price:$106.41
Garmin
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Good Start) 『THis is a good product that could be great one if Garmin can reduce the size and weight of the collar. Other than the collar weight the product gets 5 stars.』
(An Upgrade from their earlier astro (orange box style)) 『This astro should be pointed out that its fixed many of the bugs those of us early adopters encountered (like using velcro to attach anything to a dog was mistake 1).
The early versions featured an orange "box" with a non-amplified antenna built into the top of it, plus a li-ion battery. You got a velcro harness to hold it on the dog and keep it pointing skyward. After 2-3 trips the velcro was full of hair and the antennas were being broken by anxious dogs racing through brush.
Garmin re-designed the astro and fortunately for us all we had to do was buy the upgraded collar design. The (now black) collar works the same but features an amplified antenna on top, the electronics box down below where it naturally hangs, and an improved longer antenna with better range (about 25% better in my testing)
From the top of one mountain I can now find my dog 7.48 miles away with almost full signal strength, so this really works. Getting to the dog is another matter.
The collar transmits either every 5, 10, or 30 seconds. 10 is a good value as you get about 2 days of use from the transmitter before the battery dies. 5 seconds will die in under a day (about 18 hours). These settings are made by placing the collar in close proximity to the handheld tracker and uploading them.
Finally for the radio folk the collar transmits on the MURS VHF frequencies at 2 watts digital. The frequencies are 151.82, 151.88, 151.94, 154.57 (old analog radio channel - not a good choice) and 154.6 (same as 154.57) [all in MHZ]
The 151 frequencies provide the best range near towns becuase every fast food drive through uses the 154 frequencies to talk around. These correspond to the last 2 sets of 10 channels in the Astro.
If you are wondering how they get 10 channels on one frequency, its simple - both the receiver and transmitter have GPS inside, so they know EXACTLY when a second clicks by to a great precision. They then divide a time period (1 second) into 10 parts, each 1/10 of a second long. Channel 23 for example specifies frequency 2 (151.94) and timeslot 3 - the 3rd 1/10 of a second after 0.00 seconds. Since the radio and the transmitter both know when the transmission will happen the radio tunes frequency 2 at 0.3 seconds after a second "ticks" to listen for the 1/10 second transmission from the collar.
The only problem with this is you can not put multiple collars next to each other as the receiver needs time to process the data it receives (about another 1/10 second) so if 151.94 is a good channel for you, pick dog numbers of 21, 23, 25, 27, and 29 if you have multiple dogs on one system or are hunting with another astro user. Also, you can't have the radio tune different channels at the same time, so don't pick dog A on channel 14 and dog B on channel 24 because their transmissions will be at the same time on 2 different freqencies.
Keeping those simple rules of separation in mind you can track alot of dogs a long ways with Astro.』
(Expensive but worth it...) 『After reading all the reviews about less expensive solutions, I decided to give the Astro a try.
Everything comes in a rugged carrying case (for $500 it should). Turning on the unit, it found the collar on the first try. The collar has rechargable batteries, the Garmin handheld unit uses 2 AA batteries.
A few warnings to folks based on my experience:
1. If you let your dog go before the Garmin handheld unit is linked to the collar, I found it usually does not find it. Best advice is to put it on your dog and wait the minute so the Garmin handheld says it has "found" your dog. You should be within a few feet of your dog to get this work quickly.
2. The compass indicator is the most useful function. It tells you where your dog is with a simple compass arrow and gives you the distance. I find that the compass is accurate 95% of the time but the distance in yards is usally off quite a bit. The important thing to keep in mind is if you see yard froms dog going 50... 70... 90... 110... he or she is chasing something. I have never lost my dog and have done tests where she and a friend try to "loose" me but I found them every time.
3. The antenna seems to pretty sturdy. My dog will chase animals into a hole and get most of her body into it, collar and all. Nice that there is an extra antenna just in case with the unit.
The unit has lots of useful information like if your dog is running, sitting, or treed something. You can view a map of the dogs route too, which is interesting. There is also an ability to set up multiple marks so you can use the unit to return to a specific spot or even your vehicle. You can also track multiple dogs (each with their own D30 collar of course).
While the unit is expensive, the peace of mind of knowing where my dog is when she is out of site is priceless. By the way, I don't hunt, so anyone who takes their dog hiking off leash will love this unit as much as the most avid hunter.
』
(Great Product, But...) 『I bought the Astro to use with my pointing dog, primarily for grouse and woodcock. I tried it at home, before an early season trip to North Dakota for sharptails, and it worked like a champ, tracking the dog as my wife walked her around the neighborhood, and beeping to show me the dog was on point when they stopped. But, in North Dakota, it would never tell me the dog was on point, even though she had been for a long time. I took it home, messed with it, and again, had it working at home. Back to ND two weeks later, same thing - the dog would be on point but the unit would not pick up the signal. I called Garmin, and the support rep said to change the COM setting to 30 seconds. That didn't make sense to me, but I tried it - no difference. I emailed at the same time to Garmin, and got an much better answer back the next day. "Likely the system had become corrupted, and you should perform a hard reset, and download the latest operating system at the same time." The instructions were very clear, and after performing those steps, the unit works like a champ. I used it this last weekend in the north woods of Minnesota, and it signals EVERYTIME the dog goes on point. It works great!!! I may get rid of the beeper collar completely (instead of just using it on point-mode only). I'll keep the bell, so I can track the dog between points. I also bought the Topo map, and that is a great help in the woods - know where the hills and potential swamps are, as well as most logging and all county roads. As other reviewers have mentioned, its not a "high end" GPS, and you still have to use a training collar, but it does what it is supposed to do (with the help of support at Garmin). I really like hunting without all the noise of a beeper collar, and I think the dog can hear me much better too. I'm surprised it works as well in the hills and woods as it does, as I have tracked my dog out 250+ yards. One other issue, if you have a small dog like mine (33 lbs.) the unit won't fit well around the neck as the two units (battery/radio and gps) are not flexible and not curved much. It's very uncomforatble for the dog, and kind of heavy. Overall, 8 out of 10.』
(This system rocks!!!!) 『You'll always know where your dogs are located. The guess work is completely gone. You always know their exact location and how far they are from you. Finding your dogs is way too easy with this unit. You'll love it.
The extended range antenna is a must. I have not even tried to run the unit with the factory antenna installed. I live in the mountains with pretty tough terrain and a lot of dense forest and don't really expect it to work well without the extended range antenna. Since I've had this system, the farthest I've been away was 4.5 miles and was still tracking my dog. It works by line of sight, so I will lose communication with a dog if they or I go into a hollow; however, it is only for a brief period of time until one of us gets out of the low spot. This can happen in less than a half mile distance. The GPS keeps the last location on the map where it had last communicated with the collar, so even if you lose communication for a while, you'll still know where-ish they are located.
I bought the combo, Astro 220 with the DC30 collar. It worked so well that I immediately bought two more DC30 collars. Garmin really did a nice job here.
