Product Description

Descriptions: The Holux GR-230 Series Bluetooth (wireless) GPS Receiver is a Global Positioning System Receiver with Bluetooth wireless technology. This wireless GPS receiver allows you to receive GPS data on mobile handheld wirelessly. It shows the high performance, low power consumption, and easily portable, rechargeable & removable battery function and wireless data transmission. If you have a Pocket PC or other portable devices enabled with Bluetooth function, you can take advantage of your devices Bluetooth capability to wirelessly add GPS positioning technology. When you choose suitable navigation software, you can apply to personal, vehicle tracking, and marine navigation. ... Read more

Features

• Dual Function: Bluetooth + GPS-mouse; Built-in rechargeable lithiumion battery without external power supply
• Compatible with Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) completely
• High speed signal acquisition using 1920 time/frequency search channels
• 12 parallel satellite-tracking channels for fast acquisition and reacquisition, low power consumption
• Sirf II chipset; Locate your position <2.2m, horizontal 95% of time

Reviews (1)

Great little GPS
I am using this GPS bluetooth reciever with a Dell X30. I am using mapopolis navigator software. I couldn't be hppier with this combination. The accuracy is uncanny. I live in the mountains of NH and have had only minor delays in getting a fix on really snowy days. ... Read more

Product Description

The GPS receiver is about 2 inches by 2 1/4 inches in size (50x59mm) with a height of 3/4 inch (20mm). The base of the receiver is both rubberised and magnetic, to stop the mouse escaping when taking sharp bends. The cable extends for just over 6 feet (2 metres) . The receiver is waterproof to a depth of 1 metre. The receiver can track up to 12 Satellites. There is an LED which lights when power is applied to the GPS receiver. Specifications: Model GPS-6010 Features Water Proof 1-Meter depth Power Consumption 70mA (3.3V) Chipset SiRF Star II, LP Receiver Channel 12 Channels. Tracking Sensitivity -142dBm WAAS Yes DGPS Yes Acquisition Time Snap Star 3 Sec Hot Start 8 Sec Warm Start 38 Sec Cold Start 45 Sec Reacquisition 0.1 Sec Update 1 Sec Accuracy Position 25 M (95%) CEP (w/o WAAS) 1-5 M (95%) CEP (WAAS or DGPS) Velocity 0.1 m/sec 0.05 m/sec (WAAS or DGPS) Acceleration ±4G Altitude 18,000 meters Velocity 515m/sec Acceleration 4G, Max Physical Dimension(W x D x H) mm 59.3 x 50.2 (47.1) x 19.7 (W x D x H) inch 2.33 x 1.98 (1.85) x 0.78 Weight 103g Power Input (VDC) 4.75 ~ 5.5 Internal Back up 3.3V (1,000Hrs) Operating Temp -40 ~ 85°C Storage Temp -55 ~ 100°C Others Data Cable--Length 2 M Magnets Built-in USB Cable Yes Quick User Guide Yes Documents CD Yes Warranty 1 yr manufacturer warranty ... Read more

Features

• "SiRF Star II/LP" high performance and low power consumption chipset; Water proof to 1 meter
• USB interface connection port; All-in-view 12-channel parallel processing;
• Built-in active antenna;High sensitivity to satellite signal.
• LED indicator for GPS fix or not fix; Super-cohesive magnetic for mounting on the car.
• Supported NMEA 0183 command: GGA, GSA, GSV, RMC, GLL, VTG

Features

• Connect your GPS unit to your PC
• Transfer routes and waypoints to and from your PC
• Download map detail from MapSource CD-ROMs
• Cable features standard 9-pin D connector
• Convenient and easy to use

Reviews (4)

Try to find a port
I own a Sony VAIO computer. In the computer, there are no ports to put in this cord. Ended up buying something for [money] to convert it to a USB connection. Then, I couldn't find a program that would be able to send and receive data to my eTrex GPS via a USB port. Was definitely a hassle.

Excelent for Portables.
The cable doesn't come with any software, but is great for upgrading the software on your eTrek(avilable from Garmin's website) You will need a GPS compatible mapping program to get the full advantage. The cable connects very securly to the GPS, and is plenty long enough.

Expensive, but a cable is necessary
This little cable is very, very overpriced, but unfortunately, for those of you that own the original eTrex or any eTrex model with no cable, you'll want to own this or an equivalent so you can download the latest updates to your GPS receiver from garmin and load them onto the unit. And you want this ability because Garmin does a good job of fixing bugs and adding new little software features. But if you can't build your own cable, then you should grab one of these...

Good quality, but get the data+power cable...
The quality of this cable is fine, but it doesn't give you access to the power pins that are in the Garmin interface. Get the cable that does power and data instead... or if you're a hardware geek, then make your own with the stuff from purple open projects (pfranc.com) ... Read more

Features

• GPS sensor for OEM clients in automotive, fleet vehicle, and electronics applications
• 12 parallel channels; WAAS enabled
• CMOS-level serial interface and integrated magnetic base
• Produces data in industry-standard NMEA 0183 data format
• 2.4 inches in diameter; connects to PC via CMOS-level, DB-9-pin serial interface

Features

• Plug-'n'-play portable GPS navigator for automobile use
• Preprogrammed hard drive stores detailed maps of U.S. and parts of Canada
• WAAS-enabled receiver with 8-bit, 256-color LCD touchscreen
• Voice-prompted turn-by-turn navigation; calculates efficiency for multiple destinations
• 500 waypoints; includes USB interface with cable

Features

• GPS sensor for OEM clients in automotive, fleet vehicle, and electronics applications
• 12 parallel channels; WAAS enabled
• USB 2.0 full-speed interface and integrated magnetic base
• Produces data in Garmin proprietary format
• Includes real-time clock; 2.4 inches in diameter

Amazon.com Product Description

Nexian's HandyGPS Springboard module is a 12-channel global positioning system (GPS) receiver with an integrated mapping application from UbiGo. You can pinpoint your exact coordinates--in the city or out in the back-country. It features a built-in GPS antenna, 25-meter accuracy, and about four hours of operation with two AAA batteries. It works with all Handspring Visor handhelds; however, note that it does not support color for the Visor Prism.

