Out of the Blue - BT-338 Bluetooth GPS Receiver from GlobalSat [Archive]

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Doug Raeburn

03-30-2005, 06:00 PM

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jan05-BT338-00.jpg" /> Product Category: GPS Receiver Manufacturer: <a href="http://www.globalsat.com.tw/english/products_detail.php?main_id=20&p_id=74">GlobalSat Technology</a> Where to Buy: <a href="http://www.buygpsnow.com/item.aspx?itemid=404">buyGPSnow.com</a> Price: $179.95 through 3/31/2005; $219.95 afterwards System Requirements: Pocket PC with Bluetooth capability Pros: <ul><li>Fast satellite acquisition;<li>High sensitivity;<li>Great battery life;<li>Compact Size.</ul>Cons:<ul><li>Battery cover is hard to remove;<li>Top mounted LEDs wash out in sunlight.</ul>Summary: The GlobalSat BT-338 is the next step in the evolution of the Bluetooth GPS receiver. Its compact size, speed in acquiring satellites, high sensitivity and low power consumption make it the new benchmark among such devices. Yet the price is comparable to the previous generation competition. If you’re in the market, give the BT-338 a long hard look. <!> <PAGEBREAK> What Makes It So Special? The BT-338 is one of the first Bluetooth GPS receivers to feature the new SiRF Star III chipset. Its predecessor, the SiRF Star II, has been the most common chipset used in recent designs. So how does the new chipset improve on the older one? Improved sensitivity The SiRF Star III provides dramatic improvements in sensitivity, resulting in fast satellite acquisition and fixes that are stronger than ever. Instead of the customary 12 channels, the BT-338 supports 20 channels (up to 20 satellites can be acquired at one time). Lower Power Consumption The BT-338 combines improvements in efficient power consumption provided by the Star III chipset with a large 1700 mAh Li-ion battery to provide estimated life of up to 15 hours on a single charge. The battery is also replaceable, so it presents the option of using a second battery to further extend the time between charges. Very Compact The BT-338 is among the smallest and most pocketable GPS receivers available. Let’s Take a Look… <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jan05-BT338-01.jpg" /> Figure 1: The view from the top The BT-338 actually looks like a very small flip-style cell phone. The power switch is on the top… press and hold it to switch it on and off. 3 LED status lights are also on the top of the unit. The battery status led glows yellow when charging, red when battery power is critically low, and the turns off when the battery is fully or partially charged. The GPS status LED glows steady green when the GPS has no satellite fix, and it flashes green when it has a fix. The Bluetooth status LED blinks blue at a slow rate when it has no Bluetooth connection, and at a fast rate when it has a connection. In the interest of power-saving, the unit automatically turns off if it is not connected to any Bluetooth device for 10 minutes. Overall, it’s a very nice design. My only complaint here is that with the LEDs being on the top, they tended to wash out in bright sunlight when I had the BT-338 on my dashboard. The front mounted lights on my BlueGPS are easier to see under such conditions. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jan05-BT338-02.jpg" /> Figure 2: A sideways glance The side view is simple, with just the power jack. The bottom cover of the unit slides off to allow access to the battery. On the unit I tested, I found that the battery cover was very difficult to remove… I don’t know if that’s a design issue or just a problem with the test unit. The bottom also features rubber feet to keep the unit from sliding around on your dashboard. <PAGEBREAK> Nicely Equipped GlobalSat includes a complete set of accessories for the BT-338 right in the box. That includes an international travel charger with a voltage converter. It has a europlug built in and adaptors for British Standard and US spec plugs. A car charger is also provided, and it features a y-cable that allows charging of the GPS receiver and the Pocket PC simultaneously. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/raeburn-jan05-BT338-03.gif" /> Figure 3: GPS Information Utility A GPS information utility is also included. It provides information about the satellites that have been acquired. So, Does It Live Up to the Hype? I don’t have a GPS receiver with the SiRF Star II chipset. However, my reliable RoyalTek BlueGPS has roughly comparable performance using a RoyalTek chipset, so I used that unit as the point of comparison. First, I tested the time that each unit took to acquire enough satellites to get a fix. I would classify this as a “warm start” test. This means that the GPS has nearly complete information from its last fix and all it needs to do is to verify that the information hasn’t changed. I used my Loox 720 running OnCourse Navigator 4. I tested the BlueGPS first. It took 20 seconds for OCN to report a usable fix with 6 satellites. Next was the BT-338’s turn. It took only 9 seconds for a 10 satellite fix. Then I tested sensitivity. Prior experience with older GPS technology makes the importance of this characteristic clear to me. Years ago, I did some hiking in wooded areas using a Garmin eMap (a dedicated handheld GPS device). The unit would frequently lose its satellite lock when I walked under thicker foliage. Now I didn’t try the same hike with either of the Bluetooth GPS receivers, but indoor reception seemed to be a reasonable alternative for a sensitivity test. I took the receivers to a central indoor location, as far from any windows or exterior walls as possible. The BlueGPS struggled under these conditions, going from 6 satellites down to 2. This means that it lost its fix, since a fix requires 4 satellites. On the other hand, the BT-338 breezed through this test, keeping its lock on 9 of the 10 satellites that it acquired under more optimal conditions. These are admittedly non-scientific tests, but I feel that they reflect the experience that the average end user can expect with these GPS receivers reasonably well. On the road, the BT-338 performed admirably, acquiring satellites very quickly and maintaining the fix through several hours of driving. I didn’t stress test the battery life, but given that my BlueGPS is good for about 8 – 10 hours on a single charge, I feel that the claims of 15 hours or more are definitely in the ballpark. Conclusions The BT-338 lives up to its promise… greater speed and sensitivity along with lower power consumption than previous generation Bluetooth GPS receivers. And its price is competitive with several of those previous generation units that are still available. If you’re in the market for a GPS Bluetooth receiver right now, my take is that the BT-338 should be right at the top of your list. Doug Raeburn is a data architect specializing in data warehouse design. He lives in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

