Hey all, I did the ultimate no-no and bought a cheap, wired gps antenna off Ebay. It plugs in to my phone, and I get google maps to start, but I can't get the settings right for my gps to actually work. It keeps coming back telling me it can't locate satellites. I even go as far as to put the gps on the top of my car instead of inside to try, but it still won't work, no matter how clear the sky is, even if im in the middle of the parking lot with no buildings over a story nearby. im getting frustrated, and the guy I bought it from sent me here. so, im hoping somebody can help me out?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120209369095
this is what I bought,so yeah. I'm hoping somebody knows more than I do, and im certain someone does.
If you look at the devices supported in the description the Wing/Herald/p4350 isn´t mentioned. The connector on the back of you device is for external phone antennas i e GSM/GPRS and nothing to do with GPS.
This antenna is only a GPS booster, your phone must have an internal GPSchip and the Wing doesn´t. (and the TyTN mentioned doesn´t either).
Use a bluetooth GPS reciever for you Tmobile Wing
Hey man, that sucks.
I do know for a fact though you can use the bluetooth function for a bluetooth GPS Reciever. I use it and it works beautifuly!!!! I've gone places I've never been too with mine, using google map, live search thats on the phone or you can download has a better maping service, its free too, tells you the gas rates near you too, good thing to have right now...but anyways...works super easy, no muss no fuss just connect like you would your bluetooth headset..just set the "external GPS" in your settings for hardware to com6 and whatever baud rate your GPS has to whatever it says your reciever has(in programs leave port to none, in "access" check the manage GPS and your good to go anywhere, also make sure google maps or live search gps settings match the com6 and baud rate. Need help ask me its cool I love the crap out of my phone its like a little laptop so friggin sweet. anyways
they sell em here, this is where I got mine.
http://www.buygpsnow.com/bluetooth-gps_9.aspx
the one I have is this one...
http://www.buygpsnow.com/OnCourse-B...o-OnOff)-(Your-Choice-of-Free-Mount)_896.aspx
Not very expensive either, I thought it would be.
I use mine to even track myself jogging, get my miles ran, how fast when I slowed down and all with Active Trace, you can download that, no maps but shows like the direction you went. but yeah bluetooth it, no wires put it in your pocket, dash whatever and go....
have fun
PS I only signed up on here cuase I was looking for accesories for my phone and ran across your post, figured I know how you feel and thought I'd help you out..
Angel
[email protected]
Related
Hi all,
Ok, ive had this XDA2s for a while now and think its about time I put the thing to some use!
I spend a lot of time driving and gave up using a bluetooth headset some time ago because of the sheer bloody uselessness of the thing
So... while I have been driving, I have been using a Garmin Navtalk (a mobile phone with built in satnav). This has been fine, except for the constant uploading of maps and switching of the sim card.
Im sure that some of you have successfully got this thing working in a car with hands free operation and utilising GPS.
Can anyone suggest what widgets (including some sort of mount) I should buy to achieve hands free and GPS nirvana?
I dont care if its bluetooth,wired,subspace or telepathic ANYTHING!! :lol:
I would really appreciate any advice.
Cheers
J
Parrot do one that might fit the bill
http://www.driveblue.com/(v35hykes11duiz3sb0stsq55)/Default.aspx?root=ck3300
I have a Parrot Bluetooth CK3000, and have had no problems. You can even update the firmware easily enough via a laptop.
Hello,
I recently bought a BT-5 bluetooth GPS unit here in Canada, and thought I'd post a little review. The reason this unit is special is that I got it for $50CAD (CAD is approximately same as USD now) at a local store. You can get them online for as cheap as $30+S&H. It's also very small, certainly small enough to carry in your pocket (but alas, not on a keychain).
I'd like to point out that I had to exchange the unit TWICE before I got one that finally works. On the first one, it couldn't get a GPS signal, the second one had a DOA battery. The third one works like a champ though.
Someone wrote a nice guide to setting it up, see below:
1. - FULLY charge BT-5 GPS Unit.
