Develop Bugs

XDA II for in-car SatNav?

Can anybody recommend what I would need in order to use my XDA-II as a satellite navigation system for my car? I believe I would need a GPS receiver, but unsure of which are the better options. I would be hoping to do this for under £100 if possible. Can anybody recommend anything or give me a link to some reviews?
Thanks,
Allan

PLEASE do a search around this forum before asking such a question.
YES we're ere to help each other
BUT
YES there is load of info allready available.

I have had a search through the forum but all the relevant posts are over 6 months old, and there are no indication of price.
Does anybody have any advice?
Thanks
Allan

I dont think last months discusions on carkits are > 6 months old.
The pricing info is still valid.
Carkits were introduced between may and july this year.
Good carkits are from Expansys (iMate / XDAII carkit), T-Mobile (MDA II carkit), Qtek (Qtek2020 carkit), Yeti.
All have specific (dis)advantages.
Decent cradle is from Carcomm and maybe Seidio.
If i say more, I can just as weel copy the other threads in.

allanmb
I'm new to this too, so I researched the subject as well as I could and this is what I've found since I unwrapped my 'surprise' (!) GPS package at Christmas...
First of all, the package itself. I (sorry, Santa) went for a PDAMods bundle (sixth one down on http://www.pdamods.com/products.asp?cat=104) of Rikaline X7 Bluetooth GPS, TomTom 3 and the Silver Shield powered mount with built-in speaker. Let's look at these one at a time.
Rikaline X7 I was attracted to this model by its replaceable battery, long battery life and no on/off switch. I upgraded my O2 XdaII to the 1.72 ROM from the O2 website before trying to bond it (so cannot comment on different brands or earlier ROMs), but when I did so it bonded immediately. You simply hold a button down for 5 seconds + to activate Bluetooth discoverable mode, pair with the XdaII in the normal manner and that's it. I also use a Jabra BT250 headset in the car, and have tested it with an incoming call whilst in TomTom nav mode - whilst admittedly I don't yet know whether the voice prompts still work during a call (because I was on a straight when the call came in), all that was necessary after hanging up was to close the phone app and there was the map again, bang on as usual. Accuracy is - well, phenomenal, I would guess within 5 metres most of the time, and I see little or no lag, except (slightly) on the heading in turns at junctions. All that is necessary to activate the Rikaline is to start TomTom on the XdaII; likewise, it reverts to 'sleep' mode when you exit TomTom at the end of the journey. There is really no need to turn off Bluetooth on the XdaII, so no chance of you missing calls on your headset because you forgot to turn it back on later.
TomTom 3 My software is v.3.03. I have downloaded the upgrade to v 3.07 to my home PC, but I have not yet installed it on the XdaII because I haven't yet encountered any problems - call it 'on-condition maintenance', or 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. There are some new roads in my area that are not shown, and some of the TomTom-provided POIs are slightly misplaced - although if you were really in the middle of nowhere and looking to fill up a petrol can I can't see you going too far wrong! Personally I find the 3D map presentation very useful - tried the 2D version today and didn't find it anywhere near as intuitive.
Silver Shield Mount The XdaII really needs to be powered whilst you nav. Obviously, the Rikaline looks after itself (I'm already convinced that only on really long runs or stints away from home would the in-car charging lead need to be taken along), but you'll flatten the battery on the XdaII much earlier then your GPS dies if you set it to keep the screen backlight on all the time on the internal battery. The Silver Shield mount also includes a built-in speaker, but as you will know from your searches on these fora the XdaII can only pump out phone audio through the bottom connector - so this enhanced audio facility requires a silly little coiled lead to be connected from the XdaII's headphone socket (bottom right) to the appropriate socket on the mount (top left). I have found that the right-angled jack plug on the provided lead prevents a snug fit on the mount and can cause an intermittent connection which can lose you your backlighting/charging at critical moments. For the mean time, I have stopped using the external speaker, and have found the volume on the XdaII speaker to be adequate for speeds up to 60mph; I will be trying motorway speeds tomorrow on a long run (Oxford - Kent). I think that the problem might well be solved anyway by shaving the offending corner off the moulded jack plug.
All in all, I'm very impressed and enjoying using my new system. I recommend it.
Cheers
Gadget :roll:

I would suggest going to www.ebay.co.uk and search either xda or navigation. There are many low priced systems on offer.

