Sat Nav Apps - performance under load.

[IanBroadhurst]

Hi all

Looking to get a new PDA/Smartphone for entertainment and sat-nav.
Looking at various things but can't decide what I really want.

What would be very nice would be to have TOMTOM or similar running in the car, while Media Player is running in the background playing my MP3s - directions being spoken over the top of the music.

Other considerations for me is a Wifi connection so that when I am away from home I can SKYPE the wife and bluetooth as I wont like the cable from the gps receiver drapping around the car. Also nice video playback would be a cracking plus for those long flights I seem to be taking now.

But for most of the time, it will be music and sat nav.

I have been looking at the HX4700 (nice screen, fast processor), the TOsh e800 (bit old though), the Asus Mypal A730W and the Acer n311.
Bit just recently I have been looking at the O2 Mini-S at other smartphone-y type devices.

Just dont know if anything will do the satnav and music at the same time, then on top of that I dont know which device I would want long term.

Any help greatly accepted.

Ian

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I can't imagine why any of the devices on your short list won't be able to do what you want. Personally, since navigation is a priority, I'd go for the iPaq - a 4" screen is a nice advantage there. Both the Asus and to a lesser extent the Acer, are a bit light on battery life. The e800 would be a great cheap option, but you'd really have to worry about service and support - I doubt there's really any left.

[Edgar_]

I use my HX4700 with INav & the GlobalSat BT338 GPS - love it. Works fantastic and the screen is fantastic. I also use DVDtoPocketPC to watch movies on the unit while flying - again great.

I have not used BetaPlayer or WMP while the unit is doign nav - I can say that most Nav programs are pretty memory intense, both processor and card space - so that limits your ability to store music.

One thing I have noticed is the SD card isn't quite as reliable as the CF - so load up on large CF cards and use the SD for temp storage such as the music - not maps

[PhilH]

I used TomTom on my old hx4700 and it was fine -- although that version didn't do VGA properly, so it was pixel-doubled. I don't know how it runs in VGA. Bet it looks good, though.

I currently use it on my SPV M500/HTC Magician/iMate JAM, and it's fine. Occasionally I press a button and it'll stop and have a think but, in general, it's been very reliable and the performance is acceptable.

[IanBroadhurst]

I use my HX4700 with INav & the GlobalSat BT338 GPS - love it. Works fantastic and the screen is fantastic. I also use DVDtoPocketPC to watch movies on the unit while flying - again great.

I have not used BetaPlayer or WMP while the unit is doign nav - I can say that most Nav programs are pretty memory intense, both processor and card space - so that limits your ability to store music.

One thing I have noticed is the SD card isn't quite as reliable as the CF - so load up on large CF cards and use the SD for temp storage such as the music - not maps


Edgar_

Any chance you could try this out for me on your next journey? Get some mp3s and get the sat nav running and see if it flies or not.

Ian

[Edgar_]

Sure, give me an hour and I'll do it

[Edgar_]

I started up a MP3 in WMP. While it was playing I fired up Inav and already had PocketInformant running.

It acquired immediately, as always. It found the random destination by address (I have the whole US in it) very quickly with no degradation in sound.

One thing though, the music never stopped and the INAV just did a "voice-over" the music. It didn't mute WMP and speak. This could be a problem hearing the map directions if you are a loud music player.

How are you listening to the music? Over the car speakers or headphones? If so, you'll probably be fine.

[IanBroadhurst]

Thats great Edgar_ thanks for that.

Music will be over the car speakers via a tape adapter or iTrip equivalent. Thinking that you may be able to change the audio level in WMP without affecting the overall volume (just like in desktop windows).

I think I may be going shopping soon.

Nice one !

Ian

[IanBroadhurst]

SO, before I had a chance to go shopping, our IT guy in the office bought the exact setup I was after. He has yet to mention to his wife that he has plundered the savings, so while he builds the courage to take it home, he gave it me to play with.

Its a HX4700 with WPPC2003 and TOMTOM 5 Nav on it. It also came with the official TomTom Bluetooth reciever (looks nice, but more later).

So I loaded WMP with some tunes from the CF card and closed it done (carried on playing but hey, not bothered by that its what I wanted to happen).
Started TomTom up and the volume changed slightly but not too bad, then gave the route from my house to the office via the childminders.

Everything was going great (tunes playing and Tina saying usful stuff like "turn around" and "recalculating route" as I went the way I always go)until the GPS receiver just stopped.

No trees, no big tall buildings just open country-side as far as my eyes can see. Then for the next 40 mintutes I had a total of 5 occasions when the GPS came back - bit annoying, especially as I was really getting somewhere with my wife who swore blind last night that we didnt need a satnav (she started thinking it was very usful as we saw traffic jams ahead and just turned off the road and Tina told us how to get round them!).