The module comes with two applications--HandyGPS and UbiGo. The HandyGPS application comes with the module and is only installed as long as the module is inserted. It provides such information as compass direction, speed, location, and bearing. You can also store waypoints (specific points along a route that you take).

The HandyGPS also uses UbiGo, a powerful mapping software application that must be downloaded from the Ubigo Web site to your desktop PC and installed onto your Visor during a HotSync. You'll get U.S. street-level detail divided by county and city in vector maps that are specially compressed so that the city maps take up minimal space. (Only maps for the U.S. are available; maps for foreign countries are planned.) Map data is based on the maps of Geographic Data Technology (GDT). UbiGo is free for one year, after which you pay $9.99 per year for new maps.

Once you plug the HandyGPS module into your Visor's Springboard expansion slot and launch UbiGo, you can see your position and start navigating on the map screen. UbiGo includes the MyMap feature, which allows you to make notes directly on the map screen about a specific location. You can also add your own points of interest (favorite restaurants or spectacular cliff views, for instance) with the MyPOI feature. With the search feature, you can find streets and local landmarks (including such categories as airport, school, shopping center, stadium, and park) within downloaded maps. Just select a category.

With the HandyGPS inserted into the Springboard slot, the Visor battery level might seem to be draining fast. This is because the indicator reading is based on a calculation of how much charge is in the batteries and how much power is actually being used. And although the HandyGPS has its own batteries, it uses the Visor batteries as well. When the HandyGPS batteries become very low or empty, it will use even more of the Visor batteries.

The HandyGPS can be used in a moving car; however, it is easier to establish the initial connection with the GPS satellites at slower speeds. Once that first contact is made, the HandyGPS will operate normally at higher speeds. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel GPS Springboard Module with integrated mapping
• Pinpoint your exact coordinates (longitude, latitude, and altitude)
• Locate points of interests like shopping malls, police stations, and schools
• Record memos on map snapshots and save them in files
• Compatible with Handspring Visor

Reviews (53)

Surprisingly Good
I saw that the HandyGPS got some raves and some rants on this site, but went ahead and bought it anyway (a present, actually). While I have little experience with GPS, I have been pleasantly surprised with its performance, as I expected more problems with a new module for a (relatively) new platform. It turns out it's a handy little item to have for car trips, sightseeing, etc.

Positives: -generally reliable and simple to use -fairly fast lock on satellites, slower with a Cold Start (new batteries). I can usually get a lock in 2-3 minutes. -works fairly well even in urban environments (Manhattan even!), overcast weather, rain, and snow -works rather well on the dash of a car, well under the glass and away from the metal roof. -recovers well after tunnels -fairly accurate, corrects well when it strays you can definitely tell what road the unit thinks you are on -map software sophisticated in certain respects (lets you set a goal and count down miles to it, let's you save Points of Interest and come back to them -has record and playback -rather accurate speedometer

Negatives -crashes the Visor once in a while, once necessitating a reload of the whole thing -eats batteries (its own and the visors) -mapping software is sometimes inaccurate-- missing roads here and there -no overseas maps on the Nexian site -no topographic maps on the Nexian site -doesn't measure road mileage, only straight line (as the crow flies) to your goal -some zoom views erase roads (better contrast in display is needed: see, for instance, Mapopolis's maps)

Suggestions/Wish List -customizable display of data -heading/speed displayed on the map pages -toggle between map moving and dot moving modes? (position indicator dot sometimes nears edge of screen and is hard to find) -better contrast in display (see Mapopolis) -playback/record while displaying the map (instead of just a blank screen) -overseas maps (if even just the big cities) -fully customizable maps (adding and saving graphical detail relevant to the user would be handy). As it is, only "snapshots" of the current map view map can be saved, but you can make notes on these shots, which is nice. -state maps showing county locations on the Nexian site would be rather helpful-- as it's sometimes hard to discern your route by county

Overall Among the cheaper modules for the visor, and also very handy and fun to use.

Chris

This is GREAT!
Hello everyone, when we first got our Prism Handspring Visor, we we're debating on if we should get the GPS module or not. I'm glad we did! I have found the mapping software very detailed, and I can't wait for the Rand McNally Street Finder mapping software to come out.I hear that you can do point to point. I highly recommend the HandyGPS concidering the functionality and the price. There are so many different features that you can do.I can't imagine why there have been people that have not enjoyed this Handy little device. I was able to name my house, my sisters house, my favorite restaurant,etc... This is a totally cool toy on the cutting edge. Definetly a must have!

NEXIAN customer support is HORRIBLE
After I purchased a refurbished unit, Nexian would not let me register the unit. They stated that the unit had already been registered and that I could not register it. Unfortunately, the only way to get the advertised software from Nexian is, yes, you see it coming, through the registration process. Nexian's customer support would not reset the database lock on the refurbished unit's serial number and part code. As such, I was never able to get the software to operate the unit as advertised.

I DO NOT RECOMEND THIS UNIT. THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT FROM THE COMPANY IS THE WORST!!

A poor GPS with misleading and outdated info in the manual!
I bought this item and sent it back almost immediately. Performance is sub-par, as it only locked onto one satellite on flat ground under a clear blue sky. Two is the minimum to calculate position with three are required for altitude info.
The AAA batteries only last for about 4-5 hours under the best conditions and are expensive. Plus, it uses power from the battery in the Handspring as well. Not a very efficient design IMHO.
It comes with no GPS software, save the basic firmware. Contrary to advertising and info in the manual, you must purchase software from the Nexian website ...to make it useable beyond the most basic GPS functions!
Overall, if you have a Visor Prism and want the color capability I would recommend getting the HandyGPS PRO version which includes a rechargeable/replaceable lithium ion battery, mapping software, and options for an external antenna and car charger...
Don't waste your time with this... If you have a B&W Visor, save your money and buy a Magellan, or at very least, make sure you buy the PRO version of this product and also purchase the external antenna if you want it to work. You can always add the software and charger later.

