Hi,

New product from RoyalTek, the RBT 3000 is a bluetooth GPS receiver with a datalogger built in.

This means that (in theory at least) you can leave the PDA switched off while the GPS happily collects track points. These then get downloaded to the PDA the next time you power it on. I think this is great because if you are walking, you can still track your progress without running the PDA batteries flat in a few hours!

I just emailed Delorme to see if they intend to add a datalogger to the new Earthmate product (which looks great by the way) and I'll post the results here.

Andy.

Does anybody have experience with Royal Tech Reliability and Performance wise?

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A.B.

OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.
ShortWheelbase.com – Jeep preparations.

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A.B.
OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.

Hi,

Can't comment personally on either performance or reliability as I haven't owned any kind of gps yet.

However, reading the reviews online it seems that all the GPS recievers that use the new SiRF low power chipset have very good performance in terms of TTFF, number of fixes, sensitivity, accuracy and power consumption. From what I have read so far, they seem to meet (or sometimes exceed) the performance of normal handheld GPS in all except battery life, although the Royaltek is good with 10.5 hours continuous (can be extended by ~30% by using low power mode available with the latest v2.3 firmware). Thats better than many handhelds.

As these are solid state devices there are no mechanical parts to break, except the solder joints and circuits, I think reliability will come down to waterproofing (easily achieved with a bag), and vibration / shock proofing. If the receiver is placed in a backpack or pocket, there will be no problems with vibration but you'd be running on batteries so when on the bike it would be preferable to have it mounted and plugged in to power. For this, I think a vibration proof mount is the way to go. I think most of the robustness concern should be focused on the PDA. Mountain bikers are using these PDA / Bluetooth GPS receiver combinations and I reckon a mountain bike gives some fairy serious shocks through the bars, especially when you consider the relative lack of suspension they have. These devices are all pretty new to the market so I don't think any real world long term reliability info is going to be available for a while. The reviews and feedback so far seem promising though.

My *personal* view on the handheld vs PDA / bluetooth situation as it stands now is:

Traditional Handheld Pro:
>Single compact unit, relatively cheap.
>Availability of extra 'nice' features like barometers & digital compasses although nothing that can't be obtained in a watch if you want it...at extra expense.
>Quite good battery life (Excellent on the Silva) - Only matters when away from the bike.
> Most seem to have good track logging features which seems very useful if you get lost!
>Trusted global suppliers e.g. Garmin, Magellan, Silva etc
>Well tried and tested in extreme environments some seem more robust and reliable than others but there are lots of opinions and evidence available to make a safe choice.

Traditional Handheld Con:
> Poor screen (compared to new PDA's)
> Lack of topo maps.
> Restricted to the manufacturer to supply digital maps plus you have to buy paper maps too anyway. Not a problem for street maps but useless for topo.
> Paper maps cannot be scanned and downloaded to GPS.
> Software doesn't come with PDA version meaning you need access to a laptop to download maps / plan & manage routes / waypoints or use alternative software like OziExplorer but that can't read the digital maps supplied by the handheld manufacturers because of commercial licensing.
> Limited support for waypoint / route / track management and storage (although the Magellan has a CF card slot that solves this.

PDA / Bluetooth Pro:
> Superior screen
> Plenty of storage capacity for routes & maps etc if you get a model that has a CF card slot, or one of the equivalents like SD card or sony memory stick.
> Software like Ozi enables you to plan routes and navigate entirely on the PDA using scanned paper maps. No laptop necessary, no downloading to GPS necessary.
> Can either use bought digital maps or scanned paper maps, not tied to a single supplier.
> Routes / waypoints / tracks etc can be uploaded to the internet via bluetooth or cable to mobile phone for extra backup.
> PDA / mobile has many other uses e.g. journal, contacts, tracking finances, email & web access when away from internet cafes.
> Relatively cheap way to get GPS if you are going to buy a PDA anyway.

PDA / Bluetooth Con:
> Expensive if you are not going to get a PDA anyway.
> Two separate devices to mount / carry / lose. Both devices must be operational to navigate.
> Fragility of devices unknown although there seem to be many solutions to this like otterboxes, waterproof bags, vibration proof mounts. These actually achieve greater protection than offered by many handhelds. Also, the reports from mountain bike users on robustness is promising but thin on the ground.
> Need to buy extra software like Ozi for mapping, but this is cheap-ish.
> Battery life (only matters away from bike) - The GPS recievers are ok (Earthmate, RoyalTek) but the PDA's are not so good especially with bluetooth permanently switched on.
> PDA must be always on to record tracks (see battery life!) UNLESS you go for a receiver with built in datalogger like the RoyalTek or Deluo BlackBox GPS. I emailed Delorme to ask if they intend to put a datalogger in the Earthmate but have had no response as yet. The Earthmate has a really nice flexible battery arrangement but without a datalogger you would be limited by the PDA battery life when away from the bike.

