Bluetooth GPS

CaptKaos2 · May 06, 2014, 16:14:39

I had a problem with the switch on my Qstarz 818XT bluetooth GPS, which was a pain as it kept resetting at the slighted knock. As it was a few years old I decided to by a Garmin GLO, which was on offer at Amazon.
Yesterday was the first time I used it in the field, but using Locus Pro bluetooth manager it would keep connecting and disconnecting. A reboot of both phone and GPS did initially resolve it but after a few minutes it started to disconnect and reconnect.
With a bit of experimentation I got it to work with the Bluetooth GPS app by more luck than judgement, and enabling Mock GPS Provider. So the afternoons caching went smoothly.
Reading on the Garmin website today, I realise that I had to enable "Use Insecure Connection" (which I had done in my button selection frenzy yesterday

).
This is something I hadn't had to do with the Qstarz, or a cheap Jentro I used before that.
My question is, can Locus bluetooth manager make an insecure connection, and is it possible to implement.
It is not a big problem, it just means I have to remember to start 2 apps instead of 1.

Menion · May 06, 2014, 16:55:41

Hello,

I have one major problem with this (and few minors)

1. I'm not much skilled with all these Bluetooth stuff, so every work on it, is like playing on foreign playground. I usually needs to experience and test what work and what not. And this leads to fact, that I mostly needs to have such devices in hand to make them work.

That's why I have in shelf four HRM sensors and two speed & cadence sensors even if I do not need them. Unfortunately I do not have Garmin GLO and as I see it's pretty expensive. It's battery really stands only around 12 hours??

Anyway I currently have no idea what to change to make this work. I (or you) should create an topic on Help Desk with question "Who of you want's to make Garmin GLO works with Locus". because if there will be more people, I can purchase this device and fix it. Anyway if it's just you, then sorry ...

CaptKaos2 · May 06, 2014, 19:10:26

Thank for your answer Menion,
I do appreciate that you can't cater for minority needs, neither would I ask you to.
The Glo is a bit expensive, but the price is outweighed by its performance. As well as GPS satellites it also uses the Russian GLONASS ones, With my Qstarz 818 I picked up signals from 11 /13 Sats on average, yesterday and today I had 18 , and my reported accuracy was 2 ft (0.6 meter).
As I said I have not got a problem, I have 2 apps (Bluetooth GPS and Bluetooth GPS Provider, both free) that will connect it to Locus, and both have autostart widgets, which I have been testing this afternoon and am happy with them.

CK

Edit : The Glo uses the same battery as the 818XT so I always have a charged spare.

eldron · May 06, 2014, 22:01:13

Does Locus show the current accuracy when using the Glo?
I tried a different Bluetooth GPS device once and it connected fine with locus, but Locus didn´t show the accuracy.

CaptKaos2 · May 06, 2014, 22:43:34

Yes it shows Accuracy / Speed / Altitude but not satellites in use, that you can read from the Notification bar icon.
With experiment I find Bluetooth GPS Provider works best. Its widget also allows turning on when starting and off when stopping.

CK

berkley · May 06, 2014, 23:06:51

I'm using that 818XT for years and still don't have a problem with it. Locus manages the connection just perfectly.

About the Glo support. You could send the device to Menion. So he can support it without buying it. And when he's done, he sends the device back.

CaptKaos2 · May 07, 2014, 11:38:08

Berkley
I had no problems with the 818XT in itself, The problem was the switch, any knock on the unit would give me a hot restart, and in one instant switched off completely causing me to walk past a geocache.

As for sending Menion my GLO I'd have to think hard on that,

The set up I have now using Bluetooth GPS Provider and its autostart widget work fine for me.

Menion · May 07, 2014, 17:35:28

if you have working solution, then there is no problem

.

CaptKaos2 · May 07, 2014, 22:51:31

Menion
If I couldn't have found a solution to using it with Locus then the GLO would have had to go back. No matter how good it is I could not do without Locus.

berkley · May 08, 2014, 15:19:36

What a wonderful world

CaptKaos2 · May 11, 2014, 16:49:03

The Garmin GLO now works directly with Locus using the inbuilt Bluetooth Manager. The problem was caused by me.

I was one of the unfortunate users that got the 4.3 update on my SGS3 before it was withdrawn by Samsung. After a few weeks of FC's and horrendous battery usage and no help from Samsung, I rooted my phone and flashed the CM 10.1 stable ROM followed by the 10.2 stable. That was in November 2013. I have been using it for 4 month and have had no problems at all.
About 2 days before I received the GLO, I decided to try the SlimKat (4.4.2) ROM as it had great reviews. But I found that the display was difficult to read as it had a higher resolution and battery usage was extremely high, so restored CM 10.2 from a back up.
Having done some reading in forums last night (whilst avoiding Eurovision ) gleaned the info that if I done a clean install it would solve the problem.
Well it did, and I am a happy man.
So if anyone else ever gets into this situation take note.

CK

Menion · May 11, 2014, 17:28:58

ah these are good news and important information for me. Thanks

soupchef · May 24, 2014, 19:09:16

Quote from: CaptKaos2 on May 06, 2014, 22:43:34
Yes it shows Accuracy / Speed / Altitude but not satellites in use, that you can read from the Notification bar icon.
With experiment I find Bluetooth GPS Provider works best. Its widget also allows turning on when starting and off when stopping.

CK

Here is a sceenshot from my phone that shows the satellites in use with the locus Bluetooth manager. This is with the glo sitting on my counter while charging. I usually get even more satellites when I am outdoors.
I too have had the issue of repeated disconnecting. I don't know what you mean by a clean install. I will have to look that up and try it.

CaptKaos2 · May 24, 2014, 20:25:37

soupchef
As I said in this post http://forum.locusmap.eu/index.php?topic=3884.msg29095#msg29095
I have installed a Custom ROM the problem was solved by a clean install of the CM 10.2 ROM.
Unless you have Rooted your S4 and flashed a new ROM, my solution will not be relevant to you.

In the last 13 days I have been running my GLO with Locus Pro (and Test) through the BT manager and have not had 1 disconnect.

soupchef · May 25, 2014, 06:46:38

Thanks for the information CaptKaos2. I just figured out that my issue was caused by my own ineptitude, as usual. in Settings, under GPS and location, there is a setting called 'Disable when hidden' and I had it checked, so every time my screen timed out, it would disconnect. Since I corrected that this afternoon, I have placed a bunch of new geocaches, with no problems.