Advice for noob - P3600 General

I have been interested in getting a PDA phone for a while but wanted to wait till I could get one with SatNav built in.
I went to the Orange shop and they said that the SPV M700 (aka HTC p3600) was the one for me, but when I went back for a second look another guy said it did not have GPS and I would have to buy a module etc....so he really put me off.
Now I learn that Orange has the GPS module working out of the box, so that you can install tomtom and it works!!
The question I have now is does the Trinity work well with Skype over a wireless and/or 3G network? As this is another consideration for me..
Thanks for being gentle

Hi....I have not had a lot of experiance with Skype --- but the Trinity does have a powerful processor that should hold up. Until the next generation of HTC devices come out.
As for GPS -- if it is a P3600 it should have GPS -- but it may not be ACTIVATED. That is easily resolved by upgraqding the ROM. I have TomTom 6 working on mine....the GPS receiver is not 100% accurate -- but good enough. The device is a small size and packs a lot in it.
Hope this helps you.

I have the m700, and it does have GPS. It is certainly not mentioned on the orange site, or on the box, and the first time you see it mentioned is in the instruction book
You don't need to activate it or upgrade the ROM. It is hidden, and there are no icons to press to know it is there, but all you do is set the sat-nav/gps software to look at 'com 9' and it gets data from the gps chip.
I use it with TomTom 6 and it is great. It even picks up satelites while in a building, which is not something my other units ever did.
I don't use skype, but if you download SJphone from www.sjlabs.com , then you can use the device for VOIP, and it works well over WiFi. And the software is free.

Thanks for the quick replies, they have given me confidence to go ahead with getting the M700, perhaps even tomorrow!!
You would think that SatNav/GPS is a feature to be advertised!
Anyway, the "Com 9" is a good tip, as I am sure it will save me a headache when trying out tomtom, thanks PaulusUK

Related

What version of TomTom?

Which version of TomTom works best with the XDA Exec and where can I buy it from?
With 126 posts already you should not be posting this!!
Plenty of threads on it already!!
Use latest version 5.21 (works very well)
google for your purchase or... total-gps.co.uk or ebay for it.
For gps unit... my recomendation is holux 236 (cant get better than this).
BR
Is the Holux better than the bluetooth GPS that comes with Navigator? I find the bundled GPS can take a long time to get a fix.
Does the Holux have 32 chanel? Auto on and off? Works inside the glovebox? 12 hour battery life car and mains charger? For £40? As after much searching I went for this Qstarz BT-Q880 32 Parallel Channel Bluetooth GPS Receiver with 'Auto-ON-OFF' Technology and worlds fastest TTFF.:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9739255922&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1
Also re tomtom 5.21 working, I and another can confirm it does NOT work, if you have the latest CE rom version. I upgraded, and now even the 5.21 won't work - shuts down when you get to choosing a voice part. If you know a fix to this please let me know!
Greg.
agent003 said:
With 126 posts already you should not be posting this!!
Plenty of threads on it already!!
Use latest version 5.21 (works very well)
google for your purchase or... total-gps.co.uk or ebay for it.
For gps unit... my recomendation is holux 236 (cant get better than this).
BR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol well if you and 1 whole other can confirm it dosn't work, guess the rest of us should switch ours off and stop using it then.
Usual culprits for the crash at setup are, no CurrentMap.dat file in the my documents\Tomtom\ folder, just create a blank text document and rename it, (beware of windows xp renaming it as CurrentMap.dat.txt)
Also check you actually have voices installed, they do not come as part of the 5.21 installation file, your supposed to get them off your original CD's.
Hi Greg,
Indeed that looks like a nice unit @ a competitive price.
I cant coment further on it since its just unknown to me.
The holux though... very nice looking unit (not that it makes a diference on efficiency), does last 10 hours on the go,... on average from inside my glove box it picks up 7-9 sattelites (fixed) and as for the size its only marginally bigger than the nokia battery that it uses and it has 20 channel (if it had 32+ it would not work any better) price wise..one has to shop for it to get the best price and as a guide sellers on ebay at its cheapest are only making under £8 profit ...I give this 10/10 excellent.
Plz dont take this as blaging towrads what i got but just my 2 pence worth towards your questions :wink:
In regards to 5.21...I am also using the latest CE and it works flawlessly.
I have also encotered such problem as yours and a proper voice instalation fro the disk sorted it (you could have a problem if you dont have the latest instalation exe file that seems to throw an error when you have the latest rom on your device.
I have posted so much on these tomtom problems over forums that just cant be asked to repeat myselfe over and over again
If you cant get it going Greg.. PM me and Ill surelly sort it for you in real time talk.
WBR
Thanks for that really helpful post. I can't fault the holux either, or mine for that matter. One of the reasons I bought mine was the quoted fast start times (true) and the fact I can stick it in the glovebox and wire it in to the ignition, with the auto on/off feature it powers up on ignition then and also is charging so should I need to go walkabout it's always charged.
Anyhow thanks re tomtom, I'll give it a go again installing some voices and will go from there I think - be aware you may get a pm ;-)
I'm a hardened TomTom user and have hacked it pleanty in the past so was a bit worried by 6 or so hours of messing not getting it working!
I'll update in due course if I figure it too.
Greg.

