BluetoothNews: Product Reviews

B l u e t o o t h N e w s . c o m

	BluetoothNews.com - Your ultimate resource for Bluetooth information.


	[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
	The TomTom Bluetooth GPS Receiver

Search for the lowest prices:

for

We previously wrote about TomTom Navigator USA. So instead of focusing on the software, this article is about their Bluetooth GPS receiver.

A Wealth of Hardware

The first thing you will notice about the TomTom Bluetooth GPS receiver is the amount of “stuff” that comes in the box. Along with the receiver itself, you get the following accessories:

	A cradle that holds the unit with a positive lock. The cradle can be screwed down for permanent mounting. The cradle has connectors for power and an external antenna. The GPS receiver unit can be removed with the press of a button.
	A cigarette lighter adapter with two cables – one to charge the GPS and one for your Pocket PC. The Pocket PC is connected via an adapter so that different models can be accommodated. The cables are a bit long and unwieldy if used for devices connected at the center console of a typical car, but could be handy if you have an SUV with power sockets mounted near the floorboards.
	An AC adapter with international plug adapters. This can be connected to either the cradle or the GPS unit itself.
	A hard-wired power cable with a built-in automotive fuse. This cable is designed to be wired into the power system of the vehicle for fixed mounting. This is the most surprising item in the box. While it would rarely be used by consumers, it tends to indicate that TomTom is focused on enterprise users that will mount the unit in commercial vehicles. It might seem that this is an item that could have easily been an optional accessory. But the cost of packaging, order handling and shipping most likely would overwhelm the cost of putting one in every box. Kudos to TomTom for this attention to details.

TomTom Bluetooth GPS receiver

The Receiver

The receiver itself is a small silver monolith with a single button to control power and two LEDs to indicate power and Bluetooth connectivity. The operation of the button seems a little backwards to me: When off, you press it for a little less than one second to turn it on, but if on, you press and hold it for around four seconds in order to turn it off. I would have preferred that the longer time would be used to power it on or some other way to avoid accidentally turning it on if you put it in a briefcase.

On the other hand, I really like the fact that they thoughtfully designed the bottom with a magnetic rubber pad. The rubber provides friction when placed on a non-metallic surface, and of course the magnet holds it securely on steel. In the case of my car, I have painted steel speaker grills in the top corners of the dashboard. The TomTom GPS holds to the grill and I can easily reach the power button in that location.

The receiver outputs standard NMEA data so it works with both TomTom’s navigation software as well as almost any other. The receiver operates for about five hours on the internal rechargeable battery.

One minor issue is that I noticed that the receiver is more sensitive to orientation than some other Bluetooth GPS units I have tested. Specifically, I found that it lost lock on a few satellites when held vertically in my pocket. While it did far better when held with the antenna on the top. Perhaps this is due to interference from the magnetic mount. Whatever the reason, this should not be an issue for most applications since it will typically be mounted flatly and if not, the external antenna would be recommended.

With the exception of the orientation issue, the TomTom Bluetooth GPS performed as well as others we’ve tested. But the included hardware accessories should make this the choice for those that need a wireless GPS unit for fleet applications.

Sponsored by: