[Q] External GPS+Bluetooth vs Internal GPS-Bluetooth - Galaxy Ace S5830 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi
I'm interested in this question from primarily a battery life perspective. I did some searches, but couldn't find any info on this.
I have an external bluetooth GPS module I could use. If I were to use a Galaxy Ace with bluetooth enabled, but GPS off, would this be more power efficient than using the GPS of the Ace with bluetooth off?
(Assuming all other power factors to be the same).
I guess it boils down to: Which is more efficient on the Ace; using GPS only or bluetooth only? And is it actually significant?
If there are any other aspects that should be considered, please edumacate me!
Thanks
ws

Personal experience and logic says Bluetooth consumes lesser battery juice than using GPS

Yes you are right wit an expternal GPS you will save battery, I use ana pplication called BlueGPS for pair the GPS and connect with Copilot

Thanks for the replies.
Now I've bought an Ace and had a chance to play a little bit, there's one thing that confuses me.
Once I connect the external GPS via bluetooth, and select it as the GPS source, I still have to enable the internal GPS for GPS to function.
(I can test that GPS is working via the external GPS by putting the bluetooth GPS unit on my window sill, and have my Ace inside where it can't get a GPS lock from inside via internal GPS).
So, doesn't this mean that the Ace is using battery for the internal GPS as well as bluetooth??

wiresquire said:
Thanks for the replies.
Now I've bought an Ace and had a chance to play a little bit, there's one thing that confuses me.
Once I connect the external GPS via bluetooth, and select it as the GPS source, I still have to enable the internal GPS for GPS to function.
(I can test that GPS is working via the external GPS by putting the bluetooth GPS unit on my window sill, and have my Ace inside where it can't get a GPS lock from inside via internal GPS).
So, doesn't this mean that the Ace is using battery for the internal GPS as well as bluetooth??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess what's actually happening is that when u "enable the internal GPS", you're basically enabling the phone to use the GPS source you initially selected in the location settings, i.e. the external one.
So all in all, when you have the bluetooth on without switching on GPS, bluetooth is idling, and when you enable GPS, it starts interacting with the bluetooth GPS.
cheers

you vowebt
hi
I am using external bluetooth GPS too.
I did flash my phone two days ago and find out that I don't need another app to use external GPS.
My phone is flashed with CM10-nightly.
Problem is that after each time when I want to used external GPS I need to unpari and then pair that bluetooth device.
example:
a) switch on bluetooth, and pair external GPS device
b) choose that new device in GPS source
c) switch on GPS
perfekt I can use maps ...
after while I switch off GPS and bluetooth and device
then
d) switch on bluetooth, device is already paired
e) switch GPS, external source is already choose
BUT phone is not getting any data from external GPS device
f) I have to go to bluetooth devices and unpair and then pair external GPS device
I think it is a bug, what do you think?

Related

Battery Drain: Inbuilt GPS V Bluetooth GPS

Following reports elsewhere of high temperatures being generated when the built in GPS was operative, I wondered if the battery life could be extended by using my Globalsat BT-338 GPS receiver instead of the Kaisers' built in GPS receiver. To find out, I first put the internal GPS to the test.
After fully charging my standard 1350mAh battery, I soft reset the phone, set the screen brightness to minimum, disabled phone, Bluetooth and Wifi. I started Memory Map (GPS setting set to COM4) and the stopwatch on SPB Time. When the phone eventually ran out of power and switched off I fully charged it again and ran the same test, with all the same settings except this time I enabled Bluetooth and configured Memory Map to accept GPS input from my bluetooth GPS receiver.
The results were interesting. When utilizing the internal GPS, the phone ran out of power after 5hrs 16mins. When using the external GPS it switched off after 5hrs 32mins.
I must admit I expected the battery to last much longer when using the external GPS receiver. I guess the extra power required to maintain a BT link offset the power saved not running the internal GPS receiver almost exactly.
I really need to get out more.
For what it's worth - I'm just like you! I do the same types of tests and wonderings. I think your findings are actually pretty interesting as since I've had my TYTN I haven't used my holux BT receiver, and have been wondering about power drain.
One thing you may not have considered - you tested with the phone off. With the phone on, the TYTN uses cell-towers for assisted GPS - which may actually cause more battery drain.
That's an interesting observation. I don't really know that much about the inner workings of assisted GPS. I was under the impression that assisted GPS helps the GPS receiver to get a quick fix but I wasn't aware that it continued to "help out" following this. Would assisted GPS still be operative, and draining the battery, if I had a perfectly good GPS signal I wonder? You see, I mainly use GPS whilst I am out walking (hence Memory Map). I always have a good view of the sky so I'm supposing assisted GPS would not be called upon under these conditions?