Now, is this TomTom, the receiver, the weather, the fact that its Thursday or what? If I can just work out why the receiver kept failing so badly, this really might be the solution I was after.

Any guesses?

Ian

[Edgar_]

Ian

I drove up to Napa yesterday and loaded it up with music - this is about a 40 minute drive for me. Everything was fine - just as we said - voice over the music.

If I had to guess I would blame the GPS - however, you can check it by running something like GPSINFO which returns a simple sat overhead and status of receiver. This would at least let you know if the receiver is losing contact - you could also lswitch to the BT manager and make sure the connection isn't lost from 4700<->receiver.

Where are you located? Tomtom is very popular across the pond because it has such great coverage for both western and eastern europe - it's not the most popular in NA. (well, it is for the TomTom Go portable device, but not necessarily the software alone)

My setup:
INAV Iguidance NA 2.13
GlobalSat BT338 GPS
HX4700 WM2003SE

Jump over to http://www.gpspassion.com and post a query over there. Those guys live and breathe GPS. I ended going with the BT338 after their rave reviews (17+ hrs on battery alone is awesome, add in waas and SirfIII and the fastest acquire around and its a winner)



-Edgar

[ipaqczar]

I've done music & TomTom on an older device - ipaq 3950 - so anything newer should be able to handle it in spades.

I too have had the GPS totally go out completely once in a very wide open environment, yet it can get 8 satellites in an urban envrionment. Go figure.

If you don't want to hassle with battery life and bluetooth voodoo - you can get a Compact Flash GPS (I have the BC-307) or there are direct connect serial mounts that have the car mount, serial GPS, and speakers all built in.

I think the HX & TomTom 5 is a sweet setup and probably your best bet. Sorry you had trouble the first time - give it another shot if you can.

[IanBroadhurst]

To Edgar_

Yup, music and nav is cool. I'm in the UK and on the way home from the office today all was well - in fact all was Fantastic...nearly full signal all the way home! Maybe the sats don't get out of bed until lunchtime! :)

To ipaqczar

Would consider the CF device, but ultimately that slot will have a ludicris microdrive in it with my MP3s on it (and films if I get bored and let my wife drive). Like the idea of a TV card however - be nice on those trips abroad!

Thanks for the replies - I have checked out gpspassion.com and boy do they like their receivers maybe a little too much! ;)

[Edgar_]

Note: Cf based GPS recievers have documented weaker signals. The theory is its because of the way the antenna must face. So if you believe you are getting a broken signal, from building reflections, freeway over passes, invisble mind sucking radio waves or whatever - you may want to avoid that solution. I will stick with my globalSat BT338 - or the Royaltek BT. I haven't seen any negative writeups on either yet.

Also, as I said before, I did experience some issues using extensive and large map files on SD (over 200M maps). Seems ok on smaller maps. I have had no issues of maps on CF.

Enjoy!

-Edgar

[IanBroadhurst]

All

So, in May I said that I would be going shopping. Well, its now August and I have just returned from the shops!

I am the proud owner of a hx4700, tomtom 5 navigator (with the 5.21 patch to stop the freezing), a solar BT gps receiver (aquires really quickly and charges itself using the sun - funny that!) AND a case, cards, BT headset (cool when SKYPE-ing) and other such lovely-nesses.

Its great - I just returned from the local shop/bar and although the journey was done on foot across fields, tomtom sort-of knew where I was.

Happy me - whats next for to get? Fancy pocketstreets, but wondered if there was a UK version of a nav program that would find the backroads, highways and byways (like the ramblers use) available to me now.

Also, is there an app which will find WiFi hotspots that are not secured ;)

Thanks all!

[lost&bewildered]

Hi IanBroadhurst & All,

I was wondering how this setup is performing for you...I too am looking to buy a PDA/GPS but as I live in N.Ireland any mapping for here or S.Ireland is as someone said ' quite 3rd worldy'. If I knew that there was some means to getting better mapping I would be most interested.

Have you had good experience with the autorouting on the TomTom software? I was hoping to take the system to the USA and use it on an extended trip, but at this moment I'm truely lost & bewildered!

Thanks meantime :)

[IanBroadhurst]

Hi L&B

working like a charm at the mo - just great.
a workmate also has a hx4700, but he has the TomTom receiver and has used it on a bikers holiday across the states - apparently TomTom works OK, but he favoured Destinator (better maps I guess) but otherwise fine.

THe GB map I have for TomTOm doesn't include N.Ireland and I havn't found any for southern - been trying too as I go to Shannon on business alot.

TomTom is working well for me - using more as a speed camera detector and an e-map more than a routing aid (standard trips to work only need me to avoid traffic jams which it helps me get out of with ease).

Generally, I'd say get one! You'll find the maps eventually!

Ian