Holux GPSlim 236 Slim Bluetooth GPS Sirf III laptop PDA PALM IPAQ PC Receiver
By: Holux Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 27
More Information
 On: 2008-07-03
Ive had this gps receiver for over two years. It worked well for about a year. Now the bluetooth transmitter in it doesnt work, and I cannot connect or pair any of my devices with it.
The bluetooth blue LED doesnt light up, or stays continuously on, instead of flashing intermittently as its supposed to. If I restart the unit several times, I can sometimes get it to work.
Additionaly, the battery is sensitive to heat. I left it on the dash for a couple of days once, and the battery swelled up, and I could not close the battery lid since.
Im definitely not buying this unit again.
 On: 2008-04-08
It works great and I found it having a better signal reception than the TOMTOM original antenna I have.
The only shortcome is that the antenna doesnt turn itself off automotically when it doesnt receive any blutooth signal after a certain period of time. I mean if you forget to turn the antenna off when you get out your car you risk to down the battery.
On: 2007-08-03
Such a promising device. Worked great with Google Maps on my Blackberry right until the Bluetooth stopped working. Many people seem to have this problem and Holux support is non existent.
On: 2007-08-02
Such a promising device. Worked great with Google Maps on my Blackberry right until the Bluetooth stopped working. Many people seem to have this problem and Holux support is non existent.
On: 2007-06-28
I purchased the Holux GPSlim 236 almost two years ago and it still works perfectly. I use it [along with iNav iGuidance software] daily and have never had a moments problem. It sits on the dash of my car all day, every day and continues to amaze me with its performance. It initializes quickly and always has enough satellite coverage to find my location. This poor gps receiver has been ABUSED and never gives up. It has been thrown from my dash more than once [during spirited driving] and it still didnt lose its signal. All in all, one of the better tech purchases I have made.
On: 2007-05-23
This works perfect with my XV6700 and the battery on it lats for ever!
This is worth it, you should buy this if you need a GPS recever
On: 2007-05-21
Very Impressed - The GPSlim is very effective, acquiring over 12 satelites where my other GPS units only see 4-5. Works even when in my daytimer, pocket or backseat of my vehicle. Excellent Battery Life, and easyest Bluetooth GPS to connect to my PDA or Laptop. VERY PLEASED AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND
On: 2007-04-20
Like everyone else said its great. I use this device with my TOmTOm software. Its really powerful that I can leave it in my pocket and forget about it. At first you need clear line of sight when doing a cold start but after that, I can leave in my pocket and I get full bars in reception.
UPDATE
It just failed on me when I needed it the most. Blue light comes on but does not sync with sats. I even checked the PCB for burnouts and shorted the battery to erase settings and restore to factory. I think leaving it in the car when the temps were high caused the downfall. I am not even going to bother TRYING with warranty replacement. I will just do it right and get a good model. Might get Globalsat.
 On: 2007-04-19
I had this unit for almost a year working perfectly. Loved it. Then one day the bluetooth just stopped working. It will not connect and the blue light does not come on. Definitely appears that somehow the bluetooth stopped working for some reason.
Holux has no support number and they have not returned any of my emails to tech support asking for help, after several months of trying to reach them. I am finally giving up. I would not buy this unit, especially now reading how many people are having similar issues. I like the look of the Holux 240, but the support from Holux is disgusting.
On: 2007-04-09
Like other reviewers Ive had 2 units as a result of warranty returns. The units work for a while and then the Bluetooth begins to fail to connect on power up. If you have multiple bluetooth receivers it will fail with all of them. The built-in diagnostic light for Bluetooth is simply inaccurate.
On: 2007-03-09
This was super easy to connect with Bluetooth and does a great job at acquiring GPS signals. Its a wonderful way to turn my phone into an occasional GPS device. I use this in conjunction with the TeleNav service.
On: 2007-03-06
Very Flaky with bluetooth after few days, no support phone #, dont waste your $$$.
