there's also the ruggedness issue of using a Cell Phone or PDA while trekking out in the wilderness in harsh conditions. PDA's aren't water proof, nor are most ruggedized. I also have no idea how well they perform in the winter in sub-freezing temps.

[jw530]

When we go out family caching, there is always a "discussion" among the youger ones about who gets to hold the GPS (on multi-caches, we have the kids swap on legs..). So Dad (that's me) began to consider options for getting another GPS. I'm also a programmer and wanted to try my hand at handheld device programming so I started looking at little Bluetooth GPS units that I could use with my cell phone. I tried a HOLUX GPSlim unit but it had problems and I sent it back in exchange for a Wintec 4-in-1 unit (Bluetooth GPS, USB GPS, logger, compass. ) This unit uses one of the new high sensitivity chipsets. In terms of time to aquire a fix and sensitivity, it puts my E-trex Legend to shame. It will aquire and hold a fix when my E-trex right next to it can barely see a satellite or two. I'm very impressed with the unit. Now understand that these units don't have any displays other than some blinking status L.E.Ds. The position data is transmitted WIRELESSLY via Bluetooth to your phone or PDA and the readout happens there. A number of cell phones are coming out now that can use this technology. Some have built in GPS's but these are generally not nearly as good as the stand alone units.

 

My intent with this unit is to sew a little pocket in one of my ball caps and just wear it in the woods when caching. Then I just use my cell phone to read out the coordinates. So far the accuracy and sensitivity has been amazing. You can buy them for about $100 at various GPS outlets. The Li-ion battery lasts for much longer than I typically cache and the units typically come with BOTH chargers (AC and mobile) as they are typically intended for use with PDA's or laptops in the car. The output is the standard NMEA strings and should work with any PC and software that uses either USB or Bluetooth "com" ports. I can use the same unit with my laptop and software like DeLormes to get to the caching location and then hop out and use the same unit with my cell phone (I'm using a Sony-Ericsson W810i) to find the cache.

 

I wrote a small Java program that runs on my phone that is especially designed for geocaching. Most of the other software I've looked at seems more oriented to salesmen and street navigation. But you can use street nav software too. So if you have a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or PDA, you might want to consider one of these little units to leverage your phone/PDA into serving your GPS needs as well.

 

Were you comparing this to the Garmin Legend or Legend C. The Legend C or CX acquires signals in about 40 seconds or less in my experience and I am sure it is faster than the Legend. How much time does the SirF III chipset take to acquire a signal typically? thanks

[+Team_FussyPants]

I'm using the Holux GPSlim on my treo 680 pda phone and love it. It will acquire a signal from a cold start in about 40 seconds or so, and from a warm start its right at about 10 seconds or so. With the sirf III I can have the receiver in my pocket and still pick up an excellent signal. I can also have it on the seat of my car and get a good signal, as where my etrex would usually drop the signal in the same location. Have you checked out the Geoniche software? Its designed for offroad and geocaching use and is an absolutely great program. All your waypoints and notes in one program.

 

Another thing that I've found to be fun is if you are with one or two other people, get to where the receiver shows your about 20ft of the cache, then have one person walk around with the receiver, and the other sit with the pda/phone. The bluetooth will easily broadcast around 30ft out doors, so the person with the phone picks up the signal from the person walking with the receiver. You can then tell them if they're getting closer, and how close. Its like an high-tech version of "colder and warmer". Kids love it, plus the person actually looking for the cache can keep they're eyes open instead of looking at the gps needle.