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> MGN Review: Visiontac BlueTooth GPS Receiver VGPS-700, 4 out of 5 star rating
runningtiger
post Jan 8 2007, 07:08 PM
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Visiontac VGPS-700
By Visiontac Instrument Inc.
MGN Rating -

Rating Legend

1 star: Find something else; save your money
2 star: Below average; not recommended
3 star: Average; performs as advertised but not inspiring
4 star: Good; worth the money
5 star: Great; best of its kind on the market

Review by runningtiger
Review Date / December 28th, 2006

Thanks to Tom Lee from Visiontac Instrument Inc, I've had the opportunity to review their Visiontac VGPS-700. This is their "slim, small, light, stylish" GPS receiver. Visiontac Instrument Inc has been a long time premium OEM manufacturer for many well recognized brand names and now they're offering their own products to customers. They offer an extensive line up ranging from Optics, Power Generators to GPS products featuring cutting-edge design to bring the consumer high quality products at exceptional value.

Mobile Gadget News has reviewed GPS receivers prior to this one, and there are two things that set this review apart from c0w's and Slacker's reviews:
1) This is my first GPS anything, AND
2) This review was done on something other than a PPC. (Hint: I ran into a little hitch and their PPC reviews did not directly apply.)

The Visiontac VGPS-700 arrived very nicely packaged and the first thing I took note of was WOW, there's a lot of stuff in the box!

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First, and foremost, there is the tiny receiver that is finished in a very shiny high polish piano black. It's really cool looking! It has a slider on/off switch on the top as well as a data/power port. It looks like there are two buttons on the front, however they are power, BlueTooth, and connection status lights - not buttons.

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Also in the box, there is a silver holster/case and a black plastic battery box with a key chain on it (more on that later). Then there are cords (AC - w/retractable prongs), cords (USB w/power), cords (USB without power), and cords (a USB adapter that attaches to that plastic case with the key chain attached to it). That's a lot of cords! There is also a cigarette lighter adapter that all of the above mentioned USB cords can attach to. And, of course, a user's guide. There is also a CD that has the user's guide, product image library, and two utilities to test the receiver (one for PPC and the other for PC).

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Since, I'm writing a review, I forgo my basic instinct to just rip into the package and start plugging things in. I forced myself to read the user's guide is what I'm getting at. The usual first page of cautions that we've become accustomed to is right up front. Interesting to note that #2 (if they were numbered) reads: "Caution! Do not operate the receiver while driving!" Huh?

Moving on...I check the packing list and yup, everything that was supposed to be in the box, is in the box (including a one year warranty). I'm still not sure what all the cords are about and I'm eager to find out. Next, you get a road map to what all the flashing/blinking/constantly on lights mean and I note that for the "GPS status indicator" light constantly on means you ARE NOT connected yet, whereas blinking means your position has been fixed. This is the opposite of the "BlueTooth indicator" light which when constantly on means you ARE connected and blinking means it is still "searching". Hmm... OK, I'm sure all that will stick in my memory once I start using the Visiontac VGPS-700. But, for now, that seems a little perplexing that the flashing/constantly on lights mean exact opposite of each other depending on which light you're looking at.

I turn the page and THERE is the list of cords and what they do and why are there so many? Ahh, OK, so they all serve to charge the unit. That was as expected, but still, why so many? It says the short USB one (1 meter) does not transfer data whereas the long one (2 meters) does. I don't know what that means just yet and why would I want it that way? I'm sure this will make sense later. The other short cord works in conjunction with the "external battery box" as a patch cord between one of the other two already mentioned USB cords. You following this?

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recap: 1) the long (2 meter) cord is for powering the receiver via the cigarette lighter or USB AND...data is transmitted, no charging takes place 2) the short (1 meter) cord is only for charging via cigarette lighter or USB AND...no data is transmitted.

The "external battery box" is the plastic case with the keychain attached mentioned earlier, and it requires four AAA batteries (Ni-MH or alkaline is recommended). It can power the Visiontac VGPS-700 when you use it in conjunction with the 2 meter cord. It can charge the receiver when it is used in conjunction with the short 1 meter cord.

On the CD, there is a picture of a hiker using his cell phone as a GPS device with the Visiontac VGPS-700 hanging off the back of his backpack. (Curiously, the phone pictured is a Motorola MPx200 which does not have BlueTooth so, I'm not quite sure how it's interacting with the Visiontac.) Anywhoo, this little "external battery box" will give you some operating time beyond the full charge that you would head out into the woods with. There's also a little flashlight built into it and the cap remains attached to the battery part by the keychain - so, they should not become detached from each other too easily. I haven't had the unit long enough to drain the first charge and so I haven't tested how long the "external battery box" will power the unit for (when used with the 2 meter cord) OR how long it takes to charge the Visiontac VGPS-700 when used with the 1 meter cord. Let's just say, if you use it in this type of scenario and run out of juice...any amount of extra time is better than no extra time. Bring along a bunch of batteries, and theoretically you could keep going, and going, and going. You get the picture. wink.gif

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Speaking of charging, I was pleased that the unit came mostly charged! It finished charging very quickly (less than a half an hour) and it was ready to go.