On: 2007-02-18
I bought this device and it worked great for about 60 days. It would connect to the satellites quickly and held a long charge. After the first 60 days, the Bluetooth light barely ever comes on and if it does, it may never full initialize or turn back off within a few seconds.
Buy something better. This unit is not worth your time or money.
On: 2007-02-17
I bought this device and it worked great for about 60 days. It would connect to the satellites quickly and held a long charge. After the first 60 days, the Bluetooth light barely ever comes on and if it does, it may never full initialize or turn back off within a few seconds.
Buy something better. This unit is not worth your time or money.
On: 2007-01-25
This item works great when it works. I purchase this item and the Bluetooth transmitted ceased functioning in less than 30 days. The company which I purchased it from replaced the unit and the new one stoppped functioning fot he same reason about 90 days later. Akronics, the vendor, will not even answer emails. Holux, who has a 0ne year warranty on these devices, does not respond to emails to its service center. From what I have been able to find out is that the Bluetooth problem is a common occurance and the unit is temperature sensative. This is odd in that it is a mobile unit intended for the car and dashboard positioning. So if you want to throw away your money buy Holux or learn from my mistake.
On: 2007-01-16
My unit failed after one day of use (never even got to the field.) Plugged it in to charge it overnight and next day only the blue LED would come on but could no longer connect. Bluetooth connections can be tricky and the paper manual provided is worthless. The on-CD manual better but is still way too spartan for a device like this.
I liked the standard mini-USB cable connection for the charger (similar feature on my RAZR) but I found it vexing that you couldnt use that same cable for data (it appears to be a standard cable) but instead have to buy a "special" cable for using the data port. They give you the mobile AND AC charger but the omission of a data cable seems odd. Other units using Bluetooth and USB (such as the 4-in-1 by Wintec) provide this. I found a LOT of complaints and kudos for this unit surfing for solutions to my issues so it appears that their are some quality control problems in the manufacturing. Folks with working units seem to love them. If you get one with the bad solder connections, you are disappointed.
On: 2007-01-16
I am an Air Force trained techie and have been for over 15 years. I have a lot of experience with computers and electronics. After a lot of research I went with the Hollux GPSlim236. Initially I was very pleased with the device until it started having problems.
At first it would never lock on with the satellites. (Yellow light stayed on) I found out the unit went into SIRF protocol mode. I had to find a program called SIRF demo to get it out of SIRF protocol and placed it into the usable protocol of NMEA.
Next the device started having problems with with the Blue tooth connection. (the blue light would never turn on). I would have to turn the device on and off about 50 times before the magic blue light would turn on, and then sometimes it would only turn on constant and not blink. I could bypass about 40 times turning it on and off by bouncing the device off my steering wheel. This is a ridiculous thing to have to do to get it to work. I emailed tech support and tried to call them all to no response. Now it is the most finicky device I have ever had. I am often tempted to throw this piece of junk out the window and be done with it.
I must strongly recommend you stay away from this device and probably Hollux all together. Now I will have to buy another GPS.
On: 2007-01-15
I am an Air Force trained techie and have been for over 15 years. I have a lot of experience with computers and electronics. After a lot of research I went with the Hollux GPSlim236. Initially I was very pleased with the device until it started having problems.
At first it would never lock on with the satellites. (Yellow light stayed on) I found out the unit went into SIRF protocol mode. I had to find a program called SIRF demo to get it out of SIRF protocol and placed it into the usable protocol of NMEA.
Next the device started having problems with with the Blue tooth connection. (the blue light would never turn on). I would have to turn the device on and off about 50 times before the magic blue light would turn on, and then sometimes it would only turn on constant and not blink. I could bypass about 40 times turning it on and off by bouncing the device off my steering wheel. This is a ridiculous thing to have to do to get it to work. I emailed tech support and tried to call them all to no response. Now it is the most finicky device I have ever had. I am often tempted to throw this piece of junk out the window and be done with it.
I must strongly recommend you stay away from this device and probably Hollux all together. Now I will have to buy another GPS.
