HP iPAQ Bluetooth GPS Navigation System for 1945, 2200, 3900, 4100, 4300, 5100, 5400, 5500 series

by HP

Product Details

Product Manual [999kb PDF]

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Supplementary Guide [148kb PDF]

• Item Weight: 3.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0000DK2Y4
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 15, 2003

Product Description

HEWLETT PACKARD (FA196A#ABA) iPAQ Bluetooth GPS Navigation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It is great when the GPS can acquire the signals, March 8, 2004

By 

D. Tran (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HP iPAQ Bluetooth GPS Navigation System for 1945, 2200, 3900, 4100, 4300, 5100, 5400, 5500 series (Office Product)

I use this GPS with my IPAQ 1945.

Pluses:
- Works great with the IPAQ 1945; good, clear voice guidance; good maps; good software
- Very straightforward, very friendly user interface -- light year ahead of my Magellan GPS.

Minuses: It is great so why I gave it only three stars?

- The GPS receiving unit is just a small hard plastic device and as slick as a hockey puck on your car's dashboard. I just don't know where to put it without it sliding off into the floor board each time I make a turn. I tucked it between the winshield and the dashboard, but that is not a good place as it can be very hot under the sun.
- The so-call bracket for your PCPocket is a joke. There is not a single piece of information on how it should be put together or at least how it should look like assembled. Anyway, after a some trials and errors I managed to put it together and found that it simply does not work on the car's air vent as intended. It simply cannot hold the IPAQ. It is quite frustrated because simple you cannot use this GPS receiver/IPAQ while driving unless you can find a suitable holder for your IPAQ.

- For walking/hinking: Unlike other GPS's where the receiver and display is in one unit now you will have to hold two (2) devices in two hands. It simply awkward and not workable while walking/hiking. I even try to hang the GPS receiver around my neck in a clear plastic bag, but it did not work out because the receiver would bounce as I walk and make the display jittery and jumpy.

So here I have, in my opinion, a technical marvel that I really like, but as a practical matter, I cannot 1) use it in my car until I can find or devise a way to safely mount the IPAQ display, and 2) walk/hike with it because it will require two hands to hold both devices!
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Additional review after three weeks, with one long trip from Texas to Florida:
- Yes, it did give opposite turn instructions a few times. My guess is that, in this case the highway exits were very close to each other and the software's position predictor probably estimated that I already missed an exit/turn and issued the turn around instructions.

- Bought a Akron holder for my IPAQ, so that now it can be firmly attached to my windshield at a good viewing angle.

- Bought an inexpensive cell phone case, with plastic window for the GPS receiver. This cell phone case, which holds the GPS receiver, can be clipped to my belt and the GPS receiver still can receive good satellite signals.

- Found out that it will take a long time to generate and down load a big map such as the entire state of Texas. I suppose this is a function of the PDA -- not much I can do about it.

- Wish that I can enter known GPS coordinates as destinations. Bummer.

Overall I am a much happier camper now. I jacked it up to 4 stars!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars best bluetooth gps product on market, July 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: HP iPAQ Bluetooth GPS Navigation System for 1945, 2200, 3900, 4100, 4300, 5100, 5400, 5500 series (Office Product)

I've been using this product for 3 months after evaluating other products such as Pharos, Navman and Socket.

The strong points are:
1) quick TTFF(Time to First Fix). A cold fix usually can be obtained in under 2 minutes. Make sure it is mounted with a clear view of the southern sky. You can use a velcro sticky from a crafts store if the rubber surface is not adequate to prevent sliding. Most peoiple mount it on the dashboard. Be careful in hot sunny climates as the black surface can cause the unit to overheat.
2) Long Battery life: you can expect up to 8 hours with the lithium ion rechargeable battery. This is pretty good for most bluetooth receivers.
3) Works well with IPAQ devices. No pairing relationship is required. This is often not the case for other bluetooth receivers.
4) The mapping software is no-frills and works vey well. You can store important locations as favorites and also use addresses from your contacts on your PDA.

Cons:
1) The Black Case can cause unit to overheat in sunny locations when placed on the dashboard.
2) Glare from the PDA screen is noticeable in sunny daylight situations. This is a problem eveident in all PDA GPS solutions. It is safer and less distracting to rely on the spoken directions as the GPS will warn you well ahead of any turns. I would recommend using a quality vehicle mount with external speaker and charging built in. The ARKON unit is a good device.
3) Low audible output. Again, an external vehicle mount is a good idea when using this in your car.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Flexible, and well designed, May 9, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HP iPAQ Bluetooth GPS Navigation System for 1945, 2200, 3900, 4100, 4300, 5100, 5400, 5500 series (Office Product)

I have used this system with both an iPAQ 1945 and 4155. Worked with almost no issues on both devices. The "puck" has never slid across my dash, since it has a rubber backing. Even in my sports car it stayed put around quick corners.

I download maps of 3-5 states onto a SD card and the data seems quite accurate. I have only had one incorrect turn given in the past 4 months.

The battery life is 6-7 hours and the fact that it uses the same charger as the iPAQ is great. I always keep the iPAQ plugged in and mounted to my dash at a good viewing angle. The Bluetooth connection is almost never dropped, so no complaints.

The only "issue" I have is the application doesn't always close out properly, so I tend to do a soft reset after using the software. Works perfect every time once I got in this habit.

Buy it and you will save time and avoid frustrations driving in unfamiliar locations.