But first, the manual includes a page that explains what GPS is, which answered some very basic questions I had and so I'm glad they included it. First of all, it's good to know there are no setup charges or subscription fees once you have purchased the Visiontac and that the service is available 24/7. It says it is to be used outdoors to allow reception of GPS signals, but I had no problem getting a signal in my living room. Probably due to the large picture window I was sitting near. It also advises that if you stand still, GPS can not detect which way you're facing, because it determines your direction on the basis of movement. Good to know. And, VERY good to know is that the receiver does NOT support location of the phone by emergency operators. I did notice however in the software (Mapopolis) that I used with the Visiontac, that it gives lat/long coordinates. As long as you're just lost, and not unconscious, you could give emergency personnel a very precise location of where you are.

OK, so all you have to do to start using the Visiontac is have some sort of GPS software on your phone, fully charge the receiver, and pair it with your phone.

Easy! Right? Umm, not so fast. This is where I ran into the only problem I had with the whole experience. I've only ever "paired" headsets with my phone and this was a little bit different. I followed the directions and got a confirmation from my phone that the receiver was paired. But, the BlueTooth light was still flashing on the Visiontac VGPS-700. Unfortunately, the directions that come with the Visiontac are written for a PPC device and it shows using serial port COM5. Well, on my phone, when the "services" screen presents itself all I can do is check affirmatively that I want to use this device as a serial port. I'd never done this before and didn't know what else to do. The answer is you have to set up both a new incoming and outgoing port. The only ports my phone presented me with were 6 & 7 (notice there is no 5 like the directions seemed to indicate I should have). I set up 6 as the new incoming port and 7 as the new outgoing port and still the BlueTooth indicator light just flashed at me. So, I switched the ports around and that didn't help. I changed them back because c0w's review seemed to indicate the incoming port should be the lower number and the outgoing port the higher number. But, I was still stumped why the Visiontac did not seem to be paired with my phone. Finally, after much trial and error, I went to the Mapopolis software and using the right soft key I clicked on "menu" then "GPS" then "GPS" again. This brings up a compass and empty boxes for speed, range, altitude, latitude, and longitude. I clicked on the "Menu" right soft key (again, after more trial and error), opened the "GPS Communications" choice. Here I could choose which port I'd set up the Visiontac on (the outgoing port 7) and set the baud rate like the instructions say to 38,400. Once I did that I exited by clicking on the left soft key for "done". This brought me back to the compass. I remembered seeing on the right soft key menu the choice "start". So, I clicked on that and FINALLY the BlueTooth flashing indicator stopped flashing to let me know the receiver was at last communicating with my phone. Yea! Whew...

It would have been REALLY nice if the directions held my hand through this process. It took me literally hours to figure it out. I probably could have called tech support for help, but it was after hours and so I muddled my way through and figured it out. I think for a consumer device where everybody is not an IT professional, there has to be better instructions for this part of the setup. A few more pages in the user manual explaining how to set it up on the different types of devices would not be wasted space.

OK...so, now the fun begins. It's charged, it's connected, it's time for a road trip! I see it has placed the marker (representing me) on the map correctly and I'm ready to go.

First things first though. I get in my car, and where do I put this thing? First, I put it in the center console cup holder and it registered the signal just fine from there. But, I'd eventually want to put a cup of something there, so, it's got to go somewhere else. No matter where I put it the signal came through just fine. I settled on a pop-out drawer on the dash and drove off. The little indicator that represents me in my car is right where it should be. As I'm crossing a street that's right where it shows me on the map. There's no delay. Since this is my first experience with GPS, I wondered if I'd drive past a street faster than the map would show me. Nope. It works great.

I arrived at my destination and turned off the receiver using the little on/off switch on top of the unit (this outing I used the unit
without any cords). The software on my phone immediately showed it had no "fix". I pocketed my phone and went into the shop. When I came back out I turned on the Visiontac VGPS-700 and immediately the software reacquired the "fix" and everything was back working without having to set anything up again. I was glad this part was so easy.

When you're done using it with Mapopolis, to disconnect you go back into the mapping software and choose the right soft key "menu" then "GPS" then "stop GPS". The BlueTooth indicator on the Visiontac starts flashing again to let you know it's not "talking" to anything. It's still paired with my phone, there's just nowhere for the data to go since the mapping program is "off". Turn the map part back on, and it immediately connects to the Visiontac. Very nice.

It's worth mentioning here, that I was able to use my BlueTooth headset at the same time I was using the Visiontac BlueTooth receiver. I had not thought about that ahead of time, but did as soon as I picked up my BlueTooth headset to head out the door and thought oh-oh. It wasn't a problem at all. Excellent.

The next day I test drove the Visiontac VGPS-700 this time using a cord. I chose the 2 meter one since it has the Power On/Off feature. Using this cord, the Visiontac VGPS-700 stays switched off and gets it's power from the car battery via the cord. Used this way, when you turn the car on the unit powers up and when you turn your car off the unit turns off. It does not charge in this setup. But, the unit is actually off (being powered by your car battery) so it is not draining either. If you were to use it away from the car and drain it, you'd then need the 1 meter cord to charge it up again.