2. - In Mobile goto.. Start > Settings > Connections > Bluetooth > Mode
3. - Check, Turn on Bluetooth, and make device visible.
4. - Goto Devices, and find BTGPS (this took me like 5 mins to find it...KEEP TRYING..)
5. - Use 0000 as the passcode.
6. - Check off 'Serial Port', then click finish
7. - Go into Bluetooth > COM Ports, and add, COM2. (I unchecked Secure Connection, should make response faster...)
8. - In Mobile goto.. Start > Settings > System > External GPS
9. - In Programs Tab, select COM1, and in Hardware tab select, COM2 with a Baud Rate of 4800.
10. - In windows live search, OR google maps (or both), simply remember to use COM1 as your GPS setting.
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=199640
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
COM1 and COM2 could be any COM port and google maps can be any program (works fine with tomtom).
What I really like is that once I got it to work, it gets a signal in under a minute. This is INDOORS. It's even faster outdoors. I lost the signal on it only once so far, and this was, again, indoors.
Overall, it's a sweet unit for the price, but caveat emptor. I wouldn't suggest buying online because of the amount of dead units out there. I would imagine you'd have a hard time exchanging. I bought it at factorydirect (http://www.factorydirect.ca). DO NOT go to the woodbridge location, they have three in stock, all three don't work. I ended up getting one that works in Scarborough. Can't comment on other cities or other retailers. FactoryDirect is good about exchanges though.
Good luck!
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Thank you soo much. Your post told me exactly what i was looking for. This is greatly appreciated. I will try the downtown Toronto location, as it is near my school.
One question though, in all pictures i see, it comes with only a car charger, is this the only way to charge it? Hopefully it comes with a regular ac charger so i can charge it indoors. (will be buying from factory direct as well)
Hey,
Yes, it only comes with a car charger. However, it has a normal mini-USB port, so you can charge it from your computer or from the charger for your elf. Same as you can use the BT-5 car charger with the elf itself.
Also note, so far I have not gotten the BT-5 to work with Microsoft Streets and Trips on the computer (don't know about pocket streets). The comp sees the GPS unit and it works using some simplistic programs (i.e. geocaching), but not with streets and trips. Weird...
Update: It works with Streets and Trips, you just need to have a GPS signal. If you try to connect before getting a signal, the software will reject it for some dumb reason. Oh well, it's microsoft.
thanks for the replies, its almost as if you read my posts on another forum about streets and trips, and answered it here
but yah, im only interested in using it with tomtom.
You're good to go then. Enjoy.
yes everything works good, i was a bit scared at first, cause i couldnt get it working, but that was because i never linked a bluetooth device to another one ever before (besides sending from phone to phone)...but eventually i got it working, and with my first device, didnt have to return anything.
it wasnt connecting while i stayed in one place, but i drove a bit, made one turn, and then it caught the signal.
i guess its more than enough for the price.
Thanks for writing about it, orelse i would have been scared and worried about it through this whole process
Using it with hp ipaq 210. and tomtom6. (with an outdated map)
Which location did you buy from?
evilmonkey1987 said:
Which location did you buy from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He says he paid $50 locally so I'm guessing Factory Direct:
http://factorydirect.ca/catalog/product_spec.php?pcode=BT0005
Yes, but factory direct has many locations, which is why I'm wondering. I ended up getting mine in Scarborough after two unsuccessful units from woodbridge and an out of stock problem in Markham.
I think you can easily find good deals on GPS receiver's on ebay these days ... I got the GlobalSat BT-359 for ~ Cdn$40 shipped, and it works great. It's very small (1/4 the size of the Touch!) and easy to pair up, it finds its location in ~ 5 sec, and has strong reception. I don't even have to place it under the windshield to pickup the satellite signal. I just put it on the seat beside me when I drove.
i had to go to school, so i went to the downtown toronto factory direct
I bought the BT-5 for my wife to connect to her Palm Treo 750. I've been using the Globalsat 359 with my Touch, and compared to the Globalsat, the BT-5 seem to be a little slower picking up signal, and the Globalsat seems to have more features. For example, the 359 auto-shuts off the power if it's lost BT connection for over 10 minutes to save power, and it also has a low battery warning. So far, I don't think BT5 has either function. And I dont know for sure if it does or not, because of its extremely poorly written manual.
