VGPS-900: Visiontac VGPS-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger (microSD Slot, Voice Recording, 51ch. MTK)

by Visiontac

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 10 pounds
• ASIN: B001IYWBTK
• Item model number: VGPS-900
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,019 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

# 51ch. MTK chipset with enhanced positioning system technology (up to 1.5m accuracy with DGPS support) # MicroSD Slot with support up to 2GB capacity (about 25,000,000 waypoints, more than 2 years) # "Voice-Tag" function with built-in microphone allows adding live voice labels to any waypoint # Push-To-Log (POI anchor key) enables you highlighting a POI at any time # Unique SPY mode allows continuous standby logging of more than one month # Smart operating lights and prompt sounds # Auto ON/OFF function with car cable # Built-in high capacity battery for up to 24 hours of operation # User-defined speed alarm # Slim design with impact resistant polycarbonate and stainless steel # Time Album software supports Windows, Mac and Linux # Built-in Bluetooth supports SPP profile

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Logging, Odd CSV Output, March 23, 2010

By 

Daniel Bargen (Wentzville, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: VGPS-900: Visiontac VGPS-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger (microSD Slot, Voice Recording, 51ch. MTK) (Electronics)

I bought this geologger to be able to geotag my photos after the fact.

When I bought this, and probably still at the time of this review, this is one of the few geologgers that utilizes removable media for log files. This was a bog plus for me as I was going on a long vacation in Europe. $20 got me (3) 2GB microSD cards (the max this device will interface with) which gets you millions upon millions of waypoints. Since I had 1000's of photos strung out over a period of weeks, it was necessary.

This logger boasts one of the most sensitive of GPS receivers. There were a few odd jumps when walking through cities with tall buildings, or inside buildings and ships, but it was still able to track even in these harsh conditions.

I'm sure I'll put the voice notes and spy modes to use at some later date, but I didn't have much use for them at the time.

The included software lets you export KMZ (Google Earth) files and do time lapses within the application. The default files the logger saves are a non-standard CSV (comma separated value) file that most geotagging software for pictures will misinterpret. I ended up having to download a beta of GPSBable that actually supported this filetype, export the CSV files to a normal filetype, and then use software called HoudahGeo to tag my photos in my Aperture library.

People reporting problems with number of recorded waypoints, frequency, battery use, time settings, etc. should know that you have to use the bundled software to adjust the settings on the unit. This cannot be done without it being connected to a computer. So when you have an instance like I did where you're changing through 8 timezones and you want to geotag photos, it's best just to keep the camera on whatever timezone you're logger is set to. Then you can easily tag photos, and then time shift the photos after the fact.

For it's useful features, quality reception, and industrial design, I'd give this logger 5 stars. For the hassles of using the data it generates outside of the bundled software, I take it down a star

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The only way to log on long vacations, September 29, 2010

By 

Peter W. Kwok (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: VGPS-900: Visiontac VGPS-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger (microSD Slot, Voice Recording, 51ch. MTK) (Electronics)

This is the same product as the Columbus V-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger (microSD , Voice Tag for POI), which has a better rating on Amazon.
PRO:
- Thin and small, easily fit inside the top pocket of my camera bag
- Removable microSD flash card
- High sensitivity
- Mini-USB charger works interchangeably with my Motorola mobile phone
CON:
- Mini-USB is for charging only, not an interface with a PC or upload
- Multi-path susceptibility
- Accuracy on foot is not as good
I bought the Visiontac VGPS-900 GPS Data Logger to geo-tag my photos while on vacation. With a different hotel every night, it is impractical to lag a laptop along. Of all the GPS loggers, only this one accepts a Flash card to provide sufficient capacity for days of logs. Prior to our tour of Japan, I tested it on the freeways of L.A. and on a short trip to Las Vegas.
The MTK chipset is optimized for vehicle navigation. While on the freeway with steady direction and speed, its accuracy is good enough to show which lane I was in. It is not as accurate tracking me on foot. It has multi-path problem in Vegas' CityCenter, which has several high rises with highly reflective surfaces. Sometimes, it shows me on the wrong side of a building. When indoor with partial view of the sky through a window, its multi-path problem can make its location jump by almost a mile. I will test it more on our next trip to Hong Kong, a city with dense high rises.
Its sensitivity is excellent. While on a tour bus or the Shinkansen bullet train, it sat inside my camera bag on the overhead luggage rack. It had no problem receiving signals through the metal skin of the high speed train. BTW, differential GPS works in Japan.
To geo-tag my photos, I use the open source BT747 to convert the logs from CSV to GPX format. Then I use Jeffrey Friedl's excellent LightRoom plug-in. My photos are posted on PBase. The link is in my profile.
I did not test how long the battery last, but it works as a logger for 14-16 hours. Charging the battery is an overnight operation.
As for the southern hemisphere bug mentioned here, someone on the Internet wrote that it has been fixed. I cannot verify this until I take a trip to Australia. If you have the defective firmware, the only recourse for this problem is to return the unit to the factory. The firmware cannot be upgraded by users.

Edit on Jan 2012:
Since I got my Android smart-phone, I have stopped using it. The usefulness of a standalone GPS logger is coming to a close. Even without a data plan, my phone still can log in foreign countries. I can get precise GPS time from it to set my camera's clock. With pre-cached Google maps, it also doubles as a guide. Except for battery life, there is no reason to carry an extra piece of electronics. When we went to Australia, I only took the phone. Sorry to say that I cannot report whether they fixed the southern hemisphere bug or not.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Southern Hemisphere problems, August 15, 2010

By 

Val - See all my reviews

This review is from: VGPS-900: Visiontac VGPS-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger (microSD Slot, Voice Recording, 51ch. MTK) (Electronics)

Compact. microSD allows expandable output capacity. User-configurable tracking density. Impressive battery life. Tested fine in America and the Middle East. But in Australia and New Zealand, satellite LED is mostly steady, showing that it's getting a fix about 1% of the time. South African and Peruvian experiences from other reviewers seem to confirm that it has problems in the Southern Hemisphere.