Silly little coiled lead
Hi all
Did Oxfordshire - Bluewater and back yesterday, including a full circuit of the M25, and found the Xda II's built-in speaker quite adequate in my convertible (roof up). Have now decided that I don't really need the silly little coiled lead, although I'm still going to trim the corner off for use in the summer when the roof is down.
Still b****y impressed.
Gadget :roll:

Allanmb
I have gps working on my Jam. If you need further help please E mail me.
Feel free to ask what you like if you can't find what you want in SEARCH, I don't mind helping out!!!

I'm loving destinator 3 on the xda II never crashes and has been updated some 50 times since it had an algorithm problem,
you can take calls and flick back to another screen with no problem. I got the Destinator whole of europe a XDA2 power supply / serial GPS 256MB Ram all for 160 + VAT and very happy since I got badly lost just before it arrived.
have fun

Hi, i have a question for y'all that have GPS working on your xdaII. I have a Bluetooth GPS receiver that does not "communicate" the position to my Qtek 2020 (it seems like it does not find any satellite)! Could it be because of the software i use (Mapsonic)? The receiver uses the NMEA standard 2.2, while the software requires a receiver that requires 2.0 (it's more advanced the one of the receiver...so why should i have problems...?)! Do you think i should find another software? Which one? My receiver is this:
http://www.acte.no/techstuff/gps/BT-R500.htm
In case anybody has this receiver, plesae tell me what software you are using.
thanks in advance

O2 XDA II Car Kit Query

Hi all
Has anyone any experience of the O2 Car Kit like this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=57252&item=6382293875
I'm well past the stage where I should have installed and be using one, (the car is a Diesel L/R Disovery Tdi, and not exactly quiet), but I'd like any opinions on the best to use, or any problems that might arise.
Althogh I have a BT GPS Unit, I dont use any Route Planning S'Ware, cause few have any usefull maps of Northern Ireland, so its the call audio I'm really interested in.
TIA for any opinions

Based on the pictures this carkit is the same as the QTek2020 / T-Mobile MDAII carkit.
It is said to be of very good quality.
BUT: It is also said that when using ie TomTom Navigator (or the like) your car-audio will be muted permanently.
This carkit was sold in Germany for approx 170 euro (about 110 gbp). So I would say the current auction price is rather high . . . .
I was not aware that O2 sold this carkit. I am using the XDAII carkit that is/was sold by ie. Expansys. The quality of that thing is not as good. Especially the mic sound is horrible for 'the other side'
BTW there are many threads on this (all approx 1 yr old)

Car Kit Query
Hi Ed
>>Based on the pictures this carkit is the same as the QTek2020 / T-Mobile MDAII carkit. It is said to be of very good quality.
Yes I agree, part of what drew me towards this one is the look of it.
>>BUT: It is also said that when using ie TomTom Navigator (or the like) your car-audio will be muted permanently.
I have considered this, and I'm not sure when or if I would use anything other than 'Pocket Streets', (and its maps of this area aren't that good either).
Most of the mapping I have been able to view provide street level detail, only in Larger Built up areas, and main routes connecting these.
Fortunately I already know my way between Belfast and other towns, As a result I dont know if TT or indeed any of the others would be of any real use. As a result, I really am more curious about the Call audio from the Speaker and Mic, during calls.
>>This carkit was sold in Germany for approx 170 euro (about 110 gbp). So I would say the current auction price is rather high . . . .
yes I found it on the T'mobile (D) site still on sale,
fully agree re the price but .... if it works ... then ... maybe ..
>>BTW there are many threads on this (all approx 1 yr old)
Yes and I think I managed to read most of them, I was sorta looking to see if someone else has lived with one of these for while, and have a experienced opinion on the it, any Rom Upgrades needed etc ...
I'm not sure how much more stress I am prepared to endure to get various aspects of this great unit to work as I hoped it would, (can't afford to be pulling on my hair much more these days)