How to use BT GPS instead of Build-in GPS?

I am wondering how to use the Bluetooth GPS for my X1.
I find that I can't use my BT GPS in my X1. Even Mapking or Google Map, I can only use my build-in GPS.
When I want to change my "GPS Hardware Port", I can't do it. It reset to "none". I already set a port for the BT GPS.
Maybe someone would say I should use the build-in one, but it use much battery.
And I can't connect the GPS for long time while I am hiking or cycling, I don't want to take the X1 out > connect GPS > see where I am.
By using BT GPS, I could log the track and find out where I am easily.
Sorry for my poor English. Could anyone help me? Thanks.
Which program do you use and which external gps?
I use TomTom 7. I just pair the external with the X1 and then open tomtom select external gps and voila... it is working automatically. I don't have to select any port or baud rate or anything else.
The bluetooth will also eat up your battery.
But in in any case, in your control panel/settings there is an icon for "external GPS", which you need to set.
a gps is only a receiver where bluetooth is a transceiver
and transceivers use more power and they have to transmit too
so i'd say that it would cause faster batt being empty

Internal vs. Bluetooth GPS

Which GPS option would consume less battery power, the interal GPS or an external Bluetooth GPS unit?
TIA
WT
Thats a good question, I know a few people have said they run external receivers.
If they don't reply I would suggest you do a test and let us know.
Same here good ? I'd guess that an external would use less as it's only running BT "external units self powered" and the software compared to GPS & software.
ah but really, which antenna uses more power? the BT or the GPS?
If you are using GPS while driving, then you can use car charger to charge. But if you want to use GPS while hiking etc, then just keep a couple (or even more) extra batteries. These days you can buy extra batteries very cheap (as low as $5).
More over there are programs which can save battery by connecting to GPS every 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes etc (e.g gpsVP).
In short, you can do much better without external GPS.
So then maybe you can do even better if you do what you're suggesting and use external bt gps. hmmm
ChumleyEX said:
So then maybe you can do even better if you do what you're suggesting and use external bt gps. hmmm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But then you have to carry external GPS, its charger, may be extra battery for external GPS. All that can be avoided by carrying extra batteries for Kaiser.
Is that what the OP is asking?
Thank you gentle for your input. The real test will be simply try it I suppose.
What I have found out is that the BT-359 has superior GPS accuracy over my Kaiser and that I like. Thanks again
WT
Working Tools said:
Thank you gentle for your input. The real test will be simply try it I suppose.
What I have found out is that the BT-359 has superior GPS accuracy over my Kaiser and that I like. Thanks again
WT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i used to use a Magician with extrenal GPS and it fixed so much faster than the Kaiser on board does
I've found the power consumption using the same backlight, same application, etc, but using internal vs Bluetooth GPS was around 100mAh. You do the math.
And the Kaiser's GPS blows.. Doesn't turn off sometimes (continuing to use battery), doesn't work well at all for low speeds (walking), not very sensitive, can be extremely slow to start, and sucks battery.
Thanks khaytsus, what current drain were you able to measure while using the internal GPS unit?
As you can tell I am quite the noob when it comes to the internal workings of the Kaiser but I am learning much from this forum. Thank you everyone for your offering of knowledge!
WT
Pros and Cons of external GPS.
Pros:
Less drain on phone battery.
GPS receiver can be placed where it gets best reception (such as on top of the dash).
Cons:
Another device to haul around.
Another battery to charge.
The hassle of pairing/connecting.
Can't use BT GPS and A2DP simultaneously.
Is it even possible to switch between internal and external GPS on the Kaiser without a hard reset?
Wilhelm said:
Pros and Cons of external GPS.
Pros:
Less drain on phone battery.
GPS receiver can be placed where it gets best reception (such as on top of the dash).
Cons:
Another device to haul around.
Another battery to charge.
The hassle of pairing/connecting.
Can't use BT GPS and A2DP simultaneously.
Is it even possible to switch between internal and external GPS on the Kaiser without a hard reset?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what does this have to do with the OP?
Wilhelm said:
Pros and Cons of external GPS.
Pros:
Less drain on phone battery.
GPS receiver can be placed where it gets best reception (such as on top of the dash).
Cons:
Another device to haul around.
Another battery to charge.
The hassle of pairing/connecting.
Can't use BT GPS and A2DP simultaneously.
Is it even possible to switch between internal and external GPS on the Kaiser without a hard reset?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Switching? It's just a different com port. Now, if you're doing registry tweaking to route the external GPS through com4 so that 'any' program can use it, even those without the ability to modify the com port, yes you'd need a soft reset. Otherwise, of course not.
Pairing and connecting are a zero issue. You do it once.
I thought changing the hardware port on the GPS settings meant you couldn't return to the internal GPS without a hard reset.
Eh that post was just too mean. SOrry
Wilhelm said:
I thought changing the hardware port on the GPS settings meant you couldn't return to the internal GPS without a hard reset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, there's a GPS switcher app out there too, and private builds of CamerAwareBuddy supports switching too.
Also, I don't know about AD2P, but I can use BT GPS and BT headset simultaneously.
Well, from my own experience (Tilt is broken now but I used to use Igo My Way 8.1) the GPS has a function that saves battery...
How does it handle it?
Simple: if you for example have to drive straight forward for 5 kilometers the screen will turn black (standy) and won't turn on (unless pressed) but at the moment when you're getting new directions (Turn left, right, bla bla)
I used to have an external GPS only for my SE M600i but that's a different story

