Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Never been where you are going? Try Socket's Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit!
Posted by Chris Hendriks in "HARDWARE" @ 11:00 AM
Are you planning a vacation with your family this summer? Are you the person responsible for getting the maps and planning the route? Want to avoid the arguments with your spouse about being lost or not? Well, read on my friend! I have the solution for you. We are going to take a look at Socket Communications' new Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit. This wireless GPS kit will simplify your driving experience so that the entire family can enjoy the vacation and not worry about getting lost.
Socket Communications Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit is a Bluetooth GPS receiver with in-car navigation software for your Pocket PC. The actual receiver is a small self contained navigation solution that is extremely portable. The included navigation software is easy to install, configure, and transfer maps to your Pocket PC storage card. With the Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit and your Pocket PC, you have a complete personal navigation system that allows you to leave those printed maps and scrawled directions at home. I experienced the joy of stress-free driving for the very first time and fully recommend this solution to others who might be looking for a truly wireless and portable solution.
Getting Started
The Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit comes in a well packaged box that enables a consumer to quickly determine the kit contents, system requirements and basic features. The kit contains the following items:
Figure 1: The box contents for Socket's Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit.
A Look at the Bluetooth GPS Receiver
The actual GPS receiver is small and very portable. All indicators are readily visible on the front of the receiver much like a radar detector. The front of the receiver includes the following LED indicators: Bluetooth status, GPS status, and the battery status. The front of the receiver also includes a power on/off switch and the power jack. I find that these two items are very convenient to operate since they aren’t located on the back or side of the receiver. The side of the receiver also contains an external antenna port that you can use if you choose to connect an external antenna. I never tested this particular feature but some could find this option useful if they choose to mount the receiver in a location where the internal antenna can’t receive a quality GPS signal. The external antenna, an AC charging adapter, and other accessories are available from the Socket Communication’s Web site.
The basic technical specifications for the Bluetooth GPS receiver are as follows:
Figure 2: Socket's Bluetooth GPS Receiver.
The specifications for this receiver are more than adequate for use by any weekend warrior like me or by the majority users who need GPS as a navigation aid. You can locate more detailed specifications on Socket’s Web site. For a discussion on the technical meaning of the specifications, I would recommend that you read Gary Garland’s in-depth series of articles about GPS that are available on this site. If you are interested in the technical details of Socket's BT GPS receiver in comparison to other devices on the market then I recommend that you also read an article on the GPS Passion website called "Bluetooth GPS Shoot-out!" I also want to point out that Socket doesn’t recommend this receiver for “medical or life support applications.“
The Mapping Software
The mapping software that Socket calls MyNavigator is very easy to install on your computer and even easier to transfer maps to a storage card for use on your Pocket PC. Socket has map support for the 48 contiguous US states and the big island of Hawaii in the US kit. The kit for Western Europe includes maps for Austria, Benelux, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The Navigation software is compatible with Pocket PC 2000/2002 and supports the following features:
As an added bonus, Socket announced a new promotion on June 6, 2003 for all registered owners of the Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit. "Attention Socket GPS Nav Kit Owners! Register your GPS Nav Kit and receive email notification of a FREE upgrade opportunity from Socket Communications. Registered purchasers of the North America version of the GPS Nav Kit will be able to receive an upgrade that includes Canada map data. Registered purchasers of the United Kingdom version of the GPS Nav Kit will be able to receive the map data upgrade for all of Western Europe. This offer is only good for those customers that register their product, so register today!!"
Transferring Maps to your Pocket PC
Loading maps onto your Pocket PC is an easy process once you've installed the MyNavigator software on your computer. Synchronize your Pocket PC with your computer and then launch the MyNavigator software. You can save maps of states or cities in the US. It is advisable to save your maps on a storage card due to their large size. Socket recommends a storage card with at least 64 MB but I would advise that you purchase one with a larger capacity. You will find the extra capacity useful when trying to save maps of multiple states as is typically needed for most vacations. In fact, if you get a really large capacity storage card then you can save almost all the maps that you will ever need and then never have to do it again.
