advice re buying a PDA and GPS please

[saveloy]

I am hoping you could offer some advice re the following

I am wanting to buy a PDA and GPS and have so far whittled my choice down to a HP iPAQ H2210 & TOMTOM software
but am unsure as to the following

should I go for a CF GPS card as I would like to use my PDA on foot &
will the CF card work ok with TOMTOM software or should I stay with the packaged TOMTOM2 system although I have been put off the bluetooth system due to concerns over its lifespan

[Dave]

Personally I would go with Bluetooth and here's why. If you go with a Compact Flash GPS Receiver, it only starts acquiring satellites once you've powered the Pocket PC on, loaded the software, and turned the virtual power on button in the GPS software (e.g. TomTom). If you go for a Bluetooth GPS Receiver you can walk out the door, switch it on and immediately it will start acquiring satellites without having the Pocket PC on (like with a CF GPS). So by the time you have got into the car, switched on the Pocket PC and run up TomTom, you will have an instant fix, and you won't have to wait around for 1-2 mins. Now 1-2 mins doesn't sound a lot, but when you are doing it on a daily basis it feels like an eternity. Especially when you receive extended Time To First Fixes.

Bluetooth Receivers are like Mobile Phones, they're battery has a limited lifespan. Now some have come out on the market like the Navman 4100 which accepts regular batteries, there are also others that will offer an easy to replace battery, all the GPS Receivers will last for over 400 full power cycles. The newer ones are boasting a lot longer than this.

Now if you still have reservations on Bluetooth, get a cabled mouse setup, you get the same instant fix because they are connected to the car accessory socket, so as soon as you switch the ignition to AUX, it will start acquiring without the Pocket PC. You can then purhase a cheap CF (£80) to use when out walking.

The main reasons why I prefer not to use a CF in-car (although they do work), is that the antenna is angled to face you, or just above your head to receive a signal. Now that's where the car roof is, so it doesn't have an optimium view of the sky, and typically you will receive less of a signal with CF cards in-car than you would a mouse or Bluetooth Receiver. The other option is to go for a CF GPS with an external patch antenna, and plug the antenna into the card when using it in-car.

[alix776]

whats this 1-2 minutes for a cf gps mines up in 30seconds with the the external areial by the time ive filled in my tacho its up and running
_________________
currently using aponia truck navigation on windows phone. Good bye IOS don't let the door hit you on the way out .

Oh the joys of being a courier.
device Lumia 950 xl

[Dave]

! It really does depend on your view of the sky and whether you want to sit around. The point I was trying to make of the BT and Cabled GPS is that you can virtually get in-car, and start driving then switch on the Pocket PC, the GPS Receiver has already obtained it's fix, if you try to do this with a CF GPS in most cases you will see extended TTFF's because it's much better and quicker to get a TTFF when stationary than when moving.

I didn't realise they had a tacho bell over here ?

In general I do find Cabled and BT GPS Receivers much less hassle when compared to a CF GPS.

[Will]

Just to add my thoughts. BT makes so much sense to me - I've considered a GPS for so many years, I think I'll finally get a bluetooth one. Especially because I can use my existing CF cards (I presume) to store map-data.

Still undecided as to which BT device to get though...I *love* the idea of the "Fortuna" (handheld as well as BT) which would come in especially handy when I go travelling in a few weeks, just for those times when you want to plot where you started from and don't want to carry your PDA. Tricky

Will

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