Magellan is Better, Handy Wins the Booby Prize
I bought this as a Christmas gift. This was an embarassing dud. It failed to lock to any satellite. The manual did not provide help. I then went to the web site for Nexian. It was down... for 3 days during Christmas. Maybe (all of) the employee(s) left for the holiday season.

I tried suggestions provided by Amazon users. That failed. I asked the recipient of my gift to go ahead and take their trip and see if it was just a location issue. No, it failed to work at any point in a 1200 mile journey. I returned it - five *'s for Amazon for the great return policy! :).

I bought Magellan. It gets 5 *'s. First, it worked. Second, it has so many utilities to let you know how many satellites it sync'd with, their individual signal strengths, their constellation. Not sure whether they have a help desk, but their web site was up whenever I needed it. Hope it helps. ... Read more

Product Description

Light , Compact and Stylish!! Provides excellent reception to optimize GPS performance and is easy to connect. Varied connectors are available. ... Read more

Features

• Frequency: 1575.42+2 MHz; VSWR: 1.5 Max; Peak Gain: 4 dBic Min; Polarization: RHCP
• Bandwidth: 10 MHz Min; Axial Ratio: 3 dB Typical;Power Handling: 1 watt
• Gain Coverage: > -4dBic at -90°~ 90°(over 75% volume)
• Amplifier Gain without cable: 27 dB Typical; Filtering: -25 dB (+ 100MHz)
• Voltage: DC 3.0 ~ 5.0V; Current: 22mA Max@5VDC; Water Resistance: 100% waterproof

Amazon.com Review

There are two solid reasons to buy a GPS: navigating unfamiliar areas by knowing one's exact position on the planet, and the sheer coolness factor of having such a device. The Magellan GPS Companion meets both the geek chic and practical utility tests by working with an existing Palm handheld. The price is low enough that a frequent traveler shouldn't think twice about substituting this device for bulky, conspicuous maps--although you might miss the charm of meeting strangers in unfamiliar empty neighborhoods.

The GPS Companion snaps right into the Palm V or Vx's serial connector, and uses its own batteries to avoid running down the Palm handheld's power. The unit ships with two software packages, one for wayfinding and navigation and another for attaching position to street maps. The unit uses the standard GPS interface, so any Palm application that can use a GPS has access to this device's telemetry.

You'll find yourself turning to the GPS Companion time and again. The accompanying CD-ROM includes detailed maps of the entire United States and territories and protectorates like Samoa. Maps range from a few kilobytes to several hundred kilobytes depending on the scale of detail (cities get more detail), so even if you have several megabytes free on your Palm, you'll have to pick and choose which maps to download.

The CD-ROM has organized each map into a set of folders by state or territory, and then by county. You can also use search features in the Mac or Windows operating system to find city names, but the CD-ROM uses truncated MS-DOS style naming, rendering Poughkeepsie residents potentially out of luck unless they search on "poughkee."

Downloading maps is as easy as adding the data file to the installer list in the Palm OS desktop application. The Map Companion application lets you choose to view maps even if you're not in the geographic area of the map. You can also use it to delete any installed map.

The most useful combination of options in Map Companion is turning on GPS Scrolling and GPS Position from the Navigate menu. The menu doesn't change based on whether the features are on or off--we had to rely on tiny text in the lower right that reads "GPS POS + SCAL" to show when both were enabled.

It could sometimes be hard to get a fix on our position when we were near buildings or inside. In our testing, we had to be in a clear area for the fix to take; after that, the unit performed well in a car over city streets. The up/down scroll button on the Palm can be used to dynamically scale up or down. The maps automatically add detail with street names and landmarks as you zoom in closer.

We consistently found about a four-second lag while traveling at 30 mph. And you don't want to use this device when behind the wheel. The display requires too much attention and could cause you to veer into someone else's lane. Hand the Palm and GPS Companion over to a navigator in the passenger's seat.

The Nav Companion software offers wayfinding tools that allow you to mark positions and then trace your way between them. The software is rather clunky and doesn't provide turn-by-turn information, nor does it integrate with Map Companion to let you overlay a route on top of an existing map. Nav Companion would certainly help for off-road endeavors, such as wandering aimlessly in the woods (which we are not wont to do). But given the limited battery life and the citified nature of the Palm, we doubt you'll take this on your next mountain sojourn.

We tested the unit with a few other Palm OS applications, including the Vindigo city guide. Vindigo uses intersection information to offer contextual choices for dining, dancing, and entertainment. It worked seamlessly with the Magellan, even as we drove down a street. Vindigo kept updating intersections from its selection menu, and we could find restaurants up to half a mile away as we cruised about.

The Magellan unit is a great bargain, and relatively easy to use. It requires probably 60 to 90 minutes to become comfortable with the Map Companion software, after which it became almost second nature to use. --Glenn Fleishman

Pros:

• Full set of U.S. maps on CD-ROM
• Fast learning curve for most features
• Uses own batteries rather than tapping the Palm's power
• Fully compatible with other Palm applications that use GPS data

Cons:

• Nav and Map Companions don't speak to each other and use different interfaces
• Mapping lags a few seconds behind actual position while in motion

Features

• 12-channel GPS
• Up to 10 hours of battery life, doesn't drain Palm
• Quadrifilar antenna for better reception
• Bundled with street-mapping and outdoor recreation software
• Compatible with Palm V/Vx

Reviews (28)

Neat toy, weak software
I got the Magellan GPSCompanion from my wife for Christmas. Wow! It fits so easily over my Palm V, the software loads easily, what a great idea! I travel a lot on business, and looked forward to using it to navigate in a way similar to the GPS Units in rental cars. Match made in heaven, right?