The software they ship with it is pretty weak; however, I didn't buy it for the software. I bought it to track dogs. 』 『Garmin ASTRO BUNDLE DC 30 Collar Plus Astro 220. Tired of searching for your hunting dog in tall grass or dense cover? Now you can leave the hunting entirely to him. Introducing Astro, the first high sensitivity GPS enabled dog tracking system for hunters and sportsmen. This unique system pinpoints your dogs position and shows you exactly where he is, even when you cant see or hear him. The Astro system includes a bright color screen handheld GPS device and the rugged, all weather DC 30 collar. The collar has an integrated GPS transmitter and is specially weighted so the antenna will always point to the sky for optimum signal. To get started, just take Astro outdoors and turn on the handheld and transmitter to acquire GPS satellite signals. Then attach the DC 30 to your dog. Now you are ready to turn him loose / no other setup required. As often as every five seconds, your dogs DC 30 transmits his position to your handheld, and you can see his current location and a trail of where he is been on the Map page of your handheld. Switch over to the Dog Tracker page to view a compass pointing to your dogs location as well as his current status: whether he is running, sitting, on point or treeing quarry. Astro can also sound an alarm to let you know instantly when your dog goes on point. Astro boasts a high sensitivity GPS receiver that can track your dogs position even in the densest cover. You can track up to ten dogs at one time with Astro, at a distance of up to seven miles away /depending on terrain/. The system transmits information by line of sight, so it reaches farthest in flat, open territory.』
price:$14.17
Garmin
Usually ships in 1 to 2 months 『This tiny foot pod is small enough to attach to your shoelaces or fit in the mid-sole pocket of compatible shoes. It's always ready to use and automatically turns on when you start moving.』
price:$99.99
IDC Design Corp
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (IDC Ecco - great idea, no follow through - I returned it.) 『I have to say...I thought that this product sounded so great. Unfortunately, you have to wait between 1-3 minutes in order to be located before you can set your coordinates. This is not a long time when you are truly away from home and want to locate your car, but when you are at a department store and don't plan on being there for a very long time...to wait even 30 seconds before you can leave your car is quite a long time. This device does not know height as well. This means that if you are parked on a multi-level structure...it could not notify you as to what story you are on.
I had to return this item for a refund. It is a neat idea, but maybe not quite its time. Maybe if IDC makes its locator faster...then this would be something I would be interested in.
I hope this helps.』
(GREAT GADGET BUT QUALITY COULD BE IMPROVED) 『I PURCHASED THIS PRODUCT FOR MY USE. I TRAVEL A LOT AND FREQUENTLY USE RENTAL CARS AND HAVE DIFFERENT WORK LOCATIONS. IT IS A GREAT GADGET FOR LOCATING WHERE YOU PARKED (ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A DIFFERENT CAR EVERY WEEK), WHICH ENTRANCE TO A BUILDING YOU CAME IN, ETC. SINCE I TRAVEL A LOT WEIGHT AND SIZE MEANS A LOT TO ME. THIS GADGET IS SMALL AND LIGHT TO CARRY AROUND AND FITS EASILY IN A POCKET OR PURSE. THIS GPS UNIT WILL BRING YOU CLOSE TO YOUR SAVED LOCATION, WITHIN APPROX. 3-5 FEET.
THE ONLY REASON WHY I WOULD NOT GIVE THIS GADGET 5 STARS IS BECAUSE THE QUALITY COULD BE IMPROVED. THE CLEAR PLASTIC SCREEN PROTECTING THE INSIDES CAN BE SLID OFF EASILY AND IT IS NOT SEALED. THE PLASTIC SCREEN IS A LITTLE OFF IN THE FITTING AND AS A RESULT THE DISPLAY IS CROOKED. THE DISPLAY ITSELF IS NOT EXACTLY CENTERED AND IS ALSO OFF. IT IS STILL READABLE BUT AGAIN THIS IS A QUALITY ISSUE AND THE UNIT CAN STILL BE USED. THERE ARE TWO PIXELS MISSING FROM MY DISPLAY WHICH SHOWS UP AS 2 BLACK DOTS. THESE ARE ALL THAT I NOTICED SO FAR. I HAVE TO NOTE THAT THIS IS THE 2ND ONE THAT I PURCHASED. THE FIRST UNIT HAD MISSING PIXELS ALSO AND THE DISPLAY WAS ALSO NOT CENTERED. FOR $100 THIS UNIT SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE QUALITY ISSUES OTHERWISE IN MY OPINION IT SHOULD COST LESS.
OVERALL, I AM STILL GIVING THIS PRODUCT 4 STARS FOR THE INNOVATION, SMALL SIZE AND EASE OF USE.
--- VIRGINIA, ROAD WARRIOR&GADGET GIRL』
(GREAT LITTLE GADGET) 『I LIKE THE IDC ECCO. I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE I LOVE GADGETS AND IN THE WARMER MONTHES IF IT'S SUNNY AND NO CHANCE OF RAIN OUTSIDE I LIKE TO GET UP EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND GO OUT INTO THE COUNTRY ON MY HARLEY, SOMETIMES RIDING IN A GROUP BUT MOSTLY NOT. I OFTEN END UP IN AREA'S I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO. IT'S EASY TO GET LOST IN THOSE TWISY BACKROADS. I USED THE ECCO DEVICE ON A WEEKEND TRIP AS SOON AS I GOT IT. WE LEFT MILWAUKEE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND ENDED UP ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BEFORE NOON. I PLAYED WITH THIS NEW TOY EVERY TIME I STOPPED. IT SEEMED TO WORK VERY WELL. WE WERE RIDING THE MISSISSIPPI SHORE ROADS AND BACKROADS THRU IOWA AND MINNISOTA, I RESET THE DEVICE A FEW DIFFERENT TIMES TO SEE HOW CLOSE IT BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAD BEEN SET. IT WAS RIGHT ON THE MONEY. IT POINT'S THE ARROW TOWARDS HOME OR WHEREVER YOU HAVE SET IT AND TELL'S YOU WHICH WAY IS NORTH. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED. IT'S ALSO VERY EASY TO USE, SMALL, INEXPENSIVE AND COMES WITH A RECHARGABLE FACTORY INSTALLED BATTERY AND WALL CHARGER, ALL FOR ABOUT 70 BUCKS TO MY DOOR. RON YUKAWA』
(Great for lots of occassions) 『I bought one (and paid a lot more than Amazon's price) and it works perfectly! I've used it in large parking lots, getting back to unfamiliar places in my car and on hikes. Love to use it when I'm out of town traveling.』
(Could be more accurate but still very helpful) 『Just got mine, and went out to a Walmart for testing this out. So it takes a while to set up the compass. You have to go through a 3 step process to calibrate the device. Once there, you get to lock your position and go. I do like the fact that the device doesn't lose the location when it goes to sleep (like one would expect). At the same time, I was impressed with its accuracy. It's not really pin point accuracy. Don't get me wrong. It got me close enough to see my car but it was not pin point accurate. For instance, I wasn't able to get anything going in short distances.
The battery needs to be charged for 2 hours before the first use. Don't forget that! Do I think this device is useful? Absolutely. If you are going to a conference and want to go out for lunch and find your way back, it'll do the job. But if you park your car in a parking lot and hoping for pin point accuracy, you are asking too much. It would get you close enough but stops once you are in a few feet distance.
Update: 08/15/09 - the device has performed well a few times that I have taken it with me on the road. The key to having success with this gadget is letting it lock on the satellites. The battery life is decent too.』 『Find your way back! Small and easy to use patented GPS system that is great for finding your way back in any situation. Ecco conveniently fits on your keychain. Find your car in parking lots at sporting events, shopping malls, the airport or use for travel or your next outdoor adventure. Simple and compact, just lock, go and return. Displays arrow direction and distance. Stores up to three locations (Car, Home, Hotel, Campsite, etc). Never get lost again!』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great improvement over the previous AVN units) 『After extensive research into the best GPS double-DIN unit for my F150, I narrowed the search to the Kenwood DNX9140 and the Eclipse AVN726E. I had the AVN5500 in my old car, so I was aware of the numerous strengths and weaknesses of the Eclipse product. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of the 5500. The video integration is great, but it leaves a LOT to be desired with regards to the GPS and iPod playback. Ergo, I was open to the AVN726E, but extremely skeptical after my previous disappointment. After reading the specs on the new unit, though, I was convinced that the 726E was exactly what I was looking for! (It should be noted that I never actually messed around with the DNX9140. It was another late-model high-end double-DIN that got equally great reviews, but I settled on the 726E after learning about the product improvements).