tom tom 6 + exec

how easy is it to install tomtom 6 on a O2 EXEC and get it working with a bluetooth gps reciver?
Are there any/many cracked coppies of this floating arround?
Cheers
Oblique
oblique said:
how easy is it to install tomtom 6 on a O2 EXEC and get it working with a bluetooth gps reciver?
Are there any/many cracked coppies of this floating arround?
Cheers
Oblique
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's an idea: try not stealing.
i don't nomaly steal but as i don't know how stable tomtom works on my phone or how stable bluetooth gps works on my phone i am reluctant to spend 80quid to find out.
works very well, you have to config your exec to get TOMTOM to work with bluetooth gps( you can find that on here somewhere).
It works fine, but slower than on a QVGA screen device.
I have used v5 and v6 on AKU 2, 3, and now Crossbow ROMs, it works fine on the Universal, so you can buy it without worrying.
jowett69 said:
works very well, you have to config your exec to get TOMTOM to work with bluetooth gps( you can find that on here somewhere).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't actually have to config anything if you have the TomTom GPS, it turns on BT itself, and finds it.
If you have a non TomTom BT GPS, simply pair it, and select an outgoing COM port, then when you fire up TomTom, tell it that it's a BT GPS on whatever port you chose.
All very easy.
cool, that is the kind of information that i was looking for, does anyone here use the live trafic update service? does it work well and divert you automaticly and how much does it cost to subscribe?
cheers
If I can remember, you and get 1 free month to try. Traffic is not always update!!!!!
It's good if there's a large incident, but in my experience you usually get stuck in things before they hit your device, and you see the road signs on motorways and things warning you anyway.
I stopped the subscripton, and just reroute myself if I see warnings, or hear something on the radio.
I am using TomTom 6 on my Exec now.
Previously used Navigon MN|5 which required *LOTS* of memory, so TomTom was a nice refreshment with its 7-9 MB memory trace.
Had problems setting up Bluetooth receiver. It wasn't showing up in the port list when I selected Bluetooth one. What I did was: added an incoming serial port, run TomTom and set port to this one (did not work yet!) then closed it and removed the port; after that TomTom just worked straight away At this point, an attempt to change port led to inability to get out of port selection, and you're buggered again. I'm sure that's some glitch, but I solved it anyway. May be there's a neater way of doing this.
But the software itself was good and stable, does what's on the tin, copy a directory to your card and you get Full Postcode navigation (very useful when finding businesses and not residential homes), and POI Warning function is built in now -- a *major* plus, never really got time to make POIWarner work properly. Tunnel mode -- progressive marker movement when lost GPS signal in a tunnel -- and that won my heart.
I do understand people's need to try BEFORE you buy, not after your money is tied up with some dud product and you get no refund. Go Trial, go.
Well in this case I'm pleased with TomTom 6 and its services. You can easily get a camera database each month from the Net and probably can live without Traffic service, but for me £33 a year doesn't seem too big a dent in my wallet - compared to £170-200 TMC receivers currently available on the market.
AlanJC said:
It works fine, but slower than on a QVGA screen device.
I have used v5 and v6 on AKU 2, 3, and now Crossbow ROMs, it works fine on the Universal, so you can buy it without worrying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AlanJC: Have you tried TT6 under WM6 and did all work well? Also, was TT6 happy after you upgraded the ROM - did you have any problems with TT6 thinking the Device Code had changed, thereby needing to re-register the software?

best gps software and bt gps receiver...