I have yesterday just bought this car kit from the company advertising it on ebay, first of all the compnay are absolutly brilliant to deal with and would recommend them highly.
As for the car kit i have found three little niggles:
1) it isn't as easy as other car phone kits to place the xda2 into the holder, this is probably the case for most xda2 car kits due to the body of the xda2 itself.
2) any sound from the pda will mute the car radio, this so far hasn't been too much of an issue, but you can always just disconnect the car radio mute lead, but side effect of course is that you would have to turn the radio down when you recieve a call, however it is nice that the tomtom directions etc come out the car phone speaker loud and clear.
3) now this one may not be the car kit itself and maybe just that i haven't managed to find optimal settings or have missed a setting up procedure (if there is one). Basically there is a lot of background noise through the microphone, speech can be heard ok but i haven't experienced this amount of noise from any other kit, however i am going to try and relocate the mic to the middle of the car instead of up the windscreen frame near the driver door, this may solve this.
Apart from that it is a very easy kit to install (would recommend a professional install due to problems of bodged installs and car air bags!), it is of a very good physical quality and have seen it advertised for over £150 in the UK.

O2 car kit query
see now thats what I was hoping for.
thanks macca
I'm just about convinced
now just need to know where my wife hid my c'card ???

macca: Just a tip for the mic: Make sure the airstream from then vents does not reach the mic. I read several threads on background noise and most of them appeared to be created by the airstream blowing over the mic.

thanks edsub, i'll investigate that furthur, i maybe moving over to a orange m2000 soon as i have been offered an upgrade, unfortunatly it won't fit in my car kit, so i may have to sell it and get a xda2i instead. xda2 is great, i just miss the wlan.
david young, glad to have helped.

Brodit kits
I wonder if anyone has any experience of these Brodit Car Kits at pdahut? I do like the idea of ProClip Brodit have so you don't have to drill holes anywhere in your car. Any other suggestion?
http://www.pdahut.com/store/home.php?cat=378

I have Brodit and Carcomm cradles installed and they are both excellent. At the moment I have my XDAII in a Carcomm cradle which is powered and has a serial input cable to which you can connect a GPS Mouse or charge a BT GPS.
The Brodit cradles also have the option of an amplified speaker, in the photos you'll see my 2210 on the right of the steering wheel is connected to this type.
In the UK TotalPDA sell Carcomm and Handnav are the appointed Brodit resellers.
See here for images of the cradles in my car.

I too liked the idea of not drilling in my (leasecar) dashboard.
Afaik there are two options then:
Brodit Procip (plastic)
MTU dashmount (metal)
I opted for the MTU and decided to imitate it myself from a metal plate strip. Its quite easy from the MTU specifications:
http://www.mtu.no/english/DashMount/DM_pdf/70224.pdf
I managed the get the cables through the airvent that is now blocked by the carkit.

Now did I get a bargain or did I get a bargain.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5196552992&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

So long as you want it for an XDA rather than an XDAII then yes.

I have my 2i in a Brodit kit connected to the cigarette lighter and then a bluetooth Motorola HS810...works a treat. Luckily the 2i fits perfect as I got the cradle originally for the XDA2.
I've also got my TomTom wireless BT receiver on the dash...all work nicely (other than ongoing issues with phone mast transfers causing TT lockups)
Aww hell, I'll just take a picture and show you...my only wish is that on the Mini the holder was locked in a bit higher to show off when people drive past
A
PS - yes that IS a Care Bear...that my girlfriend puts there to "watch over me". I have one of those little dog things that Clintons Cards do (the ones with the big heads and little bodies) in the other cup holder. Thought I'd get that in now to avoid the "errr....is that a care bear?" questions!!

griffog said:
See here for images of the cradles in my car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Errr....just how many PDAs and phones do you want in your car?? Hehe...

They're not all used all of the time but I need them when performin comparison testing
Actually I tend to use TT Mobile 5 on a C500 most of the time now!