wot_fan

03-30-2005, 06:10 PM

There is a long thread (http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19000) on this unit over at GpsPasSion for those who want more info/opinions.

gibson042

03-30-2005, 09:06 PM

Jason Lee

03-30-2005, 09:47 PM

What software would i use with this for street navigation? Can you buy things like Tom Tom without their hardware?

Doug Raeburn

03-30-2005, 09:56 PM

Thank you for confirming the value of the new chipset. I don't have a GPS receiver yet, but when I do get one it will definitely be based on the SiRF Star III. Half the warm start time is really good, but that indoor sensitivity is just amazing! What kind of building, and what size, was that test in? One of my co-workers bought a Garmin standalone unit, and it had to be right next to a window in order to get any kind of fix indoors.

P.S. Am I mistaken, or does that GPS Info screenshot imply a nice tropical vacation?

The building is a wood frame, and I was on the top floor, minimally 25 feet from any window. My Garmin eMap (about 3 years old) can't get any satellites from that location, so you can see how the technology has evolved.

As for the GPS info, it was taken based on a fix in beautiful sunny Wisconsin... :wink:

Doug Raeburn

03-30-2005, 10:00 PM

What software would i use with this for street navigation? Can you buy things like Tom Tom without their hardware?

As far as I can tell from their website, TomTom 5 (their latest version) hasn't been released as standalone software. I don't know if they plan to do so, although they have offered the software that way in the past.

Frankly, regardless of the availability of TomTom, I prefer OnCourse Navigator, which is available as software only. That's what I used for my testing.

beq

03-30-2005, 10:37 PM

I'm fairly new to add-on GPS, and was wondering if this auto-off function is common in such receivers? It's been a mild annoyance for me to have to press the ON button on my BT-338 each time -- only mild because right now the receiver is within easy reach, but what if later I mount it in a spot where I can't easily reach it from my sitting position?

What if instead the receiver can do one of the following:

- only auto-off when on battery power, but remain on if continuously connected to power source such as the cigarette lighter (it can go into some "warm" sleep mode but should not require user turning it back on). Actually some cars might completely cut off the lighter socket power when the engine is off (?), but mine seems to remain active.

- can auto-off, but have some way to still detect attempts at a Bluetooth connection where it would automatically wake itself up?

My other question, is it common for GPS mapping software to offer deep competitive discount for existing owners of other software? I'm interested in trying others but had just spent hundreds on CoPilot Live Pocket PC and CoPilot Live Laptop software apps. The reason I ask is that CoPilot themselves seem to offer huge competitive discount for their part...

Anyways I'll also check out the GPSPassion discussions...

beq

03-31-2005, 03:10 AM

Oh Doug I also wanted to ask, can you tell us more about the cable accessories that came in the GlobalSat box?

I got my particular BT-338 from Semson (to make use of my GPSPassion coupon), and it didn't come with a y-power cable. I can't remember what kind of AC adapter if came with (if it came with one at all?), I just recall it did come with a car charger cable but without the y-splitting. I remember because I ended up having to use the y-power cable that came bundled with the CoPilot GPS receiver instead (but I'm still needing another y-cable for the other car).

Doug Raeburn

03-31-2005, 08:06 AM

I rather like the power-off design of the BT-338, since it helps s simple oversight from draining your battery. But I always have the wireless receiver within reach anyway. I can understand that this wouldn't work well if the receiver isn't always handy.

Regarding competitive upgrades, they're not unheard of... there's one offered for OnCourse Navigator. But I haven't seen such upgrades offered for other products such as Destinator and TomTom, so I don't believe that they're common.

The Y-splitter is at the GPS end of the car adapter. They include the cable that plugs into this jack as well.

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/BT-388-cable.jpg

Phillip Dyson

03-31-2005, 06:21 PM

Doh! I just ordered one.
I was weak. I can admit it. I can take responsibility.

Its all Dunn's fault!