Hey guys,
I want to buy some gps software for my dopod 838pro and a bluetooth gps receiver. I was wondering what ones work best with your hermes devices and what problems arise when using them.
I was looking at the papago software and it seems pretty good. If there is anyone here using it I would like to know your feedback on how it performs and also what kind of gps reciever you are using.
Thanks for your time and input
oh I am also in Australia..I don't know if that makes much difference or not
Cheers
I suggest IBlue 737 with the latest MTK chipset, it has nice auto on/off feature an 25 hours of battery life. another more expensive option is the Garmin Gps10X (the new Sirf3 model only, the old one is crap)
Software that i use:
Garmin Que + Franson GPSGate
OZI Explorer
IGO
TomTom
sorry to threadjack.
but regarding the IBlue 737, will it or does it need anything else other then my 8525 to work?
I have google maps on the 8525. will it work with that alone or do I have to add something else?
Once again sorry to threadjack but I think it fits into the OP's questions.
if needed delete this and I'll make a new thread.
google map is good with any GPS. (just nmake sure you have unlimited data) else it could be expensive.
ive used iGuidance 4 and iGO my way plus 2006 with BT-Q818
GUI:
iGO rocks.. smooth.. and really nice...
iGuidance .. just plain and dull.. gps tracking not smooth as iGO is.
what i really like about iGuidance though is the TTS feature, and it tells you which side the destination is.. iGO does not..
if the features i liked in iGuidance would just be integrated in iGO, ill get it in a heartbeat.
Fantastic!
and yes I have the unlimited data plan, had it for a long time. I used to have a smt 5600 before the 8525.
one more question... will it also work with the yahoo go 2.0?
thanks guys, one more thing to spend money on
yes, it will work with yahoo go 2.0. i use one myself(live in UK). make sure u have a data package though.(unlimited would be the best). i use t-mobile wnw £7.50 and a BT gps.its amazing what you can do with this phone.i love it
The thread jacking is ok its all relevant
So any other suggestions with people who have the papago software at all?
And does anyone have any other gps receivers?
Cheers
My favorite GPS sw is TomTom, great features, easy to use and no bugs. I use it with a earthmate bt-20. Takes up 1gb of space but worth it. Tomtom automatically connects to my BT receiver, responds quickly and has nice smooth 3d graphics.
My next favorite is MSN streets. It is easy to use and has the most up to date maps of my area.
I really dont care for Google maps unless I'm in a G network. If you dont have internet reception which is often the case when you travel then Google maps is completely useless.
The Earthmate BT-20 receiver seems to work ok but it is the only one I have tried. Its a ugly yellow, blue, and black 2"x3.5" plastic box. I look forward to the day when GPS is built in.
im in aussie town too, tomtom 6 (soon 7) on the hermes with some bluetooth gps that i got off ebay works wonders.
also has no issues running on prophet (my wifes phone) and my now retired magician.
microsoft streets was good when running in offline mode however it looks like they dont support australia anymore with the only map set available being a few years old.
Thanks guys for the advice
Seems like tomtom might be the go..its what I've been hearing as being the best out there.