The following is a laundry list of reasons why I am so satisfied with this new unit (in no particular order): 1) Navigation is now a hard drive-driven application. In the 5500, a map DVD was necessary. The hard drive format works much better. First off, it is much faster to load and seems more efficient. Additionally, I don't have to worry about scratching or losing the disc (a $300 replacement). Updates to the map are performed via SD card behind the faceplate. Lastly, I now have the ability to keep a movie in the DVD slot while using the GPS. 2) The GPS is a bajillion times better in the 726E. For such a high-end product, the 5500 had some glaringly obvious flaws in the GPS platform. For instance, you weren't able to search by zip code and POI look-up was atrocious. You couldn't perform a blind search of restaurants or gas stations. Instead, you had to input the specific name of the POI and the unit would then find the closest match. It was ridiculous. The 726E has made vast improvements in this regard. Zip code search is quick and easy. The POI search is also great. It's similar to the Yelp application on my iPhone (without user reviews). I can find all of the closest restaurants, gas stations, etc in seconds. It plots them on the map close to me, close to my destination, or along my route. Phone numbers are also given. It's fantastic. 3) The GPS options are another great feature. You can choose to view the map in 2D (classic format, above-view) or in 3D. In 3D, the user can adjust the road view for a variety of angles (it looks like the default angle is around 45 degrees downward). The map will show buildings along your route in a realistic silhouette. It seems pretty cool, but I opted for 2D simply because I'm so used to it. You can also change the voice to one of 4 or 5 pre-set choices. 4) The iPod integration is unreal (with the use of IPC-709 iPod cable- $30). I use my iPhone for virtually everything media-related in the 726E. The iPhone recommends going into Airplane Mode to reduce interference, but I can't notice any discernible drop in quality (it's important to me to have access to incoming calls). Once connected, all functions of the phone are accessible through the head unit. You can search and play by artist, album, genre, playlist, etc. It's so great! Additionally, all of the video I have on my phone shows up beautifully on the 7" screen. Moreover, once connected, the system actually charges the iPhone! I couldn't be more thrilled.
A few negative features I read in online user reviews and my opinions: 1) "You can't adjust display output." UNTRUE! You simply need to hold down the AV button to access the video settings. 2) "You can't adjust the GPS voice; it's too quiet." UNTRUE! You can adjust the volume quite easily. Everything is accessible via the touch screen. I will say, though, that the navigation unit will take a little getting used to. It's not completely intuitive, and the trillion features complicate things a tad.
There are other minor improvements and options in the 726E, but these are the main reasons I'm so ecstatic with my purchase. All of the gripes I had with the 5500 have been thoroughly resolved. I couldn't be more happy with my purchase.
*If it's of interest, I also outfitted the set-up with the back-up camera and the Sirius tuner (you need BOTH the ECL-SC1 and the SCC1 to enable Sirius. That kind of sucks, but there you have it.) I'm in love with this set-up.』
(AVN726E Review) 『Folks,
I got this unit installed recently in my 2009 odyssey. It is a great unit and once you have it, you fall in love with it. It has so much to offer. 1) Navigation is so user friendly. The 3D maps are so precise, clear and beautifully layed out. 2) Radio and Sirius radio is awesome 3) Picture is so bright and clear. 4) Bluetooth is wonderful! 6) IPOD connectivity is great and one can view videos/music on the screen from Ipod. 7) This is the only unit in the market that can play a DIVX CD
In nutshell, I recommend this product wholeheartedly with no reservations.』 『The widescreen 7" display makes good use of advanced digital image processing technology for a vivid image that is in its own class. Contrast is optimized as are color depths and contrasts. This digital-to-digital TFT monitor keeps all data transfers in digital format, eliminating noise and the smearing experienced with analog conversion processes, just like the best LCD TVs.To deliver the best possible sound quality, the AVN726E's audio circuit components are specially selected, tested and evaluated through stringent listening tests. Many premium parts including Elna capacitors are used in key positions. A high 5V preamp output is included.The AVN726E's built-in Bluetooth delivers hands-free phone calling as well as audio streaming in conjunction with your Bluetooth-enabled device. Bluetooth pairing speed is more than 4 times faster than conventional navigation products which usually require 3 to 4 seconds.』
『The first high-sensitivity GPS-enabled dog tracking system for hunters and sportsmen. Pinpoint your dogâTMs position and see exactly where he is. Tired of searching for your hunting dog in tall grass or dense cover? Now you can leave the hunting entirely to him....』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Awsome Navigation) 『I have been using this new Kenwood Nav system for months now and it works great everywhere I go.』
(Hey...Its a Garmin!!!) 『I have the Kenwood KNA-G510 Nav. hooked up to the New 2009 Kenwood KVT-514 DVD receiver. The Nav. is surpurbe, like a Garmin should be. There are other receivers out there that offer navigation, but you can't beat Kenwood and Garmin's track record. I doint have the Bluetooth conected yet, but I understand when you are looking up a place of business(Restaurant) You can press on the phone number and it will dial the phone number of the place (very cool). I think this is a GREAT product and will add one to my other car as well.
1 word of CAUTION...KENWOOD ONLY HONORS THERE WARRANTY IF YOU BUY FROM THEIR AUTHORIZED DEALERS..(Crutchfield). 』
(WAY over priced!!!!) 『My problem is not with this unit...my problem is with "Crutchfield"! The average price for this item is $350. Crutchfield is asking $799!! Over twice as much!!! Crutchfield doesn't want to sell this as an indivdual unit. Crutchfield wants to bundle it with outdated head units. The problem is...Crutchfield is keeping the price high for everyone else. BACKOFF CRUTCHFIELD!!! Lower your price or stop selling this unit!!!!!』
(Outstanding Value!) 『This product is everything that it was advertised to be. My wife loves the product and finds it much easier to use than previous Kenwood versions. I am a Garmin fan and love the ability to upgrade the maps with software upgrades as opposed to the DVD versions. I would highly recommend this product.』
(BRILLIANT!!!) 『I got this for my 07 Sport Trac. As soon as I got the car I dumped the standard stereo for a Kenwood 6019 but didn't get the Nav part until recently. Now I have it I can't believe I waited so long, I bet we save the price of the Nav in Fuel because now my girlfriend isn't getting lost any more!!!!!』 『The navigation system comes with built-in map data and nearly 6 million POIs. Touch screen control enabled with Kenwood compatible monitors.』
price:$137.82
Zoombak
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (needs more info before you buy it) 『this is probably a great unit, if you are in T mobile cell coverage. if you are not it wont work at all. if i had known that before buying i wouldnt be stuck with a useless unit like i am now.』
(piece of junk !) 『i have used this for several months , it updates itsself every 48 hours and then you have to contact customer service for them to reset. works good for a day or so then same thing! if you dont contact customer service every other day , then you might as well forget the thing working like it says! see example below! left for work at 8;30 am, did not detect leaving till 10:59am, got home at 2:08 pm , did not detect it till 5:59 pm thats 4 and half hours !!! and that is only after i clicked on find now! how far can your kid drive in that time? i have made 100 mile round trips and it hasnt even shown i went anywhere! went to reno for 3 days ! did not even show me leaving town !!!!!!!! 10/31/2009 Saturday 7:59:36 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211457 Long: -121.074668 10/31/2009 Saturday 6:59:30 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211420 Long: -121.074504 10/31/2009 Saturday 5:59:31 PM PDT Enter Safety Zone Home Lat: 39.211424 Long: -121.074619 10/31/2009 Saturday 5:59:29 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211424 Long: -121.074619 10/31/2009 Saturday 1:29:12 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.202914 Long: -121.065999 10/31/2009 Saturday 10:59:50 AM PDT Exit Safety Zone Home Lat: 39.202981 Long: -121.066025 10/31/2009 Saturday 10:59:48 AM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.202981 Long: -121.066025 10/30/2009 Friday 10:59:25 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211491 Long: -121.074563』
(What a waste of money!) 『My husband bought one of these in town for $100 but I made him return it and found it for $39 w/free shipping online. Boy, am I glad I did! We put this little piece of junk in the back window of my son's car, (within full view of the sky, as the instructions will tell you) and it hardly works. The site is very slow to show you the location of the device, has a hard time finding it at all, can't track in real time, is extremely slow sending email alerts. By the time I get an alert, my son has long since arrived at his destination and I've spent way too long wondering where he is. It's even supposed to tell you how fast the device is moving, (say, in a car), but if it displays this information, it's too old to do anything about and it really only gives you a snapshot of what's going on, not ongoing information. Don't be thinking you'll be able to find a lost dog with it. You might eventually be shown a general location but by then the dog would have moved on. And all this wondrous information can be had for a monthly subscription fee! Yay! Oh, and by the way, I live in Columbus, Ohio, not the middle of nowhere.