But the BT-5 does work. I don't think it's lost signal even once, and it picks up the signal no problem outdoor as well as most of the times indoor. If you have a cigarette charger around, it will not leave you stranded because it doesn't have a low battery warning.
One more thing - when setting up the device, you can use a faster speed than 4800. I use 38400, and it runs fine.
evilmonkey1987 said:
Hello,
I recently bought a BT-5 bluetooth GPS unit here in Canada, and thought I'd post a little review. The reason this unit is special is that I got it for $50CAD (CAD is approximately same as USD now) at a local store. You can get them online for as cheap as $30+S&H. It's also very small, certainly small enough to carry in your pocket (but alas, not on a keychain).
I'd like to point out that I had to exchange the unit TWICE before I got one that finally works. On the first one, it couldn't get a GPS signal, the second one had a DOA battery. The third one works like a champ though.
Someone wrote a nice guide to setting it up, see below:
COM1 and COM2 could be any COM port and google maps can be any program (works fine with tomtom).
What I really like is that once I got it to work, it gets a signal in under a minute. This is INDOORS. It's even faster outdoors. I lost the signal on it only once so far, and this was, again, indoors.
Overall, it's a sweet unit for the price, but caveat emptor. I wouldn't suggest buying online because of the amount of dead units out there. I would imagine you'd have a hard time exchanging. I bought it at factorydirect (http://www.factorydirect.ca). DO NOT go to the woodbridge location, they have three in stock, all three don't work. I ended up getting one that works in Scarborough. Can't comment on other cities or other retailers. FactoryDirect is good about exchanges though.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For fear of bricking my phone i have not updated the rom to WM6 and currently running WM5. i have a TyTN with rogers.
When i try to use google maps it will say initializing gps. As well i notice that
i do not have the MobileGoto or an icon/menu that i can select.
Any thoughts?
HELP HELP HELP
As most of you know Factory Direct, No refunds only store credits within 90 days
help
I do not understand your question. I guess GoogleMap cannot find your GPS?
Have you followed the steps and paired your BT GPS to the phone? Then enabled serial port on the BT-GPS? Then defined the incoming and outcoming COM ports for the external GPS device?
number16 said:
I do not understand your question. I guess GoogleMap cannot find your GPS?
Have you followed the steps and paired your BT GPS to the phone? Then enabled serial port on the BT-GPS? Then defined the incoming and outcoming COM ports for the external GPS device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i can't do step 8 it does not exist in my device "external GPS"
I'm not sure. I haven't had WM5 in about a year an a half, but I know one of the main changes in WM6 is better GPS support. Try to google around how to set up a GPS as a COM port (that's all you really need to do), but I wouldn't be surprised if you had problems with WM5.
number16,
I think BT5 is a little more "pocket-friendly" than the globalsat. Globalsat seems a bit thicker. But anyway, yes, valid criticisms. It uses a different chipset.
For those of you using the BT-359, have you had issues with the Bluetooth dropping?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2212116&postcount=1
I was wondering if one of you can pick a working BT-5 up for me from Factory Direct; I'll be in the Markham/Scarborough area in 2 weekends from now.
OK, since Sunday when the clocks went forward my SatNav has stopped working. It has worked flawlessly for the past year and I suspect my GPS reciever has stopped working. However, when I start up TomTom Navigator it tells me it is "waiting for a valid GPS signal"
I have already:
Soft reset my device
Hard reset my device
Reinstalled TomTom Nav
waited for over an hour for it to aquire the satellites
downloaded the latest Epherimis info from QuickGPS
What next?
I have to say that Google maps does not seem to find any satellites either.