I think I will just get a gps receiver off ebay too
Cheers
I might as well throw in my .02 as well hehe
I'm in Australia and using Tomtom 6 with a Globalsat BT receiver and it works perfectly
Good luck with your decision
naughty said:
I suggest IBlue 737 with the latest MTK chipset, it has nice auto on/off feature an 25 hours of battery life. another more expensive option is the Garmin Gps10X (the new Sirf3 model only, the old one is crap)
Software that i use:
Garmin Que + Franson GPSGate
OZI Explorer
IGO
TomTom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the garmin GPS 10x and i get a weird error - ive only had it a week, long story short sometimes it wont turn on. --- how do you tell which model you have?
when it works, its awesome. tells you which turns to make, has a "recalculate" feature, good maps with a lot of detail
how do you connect it to google maps? i did it one time but haven't been able to do it since! would like to run it simulatneous with garmin XT the software that comes with it, google in satellite mode so you see from the sky where you travel to and hear from the garmin software which way to turn, would be pretty neat
i get confused which settings need to be put to which com port? i tried to add it in blue tooth and set up COM port 0 in there, and then go intot he GPS external setting (WM6) and set up both hardware and program port to 0 as well. cant get it to work alongside garmin XT software
Microsoft was offering a BT Pharos GPS for about $70 for PocketPC devices awhile back, not sure if they still are.
I got one and it works very well. The only difference between this and the typical Pharos offering is that it doesn't come with any software. Using it with Livesearch works perfectly -- the only thing Livesearch is lacking is vocal turn-by-turn directions and automatic trip recalculation. But of course you're not limited to just using livesearch with the GPS anyway.
Looks like it is still available:
http://www.amazon.com/Pharos-Blueto...6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1187064734&sr=8-3
Nokia Smart2GO.. It's tomtom but for free worldwide. (with some very minor limits/payable extras)
Have a search for the word nokia and posts by me and youll find some info about it in one of the hundreds of other gps threads around the hermes
thank you for your info. I am thinking of getting a bt gps receiver with software
my favourite is Navigon (you can tinker soo nicely with all the settings 'under the hood' ).
Dunno whether Navigon has a AU map at all, but they sell under a different name in the USA.
I would recommend any sirfIII GPS antenna with a good review in one of the navigation fora. I am using a cheap Mainnav that is OK.(great reception even behind metal coated car windows)
Wait for a Natural Disaster!!
I use TomTom 6 with a Nokia Bluetooth GPS reciever.. i got it for 29.99 from Fry's!!!
I live in central texas and when Katrina was on its way to New Orleans fries had CRAZY discounts on GPS units, Maglites, Waterproof cases for pdas.. basicly almost anything that can be used for "survival" so i grabbed a bunch of other stuff... now that Hurricane Dean is on its way i'm pretty sure they'll have discounts again... Time to hit up Fry's!!
lol its "natural disaster" sales at frys...for every hurricane that comes along we drop the prices by 20%
Cheers
WM5, iGuidance 3.x, i.Trek M5+
Never a hiccup.