 On: 2007-01-11
I use this product in conjunction with a PALM TX. The Holux works well with several Palm applications and the DeLorme product suite. For a GPS it can pick up satellites well in a city environment, can even pick up my location from inside my brick home without a problem. It does have its share of difficulties when I am in a ravine or under a thick tree canopy, but no more issues than Garmin. Once it locks onto a set of satellites it does a fine job of holding the signal. I like the fact that it is lightweight and can be stored in you pocket while operating, as opposed to being placed on the shoulder. The ease of recharging the entire unit is nice as well.
On: 2006-12-28
WORKS PRETTY WELL WITH IPAQ 2210 PDA . VERY FAST PICK UP OF SATTELLITE SIGNALS
On: 2006-11-06
I bought this after having researched GPS receivers for my phone (a Sprint PPC 6700.) After a bit of fudging around and Googling, I found out how to configure my phone to pair with the unit (creating an outgoing BT COM port is discussed nowhere in the manual). This unit is more for do-it-yourselfers with quite a bit of techy knowledge and not for the types who just want to push a power button and have it just work. If youre like that, save yourself the frustration and trouble and buy a TomTom.
That being said, I dont know much about other GPS receivers or all the gory details about them, but thats why I researched them before buying. This unit is small, comes with everything you need in terms of drivers/utilities/chargers (car and home) and sits nicely on my dash. The only real downside to this unit is very little to no customer support and the manual is quite sparse on crucial details needed to pair this with a WM5 phone. Other than that, it works wonderfully with iGuidance that I have on my phone!
On: 2006-10-30
I concur with the other positive reviews and also note that setup (pairing) can be a little tricky at first. I have this unit and Palm Treo 650 with Tom Tom Software V.5 plus the latest patches (V.6 is already available in Europe, no word on USA). Once paired, making an initial connection between the Treo and the Holux can either be immediate or take some time. I have found that if I turn the Holux on first and then quickly activate bluetooth on the Treo, both units are in search mode and tend to lock on to each other very quickly. The Holux will only search for devices for a short time after power up. If it doesnt find your treo, then your treo will have to find it, and that is not always easy for reasons I cant fathom yet. Bottom line however is that this is a very solid unit (I drop it in my briefcase, pop it on the dashboard, and generally dont treat it with kid gloves). It works great with the Treo and with Tom Tom. The price vs. performance ratio is outstanding.
On: 2006-08-28
Purchased one based on the splendid reviews, but when I got mine, the bluetooth didnt work (didnt even light up). I think it found its position quickly, but I could not tell because the cable to hook it up directly is sold separately.
On: 2006-08-22
Got one, Bluetooth didnt work unless unit was <70 deg. F.
Cheaply made; Holux has NO customer support - they just told me to contact the dealer, not even an apology. Check other online support forums -- the Bluetooth defect seems quite common. Instructions even state that unit wont work if it gets too warm.
USB plug on unit is actually a serial port, so cant use it as a GPS mouse unless you buy the special Holux cable.
Bottom line: when youre on unfamilar ground, who needs an unreliable GPS unit?
On: 2006-08-12
I replaced my USB Microsoft GPS dongle with the Holux GPSlim 236 and the swith was as easy as associating a COM port with a Blutooth pairing. MS Streets and Trips will scan COM ports to find the stream and automatically recognizes it as GPS data. Has accurate location readings (when using Streets and Trips)
I also had no problems using it with my Cingular 2125 Windows Mobile 5 smartphone. Same process of pairing and creating a virtual COM port. I use Pocket Streets, Mapopolis, and MSN Virtual Earth with this deivce with no problems.
Has good distance (30+ feet) between reciever and device. Able to get accorate data from indoors where my previous reciever failed.
On: 2006-08-01
My GPS navigation system consists of PalmOne Treo 650 running Palm OS 5.4, TomTom Navigator 5.201 and Holux GPSlim 236 Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Unlike the other reviewer stated, this setup works perfectly. I did run into a minor problem at first, but that was due to my own stupidity.
First of all, you need to download the latest TomTom software update in case you dont have the latest version (v5.201 at the time of this writing). You can get it from TomTom.com, see support section. It includes important updates for Palm OS and Pocket PC -based devices.
