Customer Reviews

BT-359C: Globalsat BT-359C Bluetooth GPS Receiver

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got this item about a week ago, and am quite pleased with it.

I am using it in conjunction with TomTom Navigator 6 installed on a Treo 700W phone, running Windows Mobile 5. I've also used it with Google Map, and have found no real problems.

Bluetooth: pairing the receiver with the phone is a breeze. Just follow the instructions provided on the accmopanying CD. There are a couple of settings for WM5 that's only available on the CD. Setup can be a pain if you don't read the instructions first and set up the correct outgoing port.

GPS Signal: quite good. I've placed the receiver on the car dashboard, and have made one 500 mile round-trip with it, and on average have reception from 5+ satellites. The boot-up time of the receiver is 30-60 seconds, and the TomTom software validates the signal about 5 seconds after that.

Battery life: good. The fully charged battery lasted the entire 500 mile trip with no problem. It comes with a car charger and a wall charger.

Side note: the only issue I had was not with the receiver, but with the software. TomTom software made one mistake thinking two roads are connected when they are not.

This is a nice GPS puck that's easy to carry, links quickly and has great battery life. I use it with a Verizon Blackberry (Verizon disables the internal GPS). Great in the car for navigation with Google Maps. It works better and saves the $7/mo fee for Verizon's VZ Navigator.
One complaint: On walks or biking using battery it shuts off every 5 minutes. Documentation says there is switch in the battery compartment to keep it turned on but the switch is hard to find and hard to activate without unscrewing the case.

Received my BT-359, charged it, followed the install directions, and it worked like a charm. It includes a utility to verify serial input from the device on your Bluetooth enabled device (PocketPC, Windows, et al).
Compact, easy to use, sensitive, long battery life.

I paired it with my Dell Axim X51v running Pocket PC Windows Mobile 5 (WM5). The directions for config of WM5 for Bluetooth pairing with the BT-359 was a synch. Setting up WM5 to use the GPS serial device took a few too many steps (blame this on WM5) and a little bit of tinkering. The documentation provided was a little confusing about settomg input and output serial devices (again, blame WM5). There are instructions on the packaging and a few more docs on the distribution CD. After reviewing them all, the directions were pretty thorough.

That done, it boots and connects with my Axim every time within 5-10 seconds and is sending data within approx 15-20 sec.

It has managed 8 to 12 satellites, inside my house and car. As a test, once the Sat's were located, I went into a two story building. It continued tracking 8 Sat's for at least 30 mins ('til I got bored waiting for a change and turned it off).

Have been using the BT-359 with iGuidance 3.0. Has worked very well. No complaints so far. Turning GPS or Axim on in either order (even with iGuidance already running) has been flawless.

Very happy with this device!

What surprised me is this came in an ATT package. In order to use this with an Android phone download the free "Bluetooth GPS" application in Android Market and use that to connect to BT-359.

Pairing code was not documented but 0000 (zero-zero-zero-zero) worked for me.

This has made my Samsung Captivate usable as a navigation device when on the road. I am running stock Android v2.1 that came with the phone and JH7 update.

I paired this up with my AT&T 8525(AT&T 8525 PDA Phone (AT&T)) using OnCourse's new GPS software (OnCourse Navigator 6 North America Premium Edition* (2GB & 12.5 million POIs))(basically iGo with the new North American Maps). My first real test was a drive from Indianapolis to Milwaukee, via Chicago. The system kept its signal the entire way with no problems.

Usage is pretty simple. There's only one button after all. The only trouble I had using it with my Cell Phone and PDA was making sure I was using the correct port on both devices to talk to the GPS unit. I normally place it in a little slot in my Focus above the ashtray or leave it in my pocket. Regardless of where I have it, I can always get a good, solid signal from the orbiting satellites. The device is rated to last about 11 hrs on one charge. Indianapolis to Milwaukee is only about 4.5 hrs but the unit still seemed to have a good charge when I arrived. That is, it didn't take very long to recharge it while I was doing other stuff.

Construction feels very solid. The unit is tiny, about the size of a box of matches. It has a mini-USB port on the side, so I can use my existing cable to recharge it from my laptop. The fewer cables I have to deal with when traveling the better :)

Delivery from Amazon was great and the contents of the box matched the description on Amazon.

*Note: Amazon only sells the mini-SD card version of the software. I needed the micro-SD version (+$20) for my cellphone which I got from them directly.

This is the most accurate GPS I have ever used. It states accuracy within 3 meters 95% of the time, and I can vouce for that! This unit works inside my house, ANYWHERE in my car, including my glovebox, and in my pocket.

This unit far exceeds expectations, it is work $399, so at this price it is a steal.

If you are looking for a PDA/Laptop gps unit, don't even consider anything else, look no further! This is the one!

The SIRFstarIII is an incredible chipset.

Works great with my BlackBerry Curve 8300 running Google Maps or TeleNav software. No complaints here.

First, I'm using the BT-359 with a BB Curve 8330 on the Verizon network. This was initially purchased so I could avoid Verizon's monthly fee for VZNav, which I have tried and didn't like (regardless of price). I was a little surprised upon opening the box and reading that the BT-359 was an AT&T product made for AT&T phones. No worries, the unit pairs up effortlessly with the Curve. It doesn't hold a fix in Google Maps but it DOES hold a fix in every other app I've tried: Blackstar, Bing, Trapster. Based on that it seems to be a Google Maps issue rather than that of the Globalsat product. I'll be testing more as time allows. The accuracy is nearly as good as my Garmin Etrex Legend HCX handheld, which I use on a weekly basis for geocaching. The only thing left to do is find a free (or inexpensive, one-time fee) app for the audible turn-by-turn directions.

Bonus: The transaction was easy and the item was shipped immediately, arriving only three business days later.

This device works great for both my Windows Mobile phone with Tomtom and my Blackberry Pearl which has its own Maps software. It was very simple to pair it up with both phones. The Bluetooth range is very good, I can go the back of my full size van while the GPS is on the front dash. Although I live in the suburbs and not an urban canyon, I've not lost satellite contact yet. It must have a good antenna, but there is nothing to flip up or align, just push the button to turn it on and you're golden.

This item is advertised as new on Amazon. However the two sellers I purchased this item from sent me an used, obviously scratched unit.

One from tech_cellular which sold me a damaged and incomplete product (no manuals, no car charger).The other seller was Ross Cellular who did send me a functional yet used item.

Come on, Amazon, get rid of dishonest sellers. If I wanted used stuff, I'd go to the flea market or eBay. At least there I don't pay full price.

The device itself is great. It receives a good signal from multiple satellites. I tested it with a Caplio500 camera and it works very well.

If you are going to buy this item or its big brother the BT-368i, get it from a brick-and-mortar store.