Well almost. Two software packages come with the unit; NavCompanion and MapCompanion. One allows plotting, waypoints etc. like a first generation GPS unit. The second has maps, but the two don't speak. Kind of a cruel joke... Also, the documentation for both programs is practically non-existent, so you learn by doing.

MapCompanion doesn't provide directions, only markers for where you are and where you need to go. Combine this with a small monochrome display on the Palm, and things get unworkable pretty quickly. Also, the software calculates distances to destination in a straight line; great if you're orienteering straight over mountains and can walk across lakes, slightly less useful for those of us who travel by car.

I also tried the unit in on a flight to see if I could track our speed, direction, and position, but couldn't get a signal fix from my window seat, even at 30,000 feet. OK, no big deal on this one, but wouldn't it be fun?

Travelling several hundred miles results in the unit taking several minutes to acquire a fix, and actually it isn't that much faster even at home. In terms of accuracy, standing in one spot and setting the waypoint function several times over the course of about 30 minutes gave readings up to 200 feet different; pretty neat but well outside the 13 or so feet advertised.

However, when all is said and done, I'm sure that better software will come, or may already be available in the aftermarket. This will greatly improve the unit's practical utility, but it sure is a neat toy, even if only to tell you within a couple of hundred feet how far you are from your desk from your gate at the airport in Chicago!

nice little box
I read the Garmin manuals, then looked at this unit as add on for my Palm Vx, I liked the idea of the larger screen of the Palm, and the cost was 1/3 to 1/2 less than a stand alone unit. I gave it 5 stars because it does what it does (which may be limited for some) well.

For my use, having local maps on my PDA and finding lat/long coords on occasion, it seemed like a great buy, it has a lot to offer for the price. The mapping software alone is extensive and functional, and does not requre the use of the GPS to use it which I find handy. I would liek to see Magellan look into some software upgrades in the furure, like being able to see local road names at a scale larger than .5 miles, and maybe a large scales map at the state level showing main roads. But it works, the Map software worked right out of the box. It also connected to the GPS unit and worked fine, but placed my position on the map about 170 feet West of my true location, still not bad.

The NAV software out of the box didn't work at all, I got a Fatal Alert from memorymgr.c when I tried to use it. Magellan is not the best at self-directed troubleshooting (there is none on the supplied CD or on their web site). I did a web search and found a few nuggets on the Palm website, but nothing directly related to my problem. I figured out an upgrade to my Palm OS from 3.5.0 to 3.5.3 might help, it did not. I looked further on the Magellan website and found an undocumented upgrade to the NAV companion. Once downloaded and installed the NAV software worked fine, makes you wonder.

Basically the unit works well as a basic GPS and mapping software suite, it does the job. I would think twice before going hiking in the mountains with it, but for road navigation it is handy. For the price it is a bargin.

High Tech Toy
I mainly wanted to use the NAV program to record and plot waypoints. As Mark noted, it's fairly laborious -- erasing the default Wpt00001 name that comes up and then writing in a new name. Worse, once you've marked all your waypoints, no matter what scale you use to view them, they are generally all scrunched together, so you have good data but no good way to view it graphically. Worst of all, no way to download the data to a computer. There is a PDB backup file made in your backup directory, but it's encrypted, so if you wanted to import the data into your plotting program and make a physical map, no such luck. The only software that appears on my computer is a fairly useless help file (i.e. description of all the obvious functions but no real help with HOW to use them or what they are based on). This is one of those high tech toys that works great as a module, but not as an extension of the Palm or computer. Fortunately, I got it as part of a rebate program, and only lost $30 on the deal, not the full $100.

Too limited and with some problems
I buyed it from here, first it is very limited, you cannot transfer the data to a pc, to process it or print. The softwares are not very good.
And theres is a problem, it hangs and dont recognizes the gps, like is not attached to the palm, and you have to reinstall the software in the palm to use it. I dont like it, is not very usefull.

One of the most practical GPS product for a general consumer
The product is a clip-on attachment to Palv V/Vx. Actually you clip Palm on it but it depends on the point of view :))

The gadget is only a GPS reciever -the rest is done by Palm and the software installed on Palm. That concept is both money and wieght saver!

The benefit for those who already owe Palm is that they do not have to drag along another screen, another chip,another software....

And in contrast to stand-alone GPS units is gives a user a much bigger choice of software applications and cuts ubmellical cord to a producer what results in different (lower) prices for the softeare and widens options considerably.
Performance - good performance one woukl expect from a consumer product.
Reccomend to update the bundled softeare - a better version 2.10 of NavComp is availabe on Magellan site. Drawback - when too mny waypoints are loaded becomes reaaly slow - but that ia a softeare problem....
Lack of a solution to feed DC to Palm itself on outsoursed power is strange.
I enjoy it ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Handheld GPS receivers are growing in popularity as the hardware shrinks and the accuracy grows. Handspring Visor owners can slap a GPS module into their palmtop and find their location on their onscreen maps. GeoDiscovery's curvaceous and translucent Geode module offers some nifty design features to keep you from getting lost, but you'll first have to find the money to bring this device home.

A great extra that helps offset the price is the two MultiMediaCard (MMC) slots. MMCs can hold up to 64 MB of additional storage space each, enabling you to store detailed maps and information about almost everywhere you're planning to go. Unfortunately, the MMC slots aren't currently supported, although GeoDiscovery hopes to have them functional within a couple of months. As with other enhancements, this support would require only a simple flash upgrade for the software.