Internal GPS Radio problem, help me to configure external Antenna

Good evening,
after many try for control the real efficency of internal GPS Antenna I decide to use external BT Gps antenna.
Help me to use external antenna whit Tomtom7
I connect the Bluetooth antenna to Diamond but I don't know what else I need to do for use it whit TOMTOM
Please help me
Thank you
You need to select the external GPS device from the TOMTOM menu:
1. Change Preferences
2. Show GPS Status
3. Configure
4. Select Other Bluetooth Receiver.

[Q] External GPS

Has anyone experience with the connection of the galaxy with a bluetooth GPS ? My car's windows are provided with a heat shield made of a metal film, i can only use a bluetooth GPS in my cars GPS windows.
I would use Sygic.
I'm now using a HTC Touch Pro WM6.5 and it works fine with a Bluetooth GPS
I contacted Samsung with my question but the only answer i got was that i had tot contact route 66 ???
The bluetooth GPS is for me the point to buy a galaxy or not<;
Don't buy any android phone, far as I know, bt gps not supported on android. May be some workarounds for specific programs.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Bynar010 said:
Don't buy any android phone, far as I know, bt gps not supported on android. May be some workarounds for specific programs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a pity that android does not suport external gps.. I'd like to use that too. (I just got a Galaxy S).
I think the galaxy S has a socket for gps antenna on the back (under the cover).. so you can at least try to plug in one of those 5€ ebay gps 1.5ghz antennas to improve signal. Just put the magnetic box on the roof of your car.
As I've replied in the GPS Poll thread, I believe TrekBuddy supports external GPS just fine, so I wouldn't think it's Android limitation rather than a choice of the programmers of most apps - IMO they just don't bother supporting external GPS when there's not a single Android device that doesn't have internal...(I guess).
I guess you got a point when you say that all Android devices have a gps chip embedded. But I sill think it's an Android limitation not supporting an external gps.
On Symbian devices, you just have to say 'use bluetooth gps' in your application once you've paired it.
In WinMo the internal gps has a com port, so does the external when you hook it up. Again you tell the gps software which com port it has to use.
This kind of association does not exist inside Android. You can hook up a external GPS, but no program will access it. The OS itself doesn't have access to it.
BTW I looked this up, but I could not find what chip goes inside the SGS. Is it SirfStar III? Can anyone confirm?
guibao said:
BTW I looked this up, but I could not find what chip goes inside the SGS. Is it SirfStar III? Can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a Broadcom BCM 4751 chip. Designed on a friday afternoon, after a long, well-wined lunch. Or so I heard. But I hear a lot of nonsensical rumours.
Beowulf_pt said:
It is a Broadcom BCM 4751 chip. Designed on a friday afternoon, after a long, well-wined lunch. Or so I heard. But I hear a lot of nonsensical rumours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beowulf_pt did you manage to redirect data from external GPS?
I can read data with "bluetooh GPS" aplication but i did not find any redirect software.
I have a Hollux receiver that say's 10 satelites in use rather then 8 of the galaxy.
jllb said:
Beowulf_pt did you manage to redirect data from external GPS?
I can read data with "bluetooh GPS" aplication but i did not find any redirect software.
I have a Hollux receiver that say's 10 satelites in use rather then 8 of the galaxy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got me wrong. I'm not trying to use the BT GPS with the SGS as that is currently not possible in android. No native stack support nor navigation apps that use the units over the internal GPS. Only that little experimental app that reads NMEA data but has no real use. I hope Android gets this in 3.0 but I doubt it.
