Just got done playing with new Car Cradle

[tjpyles]

I received my new car cradle via Fed Ex today, and I just finished installing all of the software and hardware during lunch today. I went out to test it out in my car, and I am so far very pleased with the result. Played around with the GPS and StreetFinder without any problem - found my exact location. I played around with some songs that I have on my MS stick and they sounded great. I bought a 1 gig CF card just for this purpose, but I have not installed any of the driver hacks to make it work. That's my next project to make sure I can load up a bunch of MP3's on it and play them. The voice function seems fairly cool it would lower the song volume but not completely mute it, while it gave instructions. Great product, very intuitive interface.

[BlueTooth]

WOW!!! do you have any pictures of the installation??

[TedTschopp]

Can it be used with the older NX's?

[tjpyles]

I didn't think to take any pictures. If I did it would be the cradle hardware only (no Clie), as the only digital camera I have here at work is my Clie.

[tjpyles]

I don't have an NX60 or 70 so I don't know for sure. But, I really can't imagine what Sony would have done to prevent the 60/70 from working.

[EZCLIE]

How well does the remote work with everything? Is it easy enough to use while driving to keep your eyes on the road?
Let me know if the CF audio works, I am getting my cradle in a couple of days.

-Ed

[ugokanain]

Is there a way to use it without having to set the route on a PC? This seems to defeat the purpose of a handheld. Some of the other GPS programs allow you to just install the program and maps and never need a computer again. However mapolis doesn't work with Clies.

[markgm]

I wish this thing was portable, but I'm still thinking of getting one!

[spinteews]

Sweet, my main concern is the GPS... how does that work and how well does it work? is the map detailed and does it show your exact location? when you drive off does it show you at the exact location while moving and everything?

thanks

[Andyvan]

What do you mean by "mapopolis doesn't work with Clies"?

I've been using it for several years.

-- Andyvan

Originally posted by ugokanain
Is there a way to use it without having to set the route on a PC? This seems to defeat the purpose of a handheld. Some of the other GPS programs allow you to just install the program and maps and never need a computer again. However mapolis doesn't work with Clies.

[Unregistered]

tell us more about it please!!!
Mariano Galan

[cykalan]

Originally posted by tjpyles
I didn't think to take any pictures. If I did it would be the cradle hardware only (no Clie), as the only digital camera I have here at work is my Clie.

get a MIRROR and you can picture everything...:D

[cykalan]

Originally posted by spinteews
Sweet, my main concern is the GPS... how does that work and how well does it work? is the map detailed and does it show your exact location? when you drive off does it show you at the exact location while moving and everything?

thanks

you probably don't need to worry about that....;)

[ugokanain]

Originally posted by Andyvan
What do you mean by "mapopolis doesn't work with Clies"?


I saw this in their site:
Navigator currently does not run on any Sony Clie device. (We are planning to support Clie devices.)

[ometofu]

I too just finished with the installation. Initial reaction is cool. But there are many details that I'm not too please.

Here are some positive and negatives
1. GPS is sensitive and quick, no matter where i put it in on my truck, i get strong 3Dfix with at least 6 satellite, now i just to find a cool place to permanently mount it. The Rand McNally software is whack. I can't found my home address not even the avenue, but i can manually (graphically) located it once the local map is brought up...
2. Rand McNally software has some funny logic on plotting a route, I guess I'm too used to mapquest. Streetfinder tends to use more local streets. Once a map is loaded to your pda (painful), you can set a new destination within but you have to undock the unit first (again, it is painful, it took my clie 45 sec to find my address, which really surprised when the same map/location can't be found on the PC, against a 2400K file). The 2400K map includes details on northern Jersey, NYC and majority of Queens... and it can be dumped on MS
3. I can't use the FM transimitter to work above 100.0mhz... Strange. everything under 100.0 seems to be on. I settled down at 96.5mhz. It is a cool feature, but I don't like the output volume. It is not as strong/loud as my FM channels... I have to turn up my volume in order to hear the mp3s, other issue is the noise signal, but i guess it has to do with the frequency i picked

I didn't have time to test remaining features... but it is kind of useless to me... i know i'm not going to use the text to speech email / schedule features...

I done the installation with my NX80... the NX70 can't even click on the cradle... but have to load the software and really test it out...

Overall, it is well worth the 300 bucks!!!