The GeoDiscovery Web site has an excellent map-finder tool, with detailed maps of cities and highways for all 50 states. Just download the file, synchronize with your Visor, and the maps are usable by the Geode. There are also downloadable guides, such as the National Park series for $4.99 each, with details like park hours, ranger station locations, and other pertinent content.

After loading our Visor with appropriate maps, we headed out for a weekend camping trip. The first time we used the Geode, we had to calibrate the compass by turning around slowly. It took a while for the calibration to take, as well as for us to get our first satellite lock. But after that initial setup, we were able to get and hold a lock in less than a minute (rather typical for GPS receivers). We did have trouble maintaining a connection while in our car, but by holding the Geode closer to a window the connection stayed up more consistently.

Because the Geode uses the new Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), it can provide extremely accurate location readings--within three meters--and we noticed this during our tests. The tiny roads that led to our campsite were displayed on the Geode, with our location on the map coinciding exactly with a slight bend in the road.

One of our main complaints about the Geode is the lack of street labeling. You have to click on a road or highway to see its name, which can make it difficult to use for navigation. On slower Visors, it can also take several seconds for the map to redraw when you're zooming in or out.

Another caveat is the price--it's more expensive than some standalone GPS receivers. But if you're into lots of map storage, the MMC memory slots may make the Geode worth the extra cost when they come online. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Memory expansion slots
• WAAS support
• Lots of free maps to download

Cons:

• Pricey
• Streets aren't labeled until clicked

Features

• Incorporates a GPS receiver, a digital compass, and 2 memory expansion slots
• 12-channel GPS receiver
• Features SiRF's FoliageLock technology for reliable signal sensitivity
• Incorporates Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for accuracy
• Compatible with Handspring Visor

Reviews (37)

Geode has not grown as promised
I already posted review for this(see "Any Problems Due to Old Visors!" March 16, 2001 by an electronics fan from Boston). In it I gave the Geode five stars and addressed some of the problems for which the Geode was being blamed which were really Visor and Visor Deluxe Problems (i.e. RF shielding). Sadly, I now have to go back on my old review in light of recent events. My Geode still works great but as of mid-May Geodiscovery has gone into a near death state. The company may or may not return to operation. As a result the improvements on the Geode have ceased still without MMC card support, reduced power consumption, color maps (for Handspring Prism), NMEA compatability or future firmware upgrades. Thus the parts of my previous review that lauded the Geode's extensibility must now be rescinded since it is a fair bet that no future improvements to the module will be made [unless it goes open source :)]. In light of this I recommend the Magellan GPS Companion for Handspring Visor. Magellan and Garmin (which makes the handheld eTrex) are established companies that won't be going away anytime soon. At this time it represents the best solution for a GPS springboard module. Geodiscovery had a lot of promise but they tried to rebuild the wheel from scratch and failed. Well I'm gonna try and hack my Geode now since the upgrades aren't gonna happen by themselves.

Had a lot of promise... business went bankrupt early
The Geode had a lot of promise. Unluckily, GeoDiscovery went out of business before it those promises could be fulfilled. I do extend a lot of credit to the developer team who helped pull together as much as possible as GeoDiscovery was laying them off to help out the user community. Many of the developers continued to answer questions and work with users LONG after their paychecks stopped.

But... sadly that was 2 years ago. GeoDiscovery is now defunct, their website gone and no support to be found.

The Geode community did pull together and compile an archive of all the software that was available before GeoDiscovery's website died. I maintain the archive... which is available at davoice.net. The archive is about 1.2 gig in size, so no one in their right mind has been willing to host it online. So for the forseeable future, it's only available by mail on CD.

On the davoice.net site, there is also a relatively inactive forum for Geode users. I do try to answer the odd question that arises every so often.

Basically for all hardware except that which shipped directly from GeoDiscovery as they were shutting the doors, the best firmware is version 1.3. For the last hardware revision, 1.4beta works fairly well. Either way, the MMC slots never worked and NMEA connection was non-existant in 1.3 and flakey at best in 1.4beta.

Blessings,
Daniel

Geode GPS Module
An excellent and useful module for the Handspring PDA. I enjoyed it while the company supported the product with their map database software. I cannot find the company to get updated software (Madison River Technologies). I do not believe that the module is available. The company either does not exist anymore or they are not making the module or supporting software. I see no point in tryimg to locate this product much less trying to purchase it.

the worst customer support imaginable
REad the reviews here (which I didn't) It has poor performance, and it does not comply to NEMA data, so don't bother trying to import your waypoints into a database. Besides, If you do buy it, don't every plan on hearing from customer service. I've been trying 6 months for a return, including trying to call and fax, and nothing. AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS.

Geodiscovery is practically out of business
The Geode has high accuracy because it uses WAAS. But release 1.3 (the latest release) draws maps slowly, does not support color and does not use the industry standard NMEA interface (necessary to use the Geode with mapping software not made by Geodiscovery).

Release 1.4 is just a beta and it greatly improves drawing speed and does support color. But the NMEA interface rarely works and this prevents use of the Geode with 3rd party mapping software.

Also, the battery life is poor -- only about 3 hours -- and the MMC slots do not work.

Perhaps what is worst is that Geodiscovery support is not functional at all. They do not return phone calls or emails. So if you have a problem, you are out of luck.

I think that the Magellan Companion ($150) is the best bet right now. It does not use WAAS. However, if you really want the 2-3 meter accuracy, you can get the Sky Golf GPS (looks a lot like the Companion and costs $400) which does use WAAS. ... Read more

Product Description

1. Wireless GPS using Bluetooth technology. 2. Communicate with Host Platform via Bluetooth Serial Profile. 3. SiRF Star II/LP high performance and low power consumption chipset. 4. All-in-view 12-channel parallel processing. 5. Built-in SuperCap to reserve system data for rapid satellite acquistion. 6. Supported NMEA 0183 command:GGA, GSA, GSV, RMC, GLL, VTG. 7. GPS/Bluetooth/Battery LED indicators. 8. Non-slip on the bottom. 9. Built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Specifications Channels 12 parallel channels Output Messages NMEA 0183 V2.2 protocol and supports command:GGA, GSA, GSV, RMC, VTG, GLL Hot Start 8 sec., average Warm Start 38 sec., average Cold Start 45 sec., average Acceleration Limit < 4g Altitude Limit 18,000m Re-acquisition 100ms Velocity Limit 515 meters/sec Time Accuracy 1us synchronized to GPS time Position Accuracy 15m 2D RMS without SA 5m 2D RMS WAAS enabled Supply Voltage Build-in rechargeable battery and 5V DC input charging circuit Operation Time 8hr. After fully charged, in continuous mode Bluetooth Specification: Bluetooth V1.1 compliant Frequency:2.400~2.480 GHZ Sensitivity: -80 dBm Transmit power: Class2 Transmit Range: 10M Dimension 84mm*47mm*27mm Storage Temperature -30¢XC ~ 80¢XC Operation Temperature -20¢XC ~ 70¢XC Humidity Up to 95% non-Condensing ... Read more

Features

• Great for Palm, Mac, Windows CE & Pocket PC compatible PDA'S w/Bluetooth or Compatibles
• Compaq, Dell, Toshiba, Casio, Asus, Viewsonic, HP, Sony, etc
• Supports Win 98, Me, 2000, XP. CE. Mac. Palm
• Supports NMEA protocol to be compatible w/most maps software
• Rapid satellite acquisition WAAS integrated chip offers accuracy within 3 yrds or less

Product Description

Electrical Characteristics (Receiver) Frequency:L1, 1575.42 MHz C/A Code :1.023 MHz chip rate Channels :12 channel all-in-view tracking ACCURACY Position Horizontal :10 meters, 2D RMS ,7 meters 2D RMS, WAAS corrected Velocity:0.1m/sec Time: 1 micro-second synchronized to GPS time DATUM DATUM:Default: WGS-84 ACQUISITION RATE Hot start:8 sec., average Warm start: 38 sec., average Cold start :45 sec., average Reacquisition:0.1 sec. average PROTOCOL GPS Protocol :Default: NMEA 0183 (Secondary: SiRF binary) GPS Output format:GGA(1sec), GSA(1sec), GSV(5sec), RMC(1sec), VTG(1sec) DYNAMIC CONDITION Acceleration Limit:Less than 4g Altitude Limit:18,000 meters (60,000 feet) max. Velocity Limit:515 meters/sec. (1,000 knots) max. Jerk Limit :20 m/sec**3 TEMPERATURE Operating: -20°~ 60°C Humidity:5 to 95% non-condensing POWER Voltage: Replaceable and rechargeable battery and 5V DC input charging circuit Operation Time:15 hours, after fully recharged, in continuous mode>20 hours, in trickle power mode Physical Characteristics Dimension: 89mm x 52mm x 30mm ... Read more

Features

• SiRF Star II/LP or X-Trac high performance and low power consumption chipset
• Communicates with Host Platform via Bluetooth Serial Profile
• Built-in high sensitivity active GPS antenna. Optional external GPS antenna
• 3 LED show status of Bluetooth/Battery (15hours continuous use) Bluetooth operation range 80M
• Replaceable rechargeable 1650mAh Li-ion battery. Magnetic chassis for convenient mounting

Features

• All-purpose GPS unit with sunlight-readable 256-color TFT screen
• 56 MB of internal memory stores map detail; built-in quad helix antenna
• WAAS receiver with accuracy to 10 feet in North America
• Integrated outdoor calendar displays day's best fishing and hunting times
• Audible alarms; includes USB and serial port PC interfaces

Product Description

PDA and Pocket PC with GPS navigation capability * navigates to any contact saved in address book * Microsoft Windows® Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system * Bluetooth networking * preloaded basemap of North/South America and Puerto Rico covers major roads and highways, plus rivers, lakes, railways, and political boundaries * ... Read more

Features

• PDA and Pocket PC with GPS navigation capability
• navigates to any contact saved in address book
• Microsoft Windows® Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system
• Bluetooth networking
• preloaded basemap of North/South America and Puerto Rico covers major roads and highways, plus rivers, lakes, railways, and political boundaries

Reviews (1)

Don'tbuy if looking primarily for GPS
I am sending mine back despite the restocking fee.Word of advice:I made the mistake that even though I was primarily looking for a GPS device, I bought this- a PDA GPS, which ain't very smart.PDA GPS will hang, crash as they are not dedicated.Even if you would like to have a PDA but are looking for a good GPS first, buy a dedicated GOS device.I am not sure, how this product is good either as a GPS or a PDA if it hangs and crashes on you!


Pros:
Maps are good- just as rest of Garmin
Good battery life compared with other PDA GPS

Cons:
Windows 2003- I thought it to be a boon, but was a curse
Hngs up- I am sending mine back despite restocking fee as it hangs up from time to time- in fact I missed important meeting relying on this piece of crap
Reception: I live in NYC, and it loses signal very frequently in manhattan
Suction cup- Itz a hopeless cup and it keeps falling from the windscreen to the floor ... Read more

Product Description

Ride in confidence with Cobra's most accurate handheld GPS yet. The Cobra GPS 1080 DLX is WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) enabled for more precise positioning than standard or differential GPS receivers. It also has ASAP (Accelerated Satellite Acquisition Protocol&trade;) technology for faster satellite acquisition, and to get you up and running in half the time as any other recreational GPS receiver. The Cobra&reg; GPS 1080 DLX comes with Rand McNally Street Finder and Base Map software that covers continental U.S. state highways and boundaries, plus hundreds of cities worldwide. This tough, waterproof handheld also features a backlit keypad, plus a clock, altimeter and compassâjust in case! ... Read more

