BT-5 Bluetooth GPS

[evilmonkey1987]

Hello,

I recently bought a BT-5 bluetooth GPS unit here in Canada, and thought I'd post a little review. The reason this unit is special is that I got it for $50CAD (CAD is approximately same as USD now) at a local store. You can get them online for as cheap as $30+S&H. It's also very small, certainly small enough to carry in your pocket (but alas, not on a keychain).

I'd like to point out that I had to exchange the unit TWICE before I got one that finally works. On the first one, it couldn't get a GPS signal, the second one had a DOA battery. The third one works like a champ though.

Someone wrote a nice guide to setting it up, see below:
1. - FULLY charge BT-5 GPS Unit.
2. - In Mobile goto.. Start > Settings > Connections > Bluetooth > Mode
3. - Check, Turn on Bluetooth, and make device visible.
4. - Goto Devices, and find BTGPS (this took me like 5 mins to find it...KEEP TRYING..)
5. - Use 0000 as the passcode.
6. - Check off 'Serial Port', then click finish
7. - Go into Bluetooth > COM Ports, and add, COM2. (I unchecked Secure Connection, should make response faster...)
8. - In Mobile goto.. Start > Settings > System > External GPS
9. - In Programs Tab, select COM1, and in Hardware tab select, COM2 with a Baud Rate of 4800.
10. - In windows live search, OR google maps (or both), simply remember to use COM1 as your GPS setting.

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=199640

COM1 and COM2 could be any COM port and google maps can be any program (works fine with tomtom).

What I really like is that once I got it to work, it gets a signal in under a minute. This is INDOORS. It's even faster outdoors. I lost the signal on it only once so far, and this was, again, indoors.

Overall, it's a sweet unit for the price, but caveat emptor. I wouldn't suggest buying online because of the amount of dead units out there. I would imagine you'd have a hard time exchanging. I bought it at factorydirect (http://www.factorydirect.ca). DO NOT go to the woodbridge location, they have three in stock, all three don't work. I ended up getting one that works in Scarborough. Can't comment on other cities or other retailers. FactoryDirect is good about exchanges though.

Good luck!

http://www.pacificgeek.com/productimages/xl/BT-5-2.jpg

[silvershadow]

Thank you soo much. Your post told me exactly what i was looking for. This is greatly appreciated. I will try the downtown Toronto location, as it is near my school.

One question though, in all pictures i see, it comes with only a car charger, is this the only way to charge it? Hopefully it comes with a regular ac charger so i can charge it indoors. (will be buying from factory direct as well)

[evilmonkey1987]

Hey,
Yes, it only comes with a car charger. However, it has a normal mini-USB port, so you can charge it from your computer or from the charger for your elf. Same as you can use the BT-5 car charger with the elf itself.
Also note, so far I have not gotten the BT-5 to work with Microsoft Streets and Trips on the computer (don't know about pocket streets). The comp sees the GPS unit and it works using some simplistic programs (i.e. geocaching), but not with streets and trips. Weird...

[evilmonkey1987]

Update: It works with Streets and Trips, you just need to have a GPS signal. If you try to connect before getting a signal, the software will reject it for some dumb reason. Oh well, it's microsoft.

[silvershadow]

thanks for the replies, its almost as if you read my posts on another forum about streets and trips, and answered it here:)

but yah, im only interested in using it with tomtom. :)

[evilmonkey1987]

You're good to go then. Enjoy. :)

[silvershadow]

yes:) everything works good, i was a bit scared at first, cause i couldnt get it working, but that was because i never linked a bluetooth device to another one ever before (besides sending from phone to phone)...but eventually i got it working, and with my first device, didnt have to return anything.

it wasnt connecting while i stayed in one place, but i drove a bit, made one turn, and then it caught the signal. :)

i guess its more than enough for the price.


Thanks for writing about it, orelse i would have been scared and worried about it through this whole process:)

Using it with hp ipaq 210. and tomtom6. (with an outdated map) :)

[evilmonkey1987]

Which location did you buy from?

[thejoker01]

Which location did you buy from?

He says he paid $50 locally so I'm guessing Factory Direct:

http://factorydirect.ca/catalog/product_spec.php?pcode=BT0005

[evilmonkey1987]

Yes, but factory direct has many locations, which is why I'm wondering. I ended up getting mine in Scarborough after two unsuccessful units from woodbridge and an out of stock problem in Markham.