Oh, and don't suppose you're going to buy one to give it a try, then sell to some other poor, unsuspecting sap. The only way to transfer it is to "authorize" someone to be a user on the account. THEY can then change the password and redirect the billing. But wait! What if they don't redirect it? Then you'll still get the bills AND be locked out of the account! Woo hoo! It had better be someone you really trust! So I guess this will go in the trash and be a $40 lesson.
What a great idea this seemed at the outset. Too bad the execution is so poor at this point. A more expensive device is probably the best idea. I'm sure the technology COULD be had cheaply, but will not be for a while. The companies stand to make too much money right now. I'm completely and utterly disappointed. Give this one a pass.』
(Not Always Accurate, OK Interface.) 『This product could use some work. The hardware itself is simple and well designed. It is rugged and simple. The issue is the online interface. It is almost too simple and lacks preferences or options. You are unable to check a log or bread crumb pattern. Sometimes information is unable to be acquired. Customer service though is very good and very responsive. This is used for vans in a service company and when it works it works very well. The whole idea of its use and presence is more as a deterrent rather then actually as a locator so it does work well for those purposes.』
(Works pretty much as advertised (i.e. very good)) 『I have tried several low-cost options for vehicles and this seems to be the best there is right now for the price. Hardwiring kit is probably required as the battery life is only a day or so, and if installed out of site it won't be disabled "by accident" or on purpose.
Once permanently installed I am happy with the unit and recommend it. It can lag on the zone updates from time-to-time, but in my area the position tracking is very accurate.
The zoombak web site has recently been updated and is much better than the prior version.
Phone and email support is done from Costa Rica and is eager, but not very good frankly, but they did resolve one problem for me without mishap.
To anyone out there in Amazon land: If anyone has any real or first hand experience, I would like to know whether the pet version, which is physically and electronically identical, can be set up to operate online as the vehicle/family unit. The pet version seems to be less expensive when you find it. I would like a 2nd one for another vehicle.』 『Zoombak's Advanced GPS Car&Family Locator will help you find your car's real-time location on-demand 24 hours, 7 days a week. Great for monitoring teen drivers or other family members you worry about behind the wheel and for recovering your vehicle if it is stolen. Zoombak communicates its GPS position to you via the national network of a leading cellular carrier, so it can assist you in finding your car in this nationwide coverage area. Additionally, Zoombak uses Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS), which brings together both satellite and cellular technologies allowing for a more precise and reliable way to determine the location of your Zoombak Locator. Install the Zoombak car locator permanently in your car or keep it portable for use in other vehicles such as motorcycles, ATVs, boats and bicycles. If your car leaves or is taken from the safety zone you have created, e.g., your house, you can be promptly notified via text message and/or email (your choice). You can then pinpoint your car�s real-time location on-demand via Zoombak.com or through our live, toll-free customer care which is available 24/7. Additionally, you can track your car's location in real time using our continuous tracking option which provides your car's location every 5 minutes for up to an hour. Simply log on to Zoombak.com to view a map of your car's current location as well as your car's location history. Unlimited on-demand location requests, an easy-to-use website, and a 24/7 toll-free phone number for live customer care and location support, will provide you with the peace of mind you are looking for in car safety. Long-life battery of up to 5 days on standby or up to 150 location requests before recharging. Zoombak requires a monthly service plan starting at $9.99/month. Minimum service term required. Activation and use of Zoombak locators are subject to Zoombak's customer agreement,plans, terms and conditions.』 『The Zoombak uses a combination of GPS satellite and cellular technologies to more precisely and reliably determine the location of your car or loved ones at any time or place. Zoombak's Advanced GPS Car&Family Locator will help you locate your car, and your loved ones in it, and help bring them home safely. Great for monitoring teen drivers or other family members you worry about behind the wheel. In addition, the Zoombak locator will assist you in locating your car if it is stolen.
Install the Zoombak car locator permanently in your car or keep it portable for use in other vehicles such as motorcycles, ATVs, boats and bicycles. Locate your car’s whereabouts on-demand using Zoombak.com, your mobile phone, or live customer care. Track your car's location in real time, or view a map of your car's current location or location history. Create your own customized "safety zones", and get notified via text message and email when your car has left the zone.
Unlimited on-demand location requests, an easy-to-use website, and a 24/7 toll-free phone number for live customer care and location support, will provide you with the peace of mind you are looking for in car safety. Please note that Zoombak requires a monthly service plan (Learn more)
Key Features
Find the current location of your car online, via mobile phone text message, or via toll-free 24 hour customer service (Learn more)
Track your car's location continuously (Learn more)
Get your car's location history (Learn more)
Get alerts whenever your car leaves custom "safety zones" that you define (Learn more)
Low Battery and "Power Off" Alerts (Learn more)
24/7 Customer Service
Just 2.5 ounces
Long battery life (standby = up to 120 hours or 5 days; active use = up to 150 location requests)
Water-resistant housing
Low-cost service plan (Learn more)
How Zoombak Helps If Your Car is Stolen
Your car gets stolen or you want to pinpoint its location
You receive a text alert on your mobile phone or an email on your computer
An on-demand locate helps you to find the current location of your car containing the Zoombak Advanced GPS Car&Family Locator. There are 3 easy ways to conduct an on-demand location request of your Zoombak Advanced GPS Car&Family Locator.
Zoombak.com
Log on and click "Find Now."
See your car's real-time location displayed on a map, along with the closest street address.
View your car's location in detail. Using our detailed map, you can easily zoom in and out or scroll in any direction.
Send a text message via mobile phone
Use your mobile phone to request the real-time location of your Zoombak locator.
Send a text message to "ZMBAK" or "96225" with the name of your locator and your PIN number.
Receive a prompt location alert via text message containing the nearest cross streets, along with the city and state information.
24/7 Toll-Free Live Customer Care
Contact Zoombak live customer care toll-free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-866-951-0101.
Receive friendly, knowledgeable support and our staff will help you find your car.
A safety zone is a personalized virtual boundary around a location that you’ve chosen. When your car enters or leaves an active safety zone, you can be alerted via email and/or text message (your choice.) You can create up to 10 safety zones, 5 of which can be active simultaneously at any given time. Safety zones can be quickly and easily turned on and off via Zoombak.com.
Safety zones can be quickly set up on Zoombak.com in 4 easy steps:
Name your safety zone and enter an address or use the current location of your Zoombak Locator to create your virtual boundary.
Select a boundary radius from as small as 110 yards to as large as 880 yards or a 1/2 mile.
Create a schedule for when you would like your safety zone to be active. For example, Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm
Select how and when you wish to be notified. For example, you can be notified via text message and email when your car enters and leaves the safety zone.
When your car enters or leaves your safety zone, you can receive a text message and/or email notifying you of the date and time of activity. The Zoombak Car&Family Locator automatically keeps track of your car’s location while the device remains active.
Zoombak's continuous tracking feature provides you with an automatic update of your car’s location every 5 minutes for up to 1 hour. Your car’s location, with time and date, will be shown on a map on Zoombak.com. Upon activating this feature, Zoombak will:
Determine your car’s real-time location.
Display its location on a map.
