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#233862 - 18/09/2004 13:15 Belkin Bluetooth for 140
jwtadmin
enthusiast

Registered: 05/09/2000
Posts: 210
Loc: Ipswich, MA
I am looking at buying a Bluetooth GPS receiver and I cam across this deal. If you go to
Belkin online store
Add the GPS to your cart and then use the coupon code of 82242. The price drops from 399 to 140!!! This is the same code that people are selling on ebay.

I have read that the Belkin is a great GPS, anyone here have any reviews of it?
_________________________
___ John Turner "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"

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#233863 - 18/09/2004 15:17 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 *DELETED* *DELETED* [Re: jwtadmin]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
Post deleted by burdell1

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#233864 - 18/09/2004 15:19 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
any idea on the actual size of it? it looks big, but looks can be deceiving....


Edited by burdell1 (18/09/2004 15:25)

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#233865 - 18/09/2004 16:41 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
74 (L) x 41.5 (W) x 30mm (H)

or

2 15/16" x 1 5/8" x 1 3/16"

or, with more intuitive numbers, about

3" x 1.5" x 1.25"
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Bitt Faulk

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#233866 - 19/09/2004 10:38 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
Thanks...has anyone seen any reviews of the map software that comes with it?

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#233867 - 19/09/2004 11:40 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
jwtadmin
enthusiast

Registered: 05/09/2000
Posts: 210
Loc: Ipswich, MA
Not sure what kind of device you are planning to use but for pocket PC it comes with mapopolis, which despite it's ugliness it has gotten good reviews.
_________________________
___ John Turner "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"

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#233868 - 19/09/2004 12:44 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: jwtadmin]
hybrid8
carpal tunnel

Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
I did some research into PocketPC mapping software. My requirements might be different than yours, as I would need Canadian maps for instance, but the following looked really good, had great reviews and great features:

Destinator: http://www.destinator1.com/
Routis: http://www.deluoelectronics.com/customer/product.php?productid=2&cat=15&page=1
TeleType GPS: http://www.teletype.com/pages/gps.html

For car use I'd definitely use a fixed antenna mounted in/on the car. And/or a GPS unit that's permanently wired in so you don't have to fiddle with any wires for power, etc.

Bruno
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Bruno
Twisted Melon : Fine Mac OS Software

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#233869 - 20/09/2004 01:44 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: jwtadmin]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
I was hoping it would come with Tom Tom software...Has anyone on here tried it? It has gotten pretty good reviews....

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#233870 - 22/09/2004 13:24 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
has anyone ordered the Belkin GPS and got it? I tried to order it...and I never received any shipping confirmation and I called them up and they said it was 'canceled due to fraud." I was shocked! I don't understand that one at all...Unless this is a bad coupon code, but she never said that.

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#233871 - 22/09/2004 16:14 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I ordered it just a few days ago. I got a shipping notice with tracking number yesterday. Didn't actually ship until today. UPS claims it'll be here on Friday. They haven't charged my credit card yet, though. Hopefully it'll be a Bluetooth GPS and not a subpoena.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233872 - 22/09/2004 20:06 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
StigOE
addict

Registered: 27/10/2002
Posts: 568
I've got TomTom for Palm (wired GPS, not bluetooth), and so far it works quite good. I haven't had the time to test it much though.

Stig

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#233873 - 23/09/2004 09:50 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: StigOE]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
My brother has a T3 with Tomtom & Bluetooth GPS and he thinks it's great.

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#233874 - 23/09/2004 23:59 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Got in in this afternoon. Works like a champ. Terrible documentation. (If you get one, its passkey is '0000'.) If I set it up in "waste my battery mode", I can get seven satellites indoors.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233875 - 24/09/2004 14:22 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
DLF
addict

Registered: 24/07/2003
Posts: 500
Loc: Colorado, N.A.
Good to know, Bitt. If you don't mind, post again after you've used it on a (driving or hiking) trip in real-world conditions.