I am at my wits end and without my SatNav I dont know how to get back to normal sanity
alchopop said:
OK, since Sunday when the clocks went forward my SatNav has stopped working. It has worked flawlessly for the past year and I suspect my GPS reciever has stopped working. However, when I start up TomTom Navigator it tells me it is "waiting for a valid GPS signal"
I have already:
Soft reset my device
Hard reset my device
Reinstalled TomTom Nav
waited for over an hour for it to aquire the satellites
downloaded the latest Epherimis info from QuickGPS
What next?
I have to say that Google maps does not seem to find any satellites either.
I am at my wits end and without my SatNav I dont know how to get back to normal sanity
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flash radio 1.14
flash topix 3.5.6
Hmm, by the fact that your location stats you're in Cambridge UK I'd say you've got a bit of an issue as the clocks don't change until 28th March!!!
Sorry, guys
I should have stated two more things
1. I am currentlu=y using Topix 3.5.6
with Radio 1.13
And I have been in the USA for the past month. I have tried all combinations of clock i.e.
putting clock back an hour
unchecking daylight saving in synchrotime so the time is -5GMT
By the way US clock went forward on 14/3/2010
as stated before googlemaps no longer finds satellites either.
Can anybody tell me if the radio for GPS is the same chip as all the other radio's or are they separate chips (seems to me they should all be on the same chip)
Updating your radio updates all radio functions (phone/wifi/gps/bluetooth etc).
I'm in the UK too and using radio 1.17 with no problems at all.
gonna flash stock and see if that works, always did before so should now. If not then I will know my GPS radio is toast!
will this work with a bluetooth gps unit by the way?
its been about 2 weeks now since my first post in this thread and nothing I have tried has fixed my GPS. My phone is over a year old now so I dont think its under warranty any longer. Do you guys think I can get it exchanged under my insurance in the UK (I pay something like £26 a qtr for insurance from CPW) or should I just hold tight and wait for my upgrade in September and use a bluetooth GPS receiver in the meantime?
I don't want to shell out for a new GPS since I already have maps for Europe, UK and north America that I spent over £200 on.
Thanks for all you help so far even though I found no solution so far. :-(
why not claim the faulty phone if youre sure its def a hardware fault.
sell the replacement
buy what u want
DontHate said:
why not claim the faulty phone if youre sure its def a hardware fault.
sell the replacement
buy what u want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure thats legal
course its legal
you have an insured phone that is faulty.
they replace it. thats the point of insurance.
then you can do what you want.
if one day you dont want that phone anymore, just sell it
Hey guys has anyone used one with our device? I have horrible service even though tmo's website says i should have "very good" service i dont.
Its really annoying and i found the port to plug it in but i dont know what the plug type is to be able to purchase the correct one.
Also , what are your guy's thoughts about complaining to T-Mobile? Think they could/would do anything?
Same here would like to know.
If I helped you hit that "thanks" button
In the past, when you complained they would give you a wireless extender. However, with them showing you get perfect reception in your area, it may instead invoke them to explore other options
Kerns_JW said:
In the past, when you complained they would give you a wireless extender. However, with them showing you get perfect reception in your area, it may instead invoke them to explore other options
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They already went over my phone. Conclusion was the phone is perfect. As the service issue was prevalent on my hd2 as well and a 20 dollar 3g phone from Walmart. They then said it was my house but I insisted there is no way our standard 2x4 stud walls are blocking that much signal. So I went outside and issue was still there. They then concluded it was nothing on my end so they went to process a ticket but since I used 3.8 gb data they said it can't go through. Will complain again after the eighth. And I'm hoping for an extender, as keeping my phone plugged into an antenna would get annoying. It does have the port though for it. Made me happy. Just gotta get another cover for it so I can drill a hole out where the antenna port is since battery cover has to be off to access it. I'll wait until the eighth to complain again. I just wasn't sure if they would give me anything.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
Hi XDA ... I have been a long time lurker and only post when I feel I can contribute. This post is not to contribute but to either (1) entertain or hopefully (2) look for help. Yes I did search but all of the leads I have followed have been dead ends, and I have a time constraint .. if there is a sure fire way to find my phone please post it, because I haven't been able to nail it, and I will be eternally grateful!