Features

• Cobra&reg; GPS 1080 DLX stores up to 500 waypoints with names and symbols
• Lets you create up to 50 routes with up to 20 points (waypoints, points of interest, cities, addresses, intersections and/or exits)
• Cobra&reg; GPS 1080 DLX automatically tracks your travel with up to 2,000 log points
• Cobra&reg; GPS 1080 DLX runs on two AA batteries or optional 12-volt vehicle power adapter
• 4MB onboard memory is expandable via SD card slot

Product Description

The TripNav TN-204 PDA GPS Receiver has improved accuracy by utilizing WAAS-capabled GPS positioning when connected to your PDAs data port and your vehicles 12VDV cigarette lighter. A water-resistant housing with a built-in magnet allows flexibility for in-vehicle or external placement of the GPS receiver for maximum signal reception. The powerful SiRF IIe low-power chipset imbedded into the internal design uses up to 75% less power to operate than comparable technologies. With quick cold-start times of only 45 seconds, the SiRF II enhanced technology also provides improved tracking in weak signal areas. The TripNav TN-204 PDA GPS Receiver terminates into a PS2 connector and by selecting the appropriate cable kit, it easily interfaces with your model PDA and also charges your PDAs battery, while powering the GPS receiver from your cigarette lighter. The TripNav is a 12-channel GPS receiver and has a built-in LED to indicate the satellite acquisition status: Solid RED indicates searching for satellites, while flashing RED indicates satellites are in view and data is being received. ... Read more

Features

• SiRF Star-II high performance and low power consumption chipset
• WAAS capabled engine board for greater accuracy
• Built-in active antenna
• Superior urban canyon performance
• Cold start under 45 seconds, average

Product Description

SporTrak Map brings built-in mapping and expandability within reach of everyone. It is a feature rich, fun, and easy to use GPS receiver that does not compromise on features at an unprecedented break through price. It has a small, rugged, waterproof, and ergonomic design that is perfect for the budget conscious outdoorsman needing a compact, but powerful navigator. ... Read more

Features

• Powerful 12 parallel-channel receiver
• WAAS enabled for up to 3 meter accuracy
• Quadrifilar Helix antenna for superior tracking in harsh environments
• 2 MB North America basemap of roads, waterways, parks, airports, and more
• 4 MB of built-in memory for additional detailed map downloads

Product Description

12 parallel channel GPS receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites to compute and update your position * WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability improves accuracy to within 3 meters * barometer with local pressure and 12-hour automatic pressure trend recording * pre-loaded with Garmin's Americas Highway basemap, plus Garmin's Marine Point Database (Americas) * elevation computer with current/minimum/maximum elevation, and descent rate * accepts electronic version of Garmin's Fishing Hot Spots® lake data * compatible with exclusive paperchart-like BlueChart® marine database * 24MB internal memory for downloading maps * stores 500 waypoints with symbol and elevation plus 20 routes with up to 50 waypoints each * built-in calendar with best fishing and hunting time recommendations * "Find" feature locates waypoints, cities, and interstate exits, plus points of interest, street addresses, and intersections (if loaded into the eTrex Vista from a Garmin MapSource CD-ROM) * trip computer calculates current speed, average speed, time of sunrise/sunset, and trip distance * electronic compass * 12 hours typical use on two "AA" batteries (not included) * waterproof design (can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes) * 4-7/16"H x 2-5/16"W x 1-3/8"D * weight: 5.3 oz. (with batteries) * warranty: 1 year ... Read more

Features

• 12 parallel channel GPS receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites to compute and update your position
• WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability improves accuracy to within 3 meters
• barometer with local pressure and 12-hour automatic pressure trend recording
• pre-loaded with Garmin's Americas Highway basemap, plus Garmin's Marine Point Database (Americas)
• elevation computer with current/minimum/maximum elevation, and descent rate

Product Description

portable satellite navigation system with built-in antenna * 3.5" color touch screen with anti-glare coating * included Smart Digital (SD) card includes maps of the 48 contiguous United States * built-in front-panel SD slot * maps of Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam on included CD-ROM * ... Read more

Features

• portable satellite navigation system with built-in antenna
• 3.5" color touch screen with anti-glare coating
• included Smart Digital (SD) card includes maps of the 48 contiguous United States
• built-in front-panel SD slot
• maps of Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Guam on included CD-ROM

Amazon.com Product Description

Never Get Lost Again! The Earthmate GPS Receiver is a high-performance, easy-to-use link to the satellite navigation technology of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Earthmate and a laptop PC will show your location on detailed Street Atlas USA maps. An arrow shows your position in real time on street-level maps, so you always know where you are and where you need to be.Earthmate features a durable housing with a moisture-resistant seal and is designed to withstand a wide variety of road conditions. Unlike many other GPS receivers, Earthmate can be powered by four AAA batteries. This is especially important when using Earthmate with handheld or laptop computers in a car where available power is already being used. ... Read more

Features

• Faster satellite acquisition times and outstanding performance
• Arrow shows your position in real time on street-level maps
• Durable housing with a moisture-resistant seal, designed to withstand a wide variety of road conditions
• Pick any 2 points on the map and have Street Atlas USA create an address-to-address route
• Use Earthmate with Topo USA, Topo USA 2.0, 3-DC TopoQuads, Eartha Global Explorer, or AAA Map'n'Go

Reviews (16)