Did you know that, if you're brave and have a Bluetooth dongle on your PC, you can use the Fortuna (Taiwanese OEM for Belkin) flash upgrade to get the much-improved SiRF XTrac v2?
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-- DLF

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#233876 - 24/09/2004 19:17 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: DLF]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I used it this morning to guide me to work. I mean, I already knew how to get there, and, honestly, it's not exactly complicated. But it worked very well. It seemed confused as to my altitude, but never seemed to be off in the 2D realm. The software could use a little help, but it's just bundled with the GPS receiver, and wasn't really bad, either.

The GPS definitely speaks NMEA, and it's a serial-based Bluetooth device, so it should work with just about anything that's also Bluetooth capable, I'd imagine.

I don't know that I'm up to upgrading it, but my only other Bluetooth device is my laptop, so I suppose I could. If I do, I'll let you know.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233877 - 29/09/2004 15:26 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: jwtadmin]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
Has anyone had trouble with the battery cover? mine seems to be slightly ajar? was there supposed to be a screw that goes into it as well? mine has the screw hole, but no screw.

Also, I can't get it to go from XT to ST without shutting it off...Is there something I might be doing wrong?

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#233878 - 29/09/2004 16:07 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
The battery cover on mine isn't totally flush, but it's close. The screw was contained in a small ziplock bag in the box. And the docs specifically state that you have to turn it off to switch between ST and XT. In addition, it apparently also throws away cached satellite information in that case, too.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233879 - 29/09/2004 17:43 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
I'm sorry...I worded that wrong...When I shut it off, the switch (the ST/XT switch) automatically switches to ST. and when I try to turn it back on, it automatically switches back to X. Almost like they are connected together and when you move the one, the other moves. have you had this problem?

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#233880 - 29/09/2004 17:53 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I think you're misunderstanding what the switch is. When you move the power switch on and off, it also moves a plate underneath the ST/XT markings so that you can't twiddle the ST/XT setting while it's on. The actual ST/XT switch is manipulated via a slide underneath that panel that can be moved by putting something tiny, like a straight pin, into that tiny hole and moving it. The tiny hole itself is the indicator of the current setting.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233881 - 30/09/2004 15:04 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
Thanks for the help....which mode do you prefer? Also, have you bought a PDA mount for it yet? if so, which one? the main problem is that you can barely hear the voice coming from the speaker...I would like to buy a separate little speaker to plug in the headphone jack, but haven't found one yet (which I might make as a separate thread.)

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#233882 - 30/09/2004 15:42 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I don't have a PDA I can use with it yet. I've just used my laptop. And there's no voice that comes from the GPS unit itself, you know, right? So I can't help you with PDA speaker volume.

XT works better indoors, but ST seems more accurate. I haven't had a chance to do much research yet.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233883 - 30/09/2004 15:57 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
I'm sorry...I thought you had a pda....yeah..I know there is no sound that comes from the GPS, just the pda...

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#233884 - 02/10/2004 14:06 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/articles.asp?id=100 i see there is an update for the software that comes with it. however, it is hard to say if people who buy the Belkin are qualified for it.....

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#233885 - 07/10/2004 02:01 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
also, the little cover that covers that hole is starting to come off (i was trying to slide the hole over with the stylus and it lifted the cover off a little on the side.) is there a way to snap that back on? I've tried, but it isn't working...

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#233886 - 08/10/2004 12:19 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
dumb question....is the light supposed to come on when you have the unit off and it is charging? I thought mine used to, but now it doesn't....

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#233887 - 08/10/2004 13:49 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: burdell1]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Mine lights when charging.
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Bitt Faulk

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#233888 - 08/10/2004 13:59 Re: Belkin Bluetooth for 140 [Re: wfaulk]
burdell1
old hand

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 931
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
thanks for the info....it seems that the battery isn't charging at all.....i'm not sure if it is fried or what....

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