Griffog, yes it is for xda however I had an official car kit, the original I think for xda in the past and that would take an xda 2 quite happily although I never tried it out in the car it charged the xda 2 on the bench ok, what are the issues, is there a wiring difference preventing it working?

General BT question.

I do not post a lot but I do read and I love this site. You all have great information.
My question is: Why is the BT such a problem? How come the BT works so well on regular phones but on these divices it is an issue.
I hope this is not a dumb quetion I am just trying to understand.
Thanks.

The general consensus, as I've read here & at HoFo, seems to be that some part of the BA's hardware isn't up to par. ISTR reading that the placement of the BA's antenna is a bit problematic; since both BT & WiFi use the same 2.4 GHz frequency, they could conceivably use the same antenna. Thus a poorly designed 2.4 GHz antenna could explain the BA's substandard WiFi and BT performance.

My BA's WLAN isn't bad at all. I can easily get a fully usable connection to my Netgear WGT 624 accesspoint inside my room on the third floor in a concrete building at a distance of appr. 90 meters.
Also usable inside my car parked on the opposite side of the building!
(See attached images)
[/img]
BT works well at 10 meters with a GPS receiver.

Thanks for the input guys.

Bluetooth to headset range
Has anyone got to the bottom of the issue with the range for the headset. I have had to keep my radio where it is for T-Mobile BB but have updated to the 3900 build.
No matter what the bluetooth build or the radio version it just seems to me that talking on a headset is dreadful if it is more than 4 feet away from the device. If for example you have the device in your pocket I still get a lot of static and scratchy voice quality.
The headset I use is the SE HBH660. Is it the general consensus that we just have the live with this?
All view comments and opinions welcome even if you think I am totally wrong :lol:

i can not even get my device to find my BT handsfree.
any ideas

My BA's WLAN isn't bad at all. I can easily get a fully usable connection to my Netgear WGT 624 accesspoint inside my room on the third floor in a concrete building at a distance of appr. 90 meters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:O Mine won't even pick up the network in my conservatory 10 meters away. I can get low signal in my bedroom approx 3meters above the router.

Re: Bluetooth to headset range
Jiggy said:
Has anyone got to the bottom of the issue with the range for the headset. I have had to keep my radio where it is for T-Mobile BB but have updated to the 3900 build.
No matter what the bluetooth build or the radio version it just seems to me that talking on a headset is dreadful if it is more than 4 feet away from the device. If for example you have the device in your pocket I still get a lot of static and scratchy voice quality.
The headset I use is the SE HBH660. Is it the general consensus that we just have the live with this?
All view comments and opinions welcome even if you think I am totally wrong :lol:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use a Motorola 850 same thing. I hate this. I am in the car the phone is in the seat next to me. WORKING PERFECT. I get out of the car and put it in the belt holster BAM cracking static etc. Now the distance from the headset to the phone is greater in the car than on my belt.
I mean Jesus tapdancing Christ. I do not get it. I have tried the headset on the same side of the body trick and everything. :x
O well the fun of new technologies.

External GPS Antenna

My Artemis did not come with an external GPS antenna. I've been looking online, but I can't find any sort of specification as to what kind of connector this external GPA antenna jack uses. What kind of antenna should I buy?

The Artemis has a built-in Sirf III GPS antena which work even with cars having a reflective windshield.

Yes, thank you. I would still like an external antenna just in case.

in the Premium version, I bought, there was an external GPS-antenna included.
It has a very long cable.
But sorry, I can't tell you, what kind of connector it has.

If you really think you need an external aerial for the GPS unit in your device (which I doubt to be honest) have a search for the part number 36H00352-00M it transpires that the same aerial was supplied for the I-Mate PDA-n, you can purchase one from http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=129590 (at least I can improve the reception on my PDA-n now I know that! and I have found a use for the external GPS aerial that was supplied with my Arte) - Mike

... there is one also available here.
PavelR.