------------------------------------------
Writing this partially to vent, partially because writing it may help me think through this, and because I'm looking for ideas.
So I lost my cellphone today. It's a carrier-unlocked Google Galaxy Nexus ($350) with a Straight Talk AT&T MVNO Sim card in it, prepaid for 6 months ($250). If I knew it was lost for good, no big deal, I can move on. What's killing me though is the limbo of not being able to piece together a decent story, or enough information, that I could consider high-odds on what the hell happened. So I'm in missing-cell-phone purgatory at the moment.
Here's what happened. It's not exciting at all...
5:00 went to Nathan (8yo son)'s soccer practice
5:30ish Playing with phone, checking email, etc while sitting in a fold up chair at soccer. Occasionally put it in the chair cupholder when watching.
5:45ish Rachel (my 5yo daughter) sits on my lap for the last 15 min of practice. Not sure exactly where I put the phone, it was either in the cupholder or on the chair between my legs.
6:00 Practice over. Get up to leave, fold up chairs, pack backpack, walk straight to car (100yds) through grass, some mulch, some pinestraw
6:05 Put chairs and backpack in front trunk on the porsche, walk to driver's door, open and get in. Nothing in my hands but a key. Kids let themselves in the car.
6:10 Stop by pumpkin patch on the way home to buy a pumpkin, get out, and "Where's my phone? It should be in my pocket". It's not.
6:15 Assume I must have put it in the backpack while packing. Would check but I need to pee, so we jump in the car and go home
6:20 Pee
6:25 Check backpack, car, everything. Start calling it and listening for the ring. Nada
6:30-10:30 Drive back to the soccer par 3x, retracing my steps, shining bright flashlight, constantly calling my number from another phone, no luck.
So here's what I have done:
- Tried about 4 different "after the fact" phone locators via Play store including Plan B. All report installed correctly, but none give any indication that they work. I get some indication that none of these apps actually work on jellybean.
- Called about a million times. Seems to ring normally for a long time before going to voicemail. Not sure if this is an indication that the phone is actually on or not (or if the sim is still in it), but I assume it does mean it's ringing audibly.
- Sent several texts trying to activate the locators, they seem to go through with no error, but have no idea if that's an indication the phone is on and connected.
- Called Straight talk. They are useless. No location service, no way to ping the phone to see if it's active on the network
- Also called AT&T. They have no access to an MVNO phone/account
- Checked as many data trails as I can think of for access. No gmail usage, no play store access, no new charges on my credit cards, etc. I can't find any malicious usage.
- FYI phone had 100% charge when I left, and had great service at the park, both phone and data.
Here are the scenarios I'm working on in my mind. Problem is, I can't bring myself to believe any of them:
A. How I lost it
1. I left the phone in the chair cupholder, folded the chair, and while walking / swinging the chair, it fell out. I tested this scenario with another phone, and it's ain't gonna happen. The phone's in the way when folding the chair.
2. I left the phone sitting on the seat when folding the chair up, then it fell out while walking. Same problem ... first, it's obvious, and second, I tried it at home, the phone sits in the folded chair nice and secure.
3. I set the phone on the roof of the car when getting in. Nuh-uh. I don't put things on the car. Would have gone in my pocket first.
B. Where it ended up
1. Some 9 year old soccer kid in Cary found or stole my phone and pocketed it. Seems likely, but, seriously, what's the first thing a bad kid would do with a toy? Look for games. Most kids old enough to be devious would be smart enough to go to Play store and d/l some new stuff, but there is no new access. This would explain why it rings and rings, a kid would have turned the volume off so mom and dad don't hear it, but maybe not smart enough to realize how to yank the sim.
2. An adult found it, then went into the school and dropped it off with a janitor or staff and it's sitting on someone's desk. I really hope this is the case. But I find it hard to imagine that when passing through the hands of TWO adults, that no one would have hit the power button and seen the lockscreen message that says "EMERGENCY CONTACT 919-XXX-XXXX" (my wife's phone). Hard to believe.