If you only need to save a map of a city then you will find a very useful feature where you can specify the radius of the map from 25 miles to 125 miles in 25 mile increments. I found this very useful when I was just using the GPS receiver around town and wanted to save the map to the Pocket PC’s main memory instead of a storage card. Transferring the map data to your Pocket PC takes a few minutes. The amount of time necessary depends on the size of the map being transferred. When your map is transferred, you simply disconnect your Pocket PC from the cradle and soft reset the Pocket PC. I found this process to be easy to follow.
Communicating with the Bluetooth GPS Receiver
In order to transfer data back and forth between your Pocket PC and the GPS receiver, you will need to configure your Bluetooth settings. First, turn on the Bluetooth GPS receiver and let it obtain a GPS fix. This will take a few minutes the first time that this is done. The GPS Status light will blink green once the GPS fix is complete. I should point that GPS technology requires a clear view of the sky in order to receive the necessary signals. Therefore, anything that obstructs the receiver’s view of the sky will interfere with your signal reception. Items on this list include things such as the receiver’s position in your vehicle, tunnels, urban canyons (streets with tall buildings on either side), and interior rooms in buildings. On your Pocket PC, perform a Bluetooth device discovery to locate the Bluetooth GPS receiver. The procedure to perform this on your Pocket PC will vary according to the particular Pocket PC or Bluetooth accessory card that you are using. When creating the bond between your Pocket PC and the Bluetooth GPS receiver, you will be prompted to enter a passkey that is provided by Socket Communications in the Quick Start Guide. Once the bond is formed then you can start the MyNavigator software on your Pocket PC.
The entire bonding process is fairly straightforward and only has to be completed once when you are first using your GPS receiver. However, I would recommend that you save the passkey number in case you have to hard reset your pocket PC and lose your entire configuration. I created a text file on the same storage card that I saved all my maps. If you are using an iPAQ 3870, 3970, 5450, or a Socket Bluetooth card then you are ready to use the MyNavigator software on your Pocket PC. Any other Pocket PC or Bluetooth accessory card may require you to change the COM Port setting in the MyNavigator software to match the COM Port setting of your Bluetooth device. I experimented with a Dell AXIM using a Socket Bluetooth Card and each of the three iPAQ’s listed above and found the process quite simple to accomplish.
Figure 3: Socket Bluetooth GPS receiver and iPAQ Pocket PC. No wires.
Navigation - Using you Bluetooth GPS Receiver and Pocket PC
You are now at a point where you can enter your destination address and start using your GPS solution. Let me quickly recap the process to get to this point:
The map displayed on your Pocket PC contains a variety of information and controls. This includes your current location, your vehicle’s speed, ETA, remaining time to destination, distance to destination, direction, and distance to your next turn. Your vehicle is displayed as an icon on the map. The color of the icon changes according to the quality of your GPS fix. Green indicates a strong signal, yellow indicates an insufficient signal, and red indicates no signal. There are various useful controls that allow you to zoom in or out of the map and pan around the map. There is also a control that allows you to swap between map view, guidance view, and route list. The map view is the primary screen that you will use in most situations. However, I found the route list view helpful when there are many turns within a short distance of one another. The route list view contains your trip data organized in three columns. The first column contains an icon graphically representing the turning action that you will need to take. The second column contains the printed intersection or exit information and the direction to turn. Finally, the third column contains the distance until the next movement. I tested the maps in a variety of conditions and trips and found them to be quite accurate but I am sure that there are some new roads or subdivisions that may not be listed. It would be a great consumer service for Socket to offer a map subscription.
Figure 4: Views of Socket's MyNavigator Software.
Gotchas
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit and recommend it to those of you searching for a lightweight, portable, and wireless solution that can be easily packed when you travel. However, the following items could be improved or should be considered:
The Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit can be purchased from the for $419.95 US [affiliate]. The GPS receiver without the mapping software can also be purchased separately from the Pocket PC Thoughts Mobile Planet Store and retails for $339.95 US [affiliate]. The external antenna and other accessories can also be purchased from the Pocket PC Thoughts Mobile Planet Store at various retail prices [affiliate].
