Using a Pocket PC as a GPS

[+The Mattina Family Seekers]

I'm curious to know if it is possible to use my Dell Axim Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 2003) as a GPS with my G-Sat BT-368i BLuetooth Receiver. What program would accomplish this? Has anyone used a PDA with a BLuetooth Receiver to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan, TMFS

Edited January 31, 2009 by The Mattina Family Seekers

[+trainlove]

When PDA's or Pocket PC's have battery lives anywhere near 10+ hours i'll consider using them.

But to answer your questions,

 

"What program would accomplish this?"

Probably whatever software came with the Bluetooth GPS device itself.

But to expound on that. I know that Delorme software has PDA and PocketPC versions and they have a BT GPS so try them perhaps. Maybe Microsoft Streets or MapPoint also can since at least one of them has a PDA export.

 

Edited to add:

The Bluetooth device you mention seems to have a NMEA compatable output emulation so I'd say that any PDA or PocketPC GPS software will work with it.

Edited January 31, 2009 by trainlove

[+Barnie's Band of Gold]

As already mentioned lack of acceptable battery life is a major barrier to using a PPC and BT GPS. More importantly is the lack of weather and shock protection of a PPC.

 

A very capable GPS can be purchased for under $100 that is IPX7 rated and can survive a tumble or two.

 

As an academic exercise I make an effort to geocache with every PPC, Symbian, Blackberry or Palm device I can get my hands on. But I get to choose the environment and once the experiment is over I go back to my trusty Garmin.

 

YMMV...

[segler999]

In word, yes. I use a Dell Axim X51v with a bluetooth Holux M-1000. I happen to use Dell gps mapping software that came with a cable gps unit. However, I just leave the cable unit at home, turn on the bluetooth, pair it to the M-1000, and everything is good.

 

There are several other good WM softwares out there.

 

The M-1000 battery life is supposedly about a dozen hours. The Axim battery life is lenngthened since I use an aftermarket 3600 mAH battery that gives me a couple dozen hours.

 

All of this works fine. However, I generally prefer my 60Cx for both car navigating and backpacking.

[+Hrethgir]

I have a Dell Axim X30, and I bought the Pharos GPS bundle for it, and it sucked. The mapping software made HORRIBLE routes, the battery life of the PDA is crap (old battery, and wired GPS antennae doesn't help either, since the PDA powers the receiver and it's not easy to use wired up), and it is nowhere near weather resistant, let alone weather proof.

[+liliedag]

I use a Palm Treo 750, a nano belt clip GPS from Qstarz, and software called GeoScout 2.0.8 from navstation.uk. Works great, BT is good, battery lift on nano is 10 hrs + and my Treo has a HD battery good for @ 12 solid hours of caching.

[+Guanajuato]

I'm curious to know if it is possible to use my Dell Axim Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 2003) as a GPS with my G-Sat BT-368i BLuetooth Receiver. What program would accomplish this? Has anyone used a PDA with a BLuetooth Receiver to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan, TMFS

Pretty similar spec to my Acer N50 - See my Shameless Plug for Geoscout

Cachemate is good for cache management and Beeline is OK for navigation (cachemate's cachenave plugin is next to useless). But Geoscout has the advantage of mapping too.

 

I have mine in an aluminium case that gives a bit more protection. Not dropped it yet (touch wood)

 

I've fallen foul of 'short' battery life (about 4-5 hours of use over a weekend with no charging), so I've recently invested in a 4xAA cell USB charger as an emergency backup.

[+TeamMogwai]

I'm curious to know if it is possible to use my Dell Axim Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 2003) as a GPS with my G-Sat BT-368i BLuetooth Receiver. What program would accomplish this? Has anyone used a PDA with a BLuetooth Receiver to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan, TMFS

 

I use Beeline GPS http://www.visualgps.net/BeeLineGPS/ but you can also use GeoScout 2 which is supposed to be better but for reason I can't get it to see my GPS.

[+The GeoScout Team]

I'm curious to know if it is possible to use my Dell Axim Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 2003) as a GPS with my G-Sat BT-368i BLuetooth Receiver. What program would accomplish this? Has anyone used a PDA with a BLuetooth Receiver to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan, TMFS

 

It is certainly possible to use your device with a BT GPS. The GPS must be paired with the device first and usually while doing this you will need to enter a code which should be documented in the BT Gps instructions.

You will also be asked if you want to create a Serial Port Profile and you should do this. The resulting COM port is the one that your gps software will use.

 

Generally you need to start the GPS and then start the software. When the software attempts to connect to the GPS you should see an indicator light on the gps and/or device showing that the connection has been made.

 

I used an early iPaq (older than your device) with this for several years, although I must say that having an integrated GPS is much less fiddly.

 

Any software that handles a GPS will work with this as the software just needs to know the COM port and the device handles to BT linking.

 

As the author, I have to recommend GeoScout (http://www.navstation.co.uk/geoscout) but there is plenty of choice.

[+zacksba]

I'm curious to know if it is possible to use my Dell Axim Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 2003) as a GPS with my G-Sat BT-368i BLuetooth Receiver. What program would accomplish this? Has anyone used a PDA with a BLuetooth Receiver to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan, TMFS

 

I have been using my Dell Axim 2003 with a CF GPS receiver and bluetooth. I just got the same BT receiver you are using and am using that now with my ipaq 210 and beeline gps. The thing that I am noticing though is that my beeline gps screen is very jumpy now. (I used the 210 with the CF GPSr also and it did not behave this way).

 

Anyone who is using beeline GPS with a (any) BT receiver experience this?

thanks

[+Team CowboyPapa]

OK, firstly, allow me to establish my bona fides.

No, I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night,

but I have stayed in the Ridgecrest Motel 6!

 

Now, I was undergoing the same selection activity 3 years ago regarding a PDA fed a DeLorme receiver and using the bundled DeLorme mapping software.

Well, I read the DeLorme forums, asked some questions and while it was possible,

I just could not convince myself of it tractability for me.

Consequently, I did not buy one and my decision was justified when the DeLorme PN-20 was introduced about 6 months later.

http://www.amazon.com/Delorme-Earthmate-PN...C/ref=pd_cp_e_2

I am now using the DeLorme PN-40, and for another $100, I consider it to be a great alternative,

if one can afford it:

http://www.amazon.com/Delorme-AE-7985-201-...8014&sr=8-1

 

I will be hosting a free demo at the Kennedy Meadows Campground the second weekend of August.

[+geobudman]

I'm curious to know if it is possible to use my Dell Axim Pocket PC (Windows Mobile 2003) as a GPS with my G-Sat BT-368i BLuetooth Receiver. What program would accomplish this? Has anyone used a PDA with a BLuetooth Receiver to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!

 

Dylan, TMFS

 

I have used an HTC smart phone (ATT 8525) running WinMo 6 for a few months now with a cheapie BT-GPS I got for <$25 from Semsons.com. I have used both Turbo GPS and Basic GPS. Both do a good job for FREEware. Turbo GPS uses less resources, and will run on older hardware. Basic GPS has quite a few bells and whistles, including voice alerts. Both can use Google Maps, and if you are talented and more intelligent than I, (A given!) then you can make your own maps to use with them off-line.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Sheesh, I didn't notice until just now that this thread has been resurrected from a 5 month hiatus!