| Hardware Manufacturer: |
Pretec Electronics Corp. |
| Product: |
CompactGPS |
| Cost: |
$199.95 for complete package and $24.95 for the optional external antenna |
| Reviewed By: |
Matthew Miller |
| Rating: |
 |
I have been looking for a reasonably priced GPS for my HP Pocket PC for about a year and found what I was looking for in Pretec's CompactGPS card. Although this is the lowest priced GPS solution that I could find, it is also the BEST, in my opinion. The CompactGPS supports true NMEA-0183 v2.2 data protocol and is in a Type I Compact Flash form factor. For those unfamiliar with GPS, there are no monthly access or usage fees since the satellites are government sponsored. Your only cost is the hardware and software.
The GPS plugs into the compact flash Type I slot of my HP567 as you can see by the photo below. There are no other attachments or pieces of hardware needed with this unit and as a result this is an excellent solution for those who want to hike, bike, walk, etc. without carrying multiple pieces of equipment. There are generally two types of GPS solutions for the Pocket PC, ones using the Compact Flash or PC card slot and those attaching to the bottom of the unit. I prefer the units using the Compact Flash/PC card slot because you can use them with multiple devices in case you have different Pocket PCs or upgrade/change to a different device, you can use them with your laptop using a PC card adapter, and there are no other pieces of hardware or cords hanging from your device making it mobile. The only disadvantage I have found is that you must then store maps in internal RAM, although as soon as the extended battery with the secure digital slot come out this month I can put all my maps on SD and have the GPS in the CF slot, Cool! Devices using the bottom connection of the unit are made for specific models, iPaq 3600, iPaq 3800, HP, and Casio and if you change devices or have multiple devices you must buy an adapter if available. Also, if you have a Toshiba, NEC, @migo device there is not a GPS made for connecting to the bottom of your unit. You then connect a cable to an external GPS unit, with its own power adapter, that you have to carry in addition to your Pocket PC and this is not a very mobile solution.
CompactGPS plugged into HP567 CF slot
The only external piece is the optional external antenna, which has a 16-foot cable. If you want to ensure a connection to the satellites in your car this is a must have. The external antenna has a magnetic underside that securely attaches it to a metal surface. I put it on my truck top and have the cable pass through the window opening and never lose a connection. The CompactGPS has it's own internal antenna that allows you to fix your position as long as you are outside and there are not any obstructions (buildings, metal car tops, etc.) overhead. All GPS units need clear view of the sky or at least have an antenna that does so and the optional external antenna helps extend your clear view. I leave my external antenna in my truck and use the CompactGPS without external antenna while hiking, walking, etc.
The package you receive from Pretec includes EVERYTHING you need to use your GPS. Some of the other GPS products require you to purchase software. As you can see in the photo below, you receive the CompactGPS CF device, a leather carrying case, product/warranty cards, a CD containing the User Manual and Demo GPS software, Microsoft Streets & Trips 2002, and the Pretec Portable Guide software. For those of you in Europe, you receive AutoRoute 2002 and TomTom Citymaps. The photo also shows the external antenna, which is optional. This is an amazing deal for only $199, $224.90 with the external antenna.
Contents of the Box
After unpacking the box, you connect your Pocket PC via Activesync and load the GPSDemo software from the User Manual CD. The GPSDemo software is not necessary, but it is useful because it let's you make sure everything is running fine and, as you can see below, it gives you a pictorial view of the satellite status and GPS status. The CompactGPS can acquire up to 12 satellites at once. The GPS acquired my fix in about 30 seconds to a minute from a cold start. After fixing my position, it never lost it while driving and updated my position every second. It was amazing to see that it showed my auto speed exactly as my speedometer indicated. The green indicator light glows steady while acquiring a signal and flashes when a fix is achieved.