Provide location updates every 5 minutes. After 1 hour, you can easily extend continuous tracking for an additional hour
Zoombak’s location history allows you to see where your car has traveled for the past hour, day or week. Your location history will be available for your review on Zoombak.com for up to 7 days.
As part of your service, you can opt-in to have Zoombak notify you via email and/or text message (your choice) when your Zoombak Locator has been powered off or has a low battery. You can add multiple email addresses and mobile phone numbers to receive device alerts.
With "Power OFF" alerts, you can opt-in to be notified promptly when your device has been turned off along with the current or last known location information.
With low battery alerts, you can opt-in to be notified when your device battery is at 25% capacity. If your Zoombak locator powers off due to a low battery, you can receive a second alert advising you that your Zoombak locator has been powered off, along with the last known location of the device
What's In The Box
Zoombak Advanced GPS Car and Family Locator device
AC Wall Charger
Portable 12 Volt DC Car Charger
Installation Bracket which holds your device securely in place when mounted in your vehicle
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (awesome) 『I have used several GPSs over the years and this one takes the cake. It went on a trip to Ireland the Scotland with me and performed so well I am thinking of new ways to push it to see where it might fail.
First it locked on just about anywhere, inside airports while in my luggage, inside the overhead bin on the plane while inside my luggage, inside cars while in my pants pocket, in buildings, in hotels, in pubs large and small. It locked on everywhere, and when it did not it just kept me in the same location until it did find a lock, meaning it did show me bouncing all over the place when I was really just sitting still.
Secondly the software is OK, I did use it for downloading the data, setting up the GPS, exporting to GPX and Google Earth, and some preliminary review of the days events, but really that was it. So I cannot talk to how it does anything else, nor do I much care. It does what I needed it to do very well with no problems or complaints. I ran it on XP SP3 on 2 machines and it had no issues of any kind.
Thirdly it lasts FOREVER. I left it run almost 2 days, nearly 42 hours, before it died. 42 hours. That is amazing. Plus since it charges via USB I can charge it ANYWHERE. I can charge from my laptop, desktop, car charger, wall charger, even from those little engergizer 2xAA battery thingies. I even made a charger from a USB cable and a 4xAA battery holder. So I can charge this from rechargeable batteries as needed without connecting to my laptop.
Forthly it stores a lot of info. I have easily almost 2 weeks of time, in 1 minute increments about 10-16 hours a day, stored on here. You cannot erase from it , it just overwrites the old stuff, so I can see all the way back to when I first got it still, plus the 9 day Ireland/Scotland trip, plus all the flights to and from, plus misc playing around with it. It is all still on there. Amazing.
The one thing you really really really do have to do though if you plan to geotag photos, and I know you already know this but just listen anyways, is to sync the camera clock to GPS time (in your home timezone if possible). My camera time drifts, I had synced it before maybe 6 months ago when using the Garmin GPS around home, but I was 5 minutes off, which would be fine except that my shots of a given church were blocks away, my shots of the Cliffs of Moher are geotagged from the parking lot, etc until I corrected for the drift. There is no way to tell what time this GPS thinks it is, but since all GPS receivers use the same time it is a simple matter of syncing to any GPS or just to a reputable Stratum 1 or 2 time source online. 』
(OK, but difficult to use with a Mac) 『Using Qstarz GPS tracker on a Mac:
All in all, I would not recommend buying a Qstarz to a Mac user until they come out with some functional Mac software - it is way too complicated (and seems risky to me for the security of your system). It seems like a good GPS tracker and the Windows software might be good if it works, but for a Mac user, I don't think it's worth the hassle. It's taken me 2 full days of messing around with the system of my computer to be able to download the data, and I'm still missing out on a lot of the functionality. By the way, the windows program comes on a tiny CD about 3 inches wide and probably does not load into most computers. Also the "reference guide" included with the box is poorly translated and almost worthless. The actual GPS measurements seem to be rather consistently about 30 meters East of where they actually were taken, but other than that seem accurate. I wrote down what I can remember of getting this thing to work on a Mac for any one else who really wants to try. The open source BT747 program is what makes it all possible, and is a very useful and powerful program, in spite of the difficulty of actually installing it.
To Make Qstarz BT-Q1000X work on a Mac:
I strongly recommend reviewing the following web pages which probably explain most of the steps better than I do (but as I found out, also seem to leave some steps a little confusing, not that I can do it better):
1. (this step may not be required and is probably better not preformed unless Bluetooth does not work): download and install a USB driver: Mac_OSX_VCP_Driver (from: bt747.free.fr/content/?q=book/export/html/4 and follow the link to silabs.com - VCP drivers); will require a restart. Note that this program will prevent you from ever using Fusion or Paralells on your Mac and should be removed if you need to use these. I think with Bluetooth, you will not need this USB driver and it is best to avoid this step.
2. Start up the Qstarz and set to NAV mode. Pair the Qstarz with Bluetooth in system preferences, using the advanced box and following the prompts. The Qstarz will only be momentarily connected, and then will disconnect after noting there are no services available. That's ok.
3. Start up your computer in admin user (assuming you have separate admin and user accounts - if not then just use your normal acct); open terminal and type in:
sudo mkdir /var/lock
it will then ask for your password; enter your admin password and "enter" (you will not see that the password is going in as the cursor will not move; I think that it just moves to the next line if the password was entered alright); then type in the following command and "enter" to make the locked shell globally writeable:
sudo chmod 777 /var/lock
(I have no idea what this does for the security of your system; as always, type those commands exactly without extra spaces). I think you can close the terminal then.
4. Down load and install the following program: "Install Desktop version of BT747" from "bt747.free.fr/content" and go to the "Download&Install Desktop" (above the "documentation" link which is also very useful) in the left upper hand sidebar, and from there click on the "Install the desktop version of BT747".
Note that the "download and install" appear to occur together and may hang several times, just click on the install program again until it completes. Agree to allow the program files (all of them) access to your computer - once again I have no idea how serious of a threat to the security of your system this is. After all this the BT747 program should be open on your desktop.
5. Set your Qstarz GPS to "NAV", (make sure it has already been paired with Bluetooth in "system preferences"; at the bottom of the opening page (first tab "Log Operations"), at the bottom next to connect, move the option to "Bluetooth (for Mac)", and click on "connect". With any luck you should see information showing up in the upper right hand corner "GPS Device Data". That's good!
6. Now you can close the BT747. For some reason you will not be able to start it up again from it's icon in Applications, but will have to run the "BT747_J2SE_Install-jnlp" script again every time in order to start it up again - it's much faster than the initial installation and does not download new files. The copy I use came from "sourceforge.net/projects/bt747/files/bt747/Latest/BT747" (I had version 1.68.25) - download the full zip file, unzip it, open the folder and look for "BT747_J2SEInstall-jnlp". Copy this to wherever you want to keep it and can find it again (maybe in "Applications"). I have no idea why the "BT747 Desktop Latest" icon won't just start up like any other program.
7. At this point I would restart the computer, back into my normal user account; and restart the BT747 program via the "BT747_J2SEInstall-jnlp" script again. Make sure that you can connect to the Qstarz.
You will need to assign Places for the "Raw log file" and "Output Directory" in the upper left corners (I made separate folders in my home/Documents). I also made a separate folder for the "BT747_J2SEInstall-jnlp" script, and made an alias for it in either "Applications" or a place where I start up programs.
Now you can adjust the settings of the Qstarz itself, (it has many adjustable parameters which seem rather complicated to me, and is explained in the "bt747.free.fr/content/?q=book/export/html/4" on the documentation page - well worth downloading!).
You can download the data also in BT747, but it only comes in as a .bin file. Sometimes it can be converted, but I can never manage to export that new file to anything useful in other programs. However, if it is successful at converting the data, you can see where you've been on a map, and the speed between points.
Each time you quit the BT747, you will need to start it up again via the "BT747_J2SE_Install-jnlp" script.
