Socket/Emtac Bluetooth - The Dogs’ B*****

[tedkay]

Forget the rest - just got my new BTGPS - neat, well-made, flexible, unbeatable!



Just the fact that the Ipaq can be removed from the mount for route planning etc. without losing the fix(and avoid hanging over the damn thing trying to enter data) makes it worth the money. It also means that a passenger to easily check the route, enter new routes etc. with the Ipaq in their hand instead of the near impossible task of doing these things with it in the mount.



I have Navigator 2 (which knocks SmartST into a cocked hat except in the customer service/support department where Tom Tom is a "is anybody there" non-starter), and it makes a mean setup with the BTGPS.



Sorry tired old inflexible inaccurate unreliable outdated tied-to-the-sleeve Navman/SmartST, but you're for the cupboard with all the other stuff I bought without checking the other options properly!



Ted Kay

[Dave]

It is a superb receiver! I like it myself, having to reset the iPAQ now and again when the bluetooth service resources are depleated is a bit of a pain, but that's really the only negative thing about the receiver (providing you remember to keep charging it!).



I've been talking to TomTom regarding the customer support, and TomTom have recently started employing more people to help contend with the influx of thousands of support emails a day they receive. Hopefully their support will get better over time.

[aero]

Quote: Originally posted by Dave on 11 May 2003

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having to reset the iPAQ now and again when the bluetooth service resources are depleated is a bit of a pain.

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Can you explain what you mean by this Dave?



Will we all experience it?



Thanks.

[Dave]

I always switch the BT GPS off first, then the iPAQ, but I hardly ever soft reset the iPAQ, some days I switch the BT GPS on first and then the iPAQ and find that the Bluetooth light isn't flashing, if I goto the Today screen and tap the Bluetooth Manager and try to switch it on, it complains about not enough memory to run the service and asks to perform a soft reset. I'm not sure why this happens, probably a memory leak, but I'd guess that you probably would experience this now and again. I am a heavy user of apps, so it maybe something I've got loaded causing the problem.

[aero]

Ah, thank you.



I haven't experienced that yet, but I rarely use anything other than TTN2.

[jamz]

it complains about not enough memory to run the service and asks to perform a soft reset. I'm not sure why this happens, probably a memory leak, but I'd guess that you probably would experience this now and again. I am a heavy user of apps, so it maybe something I've got loaded causing the problem.



I have seen this message before - but I have only ever seen it on iPAQs with the TomTom software loaded. PocketStreets2002 SP1 (GPS) doesn't do this.

[Dave]

It's not TomTom, as I always have TomTom not loaded, it's a stack/memory issue that for some reason the area of memory used for Bluetooth seems to get overwritten now and again and when it tries to restart doesn't have enough memory slots available to continue.

[trafcam]

I've just got one of these to experiment with supporting Bluetooth receivers on Palm, and am very impressed with it - I can get a good fix on my office windowsill which I can't with any of the other GPS units I've tried.



The only thing I don't like is that blue flashing indicator to show Bluetooth reception - only because as I'm driving along I keep seeing a flashing blue light and I automatically start scanning the rear-view mirror for the BiB. I need to find a new location for it, I think.

[Dave]

I find the signal strength of the Emtac/Socket BT GPS is on par with Garmin's Quad Helix antenna, it is superb and even more so that they've managed to fit it into such a small space.

[TimB]

Sorry to repeat myself but no-one replied to this part of my message under the leather case thread and it may be more appropiate here......



"For measuring fields (I am a farmer)I have scanned 1:2,500 maps for use in Oziexplorer and I am sure the emtac is easily accurate to <3m.



...... I would welcome some comments from other emtac users about their SBAS settings - I am struggling to convince myself that switching to Auto is much of an advantage, the pointer does seem more stable (jumps about less) when the correction is lost!



I have a couple of weeks work coming up for The National Trust using their Ipaq coupled to a DGPS Max packpack receiver measuring plantations (collecting on Farmworks Farmsite mate and then Mapinfo). This will be a new experience for me but will be a great opportunity to see how an my Emtac BTGPS and OziE ( costing £240 plus about £65) compares with their DGPS Max (around £3,000 I think and SiteMate which is £250 for the basic version with no mapping & printing options)."



When I say jumps about, in real terms this is only about 4m, but when not on "auto" and getting a "G" fix on OziE, the pointer is very stable when I am stationary!



Alternatively should one select a specific satellite for the corrections or whatever, as in Crux View it allows several options?



Tim

                        

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