Specifications
Socket lists that the minimum system requirements for the Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit are a Bluetooth enabled Pocket PC device using a MIPS, SH3, or ARM processor, and at least 15 MB of available device memory. However, the recommended system requirements are listed as a Pocket PC 2002 device or Windows Mobile 2003 (Pocket PC 2003) device with an ARM or Xscale processor with 4 MB of available device memory and a 64 MB or larger SD/MMC card for your map data.
Conclusions
I recommend the Socket Communication Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit. I found it very easy to use and highly portable. If you already have other GPS mapping software then you also have the option of purchasing the Socket Bluetooth GPS receiver without Socket’s MyNavigator software.
Socket Communications Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit is a Bluetooth GPS receiver with in-car navigation software for your Pocket PC. The actual receiver is a small self contained navigation solution that is extremely portable. The included navigation software is easy to install, configure, and transfer maps to your Pocket PC storage card. With the Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit and your Pocket PC, you have a complete personal navigation system that allows you to leave those printed maps and scrawled directions at home. I experienced the joy of stress-free driving for the very first time and fully recommend this solution to others who might be looking for a truly wireless and portable solution.
Getting Started
The Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit comes in a well packaged box that enables a consumer to quickly determine the kit contents, system requirements and basic features. The kit contains the following items:
- Bluetooth GPS Receiver – A small portable device (50 x 90 x 16 mm) containing a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery with 5V DC charging circuit that lasts about six hours on a single charge.
- DC power adapter – A cigarette lighter adapter for continuous power or to charge the receiver. Bonus: The kit includes an extra power cord. There is a connection on the DC power adapter that allows you to power or charge your Pocket PC as well. A very nice option for those of us with only one cigarette lighter in our vehicles but have the need to power multiple items.
- Leather case for the GPS receiver – The top of the case has a fold over flap that secures with a Velcro connection. The case also has a slide clip on the back for securing it to your belt or even your vehicle visor.
- Installation CD – The CD includes all maps and Socket's MyNavigator software for your Pocket PC.
- Quick Start Guide – A short user manual explaining how to quickly install the software and configure your hardware.
- Three year warranty on the receiver – Generally a warranty on a electronic device expires after a year so it is refreshing to see a longer warranty on this device.
- Mystery black triangle – I found that the carry case contained a mystery black triangular item shaped like a wedge that had the fuzzy side of a Velcro connector on one side of it. The hook side of Velcro connector is contained in the case. I have yet to figure out how to use of this wedge. Is the wedge packing material designed to shape the carry case or is there some darker purpose in its design that isn’t documented in any of the reading material? Please let us all know if you discover what the purpose is for the mystery wedge.
Figure 1: The box contents for Socket's Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit.
A Look at the Bluetooth GPS Receiver
The actual GPS receiver is small and very portable. All indicators are readily visible on the front of the receiver much like a radar detector. The front of the receiver includes the following LED indicators: Bluetooth status, GPS status, and the battery status. The front of the receiver also includes a power on/off switch and the power jack. I find that these two items are very convenient to operate since they aren’t located on the back or side of the receiver. The side of the receiver also contains an external antenna port that you can use if you choose to connect an external antenna. I never tested this particular feature but some could find this option useful if they choose to mount the receiver in a location where the internal antenna can’t receive a quality GPS signal. The external antenna, an AC charging adapter, and other accessories are available from the Socket Communication’s Web site.
The basic technical specifications for the Bluetooth GPS receiver are as follows:
- 12 channel all-in-view tracking with position accuracy of 10 meters RMS without SA
- Supports NMEA-0183 (v2.20) standard at 38,400 bps baud rate
- Works with Bluetooth devices with a Serial Port Profile
- Bluetooth 1.1 certified
Figure 2: Socket's Bluetooth GPS Receiver.