What I will try to do with the Samsung is to connect it to an external amplified GPS antenna (1.5 GHz) via the connector on the back of the samsung (net to the SIM card).
I have not recieved the antenna yet so I can't comment... but it should at least provide some better SNR results.
PS: I also have a Holux. It is quite nice, I use it a lot with my Nokia E72 and it works fine unlike the SGS
guibao said:
I guess you got a point when you say that all Android devices have a gps chip embedded. But I sill think it's an Android limitation not supporting an external gps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand their decision not to invest time in this as all android devices have an internal GPS... but time has proven that that is a bad idea as many units have really poor GPS. The Galaxy S is probably the worst of them all.
Without the ability to use an externa receiver you're pretty much screwed... no alternatives at all.
Guys,
Did any one try this app ?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7703266#post7703266
jllb said:
Guys,
Did any one try this app ?
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=7703266#post7703266
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is the site of the developer :
mobile-j.de/snipsnap/space/start
wonder if it's works well, pitty it doesn't support sygic and others ....
Guys a new application is on the market and for free ...
Check Bluetooth GPS Mouse
Work but in my case a bir of lag sometimes ..
jllb said:
Guys a new application is on the market and for free ...
Check Bluetooth GPS Mouse
Work but in my case a bir of lag sometimes ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The free version is a trial, it disconnects every 10 minutes or so. The full version is 1.99€.
I tried the free version with two of my bluetooth devices (Holux M1200 and ncs-navi 150), seems to work fine with both.
BTW, with JM7+voodoo fix combination, the internal GPS has been quite satisfactory so far (touching wood...)
Has anyone experience with this application yet ?
Bluetooth gps seems to have a bug. It seems to update it's location and after that sgs will give its location, what happens is that it starts switches between the two locations every second
If you turn gps location service off from android settings, the lag is gone.
However, an app named "gps provider" does not lag in the same way. I think bluetooth gps mouse app will have updatea, where this problem will be fixed.
Other than that the location is very precise using an Nokia LD-W3 bluetooth gps.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
i'm using the bluetooth gps mouse with sygic mobile maps and it works perfectly. I did'nt hope it was working that nice.
rogo-1 said:
The free version is a trial, it disconnects every 10 minutes or so. The full version is 1.99€.
I tried the free version with two of my bluetooth devices (Holux M1200 and ncs-navi 150), seems to work fine with both.
BTW, with JM7+voodoo fix combination, the internal GPS has been quite satisfactory so far (touching wood...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you mean with "quite satisfactory"? Does the internal GPS get a fix without A-gps support? I mean without being online?
I use GPS Bluetooth mouse unlimited on a daily basis with Motonav , Sygic or Navigon.
Internal gps receiver AND Mobile networks( A-gps) are disabled on my sgs.
My external gps receiver got a sirfstarIII chipset . In a hot start I get a fix in less than 20 seconds. Otherwise 4 to 6 minutes in a cold start.
Once again no need for internal gps receiver and / or A-gps (celular network) for for a fast and stable satellite fix. Pure GPS navigation pleasure...
Offline GPS navigation = Freedom
And it rocks on my super-Amoled gs screen!!!

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