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(More customer reviews)This was my first Amazon product review, thank you for taking the time to read it. Comments have been very welcome.
(see end of my review for an update as of end-2009)
The Holux M-1000 is a diminutive unit, about the same size as a box of matches, (65mm long, 43mm wide, and 17.6mm thick) and weighing in about as much (about 50g with the battery).
The unit comes packaged with a USB charger cable, car cigarette adaptor (which the USB plugs into), driver CD, warranty card, and a printed manual. The packaging uses recyclable materials, which I'm sure would please the environmentally-conscious crowd, yet still maintain a very classy appearance worthy of any gadget shop's glass cabinet.
My first impressions were along the lines of "hmm, that's really tiny". More than half the unit is taken up by the battery, to which I would attribute at least half it's weight.
There is no display on the unit, just 3 status LEDs, a power switch to the side, and a mini-USB socket.
Initial charge-up took about 4 hours, which is usual for Li-Ion batteries. During this time, the green status LED blinks accordingly. The battery is actually the same type used in some Nokia cell phones, so it shouldn't pose a problem finding a replacement or spare. (Doing a quick search, the part number listed HX-N3650A is Holux-specific, but it is similar to the Nokia BL-5C used in a myriad of Nokia cell phones, and available online for a few dollars).
Word of warning to first time users. The USB cable supplied, as the manufacturer states, is for charging purposes only. Windows XP will detect something, and go into a frenzy trying to recognize it. It got a bit tiresome after the 5th pop-up, prompting me to go into the Windows XP device manager to disable the "unknown device". The M-1000 still charged up as expected.
Usage:
The M-1000 is as easy to use as the manufacturers claim. How hard is it to slide a power switch?
After the power-on, the blue LED flashes on to signify Bluetooth broadcast. Pairing up with my cell phone, a Nokia E65, was simple, the M-1000 was detected within moments, and paired up without the need for a pairing key code to be entered.
The GPS status LED (orange color), upon initial start-up stays on, showing that the unit is acquiring signals.
Manufacturer claims first (cold start) satellite signal acquisition takes 36 seconds. My testing outdoors on a clear day, showed their claims to be pretty good, I averaged around 35 seconds.
The sensitivity of the MTK GPS chipset is very good, and there is no need for an external antenna. Holux state that the MTK will track up to 32 separate channels, which is overkill at this time as there are never more than 12 satellites overhead at each hemisphere of the earth. I would expect this is anticipating the next generation of GPS satellites.
This chipset is actually very impressive, it has acquired a signal indoors as I'm sitting at my desk typing this review. The Holux-supplied GPS viewer application for Windows shows it has locked on the signals of 6 satellites, all of which are showing moderate signals (signal bars are around 1/3 to 1/2 of the scale).
Battery life:
Holux claim 23 hours of battery life. I have not had the opportunity to test this, but from my experience, having forgotten to switch the receiver off overnight, after several hours in the center console of my car, the unit was still active in the morning.
Accuracy:
Using the Mobile GMaps on my cell phone, the M-1000 is pretty accurate. Comparing my old hand-held Magellan unit (which incidentally took about 4 minutes from cold start to acquire a signal), the averaged position is the same, as expected. I have used the SmartCom GPS unit on my cell phone, and the results are identical.
Recommended add-ons:
If you don't have Bluetooth capability you will need the Holux-compatible USB cable. Search online for the optional cable, Holux part# GR230-A2.
Spare battery - as stated above, this unit uses the identical battery to many Nokia cell phones. BL-5C batteries are cheap as chips online, and you can easily find a desktop charger for those batteries as well.
Overall, the M-1000 is a good buy, and for the money, can't be beaten. Combined with some good software on your cell or PDA, this would be a good combination.
On my Nokia E65 cell phone, the TomTom Navigator software detected the M-1000 and is very accurate. It shows its strength in the car, and can even receive signals while placed inside the center console of my car.
Signal re-acquisition is measured in seconds, handy when driving through tunnels or under bridges.
With all its strengths, there is one minor gripe I have with the M-1000, namely it is not waterproof, let alone water resistant. The whole unit is is not sealed, with visible gaps in the casing. There is no cover for the mini-USB socket and the battery compartment also allows moisture to enter.
Despite the above flaw, the unit is sensitive enough to be kept well away from moisture, say, in a jacket pocket, or even in a backpack or handbag, and with the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity, will provide the road warrior with the best value GPS solution at this time.
*** Update 2009-11-17 ***
Having changed a few months ago to an Android OS smart phone, my Nokia is now relegated to backup duties and resides in a pile of old phones and other outdated gadgets that I accumulated over the years. As a consequence of switching to a phone with an embedded GPS, which is where the industry is headed, I might think the market for GPS mice like these is diminishing. As it stands, the Holux, while giving me 2-odd years of good service, is now relegated to the "bits box" with the old phone.
I am sure it's got some relevance if I ever have the need to tether it by Bluetooth to my notebook computer, but even then, with embedded GPS into my current HTC Dream (aka G1) Android phone, it now boils down to what applications are available that rival TomTom at a reasonable price.
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Holux M-1000 32 Channel Wireless Bluetooth GPS ReceiverProduct Description: Holux M1000 Bluetooth GPS with MTK 32 GPS engine. The advantages of the Holux M-1000 include best tracking and most importantly affordable.With the advanced technology, the HOlux M-1000 tracks up to 32 satellites at a time, re-acquires satellite signals in 100 ns and updates position data every second. Trickle-Power allows the unit operates a fraction of the time and Push-to-Fix permits user to have a quick position fix even though the receiver usually stays off.The Holux M-1000 comes with integrated rechargeable Li-Ion battery with 850mAh capacity that lasts up to 17 hours.
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