TomTom in htc touch dual

Hello every body,
Can anyone know if TomTom is ok in htc touch dual?
If yes, can anyone give me a link, were i can download it, and recent map of europe?
best regards
I have TomTom 6 Navigator running fine on my Touch Dual, using a Qstarz BT318 external GPS. There were no problems during installation. Although it is a little awkward having to carry the external GPS, at least it has its own 1100 mAh battery so both devices last a long time in GPS mode.
I couldn't find the TomTom software available to download anywhere (legally). I bought the DVD from this company: http://www.digital-fusion.co.uk/
Item: 1T90.015
Quantity: 1
Product: Tomtom Navigator 6 Software + Maps Of Western Europe Dvd Unit Price: GBP 60.81 (Excl. VAT)
Very impressed by the TomTom software - even with a 2.6" picture, the 3D view is very usable whilst driving.
Thank you very much
Best reagards
if you want to be "naughty" then searching will get you where you want. We can't provide links here I don't think, but all the usual torrenting sites have it.
My (bought) copy, weirdly, boots up when I switch my phone on - it's not in the startup but it does anyway. Perhaps cause I took the shortcut off my home screen?
Also, one thing to be aware of - if your phone is in vibrate mode, and you start Tom Tom, when you have finished & later set your phone to non-vibrate, you'll find it's muted your ringer volume. I missed loads of calls before I realised what the culprit was.
Other than that it works fine on my touch dual, with a similar GPS antenna (incidentally, just posted elsewhere that my battery on my antenna just lasted since Sunday afternoon (it's not Thurs eve) since I didn't realise I'd left it on. A bit astonished at the battery life of the thing!!!
Garmin XT also gets good reviews, some claim it's better.
no problems here w the tom tom.
just take into account the mute fact.
anyway the external gps takes longer than other devices to work fine. the com ports are more complicated than i thought. but nothing u cant solve in a day or two.
i cant put a shortcut in my homescreen. anybody knows how to?
thanks
erkv said:
no problems here w the tom tom.
just take into account the mute fact.
anyway the external gps takes longer than other devices to work fine. the com ports are more complicated than i thought. but nothing u cant solve in a day or two.
i cant put a shortcut in my homescreen. anybody knows how to?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
shortcut: look in your today screen items - it's in there.. or should be... in fact it should've appeared by default
em, i found the ext gps easy... just use "other"... NMEA... I think.. took 5 mins to work out.
let me know if you have probs, i can check out the settings used
i know but its doenst appear,
anyway its not a big deal. plus, i guess its a version problem.
and... talking about the ext gps, i guess the prob doenst come from tom tom but the pda. i took me time to figure out the com port number to paired the device.
i have it as com 7, com 4, 4800, check gps automatic.
btw, i didnt use other nmea because i have a bt gps receiver.
i forgot what com port i choose at tomtom.
but no need for that when i connected it thru google maps.
dont know. just works.
thank you for your help.
Tomtom not visible when receiving call
I used to have a HTC 8310 smartphone (Mobile 5 and Tomtom 5.20). The good thing was, that when Tomtom was working and I then received a call on thr 8310, I would see the Tomtom screen again after a few seconds while continuing talking. Only the Tomtom voice would de-activate while speaking to the other person. That was excellent, because I could still see where I was supposed to be driving while speaking to another person on the phone at the same time!
I now have a NIKI 100 (Mobile 6.1 and Tomtom 6) and I find that the Tomtom screen does not re-appear immediately after accepting a call. The screen stays on the dial-screen the whole time. Only after the call is finished, Tomtom comes back automatically.
Does anyone know a way to change this, because it's pretty annoying.
Thanks in advance!
I have the same "problem". Before on my wizard it worked like you describe and now it stays in the dial-screen and Tomtom doesn't reappear. Also when the call is finished I have to switch back manually by clicking on the small icons in the corner on the right bottom.
I also have a NIKI 100, Tomtom 6 and WM6.1 (Niki Project).
Does anybody knows how to fix this?

GPS on HTC 8525?