I use "HoudahGPS" for downloading the Qstarz logs in NMEA or GPX files (which is what I need to use for the Maperture program and I think most other geotagging programs); , without actually geotagging the photos there (which you could also do if needed, although the free version has a limit of 5 photos a time); however you cannot control the parameters of the Qstarz itself via HoudahGPS.
Be careful not to use both the BT747 and the HoudahGPS at the same time, or it is very difficult to reconnect with the Qstarz again in the future (try shutting down your computer, repairing the Bluetooth and Qstarz if you do by accident). I think you actually have to shut the Qstarz off after using either the HoudahGPS or the BT747 before you can use the other program.
I hope that all of this can be useful to you, sorry in advance about any points I've forgotten or if it doesn't work for you.』
(Excellent accuracy, long life) 『My goal was to get a GPS data logger for geotagging my photos when taking 1-2 week long trips. After comparing GPS data loggers for weeks, I finally settled on the Qstarz BT-Q1000x for several reasons: -Highest accuracy with the MTKII chip -Long battery life (rated for over 40 hrs, depending on which mode you run it). -Replaceable battery (Uses standard Nokia cell phone battery readily available for less than $5 online) -Locks on to satellites quickly (my old Garmin eTrex would take several minutes when sitting under the open sky. This unit locks within a few seconds *indoors*)
FORM&FUNCTION: Less than 2.5" on the long side, this unit is smaller than my Sony Ericsson cellphone. A rubber back allows it to sit conveniently on my dash - but it operates just as well in my car's cup holder or in the recesses of my camera bag.
It operates in two tracking modes: logging and bluetooth+logging. * The logging feature simply records location+elevation at specified intervals. This can be changed by software on the PC to record at time intervals or distance intervals or time and distance intervals ("every 15 seconds or 30 meters"). The unit can *track* 5 times per second (Hz), but will not *LOG* 5Hz. So if you're wanting a unit that will record your skydive or rollercoaster ride, this is not your unit. * Bluetooth+logging allows your bluetooth PC (or PDA) to connect to the unit and use it as the GPS for your mapping/navigation software. I bought a $3 bluetooth USB dongle and had no problem getting the Q1000x to connect to my Microsoft Streets&Trips via bluetooth and show me exactly where my desktop PC was located (as if I didn't know already :) * Pressing the Waymark button will record a waymark in the log. * You can tether the unit to your PC or PDA with a USB cable. Bluetooth is an option, not a requirement.
OPERATION: Turning the unit on and tossing it into the glovebox lets me track the car's location as I drive around. Doing the glovebox test was important to me as I want a unit that can track where my tour bus might take me when touring foreign countries. The unit would occasionally take a minute or so to get its first fix, but so far, I've not noticed any serious issues with losing fix.
SOFTWARE: There's lots to mention here, but the main thing that I liked is that I point the software to a directory of photos, and it searches that directory and all directories under it to find photos with the appropriate time stamp in the EXIF. It then plots out my trip on a scaleable map (Google Maps, Google Earth, etc), with the photos in place. It even gives me a "play" button that plays a cursor along the trip line. It also allows me to export the trip, with photos, in a set of HTML files so I can upload the whole trip to my website.
For details, download the manual off the website because there is a lot of info for this plain-looking unit. It goes well beyond my expectations and is well worth the $105 I spent for it.
I understand the iBlue 747+ is an identical unit, but doesn't include the software. For me, the software is well worth the extra $20.』
(Great toy marred by flunky software) 『This is a great item, very accurate with a sensitive receiver. It calculated accurate results no matter the weather and even when I was inside buildings from a three story house to large airport terminals. I kept it clipped to my camera bag and it kept track of my location in eight airports, six aircraft, three rental cars, numerous buildings and over 6000 miles of traveling. It even worked in the underground tunnel between terminals in the Detroit airport. Of course there was some expected drift when inside any building. This unit easily outperformed the GPS receivers in the TomTom GO 720 and in my Blackberry phone as they were unable to pick up enough GPS signal to calculate my position.
All this great performance is obscured by merely satisfactory software (version 5.1). As one other reviewer noted, the software has a tendency to freeze. I even noticed that it would work fine for about a minute and a half then freeze for 20 seconds or so. Contacting Qstarz tech support and they told me to delete the temporary files from Internet Explorer. I wish they could have seen my quizzical expression as this didn't make sense to me. However, their suggestion actually fixed the problem. Unfortunately, the problem reoccurs and forces me to (yet again) clear the cache.
The software "drift detection" is a nice feature to reduce the number of data points in your track but there should be some kind of threshold setting added here. This feature tends to remove far too many points when they are close together. If you are hiking on a trail with lots of twists and turns, the software may detect them all as "drift" and create a single straight slash through all of them. This is especially evident if the trail you are on crosses back over itself, instead of a nice smooth loop, you get an obtuse triangle with points off the actual trail.
I like the Track Editor feature, but it would be much better if you could still see the Google map or satellite image during editing. If you want to move a point to a more accurate position, you have to switch back and forth between the Google Map and the Track Editor tabs to see the results of your edits.
While the speed/altitude/distance graphs are interesting to look at, there is no option to save or export them. Not sure what I'd do with them, but when a piece of software allows you to view data in a special format, I kind of hope you can also export it to share with others too.
Associating pictures with the tracks worked perfectly even when crossing time zones. The GPS didn't update the time when crossing into a new time zone, though I never turned it off and back on either. I am not sure if that would have caused the time to reset. This worked well for me because taking pictures with three different digital cameras, I didn't want to have to reset the time on them all during the eight time zone transitions I encountered (eastern to central and back and forth numerous times).
The included case for the unit seems durable enough but the single hole in it for the power/mode switch isn't lined up well with the switch. There is no hole for the USB connection (easily rectified with a small pair of scissors). The case is snug enough to hold the unit in but I would feel more secure if there was a strap to ensure it couldn't slip or be squeezed out. An easy clip-on, clip-off catch would be a great deal better than the simple ring provided for securing the unit to my camera bag. Picking up a mini spring loaded clip is a good investment.
I was able to pair this device with my Blackberry Pearl 8130 and bbTracker software. I could then log my travels directly into the phone. Battery life made this exercise pointless. Only a couple hours use and the phone's batter was two thirds dead. The bbTracker software often had issues connecting to the device when the Bluetooth signal was lost (or just when it didn't feel like connecting). More than once, I had to pull the battery on my phone to kill bbTracker when it refused to properly quit. Of course, this is not a problem with the BT-Q1000X but with the bbTracker software. I include comments on bbTracker here in case anyone else is interested in connecting the external GPS with their BB. BTW, bbTracker is the only software I was successful in getting to work with the BT-Q1000X.
Overall, I give the unit itself five full bright gold stars but the included software still needs work. 』
(Geotagging is fun!) 『I'd used both a Nokia E71 phone GPS and a Garmin 60CSx to geotag photos, but both had its drawbacks:
* Phone: The Nokia GPS takes a looooong time to get a satellite fix. Very annoying. Also, I had to install a program, SportsTracker, into the phone for its GPS to record routes, and then use Geosetter (a wonderful piece of free software) to do the actual geotagging. Although this workflow worked okay, the Nokia part of it wasn't exactly made for this use and I made a few mistakes before getting the hang of it. But the satellite fix issue was the real deal breaker for me.
* Garmin: When you're already carrying a camera and assorted odds and ends on a trail, its weight and bulk count a lot. I exported the .gpx file generated by the 60CSx and did the geotagging on Geosetter.
So I decided to look for hardware that was made for my needs and settled on the Qstarz Q-1000X, due to its tiny footprint, great price and ease of use. No regrets so far. I've had it on drives and walks and it has worked very well.
The Qstarz gets a satellite fix incredibly fast, and once that's done you forget it's there: just stick it in your camera bag, jeans pocket or belt (courtesy of the loop in its carrying case) and let it do its work. Just don't forget to set it to "log".