I didnt need the update since I puchased the latest version of the software from local retailer.
Setup was smooth. I charged and turned on the GPS receiver. It was instantly detected by Treo 650 and successfully paired using default Bluetooth configuration utility. I then started TomTom and selected "Other Bluetooth GPS Receiver" from the initial configuration screen.
At first, I kept on getting "No Valid GPS Signal" message, just like the other reviewer here. Then I realized that since Im testing from my apartment, the signal may be getting blocked with no clear sky view. I got out on my balcony, and whoa! I got the GPS receiver working!
Now Ive been using it in a car for approximately one month, and it is simply great! It gets the satellite signal in a matter of seconds, instantly enabling TomTom Navigator and runs 7-8 hours on a single battery charge. It is good, however, to have the included car charger handy for those long trips.
The device is small, lightweight, works great and makes my driving a lot easier. Im a happy customer. :)
On: 2006-07-26
Doesnt work with TomTom Navigator 5 for PalmOS, the status always shows the dreaded "No GPS device!", even though the BT status light clearly shows connection, and the GPS status light shows GPS service is available. Its not my PDAs problem because the problem persists on my friends PDA as well, while his DeLormie unit works fine on both.
The manual is written with horrible English, and Holux doesnt offer technical support. It is a piece of junk.
 On: 2006-07-07
I have owned three GPS receiver. Garmin 2720, holux 236 and Garmin ique m3.
Well, garmin 2720 and ique m3 are not just receiver but their reception is nothing compared to holux 236.
Always more accurate and faster reception. (NY area)
If you think about the price difference, this is pretty upsetting for garmin product owner.
The only reason I give 4 stars, not five stars is that although it can pair with more than 1 PDA, sometimes it gives me trouble when the PDA that I wanted connect cant connect.
On: 2006-07-05
solo eso NO SIRVIO, lo recibi muy feliz lo9 encendi y la luz azul indicadora del BT no encendio, mi palm zire 72 como es obvio no lo reconocio. La luz naranja de los satelites si encendio sin ningun problema. Recargue la pila, prenda apague y nada de nada, el BT sin servir. Como soy terco le segui insistiendo hasta que una lucecita azul y listo la palm lo reconocio(ya era mas de media noche llevaba mas de un par de horas encienda apague y consulte en los foros de gps y palms.
La dicha no duro mas de 2 minutos, se apago y no encendio mas. en dias posteriores y consultando en los foros probe cuanto remedio me daban y al fin parecio que encontre el problema y la solucion tambien, era una falla de contacto de la pila la cual se soluciona con un papelito y tambien que la pila exige estar a full carga para funcionar. probe me trasnoche de nuevo y listo problema solucionado cogia satelites el Bt funcionando la palm la reconocio y ya me mostro posicion velocidad y etc.
Listo para viajar de uan ciudad a otra, y aqui vino la decepcion total, trabajo 15 minutos bien y adios el BT. no trabajo m,as prenda apague y nada entonces tambien se apago la luz de satelites(la naranja). Decepcion total.
No Fue Posible Que Volviera A Funcionar Asi Que No Lo Recomiendo(en los foros esta la misma queja y es muy recurrente)
On: 2006-06-08
This is an excellent little receiver. What I wanted was a receiver that could be placed somewhere in my car and would then just work without my needing to be interrested in what it was doing. Thats exactly what it does. I put some velcro (the hook side) on the back of the receiver and stuck it on the rear wheel arch of my Passat Wagon, since then it has just sat there and done its thing. This receiver is so small that its hard to see how they could make it any smaller without it being difficult to find. Accuracy is as good as any. Despite being hidden away the reported signal quality is usually excellent. I leave it switched on and I can just forget all about it until I need it and then its all ready to go, already locked on and passing out position reports. The Tomtom Navigator 5 software works as well with this as with their receiver.
I bought this to replace the Tomtom Bluetooth receiver that came as part of their Navigator 5/Bluetooth package, see my comments there if you want to know why that was a poor initial choice.
|
|
