[gps-talkusers] the scoop on Bluetooth receivers

We have tested 5 of these Sirf Star 3 receivers, the Holux, the GlobalSat, the RoyalTech, the ITrek and the Fortuna. Since they all have the same Sirf Star 3 chip set, the sensitivity should be and in my experience is the same. Their battery life also seems to be similar although the numbers range from 14 to 18 hours. It is pretty good and clearly this chip set takes less power than the Sirf Star 2 receivers like the Blue Logger.

WAAS is not enabled on these receivers. You have to turn it on with their software on your PC. As soon as you turn the receiver off, the WAAS goes away. It is not practical to switch it on in this way. We are communicating with SIRF to see if there is a way around this.

I have also found that these Sirf Star 3 receivers tend to drop out mysteriously. All of a sudden, you will hear Bluetooth not detected on the BrailleNote and the receiver is still on and you are in clear view of the sky. We are exploring this issue as well.

Two of these 5 receivers have a physical on/off switch, the Holux and the Fortuna. The Holux is also the smallest of the bunch. The Fortuna runs at a non standard baud rate so it is not currently an option. We will add a custom baud selection in a future GPS release.

All that said, the Holux is probably the best choice. Be aware that you don't get WAAS and you may have occasional drop outs. Turn the receiver off in these situations and you should be able to get back to the main menu without resetting. Then turn the receiver back on and load the GPS software again.

Mike


At 06:20 AM 10/27/2005, you wrote: 
I'm trying out an I.Trekker (???) bluetooth receiver.  It got excellent
reviews from several mainstream sites especially because it has a different
chipset that determines distances a little differently than the SIRF chips,
and is therefore supposed to be better for slower moving (e.g., pedestrian)
travel.  Also it has a longer battery life -- stated at 20 hours, but I've
gotten more like 15.  Still trying to test out it's accuracy though.

Will keep folks posted if they're interested.



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