Laptop GPS World

Hi,
I am looking to outfit my truck with a mount for my computer and thought it would be nice to have a 13" display rather than 3" for GPS navigation. I am therefore looking at bluetooth GPS receivers and saw the solar unit that iTrek makes. Since my Motion tablet is bluetooth ready it would be nice to avoid all the cords from the GPS receiver to the computer and charger.

Has anyone had any experience with this receiver? Any thoughts would be apreciatted.
Thanks,
bob

Several of us have the iTrek M7 and it is an excellent GPS receiver. The Z1 uses the same MTK chip so it should be fine. Whether the solar panel can keep it charged probably depends on how much sunlight you get. The M7 has good battery life but the Z1 also has a data logger function.

I thought it sounded a bit pricey but I see Semsons has it on for a good price. http://www.semsons.com/iz1blgpsrewa.html

Terry

Hi Bob,

My brother could probably use your help sometimes at his golf course.

Like Terry, I have the i.Trek M7 and it's a good unit. If the Z1 has the same GPS chip it should be a good one.

But I wanted to talk about something else. You said your "Motion tablet is bluetooth ready". It sounds like you are expecting to be able to just buy a Bluetooth GPS receiver and start using it with your tablet directly.

That might not be the case. I only raise this issue so you can do some checking and avoid last-minute disappointment if you decide to purchase a Bluetooth receiver, only to discover that it won't work with your tablet.

"Bluetooth ready" is a sleazy sales tactic to make people think the computer they are buying will work directly with Bluetooth devices. That is almost never the case. It normally means that the operating system has the necessary internals to handle Bluetooth but that it does not actually have a Bluetooth radio in it.

My Acer laptop was sold as "Bluetooth ready". I nearly drove myself nuts trying to get the i.Trek M7 working with it. Finally, after much testing and a lot of research into the problem on the internet, I found a tiny little statement buried in a FAQ on Acer's site stating that my model has the necessary operating system internals for Bluetooth but it is not equipped with a Bluetooth radio.

You should investigate yours in case you need to buy a Bluetooth/USB dongle, like I did. That way you can purchase it at the same time as you get the GPS receiver.

If you have to buy a USB Bluetooth adapter, here are a couple of threads that should be helpful.

Bluetooth GPS connection to laptop

Very small Bluetooth USB adapter for $9.99

...ken...

Ken has raised a great point. I went through the same procedure years ago with my Toshiba Satellite. At the time Bluetooth ready didn't even mean Bluetooth was an available option.

Terry

I should have been more specific. The computer has bluetooth. I have used it. I'm sorry for the confusion.
Thanks for your input.
Bob

Sounds great Bob,
Those Motion tablets are supposed to be great, if a little pricey. I'm sure you will enjoy using a GPS program with it in your vehicle. Make sure to post photos of the setup when you're ready.

Terry

If I can ever get anyone from RAM mounts to call or email back I'll be in business

There's a RAM guy on the forum;

Opinions on Laptop mounting systems in vehicles

If you post there, he should let you know what's good.

Terry

thanks,
I'll get in touch with him,
bob