The specifications for this receiver are more than adequate for use by any weekend warrior like me or by the majority users who need GPS as a navigation aid. You can locate more detailed specifications on Socket’s Web site. For a discussion on the technical meaning of the specifications, I would recommend that you read Gary Garland’s in-depth series of articles about GPS that are available on this site. If you are interested in the technical details of Socket's BT GPS receiver in comparison to other devices on the market then I recommend that you also read an article on the GPS Passion website called "Bluetooth GPS Shoot-out!" I also want to point out that Socket doesn’t recommend this receiver for “medical or life support applications.“
The Mapping Software
The mapping software that Socket calls MyNavigator is very easy to install on your computer and even easier to transfer maps to a storage card for use on your Pocket PC. Socket has map support for the 48 contiguous US states and the big island of Hawaii in the US kit. The kit for Western Europe includes maps for Austria, Benelux, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The Navigation software is compatible with Pocket PC 2000/2002 and supports the following features:
- Full turn-by-turn navigation instructions;
- Voice prompts so that you can keep your eyes on the road;
- Screen displays your current location, distance until next turn, and distance to final destination;
- Automatically recalculates your journey if you veer off course or take a wrong turn.
As an added bonus, Socket announced a new promotion on June 6, 2003 for all registered owners of the Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit. "Attention Socket GPS Nav Kit Owners! Register your GPS Nav Kit and receive email notification of a FREE upgrade opportunity from Socket Communications. Registered purchasers of the North America version of the GPS Nav Kit will be able to receive an upgrade that includes Canada map data. Registered purchasers of the United Kingdom version of the GPS Nav Kit will be able to receive the map data upgrade for all of Western Europe. This offer is only good for those customers that register their product, so register today!!"
Transferring Maps to your Pocket PC
Loading maps onto your Pocket PC is an easy process once you've installed the MyNavigator software on your computer. Synchronize your Pocket PC with your computer and then launch the MyNavigator software. You can save maps of states or cities in the US. It is advisable to save your maps on a storage card due to their large size. Socket recommends a storage card with at least 64 MB but I would advise that you purchase one with a larger capacity. You will find the extra capacity useful when trying to save maps of multiple states as is typically needed for most vacations. In fact, if you get a really large capacity storage card then you can save almost all the maps that you will ever need and then never have to do it again.
If you only need to save a map of a city then you will find a very useful feature where you can specify the radius of the map from 25 miles to 125 miles in 25 mile increments. I found this very useful when I was just using the GPS receiver around town and wanted to save the map to the Pocket PC’s main memory instead of a storage card. Transferring the map data to your Pocket PC takes a few minutes. The amount of time necessary depends on the size of the map being transferred. When your map is transferred, you simply disconnect your Pocket PC from the cradle and soft reset the Pocket PC. I found this process to be easy to follow.
Communicating with the Bluetooth GPS Receiver
In order to transfer data back and forth between your Pocket PC and the GPS receiver, you will need to configure your Bluetooth settings. First, turn on the Bluetooth GPS receiver and let it obtain a GPS fix. This will take a few minutes the first time that this is done. The GPS Status light will blink green once the GPS fix is complete. I should point that GPS technology requires a clear view of the sky in order to receive the necessary signals. Therefore, anything that obstructs the receiver’s view of the sky will interfere with your signal reception. Items on this list include things such as the receiver’s position in your vehicle, tunnels, urban canyons (streets with tall buildings on either side), and interior rooms in buildings. On your Pocket PC, perform a Bluetooth device discovery to locate the Bluetooth GPS receiver. The procedure to perform this on your Pocket PC will vary according to the particular Pocket PC or Bluetooth accessory card that you are using. When creating the bond between your Pocket PC and the Bluetooth GPS receiver, you will be prompted to enter a passkey that is provided by Socket Communications in the Quick Start Guide. Once the bond is formed then you can start the MyNavigator software on your Pocket PC.
