Holux M-1000C Bluetooth GPS Data Logger Travel Recorder (Bluetooth, USB , 66CH, WAAS, 200k Waypoints, M1000c) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I own a standalone Globalsat BT-338 receiver, have a built-in GPS receiver in my HTC Touch 3G mobile, and have a GPS enabled Garmin Forerunner 405 watch/running computer as well. I needed one receiver with long battery life and data logging capability on an affordable price, so I went for the Holux M-1000C. Comparing the reception and the stability of the receivers the built-in Sirf III receiver of HTC has mediocre, the Forerunner has good and the standalone Globalsat and Holux both have excellent sensibility.
The Holux gets fix quite quickly, usually in 30 seconds. It always helps if you don't move while it searches for the satellites, and once it gets fix it never loses again. In urban canyons, such as among the downtown high-rises the signal tends to bounce a bit in every direction, thus later I always modify the tracks with the so called 'clamp to the ground' function. It modifies the height vector based on Google Earth data and eliminates the vertical bouncing and produce a much more realistic elevation diagram - very similar to the barometric altitude meter results. Unfortunately the bound ezTour software doesn't offer this function, but for example the (ex-Motionbased) Garmin Connect web service or the free TCX Converter utility do it for you.
The logger function of the M-1000C is excellent. There are 4 preset modes for logging: car, bike, running, hiking. In hiking mode for example records a waypoint in every 3 seconds and in every 10 metres, while these values in bike mode are 5 seconds and 5 meters. But it is possible to set these values manually according your preferences as well. The memory is huge, 4 hours of running log (recording in every 5 seconds) occupies 1% of the memory only.
Handling is easy: you turn it on, wait for the GPS led blinking (meaning fix) and there you go. When you finished just switch it off. Later in ezTour you can see you track in Google Maps and it is possible to modify your tracklog, like delete unnecessary waypoints, moving waypoints etc too. Unfortunately you cannot see the map under your track while you in Track Editor mode, though editing your track is reasonable manageable. While ezTour will not be your primary GPS track managing utility it does the basic stuff.
The Holux M-1000C delivers why I bought it: it can record the track of a week long hiking (with some external charging solution or spare battery as the battery last 'only' 28 hrs in logger mode), and I can use it as a bluetooth GPS with my navigation software on my HTC mobile if the built in GPS receiver gives up and/or I want to record my track.
Oh, did I mention that you can geotag your pictures with it?

Click Here to see more reviews about: Holux M-1000C Bluetooth GPS Data Logger Travel Recorder (Bluetooth, USB , 66CH, WAAS, 200k Waypoints, M1000c)

Click here for more information about Holux M-1000C Bluetooth GPS Data Logger Travel Recorder (Bluetooth, USB , 66CH, WAAS, 200k Waypoints, M1000c)

Read More...

Q-1000XT: Qstarz BT-Q1000XT Bluetooth Data Logger GPS Receiver (66 ch, 1-5Hz Update Rate, AGPS, 400,000 Waypoints, Vibration Sensor) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have used several GPSs over the years and this one takes the cake. It went on a trip to Ireland the Scotland with me and performed so well I am thinking of new ways to push it to see where it might fail.
First it locked on just about anywhere, inside airports while in my luggage, inside the overhead bin on the plane while inside my luggage, inside cars while in my pants pocket, in buildings, in hotels, in pubs large and small. It locked on everywhere, and when it did not it just kept me in the same location until it did find a lock, meaning it did not show me bouncing all over the place when I was really just sitting still.
Secondly the software is OK, I did use it for downloading the data, setting up the GPS, exporting to GPX and Google Earth, and some preliminary review of the days events, but really that was it. So I cannot talk to how it does anything else, nor do I much care. It does what I needed it to do very well with no problems or complaints. I ran it on XP SP3 on 2 machines and it had no issues of any kind.
Thirdly it lasts FOREVER. I left it run almost 2 days, nearly 42 hours, before it died. 42 hours. That is amazing. Plus since it charges via USB I can charge it ANYWHERE. I can charge from my laptop, desktop, car charger, wall charger, even from those little engergizer 2xAA battery thingies. I even made a charger from a USB cable and a 4xAA battery holder. So I can charge this from rechargeable batteries as needed without connecting to my laptop.
Forthly it stores a lot of info. I have easily almost 2 weeks of time, in 1 minute increments about 10-16 hours a day, stored on here. You cannot erase from it , it just overwrites the old stuff, so I can see all the way back to when I first got it still, plus the 9 day Ireland/Scotland trip, plus all the flights to and from, plus misc playing around with it. It is all still on there. Amazing.
The one thing you really really really do have to do though if you plan to geotag photos, and I know you already know this but just listen anyways, is to sync the camera clock to GPS time (in your home timezone if possible). My camera time drifts, I had synced it before maybe 6 months ago when using the Garmin GPS around home, but I was 5 minutes off, which would be fine except that my shots of a given church were blocks away, my shots of the Cliffs of Moher are geotagged from the parking lot, etc until I corrected for the drift. There is no way to tell what time this GPS thinks it is, but since all GPS receivers use the same time it is a simple matter of syncing to any GPS or just to a reputable Stratum 1 or 2 time source online.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Q-1000XT: Qstarz BT-Q1000XT Bluetooth Data Logger GPS Receiver (66 ch, 1-5Hz Update Rate, AGPS, 400,000 Waypoints, Vibration Sensor)

Click here for more information about Q-1000XT: Qstarz BT-Q1000XT Bluetooth Data Logger GPS Receiver (66 ch, 1-5Hz Update Rate, AGPS, 400,000 Waypoints, Vibration Sensor)

Read More...