3. I did put it on the roof and went screaming around some corners on the way to the pumpkin patch. Nope, I don't put stuff on the car, and during the 4 hours I spent looking for it, I also went ditch digging around the 2 corners and walked the entire way with a flashlight looking
4. An adult found it and pocketed it. If so, an adult would have been smart enough to yank the sim and wipe the phone. But google's still in contact with the phone, and it appears to ring. So it obviously is just sitting somewhere.
So, I don't really believe any of the scenarios. I hope at least for closure that I get to find out what the hell happened. Not ever knowing will absolutely be torture for me... Whew. I doubt anyone is still reading this. I think I feel better, or I will after another beer.
Any ideas? How to hack into my own phone and figure out it's location? If all is well I hope to have another 12-24 hrs of battery life, and I'm closely monitoring accounts to detect malicious use, but I don't want to nuke my accounts while there is still the slim chance of detection using access.
Not entirely familiar with your situation, but there are some apps that allow you to detect the location of a phone after registering it. By any chance, did you manage to install Lookout Mobile Security or Avast on your phone? These apps allow you to detect a phone's location.
Try plan b. Go to play store and read manual how to use it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
The OP says he has tried Plan B
How about logging into your google account then clicking on this link https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0 This is where google thinks your phone is.
Crisis over! FOUND MY PHONE!
I didn't think about "Where is my phone #5": Kid finds phone on the ground, then runs half way across the park to show his parents, who tell him to leave it on a park bench. Now, I thought I looked at every bench and picnic table in the park in the dark last night, but must have missed that one. And how I never managed to hear it ring while wandering around, I'll never know. Got a call this morning from a nice lady who was out there blowing leaves this morning. Whew!
Re: locating software. DO IT! Learn from my narrowly avoided situation! Especially if you are on an MVNO with no customer service. I now have Plan B, Missing Droid Locator, Android Lost Free, and Where's my Droid installed on the phone. Note that none of them worked when installed after-the-fact. I'm going to play around with them and others over the next few days and I will try to come back here to post my recommendations.
Re: google maps. I did try some version of maps/latitude/history, but not that link. Looks interesting and will keep that around in the future.
Thanks everyone for listening and posting advice... Back to normal life for me
i had the same situation, sorta. someone stole my phone from my fraking house while i was on deployment. they didnt wipe the phone, but swapped sims.
this is what i did. phone was logged into my account, on a different sim.
installed this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androidlost
installed this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androidlost.jumpstart
then i installed any app. does not matter which one, as jumpstart monitors this and will fireup android lost.
Android lost will then report in to the AL server, and allow you to control it via the site.
If you are running jellybean, i do recall him saying there are some issues with android lost jumpstart working right, so that could have been your issue. Anyhow, it worked for me. i pulled GPS coordinates, did a password recovery vis sms, pulled SMS and got a name on the account. got the police involved and got my phone back. ****ing kids.
whit32 said:
Crisis over! FOUND MY PHONE!
I didn't think about "Where is my phone #5": Kid finds phone on the ground, then runs half way across the park to show his parents, who tell him to leave it on a park bench. Now, I thought I looked at every bench and picnic table in the park in the dark last night, but must have missed that one. And how I never managed to hear it ring while wandering around, I'll never know. Got a call this morning from a nice lady who was out there blowing leaves this morning. Whew!
Re: locating software. DO IT! Learn from my narrowly avoided situation! Especially if you are on an MVNO with no customer service. I now have Plan B, Missing Droid Locator, Android Lost Free, and Where's my Droid installed on the phone. Note that none of them worked when installed after-the-fact. I'm going to play around with them and others over the next few days and I will try to come back here to post my recommendations.
Re: google maps. I did try some version of maps/latitude/history, but not that link. Looks interesting and will keep that around in the future.
Thanks everyone for listening and posting advice... Back to normal life for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Avast! - it's free, and you remote lock, sound alarms, and even wipe via web browser or texting from another phone using the PIN you setup. Also comes with malware and virus scanners (which I disable due to extra load on the system/battery). You can also set it to lock the device if the SIM is switched. Fortunately I haven't had to use it real world yet.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium