so is data required for this to function, i guess to download the maps. what if you can store maps of a city or two.

i dont think you can store cities for offline use


anyone else having weird bugs? sometimes the bbmap app just closes out completely and says it couldnt connect to the bbnet something or another.

im not sure if its the map or my gps device, but when the gps is enabled the whole phone crawls to a stop. you really cant use the phone or hit the wrong button without it entirely locking up. as soon as i 'turn off gps' from the map's menu, the phone works fine. it seems to me that bbmaps is pretty lame at handling gps.

also, if you type in directions, and it shows you where to go, it will not adjust if you go off course. this isnt good. but, it is free so i guess i cant complain. i might try telnav or wayfinder, see how they perform.

how has everyone's experience been with the original gps receiver posted here?

in my experience, you need the new os with the bbmaps thats updated within it. my performance was shaky before, but with the os update it rocks!

things ive noticed, you need to position the unit facing ahead, as it is capable of figuring a general heading, even when stationary (probably said in the manual, never read it) plus, it doesnt need to be line-of-sight. i can put the device under my carseat, completely hidden and it seems to work the same. very cool, i have hard-wired it into the amp i have down there, no more dead receiver.

now i just slide my phone onto its holster and the little arrow just follows. updates 1 time a second, and very very steadily now, and no problems with the backlight going out. its a huge difference compared to the older os version.

Tip: When downloading Wayfinder, you must use the bb browser for the Pearl to be recognized as a compatible device.

I have it on my Pearl, but I haven't activated it yet to try it out. I have Telenav and it's saved me 11 miles already as I have to visit several offices a day. This program will pay for itself monthly, so $10 a month is a great investment!
PS.....I just log the old mileage i used to get and get the free 11 miles and voila!!!

thats cool. surely if you use it for work everyday it would be well worth 10 bucks a month. however, i use the bbmaps maybe once a month so i cant imagine paying ten dollars each time. i wish you could just buy telnav for a one time fee like wayfinder.

True, but telenav isn't really a program, it's a service. You just run it like you open a browser and you connect.

At first it was dog slow, but then I figure out that encryption was on by default. When I turn off encryption, it was like night and day. I just wish that I had a way to mount the Pearl so that its visible while driving. Great product for the price!

Man.....looking back on that one made me come to tears laughing. I was pretty new then and completely was out of context there. My bad.

I bought a Holux GPSlim240 off of ebay the other day... It works really well with the Pearl and as an added bonus, it can use the same usb charger.

HOLUX GPSlim240 Product Info

Ambeon BT112A-GPS High Performance Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Availability: Out of Stock

What is the final cost? Is it $50 + $9 per month ($108 a year).

Is it worth buying this product & the extra software or go with complete Navigation unit which nowadays are available for <$200. One was for $150 at Staples on Black Friday. Now is $200 at CompUSA CompUSA.com: Mio Technology DigiWalker C310x GPS - 526214890106 - Electronics » GPS » GPS Devices. Says sold out but is availble in store.

Check out GPScentral.ca!! Cheapest anywhere...

Interesting question on cost. Benefit is a single device but that is lost when there is a puck needed. That goes away with the 8800. Telenav works very well. Personal decision I guess.

Here is a review on cnet.com on Telenav:

TeleNav GPS Navigator (Cingular) Reviews. Handheld software Reviews by CNET.

So has anyone tried this one with the Pearl/Telenav? It is now back in stock and seems to be the best price I have found for a SiRF Star III unit. (tell me anyone knows of something better).

proclipusa.com/default.asp There you go. I registered as new member just for this. I searched high and low and wanted to share my findings. I forgot about this place when i bought my dell axim. Great products and looks professionally installed. Sorry I needed to post 10 posts to add url but I cant think of 10 posts quite yet lol.

So you can download maps from them which are, presumably, updated on a regular basis. There are other apps if the $9/mo isn't right for you.

Is there any reason to get the Holux or Globalsat instead of the GPT-801? Am I getting any value from the increased cost?

I just got a brand new Holux GPSlim 240 last week on eBay for $65. SiRFStar III, a bit smaller than a pack of chewing gum, works great. Loaded Telenav this weekend with my 8700c and it works great. Latest model, smallest unit on the market, for only a few $ more than the "cheapies."

I am using a Holux GR 231 and it works well with my BlackBerry.

I found it through: BlackBerryInsight » Recommended Bluetooth GPS Receivers

I am using a Globalsat BT359 with my Pearl and it works great. Except that BB Maps is off by about 300' in my area. I have checked on TeleAtlas' site and it seems to be a problem with their data for my area. As I drive around it shows me between streets. I copied a long and lat point, plugged it into other mapping sites and it shows my location correctly, but BB Maps and Teleatlas show the same point 300' to the east, not where I was.

I have phoned my provider, Rogers, and they are contacting RIM about the problem. I also submitted a correction to TeleAtlas.

I am in Moncton, NB, Canada. Not a small town, but not a big city either. Any Eastern Canadians notice the same thing.

It seems really silly that such a large company's data would be this innacurate.

Well, according to my carrier (Rogers), RIM's answer is....... Bluetooth GPS is not supported! And it's not just my BT359, but any Bluetooth GPS with the blackberry is not supported. So I say it's not my GPS's problem, he tells me he told RIM that, and that I had verified the innacuracy by using two other services. RIM's answer, not supported. My opinion of RIM just went down significantly.

What do you think they mean by not supported? You realize that ultimate accuracy is from TeleAtlas as run through the BBMaps GUI. The 359 is mostly likely accurate. If you reported it to TA then eventually they can make adjustments.