The GPS is a pocket-sized rocket, with a huge battery life -- and a replaceable cell phone battery -- and a nice package of included accessories. There's the practical carrying case, which protects the GPS while allowing you to see the little lights; a cigarette adapter; mini USB cable; and mini CD with the software and its manual. There's no wall charger, but I don't need one anyway. Furthermore, it will hook up to a PDA or cell phone through Bluetooth to become a personal navigation system.
Once you get back to your computer, all that remains is to download the day's photos, connect the Q-1000X via USB and use the included software to import the corresponding track and synchronize images + GPS data. I found the Qstarz's recordings to be accurate. although I did have to compensate for time difference when first using it in another time zone and with another camera (after figuring out what was going on, I did this in its software, and then the geotagging worked perfectly).
The tracks can also be exported in several formats -- the .gpx, .nmea and .csv track formats, Google Earth .kmz and .kml or editable html -- to be used in other applications.
The Qstarz software is a bit slow, but then so is Geosetter, meaning this is a non-issue to me. It also allows you to see tracks and photos in its included Google map and upload geotagged photos to Flickr or Locr (none of which I use).
I have to say that neither the print manual (a tiny booklet in black and white in which it's nearly impossible to see the GPS's buttons or where the little arrows are pointing to), nor the electronic software manual nor the Q1000X software are written in fluent English, a fact that can make understanding of instructions and options a little difficult. But the whole setup is intuitive enough to figure out with use.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with the Qstarz BT-Q1000X GPS and would recommend it to anyone looking for a simple, practical and reliable geotagging solution.』 『Hardware:
# Adopt MTK II latest chipset with high sensitivity -165dBm and 66-Channel tracking
# Ultra lower power consumption up to 42hrs operation
# Less than 15-Sec. AGPS fix support: download almanac data to realize faster TTFF and positioning under warm start
# Stand-Alone travel recorder to log up to 200,000 records (*)# Easily switch Travel Recorder to LOG mode or NAV mode (Navigation + Log)
# Support button push manually to memorize your location immediately
# Update Rate 1~5Hz changeable by utility provided
# G-Mouse + Bluetooth in one: wired and wireless GPS receiver
# Fast Position Fix ,Cold start 35s, Warm start 33s,Hot start 1s# Auto On-Off function for smart power control
# Personal/Portable Navigation (PDA, Smartphone, PC, etc.)
# QZSS, DGPS(WAAS+EGNOS+MSAS) support
Software:
# Support Multi-mode setting to record data (Vehicle, Bicycle, Jog)
# Provide Travel Recorder PC Utility V4 with built-in Google Map, Multi-language support, and Visualization UI# "Wizard interface" for Utility to easily manage importing and exporting tracks
# Provide RaceChrono 5Hz software for high speed sport racing
# Auto track split function helps you organize your travel path
# Support Track Edit function allowing you to remove unnecessary waypoints
# Track playback function, changeable different track color and name# Active NMEA protocol VTG / GLL manually via Qstarz setup tool
# Output your travel record as GPX / CSV / NMEA / Google Earth file format.
# Draw your navigation path immediately on Google Earth as default
# Support GeoTagging function for digital photo and generate KMZ file easily
# The waypoints would be decreased when the more options of Log Format are selected』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Good compact GPS and photo logger) 『This is a good compact GPS logger, which is primarily intended for geotagging digital photos.
The idea here is that the GPS logger periodically records your GPS location and then, later on, the Holux Logger Utility takes this timestamped GPS information and compares it against the JPG timestamps on your photos. Then for each photo, it can find the GPS record that best matches the photo time and add that GPS location information to the photo.
The basic idea works well. The M-241 is sometimes a little awkward to use, but I like mine enough that after I accidentally lost my first one, I quickly bought a second. I use the GPS info for both tagging photos and for generating route maps.
Some specific positives: * The logger is very compact and easily fits into a pocket. * The Holux logger utility uploads GPS data as either proprietary TRL files or as Google Earth KML files. The KML files can be easily viewed with Google Earth. * GPS signal sensitivity is quite good. It can sometimes take ten minutes or so to get an initial fix, but it tracks quickly thereafter. * The LCD display is useful: I enjoy being able to watch things like direction, or speed, or travel distance as I travel.
Now some weaknesses: * A Duracell Alkaline AA lasts me about 15 hours and a Lithium AA about 22 hours. (Fairly typical battery life for a GPS device.) * The battery case cover is rather flimsy and needs cautious handling. * The two button control UI on the logger takes a little getting used to. I can now navigate it quickly, but I initially found it rather frustrating. * The logger utility UI is distinctly clunky and the manual is rather weak. The UI does the job, but not particularly elegantly. * You need to keep your camera time synchronized with the logger's time and you need to compensate for timezone differences when you do the photo tagging.
You can use either USB or Bluetooth to communicate with the logger. I've been using USB on Vista, without any problems. I can't speak to the Bluetooth functionality.
Some suggestions: * Make sure to download the latest firmware and logger utility from the Holux website. The latest versions have bug fixes and some feature additions. * In the logger settings, turn "AutoLog" to "on". This means it will start logging as soon as it gets a GPS fix, and you don't have to remember to separately turn on logging. * Rather than worrying about time zones, I ended up leaving my camera permanently in UTC+0 (GMT). The logger always writes its TRL records in UTC+0, so this means I can tag photos without having to specify a timezone adjustment. * By default, the logger logs every 5 seconds. I moved it to every 30 seconds, which I find adequate for photo location and lets me store over a month of records. * If you're using USB, it's worth turning off the Bluetooth radio to save power. (This is a new feature in the v1.12 firmware.)
Overall, this isn't perfect, but I find it very convenient as a lightweight tool for GPS and photo logging. 』
(simple logger that works) 『I've had this for a few months, and it works. I take it hiking and use other software (GPicSync, free) to geotag the photos. Make sure you set your camera to the right time (get the "true" time from the logger). I seems pretty accurate, finds the satellites after a little while (<1 min), and has enough recording options. I really like that it uses AA batteries; it will run all day on a lithium rechargeable (2700 mah) that I also use for my camera. When I'm away for a few days, I just bring extra AA's. It can store a lot of waypoints. It has distance and time logging options, can display speed, distance traveled, location, can be locked to avoid accidentally turning logging on/off. And it's been knocked around without complaining.
The USB and bluetooth work fine on a couple of computers (XP); it is important to install the USB drivers before connecting it. I find the USB much easier than the bluetooth. You can adjust the settings from the software, which makes life easier.
OK, some quirks: the software appears to offer geotagging, but does not; the GPicSync works great though. With the USB connection, you have to figure out which COM port it connects to; this is trial and error (COM6 for me), but it stays the same each time you connect it. If it runs out of power while logging, the file is lost (same thing if you accidentally turn it off); there is a low-battery indicator, but you need to be checking it pretty regularly, or have a good idea how long your battery will last. The battery cover feels pretty fragile. You can't tell it to start logging until you get a fix on the satellites, which means each time you turn it on you need to remember to start logging a minute later.
I think for money and convenience (AA, reasonable memory, accuracy), it's the best logging option - at least in March it was!』
(Positives and negatives) 『Cute little gadget. It is a comparatively fast and sensitive little Bluetooth GPS unit with a tiny display that can show Lat/Lon/Alt/Speed/Compass/etc. and has a backlight. It will also automatically or manually log waypoints and routes with a modest number of configurable options. It works great with my Treo 680 Smartphone and DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2006 Handheld Edition. In fact it is more reliable than my DeLorme Bluetooth GPS's. Running 12 hours on an alkaline AA battery is rather amazing. The fact that the accompanying software can export the saved waypoint and route data in a number of formats, including NMEA and Google Earth KMZ format is cool. The software is a bit primative but it seems to work. I hope they come out with some updates.