My first impression: Great!!
I was very interested when I learned that there were products that allowed the integration of a street map atlas with a GPS and laptop computer. Sounded like an excellent tool for travelling. After exploring a number of options on the Web, it appeared that the Delorme Earthmate with Street Atlas USA was the way to go, although I read as many bad reviews as good. The price was certainly reasonable and I decided, why not? I must say that after two days of seeing what this thing can do, I am truly impressed. The Street Atlas was a breeze to set up and I love the feature that allows you to copy regions to the hard drive, so this thing will run sans CD. The included Earthmate GPS amazed me for its diminutive size and good construction, as I appreciated the inclusion of the rubber feet and rubber stripping around the unit. Within 5 minutes the GPS had initialized and I became a green dot on the map showing my neighborhood. I immediately jumped into the car and wathched my progress on the screen as a friend drove me around town. The accuracy amazed me. Then I got serious to see what this unit could do. If I had to make a negative comment, it would have to be the lack of instructional material. Two (tiny) booklets come in the package that do little more than explain the setup. There is a tutorial built into the program, but it did not have the same functionality as a reference manual. However, if the lack of documentation is helping to keep this package at this steal of a price, then I'm all for it. After three-and-a-half hours of playing, I had a good handle on all of the features of the software and was ready to plan my first trip. There is a great deal of information available on these maps, including restaurants and lodging and services available off the various exits on the highways. You can enter the name of a restaurant, and Street Atlas will locate it for you on the map. You can then take the laptop/GPS combo in the car, and it will give you real time verbal instuctions as you are driving. Pretty cool! Some of the "points of interest" were not in the right spot on the map, and some were long gone, but I can't fault the software for not knowing that the pizza place at the shore went out of business six months ago. All in all, it is a package that appears to do what it is designed to do. Whether or not it is practical in the long run to have all this equipment running in the car (you can swap the laptop for a smaller device) has yet to be determined, but my first impression is actually beyond my expectations.

Excellent, Cheap PC GPS Device (NOT FOR MAC!!!)
A friend had this unit and I've been looking for a GPS device that uses PC mapping. Most use serial port communications, this one is better, being that it is USB and even better Bluetooth!!! I would have to agree with another review that documention is lacking for the unit, and the unit does not work with the Mac (bummer), but so far those are the only drawbacks. It accuratly told me where I was at, how fast I was going and my heading. Really slick! I drive nearly 30,000 miles each year and I am looking forwrd to driving easier with my new GPS!!

This is a must have for @$125!!

CAN'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT !!!!!
I have had this for about 2 years and I travel about 100 days a year by car. I have it hooked up to my laptop, which is on the passanger seat. It has never left me down. In fact I would be lost without it, literly. I tracks where I go anywhere in the US with the existing software. Nothing else to buy !!! It pinpoints where I am at anytime. It's GREAT. If you travel a lot like me via car, and have a laptop, a VERY GOOD, AND LOGICAL PURCHASE.

Poor Tracking Selection
1. The Earthmate does a very poor job of maintaining the track at speeds above 35 MPH or with even slight interferrence from buildings, bridges, etc. Before the Earthmate I had a small Magellan GPS that cost less and did a much better tracking job. Unfortunately it was stollen out of my car (along with the car).

2. I bought the Earthmate for use with my Palm but when I upgraded to an M500, there was no adapter cable. DeLorme has still not provided one.

A Overall Honest Review of the Delorme Road Warrior Edition
[12.18.2001] This Covers Earthmate, and Delorme Deluxe Atlas. I purchased this unit from CompUSA. Installed with no problems. just make sure you close all programs before installing. ( the usuall statement with most software). After running the software, aquiring the GPS signals was a little slow. Sometimes it would not get a signal from anywhere! the problem was in the config of the earthlink unit in Street Atlas. it would reset to 4800 bps. the earthmate runs at 9600. A patch from Delorme quickly fixed this and a few other problems that I did not experiance. now my systems locks to gps a lot faster than before, and more reliably. I mount the Earthmate on my dash of my 98 F-150 with one velcro strip, I use a laptop on the center floorboard with power coming from a DC/AC inverter with no problems for the long drive. I rarley lost complete signal,as I have read from some reviews here ( try the patch! ). tracking seems very acurate. I do loose 3-D signal due to blocking objects from above, but not 2-d. In downtown areas I have lost 2-D. but I lost tracking on all units I had with me ( all of them on the dash, not in a different location than the Earthlink). this unit seems comparable, and acts normally as a GPS should. I tried a extensive road trip with multiple stops over a 8 hour trip, and around town locally with great success. not one problem. I would suggest the DC power adapter (USB!)for the Earthmate. The Street Atlas (SA) did miss a little on vectoring your location in relation to the map. (mostly in rural area's). I have become confident in the overall results of finding my destination without any trouble. As with my other units, looking around after arriving is required,(duh). just for fun, I called Tech support, I got right in, the tech was freindly, helpfull, covered the basics with me on the call. advised me of the location for program updates and i was fixed up. then a problem actually occoured. when removing the earthmate from my laptop using the 9 pin serial connector. the cover came loose from the connector. this is a weak point. Delorme should use a better molded connector housing ( I'd pay 5 more bucks for it!) I advise getting the USB power adapter and reframe from pulling on the 9 pin connector! I replaced my unit at compusa... the Earthmate has a 60 day warranty, buy the product protection from where ever you can get it ( CompUSA has it ). this will extend your options for replacing the unit "just in case" for up to a year! Would I buy it again?... with PDA cable and USB power adapter ( USB bought from mobileplanet.com or delorme.com)You bet, ... and up for anything that comes close or exceeds the Delorme package. and even if the Earthlink does quit, Street Altas will still give you a map to drive by. and the biggest thing I liked, Color, with a laptop, or a palm IIIc ( what I use) I get color. not found on other hand held GPS's until you get to the $500+ units. bang for the buck, this is it. if your pockets are deeper, get a Gamrin Streetpilot III if you dont have a laptop/pda Color does make a big differance while
driving. much easier to referance. I have not tried the addon plugin GPS's for PDA's from other companys, those will have color ir your PDA supports color, only actual garmin GPS handheld units. and my Delorme Earthmate with the palm IIIc.
PS, I have stated COMPUSA and other Vendors, I do not promote them. just happened to be where I purchased this unit. and is part of the senario of this experiance. ... Read more