GPSDemo software showing satellite status
GPSDemo software showing position
In order to use the GPS for tracking your position on a map, you must load the Pretec Portable Guide or Pocket Streets software. Pocket Streets is the Pocket PC companion application that works with the desktop/laptop version of Microsoft Streets & Trips 2002. The Pretec Portable Guide software allows you to designate a destination point and then it calculates a route from your current location. The selection of a destination point is based on the number, street, and city. However, it was unable to find many destinations that I wanted to get a route for, including my home. After selecting a route, you can choose to have the GPS navigate you there and another screen comes up with text and verbal directions. (You must download the latest software for free to activate the verbal directions.) I plugged in my cassette adapter so I could hear the directions through my truck's speaker system and found the directions helpful. The software calculates time to turns based on your speed and location and give prompts for turning about 10-15 seconds before the next turn. Since I was unable to choose my home, I picked a point close to it that the software could find and as I went off track, the voice told me so. You can then tap a button and it will recalculate the route based on your current location and this worked quite well and very fast. As you can read in the specs on the Pretec web site, the GPS updates your position every second and my position on the maps was real-time. The Portable Guide software also provides you with details of places that are around your current location. You choose "What's Nearby" and lists of airports, parks, hospitals, shopping centers, etc. will pop up. You can then choose one of these locations and get a route to or from that location. This is the way to select a destination if the software can't find an address you want to get routed to directly. You can also upgrade to the Portable Guide Silver Edition for $24.95, that provides you with Frommer's reviews of locations and updates for 1 year. As you can see on the tools menu below, you can select different maps, but only one can be loaded at a time. In the U.S. the maps are provided as county maps. You can also select preset zoom levels or use the + or - icons on the toolbar to manually zoom in or out. There are a few preferences that can be changed; GPS interval, heading display, coordinate display, and com port to use for the GPS.
The Pretec Services page where you can load maps, get updates, etc.
Portable Guide options
Portable Guide text navigation screen
Portable Guide position tracking, arrow in travel direction
Portable Guide GPS status screen
Microsoft Streets & Trips is a comprehensive mapping and trip planning software suite and is very powerful. If you will be using the CompactGPS on your laptop, this is the software you will use to track your position. See the Microsoft Streets & Trips website for complete detailed information on this software. The Pocket Streets companion software is useful with the GPS, but does not allow for routing. It does track your position real-time on the loaded maps. The only benefit I can think of for using this software rather than the Portable Guide software with your CompactGPS is that you can create custom maps using Streets & Trips and plot your position on them instead of using the county maps that you will have to change as you cross county lines.
Microsoft Pocket Streets GPS options
Microsoft Pocket Streets position tracking
The Pretec CompactGPS supports true NMEA-0183 v2.2 data protocol and can be used with any software compatible with this standard. There is software available that allows users to use marine navigation or topographical charts. The CompactGPS has enhanced algorithms that provides superior navigation performance in urban canyon and foliage environments. The GPS satellite system provides fixes within 1 meter accuracy and also provides for 3-dimensional fixes so you can find your altitude. The CompactGPS can be used for many applications, including automotive, marine navigation, aviation, timing, and surveying. The dimensions of the CompactGPS, including the extender part out from the CF slot is 85.2mm(L) x 42.8mm(W) x 15.78mm(H). There is a downloadable data sheet available from the Pretec site that provides more detailed information. I didn't conduct any formal battery tests, but the specs state that the CompactGPS has an internal Li-Ion battery and it seemed to use the battery at about the same rate as when listening to MP3s from a storage card. That is another reason the extended battery/MMC expansion pack will be excellent on my HP567.
I highly recommend the Pretec CompactGPS solution to all Pocket PC and laptop users seeking a GPS device. Pretec provides a complete solution and outstanding software at the lowest price! Their customer service has been outstanding and very responsive when I contacted them with questions. Pretec makes high quality products, including Compact Flash modems, LAN cards, serial I/O cards, GSM/GPRS cards, storage memory cards, and the only 3 in 1 SD/MMC/MS to Compact Flash adapter, and the CompactGPS is another of their incredible, well-built products.
The Pretec website has a page listing retailers around the world where you can purchase the CompactGPS. It can be found online at Mobile Planet
for $199.95 in the US and at Jactron Limited in the UK that comes bundled with AutoRoute 2002 and TomTom Citymaps for free. You can also purchase the external antenna for only $24.95USD. |