I was thinking of this as well.
It may be necessary to get an ext antenae, because it takes a about 1 - 5 minutes sometimes for the handset to pick up (or connect as it shows in grey) a GPS signal

AD10 said:
I was thinking of this as well.
It may be necessary to get an ext antenae, because it takes a about 1 - 5 minutes sometimes for the handset to pick up (or connect as it shows in grey) a GPS signal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the new update of Navigator 6 on the TomTom site before buying. Maybe there is some goodies there

I upgraded to the 6.03 and it still takes a very long time for it to get a valid signal.
I inquired about HTC P3300 external antenna GPS signal booster but they are out of stock and have no ETA when they are going to get them in.
Anybody have a source on where to get the above product from?

Ext Aerial
The HTC 3300 uses the same external aerial as i-Mate PDA-n. I got mine through Expansys. It really boosts the signal, but makes no real difference to TTFF. It is much better in the concrete jungle though.

How much from Expansys? I'm in melb too so AUD is no problem for me. My last city trip saw signal drop out nicely!
good thing i was testing and knew where i was going!

jdl1306 said:
How much from Expansys? I'm in melb too so AUD is no problem for me. My last city trip saw signal drop out nicely!
good thing i was testing and knew where i was going!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW - Lucky you.
Imagine nto knowing your way.
@Camstech - How long does it take before you get a valid GPS signal with the ext antenna connected ?
Rgds

O2 Orbit Aerial
Hi. Having used an Exec running the same version of CoPilot, but with a Holux GPSlim 236 BT, the Orbit is definitely slower to TTFF, and sometimes gets a little 'lost'. For a few seconds, it will jump to a street maybe a 100m away, then come back, and recalculate the route again. I feel that an aerial might just improve matters a bit. I have read the previous posts, and am still finding great difficulty in finding an external aerial to fit the Orbit. O2 have no information at all, and when I've contacted the suppliers listed above, they have all said that they don't carry aerials that fit. One suggested that they suspect that the connector for the Orbit is now actually different from the original Artemis - although that seems rather unlikely. Have now tried MMCX, MCX,and lastly SSMB - none of which fit. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Hiznibz54 said:
Have now tried MMCX, MCX,and lastly SSMB - none of which fit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to http://www.gpsforless.co.uk/product_details.php?id=5887 it's a mini-MMCX.

Aerial
Yes, I know, but when I rang them today, they were the ones who said that it wasn't the MMCX, that the O2 may be now different from the Artemis, and they had been asked quite a few times for a suitable aerial, but they definitely didn't have anything that fitted, nor did they know what it was.. The plot thickens.. The connector looks exactly the same as in the phone socket beside it, but a few phone companies I've shown it to don't know either.

I just picked up a BT-359W Bluetooth GPS Receiver for 85- Euro new.
The only difference between the BT-359W & BT-359S is the design on the top.
I made sure the battery was 100% charged before I turned it on (old habits die hard) and after spending 5-10 minutes trying to configure the Bluetooth on the HTC P3300 - I am a newbie when it comes to this new technology - it was able to get 3 satellites while I was in the house right away.
The thing is very small also - 82 mm x 41 mm x 13.4 mm (Inches: 3.22" x 1.61" x 0.52").
I would have to say that this is a great alternative to a wired antenna.
Here is a review I read before making my final decision: GlobalSat BT-359 Bluetooth GPS receiver review

I tried my BT Holux GPSlim 236, which I'd previously used with my XDA Exec, with the Orbit. It paired up automatically in about 20 secs, and the reception, and TTFF is MUCH better. Without 236, in my office, I was struggling to get more than 4 satellites, and a fix was at least 5 mins. Admittedly this was deliberately in a poor reception area. Swapping to the 236, by the time it had registered with the Orbit - as I said, only about 20 seconds - when I checked satellite status, it had already found 11, and had a 3D fix!! I had hoped for the simple life, with just the Orbit in an active car cradle, but I think if I can't get a simple plug-in aerial, it'll have to be back to the BT 236, and its charger.

Modified Original Stereo EarPhone

hI..
I have modified the original stereo ear phone and the sounds is much better quality than original ear phone.
Just need to invest a good stereo earphone and at the same time u still can use the original stereo earphone functionality... to pick up calls etc.
Can leave my ipod at home now.