[number16]

I think you can easily find good deals on GPS receiver's on ebay these days ... I got the GlobalSat BT-359 for ~ Cdn$40 shipped, and it works great. It's very small (1/4 the size of the Touch!) and easy to pair up, it finds its location in ~ 5 sec, and has strong reception. I don't even have to place it under the windshield to pickup the satellite signal. I just put it on the seat beside me when I drove.

[silvershadow]

i had to go to school, so i went to the downtown toronto factory direct:)

[number16]

I bought the BT-5 for my wife to connect to her Palm Treo 750. I've been using the Globalsat 359 with my Touch, and compared to the Globalsat, the BT-5 seem to be a little slower picking up signal, and the Globalsat seems to have more features. For example, the 359 auto-shuts off the power if it's lost BT connection for over 10 minutes to save power, and it also has a low battery warning. So far, I don't think BT5 has either function. And I dont know for sure if it does or not, because of its extremely poorly written manual.

But the BT-5 does work. I don't think it's lost signal even once, and it picks up the signal no problem outdoor as well as most of the times indoor. If you have a cigarette charger around, it will not leave you stranded because it doesn't have a low battery warning.

One more thing - when setting up the device, you can use a faster speed than 4800. I use 38400, and it runs fine.

[Jam3ican]

Hello,

I recently bought a BT-5 bluetooth GPS unit here in Canada, and thought I'd post a little review. The reason this unit is special is that I got it for $50CAD (CAD is approximately same as USD now) at a local store. You can get them online for as cheap as $30+S&H. It's also very small, certainly small enough to carry in your pocket (but alas, not on a keychain).

I'd like to point out that I had to exchange the unit TWICE before I got one that finally works. On the first one, it couldn't get a GPS signal, the second one had a DOA battery. The third one works like a champ though.

Someone wrote a nice guide to setting it up, see below:


COM1 and COM2 could be any COM port and google maps can be any program (works fine with tomtom).

What I really like is that once I got it to work, it gets a signal in under a minute. This is INDOORS. It's even faster outdoors. I lost the signal on it only once so far, and this was, again, indoors.

Overall, it's a sweet unit for the price, but caveat emptor. I wouldn't suggest buying online because of the amount of dead units out there. I would imagine you'd have a hard time exchanging. I bought it at factorydirect (http://www.factorydirect.ca). DO NOT go to the woodbridge location, they have three in stock, all three don't work. I ended up getting one that works in Scarborough. Can't comment on other cities or other retailers. FactoryDirect is good about exchanges though.

Good luck!

http://www.pacificgeek.com/productimages/xl/BT-5-2.jpg



For fear of bricking my phone i have not updated the rom to WM6 and currently running WM5. i have a TyTN with rogers.
When i try to use google maps it will say initializing gps. As well i notice that
i do not have the MobileGoto or an icon/menu that i can select.

Any thoughts?

HELP HELP HELP

As most of you know Factory Direct, No refunds only store credits within 90 days

help

[number16]

I do not understand your question. I guess GoogleMap cannot find your GPS?

Have you followed the steps and paired your BT GPS to the phone? Then enabled serial port on the BT-GPS? Then defined the incoming and outcoming COM ports for the external GPS device?

[Jam3ican]

I do not understand your question. I guess GoogleMap cannot find your GPS?

Have you followed the steps and paired your BT GPS to the phone? Then enabled serial port on the BT-GPS? Then defined the incoming and outcoming COM ports for the external GPS device?

i can't do step 8 it does not exist in my device "external GPS"

[evilmonkey1987]

I'm not sure. I haven't had WM5 in about a year an a half, but I know one of the main changes in WM6 is better GPS support. Try to google around how to set up a GPS as a COM port (that's all you really need to do), but I wouldn't be surprised if you had problems with WM5.

[evilmonkey1987]

number16,
I think BT5 is a little more "pocket-friendly" than the globalsat. Globalsat seems a bit thicker. But anyway, yes, valid criticisms. It uses a different chipset.

[dsixda]

For those of you using the BT-359, have you had issues with the Bluetooth dropping?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2212116&postcount=1


I was wondering if one of you can pick a working BT-5 up for me from Factory Direct; I'll be in the Markham/Scarborough area in 2 weekends from now.