The entire bonding process is fairly straightforward and only has to be completed once when you are first using your GPS receiver. However, I would recommend that you save the passkey number in case you have to hard reset your pocket PC and lose your entire configuration. I created a text file on the same storage card that I saved all my maps. If you are using an iPAQ 3870, 3970, 5450, or a Socket Bluetooth card then you are ready to use the MyNavigator software on your Pocket PC. Any other Pocket PC or Bluetooth accessory card may require you to change the COM Port setting in the MyNavigator software to match the COM Port setting of your Bluetooth device. I experimented with a Dell AXIM using a Socket Bluetooth Card and each of the three iPAQ’s listed above and found the process quite simple to accomplish.
Figure 3: Socket Bluetooth GPS receiver and iPAQ Pocket PC. No wires.
Navigation - Using you Bluetooth GPS Receiver and Pocket PC
You are now at a point where you can enter your destination address and start using your GPS solution. Let me quickly recap the process to get to this point:
- Turn on your Socket receiver and wait for a GPS fix
- Turn on your Pocket PC
- Start the MyNavigator software on your Pocket PC
The map displayed on your Pocket PC contains a variety of information and controls. This includes your current location, your vehicle’s speed, ETA, remaining time to destination, distance to destination, direction, and distance to your next turn. Your vehicle is displayed as an icon on the map. The color of the icon changes according to the quality of your GPS fix. Green indicates a strong signal, yellow indicates an insufficient signal, and red indicates no signal. There are various useful controls that allow you to zoom in or out of the map and pan around the map. There is also a control that allows you to swap between map view, guidance view, and route list. The map view is the primary screen that you will use in most situations. However, I found the route list view helpful when there are many turns within a short distance of one another. The route list view contains your trip data organized in three columns. The first column contains an icon graphically representing the turning action that you will need to take. The second column contains the printed intersection or exit information and the direction to turn. Finally, the third column contains the distance until the next movement. I tested the maps in a variety of conditions and trips and found them to be quite accurate but I am sure that there are some new roads or subdivisions that may not be listed. It would be a great consumer service for Socket to offer a map subscription.
Figure 4: Views of Socket's MyNavigator Software.
Gotchas
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit and recommend it to those of you searching for a lightweight, portable, and wireless solution that can be easily packed when you travel. However, the following items could be improved or should be considered:
- The average GPS consumer (like me) will be immediately surprised at the price of the Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit. I shopped around and found that the price ranges from $379 to $529 in the US from a selection of Internet vendors. In conversations with GPS pros, it was proposed that the included software account for at least a portion of the price as does the longer three year warranty on the receiver.
- I would like to see some sort of subscription offered for the mapping software so that I could update my maps from time to time.
- I would like the box to include the material (Velcro tape at the very minimum) needed to mount the receiver in the car and to discuss the preferred mounting methods in the documentation. I wonder if the mystery black wedge that I discussed earlier is designed for this purpose.
The Socket Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit can be purchased from the for $419.95 US [affiliate]. The GPS receiver without the mapping software can also be purchased separately from the Pocket PC Thoughts Mobile Planet Store and retails for $339.95 US [affiliate]. The external antenna and other accessories can also be purchased from the Pocket PC Thoughts Mobile Planet Store at various retail prices [affiliate].
Specifications
Socket lists that the minimum system requirements for the Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit are a Bluetooth enabled Pocket PC device using a MIPS, SH3, or ARM processor, and at least 15 MB of available device memory. However, the recommended system requirements are listed as a Pocket PC 2002 device or Windows Mobile 2003 (Pocket PC 2003) device with an ARM or Xscale processor with 4 MB of available device memory and a 64 MB or larger SD/MMC card for your map data.
Conclusions
I recommend the Socket Communication Bluetooth GPS Nav Kit. I found it very easy to use and highly portable. If you already have other GPS mapping software then you also have the option of purchasing the Socket Bluetooth GPS receiver without Socket’s MyNavigator software.