This Power On/Off setup worked really well. As soon as the car starts up the Visiontac VGPS-700 only takes a couple seconds to reconnect with my phone. It couldn't be easier. My only complaint is the cord is really long. Since Visiontac uses a proprietary connection, I hope they come out with a retractable Power On/Off cord so it looks neater/nicer in the car. I don't like long cords all over the place and have kept them to a minimum by using a retractable power cord if need be. Using the 2 meter Power On/Off is the way I think I'd prefer to use the unit - if it weren't for the long cord dangling around the floorboard area of my car.

During this test drive I purposefully did not follow the route planned and within 5 seconds was given a new route. This shows how fast the Visiontac VGPS-700 responds to the driver and communicates with the mapping software. I also took it down streets that had very quick jogs in them. The information was called out to me as soon as I turned onto the street to let me know I'd be immediately turning again. It really worked very well. After testing the Visiontac VGPS-700, along with Mapopolis maps, and my SmartPhone - I have confidence in the unit and setup that I would be able to get from point A to point B accurately and easily.

Pros:
Very small, just 32mm wide (1.2 in) x 53.5mm tall (2.1 in) x 13.9mm thick (.5 in).
Very lightweight, just 33g (1.16 oz), yet made of very strong materials (polycarbonate bulletproof plastic).
Uses very little power due to it's use of the SiRF3 chipset.
Positioning accuracy between 1 to 5 meters. (SiRF Specification)
Channels: 20 channel all-in-view tracking
Highest sensitivity. (Minimum signal tracked: -159dBm)
Built-in high performance lithium polymer battery, (VGPS-700 unit runs 8-12 hours (when in view of open sky), with the external battery box: an extra 5-8 hours)
Can run off a charge, off of a car battery, or off of AAA batteries.
Very fast start up times. (Reacquisition: 0.1 sec, Hot Start: 1 sec, Warm Start: 38 sec, Cold Start: 42 sec)
BlueTooth version 1.2 compliant

Cons:
User manual needs to explain setup for more devices other than just PPC.
Proprietary plugs instead of standard mini-USB.
Lots of cords (complicated by the proprietary plug issue)...I'd prefer one retractable cord with a slider switch to control power vs. charge. And, if I was on the design team, I would have chosen standard mini-USB over the proprietary plug.
Accessories..."external battery box" feels and looks like it could break easily. It is not up to the high standard of quality set by the receiver.
It would be nice if the cord for the "external battery box" didn't need yet another cord to function and interfaced directly with the receiver.
The silver case that protects the Visiontac receiver is unattractive and also not up to the high standard of quality like the receiver. This case makes it almost impossible to turn the Visiontac VGPS-700 on and off AND it makes it hard to plug the 1 or 2 meter cord in. The case interferes and the cord ends up un-plugging itself leaving the unit powerless/chargeless. The velcro that holds the case shut doesn't let the unit lie flat so when it's in it's case it is prone to tumbling off whatever surface it's laying on.

Conclusion:
The "cons" (with exception of the abbreviated manual and proprietary plug issue - which are the only reasons this receiver did not get an even higher rating) are all in relation to the accessories and not the receiver itself. I didn't know there were, or expect any accessories, so they are not what I've based my rating upon.

The "main attraction" is the receiver and it functions perfect and so deserves it's well earned high mark! Charge it up, pair your phone and the Visiontac VGPS-700, start your GPS enabled map program (make sure GPS is turned on from inside the software) and you're good to go.

It's diminutive size makes it very easy to carry with you and how strongly it's made makes it likely you'll do just that without being overly concerned it will break.

Add to it that with the "external battery box" and some batteries you can take this thing with you wherever you go (walking, or riding - whatever AND wherever you may ride) and it's advantages over much larger units is very clear. You'll easily take the Visiontac VGPS-700 with you no matter what you may be driving, whether that be your own car, your 2nd car, your neighbor's car, a rental, or a bike. You can use the USB cords to connect to your laptop and use it in that manner as well.

I quickly got used to what the flashing/constantly on lights meant so that proved to be no big deal and the purpose of having one cord for power and another for charging is so that you aren't constantly charging the receiver when you're using it. Visiontac says this will prolong the life of the battery.

I like the Visiontac VGPS-700 and recommend it highly. After the initial setup it works extremely easily and well. It's a great solution to the common problem of "how do you get there from here?" Add to that it's fantastic looks (a definite notch above the usual blasé gadget look) and you've got something that will impress your friends as well.

The Visiontac VGPS-700 is well worth the price of admission.

Check out their site for more info!

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--------------------
Devices: T-Mobile MDA (Cingular SIM), i-mate SP5m (sitting in a drawer at the moment while I attempt to migrate to PPC permanently), Cingular 3125 (unlocked and in use on T-Mobile), Motorola MPx220 (retired), Motorola MPx200 (retired)

Accessories: Plantronics Explorer 330 & 2G Patriot Micro-SD (use w/MDA), Kingston 2G mini-SD used in SP5m, Plantronics Discovery 640 & 2G San Disk micro-SD (use w/3125), Jabra A210 BT adapter + Motorola HS805 (retired)
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