How did you modify this?
I would love to modify mine. Please explain .
What do I need in hardware ?
Tools
And Know how?

I too have modified headphones. Now I can connect any.

AD10 said:
How did you modify this?
I would love to modify mine. Please explain .
What do I need in hardware ?
Tools
And Know how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah! Did you open the grey box, or did you "cut and past" the wires after the grey box?
PK

paalkr said:
Yeah! Did you open the grey box, or did you "cut and past" the wires after the grey box?
PK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've opened it its easy. Solder points are so obvious. Like a walk in the park..
Photo is a bit fuzzy, Long live the artemis camera!

what do you guys think of this....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290072099484&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:UK:1
I emailed the seller to ask if radio would work and he replied that it would (don't necessarily believe him though).

how to i open the case?

this will not work....the usb is mean for Motorola phone...and for Artemis...u can't plug in the whole usb adapter...
ezman said:
what do you guys think of this....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290072099484&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:UK:1
I emailed the seller to ask if radio would work and he replied that it would (don't necessarily believe him though).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

simontee said:
this will not work....the usb is mean for Motorola phone...and for Artemis...u can't plug in the whole usb adapter...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So this...
Compatible with:
1. MDA COMPACT 3, HTC P3300, O2 ORBIT, DOPOD P800W, ORANGE M650, HTC ARTEMIS 160
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
means the seller is lying?

There are 2 types of mini-USB standards I know of. One is the standard motorola one. The other is enhanced mini-USB JUST for HTC devices.
If this guy mentioned a whole list of HTC devices and picture a P3300 with it, I pretty much think that it's the real deal.
If it works for audio, radio shouldn't be a prob

DocMAX said:
how to i open the case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put your nails between the plasic covers on the sides where the cabels come in and out. It should release pretty easy.

ezman said:
I emailed the seller to ask if radio would work and he replied that it would (don't necessarily believe him though).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might work for FM but it looks to me like it would work badly. Since the wire serves as an antenna if the extention extends the antenna length at best you'd only be able to pick up the lowest frequencies.

really? i've never found the length of the antenna caused problems for fm reception, i used to make my own so i could get better pirate radio station reception. I used to get a long piece of electrical wire, attach it to the (broken) aerial on the radio and hang it out of the window - worked every time

ezman said:
really? i've never found the length of the antenna caused problems for fm reception, i used to make my own so i could get better pirate radio station reception. I used to get a long piece of electrical wire, attach it to the (broken) aerial on the radio and hang it out of the window - worked every time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great! I've had to form a make-shift car radio antenna myself because some lovely person felt the need to break off the one attached. With trial-and-error 2 clothes hangers worked just fine. However antenna lenth is very important in fm reception because fm is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that arrives in th form of a wave and: wavelength=light speed/frequency. The fm spectrum is 88MHz to 108MHz. As it turns out fm is about 3 meters in length so the optimal antenna to pick that up is 1/4 of the wave or about 75cm.

wow i haven't seen a clothes hangar aerial in ages i'm sure i used to see them all the time!
Anyway, I ordered one of these adapters and will gladly report back the results if the thing ever turns up

Hi well i got my adapter...as i promised above, here's my feedback....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290072099600
It's exactly as described, I can get FM radio, of course you can just plug in the adapter and no headphones to use the loudspeaker.
It also has a mic and a button to answer calls. The L shaped USB input is a great design compared with those sticky outy ones. Plus the length allows me to use my ex71 headphones without the really long attachment. Overall very happy Ordered last Wednesday, got it today.
Now to transfer music to that damn internal microsd
Edit: Evaluator was right, the FM reception has suffered. Though I can still get FM reception in strong areas, it's nowhere near as good as with the supplied headset. Oh well...It's still great for using as an mp3 player.

I have also purchased this little adapter and it works a treat with my Sony earphones. Radio signal is excellent and sound is phenominal compared to the standard headset.
Phone works properly with the call pickup button and the microphone allows your caller to hear you clearly.
A worthwhile purchase for £9.99 inc postage.