[MarianoSF]

Originally posted by ometofu
I done the installation with my NX80... the NX70 can't even click on the cradle... but have to load the software and really test it out...
 

I hope Mapopolis can find a way to get Sony's help to fix the Navigator sound problem. :mad:

[ugokanain]

Originally posted by travlskech


so...the sony gps system, you have to input your route ahead of time on your PC? thats quite disappointing if it is the case.

Don't know for sure, but that is how it seems from sony's description

[ometofu]

you can't cheat data. normal in car GPS has a CD guys... i were able to manage to download entire tristate into MS and it only took about 4.5Mb which is majority of my travel...

[tjpyles]

OK after a day of use here is some additional feedback...

1. I really like the remote. I have something against using my fingers to touch activate my Clie (hate all the smudges it creates). The remote works very quickly, efficiently, and with a little practice, I hardly have to look at the unit.

2. My GPS experience was outstanding - very accurate and very detailed road information. I have not tried plotting a route so I haven't experienced what ometofu did. I am not quite sure I am following the question about having to input your route ahead of time. You have two options both require you to create a map and then store it on your PDA. One is to create a route the other is to create a map. When using mine yesterday, I created a map of Birmingham, AL. I actually live about 25 to 30 miles outside the city, but work downtown. I had no problem creating a map of the whole city that covered this area and more. If I had to guess I would say I had a map with a 20 mile radius. It took about 3megs. I can now travel anywhere on that map. You can make as many maps as you want and load them up. So if you are strictly asking do you have to input your route - not at all. I never did yesterday, and I could have driven anywhere on my "20 mile" map, and it would have shown me exactly where I was.

3. I was disappointed with two things so far. My FM transmitting experience was not very good. I could never find a frequency that seemed to offer the quality I wanted. I'm not sure what the problem was; I have an Ipod with an FM transmitter so I thought I knew what to expect. The Sony never seemed to be as good. My solution was to use a cassette adapter I already had in the car. Then the sound was actually near CD quality to me ears. The other disappointment was the hardware attachment. I have never found a vent attachment for any device that I really like; I still haven't. Nothing terrible, just never seems to get as firm of an attachment as I would like.

4. Someone asked about CF audio. I haven't tried it yet. I haven't been really excited by any of the driver hacks I have read about yet, so I am stalling. I have a 128 MS that I am using for right now (it's definitely not big enough though). I really want something that I can delete easily and that will allow me use of both media. Everything I have read seems to indicate some sort of problem or another in one of these areas. The thing is all I care about at this point is Audio/MP3 compatability.

[tjpyles]

Oh yeah, someone seemed to reference it earlier; one other minor disappointment was portability. I had really hoped there would be a way to just connect up the GPS if I wasn't in my car - say out walking or something. I know that would probably look a little strange, but I would have liked it. Anyway, there does not seem to be anyway to do this. The cradle has to be powered up for your Clie to respond to it, and there is no way of attaching the GPS part directly to your PDA.

[ometofu]

I think all we have to do is find a way to power the cradle... it shouldn't be that difficult.... I like the idea to take the cradle out of car and use it more like hiking

[helmutk]

Thanks for the reviews!
I have two questions...

Can the maps you download to use for the GPS cradle be stored and used directly from the MS, or do they have to be in RAM?

Also, will the CLIE still fit in the GPS cradle if the CF slot is opened and it has a CF card in it?

[tjpyles]

I was very interested in making sure that my NX80 would work in the cradle with the Compact Flash door open, so that was one of the first things I tried. No problem at all. Yes you can install and use maps on your MS. The manual suggests that if your map is large it may be a little slow using MS, and it suggests moving maps as you use them to and from your internal memory. I have not taken the time yet to see how slow the use is on a Memory Stick. The map I created was just slightly over 3megs so I went ahead and moved to internal memory. Later on today I'll move it to my MS and see just how slow it is.

[tjpyles]

Hey ometofu, can you tell me if your Alarm Sounds in your regular Clie preferences have been turned off by any of this installation. My alarm went off this morning but made now sound. I ended up sleeping an extra 30mins. Anyway, I use my alarm every day as my morning alarm clock. So they only thing I know for sure that was different this morning from yesterday is the GPS, etc installation. I checked my Alarm Sounds in my Preferences and found that they had been changed to OFF. I really don't think I did that; I'm wondering if some part of the installation did.