Hello all! I am curious if free GPS (no data plan, just free GPS service) is available on the HTC 8525? I am really liking the Tilt [8925] with the full-keyboard, GPS, wi-fi, and 3 Megapixel camera, but I see that the HTC 8525 has a full-keyboard, wi-fi, and a 2 Megapixel camera. I can live with the 2-MP camera, but I really would like the GPS for free, if possible. Is there a GPS freeware software made for the 8525? Could the 8925 GPS software be installed on the 8525 with no issues?
Sorry if this sounds too easy. I am very inexperienced in "modding" a cell phone (my latest is making an old Motorola v120e WAP-enabled -- 4 years ago before cell phone carriers charged for it!). Back to the topic, if the GPS software requires modding the 8525, I would like a "modding for dummies" step-by-step instruction in layman's terms, and hopefully a guarantee that it won't fry the cell.
Lastly, if anyone has the 8525, would you be so kind as to critique it, compared to the 8925 if possible?
Thanks in advance!
Sorry for any confusion here. I overlooked that the 8525 is made for T-mobile. I didn't win it or bid on it yet, though. I don't believe that it's unlocked, but I'm sure there are some unlocking software out there. Point being, is the 8525 really worth the effort in unlocking it to AT&T, or should I just stick with the 8925 Tilt? The biggest difference is the 8525 costs $169.78 (used), where the Tilt starts about $250 (used).
ohpfan said:
Sorry for any confusion here. I overlooked that the 8525 is made for T-mobile. I didn't win it or bid on it yet, though. I don't believe that it's unlocked, but I'm sure there are some unlocking software out there. Point being, is the 8525 really worth the effort in unlocking it to AT&T, or should I just stick with the 8925 Tilt? The biggest difference is the 8525 costs $169.78 (used), where the Tilt starts about $250 (used).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GPS software that you can use on the Tilt can be used on the 8525. That's not really the problem. The issue is that the 8525 has no built in working GPS hardware. So this means you have to use a small bluetooth GPS receiver. It actually works well but you have to carry the bluetooth receiver in your pocket / car.
Mike
Interesting! I never knew that Bluetooth GPS existed! A BT-359 costs $46.95, which isn't too bad.
Sorry to get slightly off-topic, but what are the requirements for a handset to have, to be able to use that Bluetooth GPS device? I have the Samsung A707 Sync currently, would it be compatible with that handset? If so, would I need to get on an unlimited data rate plan [$30/month], or just by buying the GPS device, it covers all costs to using it? Is the software to put into the Sync included, or do I have to pay for it? I just use the Sync for voice calls (no texting/data messaging), but a hand-held GPS is pretty cool, especially when it's built-in to the cellular phone!
Thanks for your help!
Sorry, can't say about your Samsung A707 but if you connect via bluetooth there are NO charges to use the GPS software (apart from getting the sodftware and maps) as long as its not something that constantly requires updating through the GPRS system. But thats just crazy to do... Better to get a standalone GPS program, I've got Tomtom, and purchase maps.
Cheers....
mikechannon said:
But the advantage of having a program that you can buy a map/s for is that it will operate more smoothly in my experience as the map is held in your device.
The GPS Sirf III receiver I use is:
http://www.blueunplugged.com/p.aspx?p=120534
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for all the info! This is still all new to me, so forgive any stupid questions. Is there a difference between different Bluetooth models, besides the obvious rechargeable battery or included AC or DC power adapter?
I'm still unsure how this all works. What exactly does the Bluetooth adapter do, if the maps are stored on the cell phone? Like does it have up-to-date POI (points-of-interest) or are those required to be downloaded?
By the way, I have decided not to go with the 8525 at this point. I am still considering buying a Tilt (8925) if the Bluetooth adapter sounds too difficult to match up to my cell phone. (I understand that neither of you know for a fact if the Sync can get the maps loaded into it.)
Thanks again for any new info!
As stated, I use a STANDALONE program... It has maps loaded onto an sd card and can be purchased from off Tomtom(if I wish to update to the latest).
As for the bluetooth adaptor, EASY to sync. Like a bluetooth headset with 1 or 2 more steps. I prefer my hermes to the tilt as /8925/variio III( the names go on 4ever) as it has EXCELLANT graphics drivers the other model doesn't, apparently there have been issues about this and it doesn't look like HTC give a damn about fixing it.
If the GPS is all you're after the bluetooth option is a good way to go but make sure you have at least 25 channels on your GPS receiver as I had a 16 channel receiver and it took up to and over 10 minutes to lock sometimes. Got a 52 channel receiver and it makes a HUGE difference. People say it shouldn't as there are only 25(?) GPS satellites but it makes a HUGE difference in lock time(< 1 minute) and signal strength...
Cheers...
Just to clarify a little for the Original Poster.
Because the Hermes does not have a built in GPS receiver you need an external one. So the Bluetooth receiver receives the satellite data and then uses bluetooth to beam the data to the phone. (it is not using bluetooth to receive satellite info, but using it to send the info to the phone).