Summary, all just my opinion of course, comments welcome!:

>If you just want reliable location and direction and aren't interested in digital topo maps buy a non-mapping handheld...duh.
>If you want street mapping / navigation and don't mind being tied to a single map supplier buy a handheld.
>If you are not prepared to take a chance on new technology, buy a handheld. Personally though I think new handhelds are just as likely to suffer gremlins as any other technology. Don't rely on technology, buy a compass and paper maps is the advice from most experienced people I have spoken to.
>If you dont like being tied to a single map supplier, go for a PDA solution.
>If you don't want to buy digital maps in addition to paper maps, go for a PDA solution - no good for street auto routing though, you have to buy proper street mapping PDA software for that.
>If you want digital topo mapping and extended planning and management capabilities, go for the PDA solution.

If you want to minimise your need to be near a laptop or internet cafe, go for a PDA solution.

Incidentally, I ruled out:
>GPS mouse - needs power, no good when away from bike..very cheap though.
>CF card GPS / GPS sleeve - drastic effect on PDA battery life and PDA would need to be on constantly to record tracks. Uses up CF slot and swapping in and out with memory cards increases chance of failure.

My personal best of breed solution (today) is:

PDA:
HP iPaq 2210. CF and SD card slots, fast, good screen, bluetooth built in, small and light. Not bad battery life. Will probably use an IBM microdrive in the CF slot for 1Gb of storage.

GPS:
Royaltek RBT3000/ Deluo BlackBox / Delorme Earthmate (but only if they add a datalogger). Bluetooth for wireless hiking, datalogger essential to conserve PDA batteries when away from bike while still maintaining track logging.

Software:
Ozi Explorer (CE) good software, good price, powerful waypoint / route planning and management. Use scanned paper maps. Lots of nice little addons like a program that will take a Ozi track log and link it to the information stored in images from most digital cameras so that my pictures are 'located'.

Protection:
Waterproof PDA wallet (Aquapac?), plus shock / vibration proof mountian bike mount that I will 'customise' to add extra crash padding for the PDA. When off the bike, the PDA will be round my neck on a lanyard so extra padding is unnecessary but it will still be in the waterproof wallet. I considered the Otterbox but it is just too big for my liking, ok on the bike but a pain off it.

Battery life:
This little beauty I found today so you can recharge any low power electronic device using elbow power in an emergency:
http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/articles.asp?id=65&page=4

Maps:
Scanned paper maps. Might consider some autorouting PDA software for Europe, North America and Australia but probably not as I'd rather have the cash in my pocket and ask directions when lost.

This selection is based around my plan which is that I intend to scan my paper maps and download them to the PDA, should fit quite a lot onto a 1Gb microdrive. Additional map scanning and downloading to PDA while on the road will be done at internet cafes or friendly souls that don't mind me using their computer. Plan my routes at home on my laptop, and on the road on the PDA using OziExplorer / OziCE. Upload tracklogs from GPS datalogger to PDA and save all of them so I have a *complete* record of my trip. Keep journal etc on PDA. Backup all PDA data via internet either in internet cafe or via bluetooth to mobile phone (Sony - Ericsson T68i). Use PDA for email and web access when away from cafe's, including updating of weblog from journal entries. Get a mate at home to archive all data to CD for me. When I get back, link all my pictures / sound clips / video clips / journal entries / GPS tracks together to make a complete trip log. Use PDA as mp3 player when I miss my CD collection & hi-fi sooo much ;-) I think this gives me the navigation and level of record keeping I want with the minimum of time & hassle spent doing it, hence more time for and chatting. My main concern is reliance on fragile electronics but that also applies to traditional handheld GPS's and as everyone says 'learn to use a map and compass'. I'm going to wait a bit longer before taking the plunge with this stuff as it fairly new to market and I expect prices to drop...unless there is a nice sponsor out there who would like me to test it all for them ;-) Also I wouldn't mind reading a few more reviews and tests before parting with my own cash. I'll keep posting what I learn here.