I've been :robot: -ized.

disconnected

03-31-2005, 09:50 PM

The GPSPassion thread wot_fan mentioned has a lot of discussion about the auto-off "feature". I'd also prefer that it not turn off if connected to an external power source. Apparently they are considering it, but have not committed to it. It does seem like they listen to their customers, as they have already made one change (disabling static navigation) that people asked for.

mattbugz

04-01-2005, 04:06 PM

Doh! I just ordered one.
I was weak. I can admit it. I can take responsibility.

So where did you purchase it and how much?? I have the BT-308 and I'm semi-interested in upgrading. :mrgreen:

Doug Raeburn

04-01-2005, 05:26 PM

mattbugz

04-01-2005, 06:13 PM

One thing I should add regarding the Y-connector illustrated above... I just found out that this is an exclusive special available only through buyGPSnow.com. That apparently explains the differences that bitequator found in the unit he bought from Semson.

Hmm..I received a Y-connector when I purchased my BT-308 long ago. Strange they would stop including it in all packages.

beq

04-01-2005, 06:55 PM

One thing I should add regarding the Y-connector illustrated above... I just found out that this is an exclusive special available only through buyGPSnow.com. That apparently explains the differences that bitequator found in the unit he bought from Semson.

Awww... oh well. I'm guessing it's buyGPSnow who is bundling the y-cable (and not GlobalSat) then.

Thanks for the review though.

Phillip Dyson

04-01-2005, 09:44 PM

Doh! I just ordered one.
I was weak. I can admit it. I can take responsibility.

So where did you purchase it and how much?? I have the BT-308 and I'm semi-interested in upgrading. :mrgreen:

$179.95

$187.54 with s/h

stoker

04-04-2005, 05:04 AM

I chose the Destinator 3 trial, but was just wondering whether anyone prefers the OCN.. Of course maybe I should first think about getting a satellite signal before I start worrying about software... or do I actually need the actual mapping software like Destinator or OCN to even find a satellite..Obviously I am a newbie..After I opened up the Destinator Program, I have to check off that I agree to use the software while the vehicle is in motion, or something of that nature. I hope that if I get the non trial version I don't have to face that everytime I am to use the software to navigate.. Anyways ,back to my main question,, anybody have a preference to use with this bt-338? thx

Doug Raeburn

04-04-2005, 02:15 PM

I was a Destinator user for quite some time before I switched to OCN after reviewing it on the OCN All In One GPS:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,37147

OCN's map management, itineraries and corridor maps put it quite a bit ahead of the competition, IMO.

And yes, OCN has the agreement screen. For that, you can blame clueless users and overindulgent court systems who conspire to make the rest of us deal with such warnings about things that are glaringly obvious to anyone who has an iota of common sense.

Phillip Dyson

04-04-2005, 03:25 PM

Am I missing something?
Why should I agree to use the map while the car is moving?

Am I not allowed to use the maps while I'm stationary?

:?:

Doug Raeburn

04-04-2005, 05:42 PM

I didn't even notice the misstatement in stoker's message, since the agreement screen is so common. You're agreeing to not operate the navigation device interactively and drive at the same time.

Phillip Dyson

04-05-2005, 03:00 AM

Okay.

That makes sense.

Phillip Dyson

04-07-2005, 04:01 AM

Wahoo! :D

I got mine today and just hooked it up.

Much to my relief it hooked up and worked without a hitch. Matter of fact it was so easy that it was almost anti-climatic from a tech-head geek perspective.

I'm running the Mapopolis 4.5 Beta with 3 Navigator demo maps. I forgot to select a demo when I ordered the receiver. :oops: I don't seem to be able to find a demo of OCN on the software vendor's website. Oh well.

So Mapopolis it is. Atleast for the 9 days that the maps will work.

I can't wait to have my PDA tell me how to get to work tomorrow! 8)

cshields1

04-13-2005, 07:46 PM

Based on the review article and the latest SiRF III chipset, I've decided to jump onto the GPS receiver bandwagon. I use my phone's BT with Jabra BT-250v and have a SanDisk WiFi SD card, have waited for a GPS for awhile. I'm backordered from BuyGPSnow, which is okay. Now I'm researching GPS software to use. I selected the Destinator 3 30-day trial when ordering to try something. I already have MS Pocket Streets but I suspect it will be mediocre compared to these high end GPS software. Doug, you used to use Destinator and then switched to OCN GPS software. Any forum members have their GPS software choice(s) and why.

Phillip Dyson

04-13-2005, 10:08 PM

I am currently demoimg Mapopolis. the thing that I like about it is that its a podetpc standalone solution.
But on the other hand OCN definitely seems to be a much more powerful package.

I don't take many interstate road trips but you never know.
In 2 months I do have to travel from Maryland to southern Virginia for a wedding.

I'm a bit torn.

Phillip Dyson

04-14-2005, 12:01 PM

I think that I may have found the demo for OCN over on a PocketGpsWorld forum (http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=13234&highlight=oncourse+navigator).
Demo (http://www.oncoursenavigator.com/demo.html).

I haven't had a chance to try it yet.