Now for the negatives.
The USB driver doesn't seem to work properly on XP!!!
It seems to work okay on Win2K Pro.
Fortunately it is possible to connect your XP PC and the data download software to the M-241 over Bluetooth and get the data off of it. Slowly.
And Holux Technical Support (email to China) seems to be strictly a one-way communication medium. You send them emails and nothing ever comes back.
Would I buy it again? Yes! It's cheap and works great as an amazingly sensitive and fast little GPS. And if you can negotiate the usual quirks and user hostility of Bluetooth, you can make it do everything that Holux promises it can do. However it sure would be nice if Holux fixed the stupid USB driver for XP!
-Christopher Erickson
』
(This GPS works, but it is hard to use and battery life is terrible.) 『If you are a casual user, I would not recommend this product. If you are interested in actively figuring this product out, it could work for you. After 2 days of use, I have successfuly created and uploaded Google Earth files. This is really cool, and the reason I bought the product. However, I have also found the following: 1. This device eats batteries. I have reloaded the single AA battery twice in 2 days, having just used the product for a few brief periods. While indoors near a window, the product take a while to find the satellites. Because it takes a while, I set the unit down and then came back to it later only to find that the unit had timed out and turned off. Turning it back on started the process over again. The PC software is non-professional and is hard to use. It looks like a Windows 3.1 application. 3. The manual is minimal, at best. 4. The UI of the device is not intuative.』 『The M-241 is a high performance wireless GPS logger with the following features:
# Dual interface (Bluetooth + GPS-mouse by USB cable).
# Compatible with Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) completely.
# Powered by one AA battery.
# LCD display to show position information, speed, capable logging memory size, date&time.
# Capable memory size to record up to 130,000 positions, including longitude, latitude, time, and altitude.
# Personal settings to select the logging mode by distance or time, unit by Kilometer or mile, and 3 languages (English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese) support.』
price:$127.29
Zoombak
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (needs more info before you buy it) 『this is probably a great unit, if you are in T mobile cell coverage. if you are not it wont work at all. if i had known that before buying i wouldnt be stuck with a useless unit like i am now.』
(piece of junk !) 『i have used this for several months , it updates itsself every 48 hours and then you have to contact customer service for them to reset. works good for a day or so then same thing! if you dont contact customer service every other day , then you might as well forget the thing working like it says! see example below! left for work at 8;30 am, did not detect leaving till 10:59am, got home at 2:08 pm , did not detect it till 5:59 pm thats 4 and half hours !!! and that is only after i clicked on find now! how far can your kid drive in that time? i have made 100 mile round trips and it hasnt even shown i went anywhere! went to reno for 3 days ! did not even show me leaving town !!!!!!!! 10/31/2009 Saturday 7:59:36 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211457 Long: -121.074668 10/31/2009 Saturday 6:59:30 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211420 Long: -121.074504 10/31/2009 Saturday 5:59:31 PM PDT Enter Safety Zone Home Lat: 39.211424 Long: -121.074619 10/31/2009 Saturday 5:59:29 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211424 Long: -121.074619 10/31/2009 Saturday 1:29:12 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.202914 Long: -121.065999 10/31/2009 Saturday 10:59:50 AM PDT Exit Safety Zone Home Lat: 39.202981 Long: -121.066025 10/31/2009 Saturday 10:59:48 AM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.202981 Long: -121.066025 10/30/2009 Friday 10:59:25 PM PDT Location Check Lat: 39.211491 Long: -121.074563』
(What a waste of money!) 『My husband bought one of these in town for $100 but I made him return it and found it for $39 w/free shipping online. Boy, am I glad I did! We put this little piece of junk in the back window of my son's car, (within full view of the sky, as the instructions will tell you) and it hardly works. The site is very slow to show you the location of the device, has a hard time finding it at all, can't track in real time, is extremely slow sending email alerts. By the time I get an alert, my son has long since arrived at his destination and I've spent way too long wondering where he is. It's even supposed to tell you how fast the device is moving, (say, in a car), but if it displays this information, it's too old to do anything about and it really only gives you a snapshot of what's going on, not ongoing information. Don't be thinking you'll be able to find a lost dog with it. You might eventually be shown a general location but by then the dog would have moved on. And all this wondrous information can be had for a monthly subscription fee! Yay! Oh, and by the way, I live in Columbus, Ohio, not the middle of nowhere.
Oh, and don't suppose you're going to buy one to give it a try, then sell to some other poor, unsuspecting sap. The only way to transfer it is to "authorize" someone to be a user on the account. THEY can then change the password and redirect the billing. But wait! What if they don't redirect it? Then you'll still get the bills AND be locked out of the account! Woo hoo! It had better be someone you really trust! So I guess this will go in the trash and be a $40 lesson.
What a great idea this seemed at the outset. Too bad the execution is so poor at this point. A more expensive device is probably the best idea. I'm sure the technology COULD be had cheaply, but will not be for a while. The companies stand to make too much money right now. I'm completely and utterly disappointed. Give this one a pass.』
(Not Always Accurate, OK Interface.) 『This product could use some work. The hardware itself is simple and well designed. It is rugged and simple. The issue is the online interface. It is almost too simple and lacks preferences or options. You are unable to check a log or bread crumb pattern. Sometimes information is unable to be acquired. Customer service though is very good and very responsive. This is used for vans in a service company and when it works it works very well. The whole idea of its use and presence is more as a deterrent rather then actually as a locator so it does work well for those purposes.』
(Works pretty much as advertised (i.e. very good)) 『I have tried several low-cost options for vehicles and this seems to be the best there is right now for the price. Hardwiring kit is probably required as the battery life is only a day or so, and if installed out of site it won't be disabled "by accident" or on purpose.
Once permanently installed I am happy with the unit and recommend it. It can lag on the zone updates from time-to-time, but in my area the position tracking is very accurate.
The zoombak web site has recently been updated and is much better than the prior version.
Phone and email support is done from Costa Rica and is eager, but not very good frankly, but they did resolve one problem for me without mishap.
To anyone out there in Amazon land: If anyone has any real or first hand experience, I would like to know whether the pet version, which is physically and electronically identical, can be set up to operate online as the vehicle/family unit. The pet version seems to be less expensive when you find it. I would like a 2nd one for another vehicle.』 『The Zoombak¿ Advanced GPS Dog Locator is a dependable and accurate way to help keep track of your dog's real-time location on-demand 24 hours, 7 days a week. Zoombak communicates its GPS position to you via the national network of a leading cellular carrier, so it can assist you in finding your dog in this nationwide coverage area. Additionally, Zoombak uses Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS), which brings together both satellite and cellular technologies allowing for a more precise and reliable way to determine the location of your Zoombak Locator. Our small, lightweight, water-resistant locator attaches comfortably to your dog¿s collar with a durable and secure Zoombak pouch (included). If your dog leaves or is taken from the safety zone you have created, e.g., your backyard, you can be promptly notified by text and/or email (your choice). You can then pinpoint your dog¿s real-timelocation on-demand via Zoombak.com or through our live, toll-free customer care which is available 24/7. Additionally, you can determine your dog's location in real time using our continuous tracking option which provides your pet's location every 5 minutes for up to an hour. Simply log on to Zoombak.com to view a map of your dog's current location, as well as his path taken since leaving home. Unlimited on-demand location requests, an easy-to-use website, and a 24/7 toll-free phone number for live customer care and location support, will provide you with the peace of mind you are looking for in pet safety. Zoombak locator is 2.87" x 1.69" x .0.82" (L x W x H), weighs only 2.5 ounces and is water-resistant. Long-life battery of up to 5 days on standby or up to 150 location requests before recharging. Recommended for dogs over 15 lbs. Zoombak requires a monthly service plan starting at $9.99/month. Minimum service term required. Activation and use of Zoombak locators are subject to Zoombak's customer agreement, plans, terms and conditions.』