Wednesday, October 10, 2007
A New Standard of Performance - the i.Trek M5+ Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Posted by Doug Raeburn in "HARDWARE" @ 07:59 AM
I had a chance to try the i.Trek M5+ Bluetooth GPS receiver during my recent review of iGuidance. This receiver is the latest state-of-the-art design in that it's equipped with an MTK chipset. This makes it one of the most sensitive GPS receivers available, as well as one of the most power efficient.
For example, initial acquisition of satellites (warm start) took 20-30 seconds, and reacquisition of satellites after a stop was nearly instantaneous. Whenever I checked during use, the M5+ was connected to at least 10 satellites (it can connect to 32 satellites simultaneously) and it maintained its satellite connections at all times. Its ability to use WAAS and other ground based augmentation systems makes its positioning extremely accurate, with an error of < 3 meters.
Another advantage of the MTK chipset in the M5+ is low power usage. I didn't take any trips long enough to drain a fully charged set of batteries, but the unit was going strong after 12 hours. To minimize power use, the M5+ automatically goes into sleep mode when no signal from a paired device (such as a Pocket PC) is detected, and it will automatically wake up when a signal is available. In case you do run out of juice on a long trip, it comes with a car charger and has a user replaceable battery, so you can carry a spare if you wish. A mini-USB based AC charger is also included.
2 or 3 years ago, top performing BT GPS units were in the price range of $150+ USD. The M5+ outperforms any of those units and it retails for $99.95 USD. Semsons sweetens the deal with a current sale price of $59.95 USD, including a free windshield mount. It's a great deal if you're looking for your first BT GPS receiver and with its superb performance, it's a compelling upgrade from a 2 year old or older BT GPS receiver, especially at this price. Bundles with navigation software packages are also available.
Doug Raeburn is a data architect specializing in data warehouse design. He lives in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