Excellent sites for info, news and reviews:
www.pocketgps.co.uk
www.gpspassion.com

Phew, I hope someone can be bothered to read all that! Do I win a prize for the longest ever post on HU?

Take it easy, Andy.

Hi,

A bit more reading of web forums has revealed two things.

1) Yet another bluetooth GPS receiver has appeared on the market with a Lithium Polymer battery giving 16 hours battery life. They are coming thick and fast.

2) There are many people having problems with the bluetooth connection being intermittently dropped between the iPaq 2210 and the GPS receiver. Some people are having no problems at all but many are. My guess would be that its due to the new PocketPC 2003 operating system and drivers and should be sorted out in due course but for now...

It looks like these systems are not quite stable enough for our needs just yet...shame. Hopefully another month or two will bring:

a) Drop in price (possibly)
b) More GPS receiver devices with better battery life / dataloggers etc (definitely)
c) Improvements and fixes on the PDA side in areas of battery life and bluetooth connectivity bugs (likely).

If anyone else out there is experimenting with this kind of system, get in touch, I'm still tempted but will wait for some good evidence of reliability before taking the plunge.

Andy.

Hey Andy, where do you get all this time?
I've been going through the same sorts of deliberations too.
One of the considerations on the battery life subject is that for me the unit has to be able to take a universally available power source. A Li- ion battery is all very well until it's empty; what if you're on a three day hike?
AA cells are the answer, you can get them anywhere at a push, and your rechargeables are relatively cheap.
I feel that there are times that all one needs is a pointer of the type "where did I leave the car?" in a city for instance.
And then there are times when those extra functionalities are appreciated.
For integrated units, I used to be a Palmophobe until a friend showed me around his Palm organiser; now the only thing that turns me off the Garmin IQUE is the battery story. (Oh and the price considering I already have a Bluetooth compatible laptop)
So what we need is a Bluetooth ETREX or SPORTRACK. Works on its own on readily changeable batteries, and when you're in the car there is unlimited electricity to run the wireless connection (a bit silly as it requires a wire for the power).
Hey Garmin/Magellan, are you guys listening?

Hi Luke,

As for where do I get the time...shhhhh, I'm at 'work'....and I can type fast ;-)

I too would really like a bluetooth enabled traditional non-mapping handheld. They wouldn't even have to redesign the device, just add a bluetooth dongle to the GPS's connector, in the same way you can add a bluetooth dongle to a USB port on a laptop. That way you get the best of both worlds. Problem would be that the batteries power you get in a normal GPS would not be enough to run bluetooth for a reasonable amount of time. The only one is the Fortuna GPSSmart but that doesn't stand up very well in the reviews and is no match for a Garmin / Magellan 'proper' handheld.

As for the battery side of things, the new Delorme Earthmate has a cunning powerpack that gives you a user replaceable Li-Ion rechargeable or allows the use of AA batteries. It also incorporates bluetooth. Brilliant, I really like this product but it doesn't have a datalogger and I received a reply to my email stating that they have no plans for one either..bummer :-( They did say they'd pass the request on to their developers though so you never know. I really want a datalogger so that I can keep the PDA switched off when hiking because it is the PDA, not the GPS, that has the real limits on battery life. Some things are using Li-Polymer batteries now and I *think* these might have a longer life span than Li-Ion.

The other options are the manual recharger I mentioned in a previous post or a cheap PDA 'saver' that enables you to run from AA batteries if you need to.

I also rejected the iQue partly because of the battery life, but worse, the review I read stated that you couldn't use third party mapping software with it! i.e, they don't allow you to redirect the NMEA sentences through the serial ports so that they can be used by something like OziCE. So, once again you are tied to mapsource, totally missing the point of PDA navigation IMHO. I really don't like this commercial tie-in approach when it comes to what maps you can use. Plenty of solutions but none quite perfect yet. Fingers crossed.

BTW, the Dell Axim has built in bluetooth and you can buy a beefy battery for it but it doesn't have a built in CF card slot which rules it out for me.

I am keeping my eyes on the gpspassion web site as it seems the best for news and new releases.

Andy.

I'm impressed that there is software available that lets you scan in maps. I would suggest using a digital camera instead of a scanner and take pictures of the map while it is stretched out on a wall. I suspect a high-end camera would be able to capture an entire map with only a couple pictures.

I guess I'm going to jump into the GPS world and buy one for 20$USD on Ebay. All I want is one that can give me coordinates and output NMEA data. Albeit I've been lost in Guatemala City for 5 hours but it was kind of fun.

Cheers, Steve

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