Mike
ultramag69 said:
As stated, I use a STANDALONE program... It has maps loaded onto an sd card and can be purchased from off Tomtom(if I wish to update to the latest).
As for the bluetooth adaptor, EASY to sync. Like a bluetooth headset with 1 or 2 more steps. I prefer my hermes to the tilt as /8925/variio III( the names go on 4ever) as it has EXCELLANT graphics drivers the other model doesn't, apparently there have been issues about this and it doesn't look like HTC give a damn about fixing it.
If the GPS is all you're after the bluetooth option is a good way to go but make sure you have at least 25 channels on your GPS receiver as I had a 16 channel receiver and it took up to and over 10 minutes to lock sometimes. Got a 52 channel receiver and it makes a HUGE difference. People say it shouldn't as there are only 25(?) GPS satellites but it makes a HUGE difference in lock time(< 1 minute) and signal strength...
Cheers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed reply! I don't currently own the Hermes 8525; I seen it on eBay for the price I mentioned earlier and was considering buying it. About 15 minutes later, I realized it's intended for T-mobile service, which I know can be unlocked to any SIM-card compatible company (i.e. AT&T/Cingular in the States) for a fee.
I am a bit unsure what you mean by "Standalone" though. I presume you don't have a "ready out of the box" GPS system with viewing screen, but the only other option I can think of is you put the memory card into the cell phone (or a PDA / laptop PC).
My Bluetooth-compatible cell phone has a MicroSD memory card slot on it, and I have the SD card adapter where I can put songs, pictures, and text files onto my cell phone via the memory card. Therefore,all that is needed is a memory-card compatible cell phone, and then download maps to the memory card and insert it into the cell phone. If that's the case, then I should be set! I would only need to find a Bluetooth GPS adapter (with 25 channels for best results). Am I correct on this understanding?
I heard that there are a few free map sites online, do they offer POIs for free too? I am going on my honeymoon in Los Angeles, CA and would really like to just use my cell phone with the above features on it with the Bluetooth adapter for convenience as well as not having to carry a full-size GPS with me.]
Another silly question, if you don't mind. Do the Bluetooth adapters work on more than one device at a time? For instance, my Sync A707 cell phone and my fiancee's Blackberry Pearl could each have a copy of the maps. Would the receiver work on both cells at the same time; or is it only pairable to one at a time? For the above scenario, we would have to both be within the amount of feet required to receive the Bluetooth signal, of course. [Since we're on our honeymoon on the other side of the U.S., I doubt we'd be separated that far away.]
ultramag69 said:
Just to clarify a little for the Original Poster.
Because the Hermes does not have a built in GPS receiver you need an external one. So the Bluetooth receiver receives the satellite data and then uses bluetooth to beam the data to the phone. (it is not using bluetooth to receive satellite info, but using it to send the info to the phone).
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, that helped me understand it much better than before. Not to belittle ultra, but I was thinking the cellular phone had to have 25 channels, but he meant the Bluetooth adapter should have 25 channels for best results.
I am considering a Hermes and probably will be getting one shortly within a week. I am not the OP, but either way thanks for the info. Which TomTom version is best on the Hermes - and which reciever is best with TomTom. Or is there a better GPS software for the hermes. Thanks again for all the info. I have been active on the Excalibur section, but have been interested in getting a Hermes as my next phone.
To the OP, the 8525 is actually an AT&T/Cingular phone here in the US, not a T-Mobile. The Wing is the only PPC on T-Mobile. If it says T-Mobile -then it is unlocked as it already comes Cingular/AT&T capable.
es_bih said:
To the OP, the 8525 is actually an AT&T/Cingular phone here in the US, not a T-Mobile. The Wing is the only PPC on T-Mobile. If it says T-Mobile -then it is unlocked as it already comes Cingular/AT&T capable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that info! I read that on the eBay listing, I just presumed it was accurate on the listing.
If I can get the Bluetooth adapter to work on my current cell phone I won't need the Hermes (as I would have to buy that adapter anyways). My current Samsung Sync has a 2-MP camera and music player, so the only thing I would be adding is the full QWERTY keyboard with the Hermes. I don't really think the Hermes is worth the $170 or more to me just for the keyboard (for text messaging).
I do like the Wi-Fi on the Tilt, so that the keyboard would be useful, to type online. That's why I am still leaning toward the Tilt, not the Hermes, if I do upgrade my cellular phone.
ohpfan, is your mobile a windows os phone?
Thats why we are using GPS on ours. We can load the software on easily. You need to do a google search and find out if you can use the GPS software on your current phone. All phones are not the same and can't do everything another can. Nokia N-series has GPS, HTC too. You will have to check to see if yours is capable.
