You are about to buy this new car-of-your-dreams and still thinking about spending another $1500 on this very nice built in GPS Navigation system? You already checked TomTom and Garmin $700 complete systems? Still looking for something cheaper and better?
Today I tell you how to put an excellent GPS Navigation solution in your car for just about $500 if you start from scratch or just for $200 if you already have any PocketPC with Bluetooth available.
What do you need?
1. Any PocketPC with Bluetooth. Currently cheapest one is Dell X50 520 for $299.
2. Bluetooth GPS. Cheapest place when I’ve found them is buyGPSNow.com. There are several different models. I currently have Holux GPSlim 236(SiRF III), but if I am on the market for one today I am probably going to get the Rikaline GPS-6033(32-channel). (or may be this Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS from yesterdays post.) buyGPSNow.com is also giving vent mounting kit with any order for free. This is very good because we will need this kit for our project.
3. Software. Now it is time to tell you why this solution is much better then built-in or standalone GPS. What options you have if just don’t like the software built in your car? It may have non-accurate maps. It may have weird interface. Only one thing you can do about it – get another car. Same thing for this standalone device. Only for PocketPC I was able to found 19(!) different navigation software packages. All of them have different maps, different interface, and different look and feel. Everybody can find the perfect one for himself. I personally use
Mapopolis, but you can try IntellyNav, TomTom, Destinator, coPilot or any other one.
So. Let’s start.
1. Install your Vent PDA Car Mount holder.
2. Get PocketPC, charge it, and put it in the holder.
3. Charge your GPS unit, turn it on, and put it somewhere in your car where it can see some clear sky.
4. Turn on Bluetooth and Create a Bluetooth partnership
* Tap Start -> Settings -> Connections tab -> Bluetooth.
* Tap “Turn on” Bluetooth button or checkbox.
* Tap Bluetooth > Devices tab > New Partnership. Your device searches for other devices with Bluetooth capabilities, and displays them in the list.
* Tap the name of your GPS device, and tap Next.
* In Passkey enter an alphanumeric passkey between 1 and 16 characters, and tap Next. (You be able to found this passkey somewhere in you GPS device documentation)
* Tap Finish.
5. Connect to the GSP Unit. Tap your new paired device wait for the menu and then tap Connect.
6. Start your favorite Navigation Software. Set-up or Start GPS inside it. (if you are using Mapopolis Tap Tools->GPS->Start)
7. Turn on your car engine.
You are ready to drive.
My first GPS devise was HiaCom Mouse GPS system. It works ok, but it required special Car Charger to Pocket PC to GPS wire which cost almost as much as GPS unit itself. And s soon as I have changed my PocketPC to a newer model I decided to update my GPS to its bluetooth version. It is much much better. I can use it with any PocketPC or Laptop and I don’t have all that wires running through my car. But I still need one. Not all the time, but one wire from car power outlet to GPS unit to charge its battery. And guess what? Not anymore!