[helmutk]

Thanks tjpyles.
The GPS cradle sounds even better now.
Considering most GPS antenna add ons are about $150 anyway without any map software, and add to that the cradle mount, the remote, the fm transmitter, and the voice capability, I think it is well worth $300.

[WhiteNoiz]

Does anyone know if the cradle works with the nx70v?

[ometofu]

tjpyles, I don't think my alarm were off, I too use the alarm to wake me up in the morning (using the world clock, since it has more audio options)....and it was working fine this morning

So Far, i only download the map into my 256MS, and it were a bit slow when it needs to redrew the entire view... but when you're zoomed in for street level driving. It were update smoothly without any slowness issue... I think i would need a NYC map in my RAM and other vincinities on MS.

Now I just have to find a way to make the car cradle portable....

[EZCLIE]

From everything l have heard/read the nx70 does not work with the car cradle. I own a nx70 and a nx 80 and I will test my cradle on thursday with both and let you know.

-Ed

[tjpyles]

I noticed that ometofu mentioned that finding an address from his handheld took him about 45 secs. I'm sure that there are many different factors that affect search speed, but I also noticed that he said his maps were loaded on his MS card. I just tried an experiment locating my home address on the map I created and had loader internally and noticed that it found it almost immediately. I live in a rather out of the way and small subdivision and my map size is just a little over 3megs (I believe I saw where ometofu's was a little larger). I thought I would let everyone know, because I think search time may be greatly affected by where you store your maps - internally or external card.

[spinteews]

sweet

so how is the zoom and detail of the maps?

also about the Route thing... what i'm trying to ask is how would you go about to say from point A to point B? Say your at home and your gonna go to a interview downtown or something so you put in your address and the interviewers address so you can get there on time.. how does that process work? or is this where you have to have it preset?

can you do this on the fly like just map it while its in cradle or you gotta take it otu reroute a location then put ti back on and continue?

thanks

i know some incar gps systems you need to have the car in park before you can change routes... safety issues? lol

[tjpyles]

Now I'm with you. And I think you have a point. As far as I can tell the only way to do directions is on the PC side. You can find addresses on your PDA but it will not plot your destination from where you are currently or from any starting point for that matter. At least not that I have found so far. Someone else correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not at all comfortable with my knowledge at this point; I have not tried everything, but it would seem that this does put it at distinct disadvantage to the standard in-car navigation.
As far as the zoom and detail are concerned, I have been extremely pleased. You can zoom in to much closer than you would ever need (or zoom out as far as you would ever want). I found the detail to be quite good even showing some roads that have been built in only the last year or so (although they were missing so also). I live in an area where a lot of development is going on so there are a lot of new roads.

[firemate]

Sooooooooo... still no updates as to whether or not it'll work on an NX-70v?

[tjpyles]

Ometofu mentions in passing on the first page that an NX70 won't even click into the cradle. That is the only comment he makes, so I assume he has tried it. Other than that I see this question being asked a great deal, but noone seems to answer it in much detail.

[tifosiv122]

Once you put the map on your MS, can you then set a route or do you need to always set the routes on a computer?

Erik

[Unregistered]

I have Mapopolis installed on my NX70V and it works no problem. It even does HiRes+. I'm using the Emtac Bluetooth GPS with it (I have a BT Memory Stick from Expansys.com). And the GPS is for sale with the Mapopolis software on Mobileplanet.com. :)

[tjpyles]

You always need to set the routes on the computer. You can create multiple routes on the computer and install them. Or, you can find addresses on your PDA without the computer. But, you do have to use the computer to create a route.

[tifosiv122]

Originally posted by tjpyles
You always need to set the routes on the computer. You can create multiple routes on the computer and install them. Or, you can find addresses on your PDA without the computer. But, you do have to use the computer to create a route.

That just killed it for me, thanks...

Erik

[ugokanain]

You might be able to decide where you want to go in a city you know. However, not everyone travels with a computer, nor do you know where you would like to go in a city you are visiting. Hope to start saving for Mapolis for xmas.

Does anyone know of a gps that does Mexico at a street level?

[soulreaver99]

If you guys haven't read it yet, I have a review on it. Links are in this thread: http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23449

[Reggie]

I'm currently doing a Palm OS navigation shoot-out/review article (Sony car cradle, Garmin iQue, Mapopolis). If you want some other things in the review post them here:

http://cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=23625

Thanks.