Cheers...
ohpfan said:
Thanks for that info! I read that on the eBay listing, I just presumed it was accurate on the listing.
If I can get the Bluetooth adapter to work on my current cell phone I won't need the Hermes (as I would have to buy that adapter anyways). My current Samsung Sync has a 2-MP camera and music player, so the only thing I would be adding is the full QWERTY keyboard with the Hermes. I don't really think the Hermes is worth the $170 or more to me just for the keyboard (for text messaging).
I do like the Wi-Fi on the Tilt, so that the keyboard would be useful, to type online. That's why I am still leaning toward the Tilt, not the Hermes, if I do upgrade my cellular phone.
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Click to collapse
I hope you know that the
8525 has wifi
abc12345 said:
I hope you know that the
8525 has wifi
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Click to collapse
Well, geez that eBay member sure didn't do his research then! Thanks for that info too!! I even looked on CNet to compare models and it didn't mention the 8525 has Wi-fi in it.
To ultra: I will check tonight about if my cell can support GPS. Been a busy weekend here, so not much time online.
ultramag69 said:
ohpfan, is your mobile a windows os phone?
Thats why we are using GPS on ours. We can load the software on easily. You need to do a google search and find out if you can use the GPS software on your current phone. All phones are not the same and can't do everything another can. Nokia N-series has GPS, HTC too. You will have to check to see if yours is capable.
Cheers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just found out that the Sync uses a proprietary firmware, so I would say no to Windows OS . From my understanding, the Java in my Sync phone doesn't accept Bluetooth is why the GPS isn't able to work. Unless there's an updated Java that supports Bluetooth, I am not able to use my current cell. Which leads to the question: Is there a "universal" Java update for Bluetooth support, or is it cell phone specific?
OK, I found a nice price for a 8525 on eBay, only $115 (including shipping) for one that is sold "as-is," but it doesn't sound like anything other than a battery or charger is wrong with it. I purchased it, and should be shipped on Wednesday. I will keep you all informed on what happens with it when I get it! Once I get it working, I'll go for the Bluetooth adapter later on.
Just a little update ... there is another Sync user who is trying to get the Samsung u600 firmware "altered" so that the Sync can use the Bluetooth GPS adapter.
Hi, I'm back again, with an AT&T-replaced reconditioned 8525. It's really strange, that I've made a full circle once again, after about a month of asking this question! I am now a bit wiser, and hopefully not as naive, as before!
As mentioned in other threads, I've updated to WM6 already. I am back on eBay looking for Bluetooth GPS adapters. Ultra mentioned earlier to look for a 25+ channel model, which I found two that meet or exceed that data.
My research has found the lowest price [shipping/handling-included] at $39.90 for a BT-5 (12 channels); the next one up at $44.48 for a Sirf-3 (12 to 16 channels); and the last at $44.99 for a BT5721 (44 channels).
The obvious choice is the BT5721 for only $5.09 more than the cheaper BT-5 model, but has anyone had experience with any of the 3 models mentioned? Also, it seems that the TomTom brand is predominant in the U.S., but how reliable is the software -- does it hang, lock up, etc.? I don't want to first experiment with it on my honeymoon and get the other half upset for being lost in the 'hood.
I will consider any suggestions for what models to buy, be it from any of the 3 above, or other ones. I would like to spend no more than $45, as the BT5721 seems the best deal right now!
I sincerely recommend the one with the highest amount of channels. I know people will say that there are only 24 gps satellites BUT I had a 16 channel receiver and got BAD signal coverage (around urban environments especially). At one point my GPS software was telling me I was in the middle of Sydney Harbour (but to take the next right - don't ask me Tomtom did it...).
I updated to a 52 channel reciever and have had no problems since.
Others may have a different opinion but I believe the one with the most channels is money well spent, and the petrol you save running around in circles trying to get a GPS fix & trying to work out WHERE THE HELL YOU ARE (not to mention the high blood pressure and hair replacement costs) more than make up for the "extra" $$$$$...
Cheers...
ultramag69 said:
I sincerely recommend the one with the highest amount of channels. I know people will say that there are only 24 gps satellites
. . .
I updated to a 52 channel reciever and have had no problems since.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! After I posted on here, I located a 51-channel solar Bluetooth GPS -- the BT2.3MR (not available "Buy it Now" but first one I monitored sold for $56). To see the item I'm talking about, go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Solar-Bluetooth-GPS-Receiver-51-Channels-free-ship_W0QQitemZ300246493051. Are there any issues with solar-powered GPS devices? Or are they too new to even get feedback on?
I will keep looking for a 52-channel GPS receiver, as I'm pretty frugal with my money on eBay. Thanks again!

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