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Handspring Visor model
Palm V & Vx model
Palm V/Vx and Handspring Visor organizers not included. |
1) What is this GPS Companion “clip-on” for the Palm Computing™
and Handspring™ Visor™ organizers?
Magellan’s GPS Companion is a GPS (Global Positioning System)
device which snaps onto the back of a Palm V, Vx or Handspring
Visor organizer. Once installed and turned on, it will provide
GPS positioning, speed and direction information to the organizer.
The information transferred from the GPS Companion to the organizer
is in an industry standard format called NMEA V2.1. Therefore,
many software applications for the Palm Computing Platform™ operating
system that utilize GPS information will work with the GPS Companion.
2) With which organizers are these receivers compatible?
The Palm Computing “Palm V” and “Palm Vx” connected organizers,
and the Handspring "Visor" series of organizers.
3) Does the GPS Companion unit draw power from the organizer to
which it is connected?
No, it is powered by 2 AAA batteries in the back only. It can
also be powered via its external power jack.
4) What is the expected battery life?
The GPS Companion will operate for about 10 hours of continuous
use.
5) How do I turn the unit ON?
The GPS Companion can be turned on via the included software applications.
The Palm V & Vx model can also be started by pushing the button
on the bottom of the receiver. The GPS will then begin collecting
satellite information. Note: Each software application is different
so the functions needed to turn on the GPS may not be the same. Check
your application's documentation for details.
6) So can I actually start to get a GPS fix even when I’m in my
Contacts or Date Book? Why would I want to do this?
Yes. You may wish to activate the GPS even before turning on the
software in order to give the GPS a “head start” in collecting
satellite information. All GPS units need a little time to get
a first fix. Note, however that the receiver will shut off within
about 2 minutes if the software application closes its connection
to the receiver. (see below).
7) How does the unit turn OFF?
The GPS unit will turn off after approximately 2 minutes of “inactivity”.
This can happen when you switch from the included GPS application
to another application, turn the organizer off, or detach the
organizer from the GPS Companion. If you are simply switching
to another application for a short time (say to view an appointment
or look up a contact) and then return to the GPS application,
the GPS will not shut down in less than about 2 minutes.
8) How long does it take to get my first position fix?
The first time it will take approximately 5 minutes. After that
it will be anywhere from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes.
9) Does Magellan have a specification of the NMEA sentences that
come out of the GPS Companion unit?
Yes. It is available from Magellan. Contact Magellan Technical
Support for details.
10) Can the GPS Companion unit be used in the car?
Yes it can. There is a vehicle-mounting bracket that uses suction
cups to attach to the windshield. There is also a power cable
that attaches to the car’s cigarette lighter to derive power.
11) Does this mean that the GPS Companion unit can charge my organizer?
No, it cannot do this at this time.
12) How do I use the GPS Companion unit?
GPS Companion will provide GPS position information to any software
application that will accept NMEA V2.1 position information at
4800 baud through the docking port. It is not necessary, or possible,
to set up the GPS Companion hardware for any specific application.
However, it may be necessary to set up a software application
to receive NMEA V2.1 at 4800 baud to properly accept the data
output from the GPS Companion device.
13) So the GPS Companion will actually work with other Palm operating
system mapping or GPS software?
Yes it will providing it is NMEA 2.1 compliant.
14) Can I initialize the GPS Companion to speed up the time to
first fix?
Each application is different. The Map Companion software that
ships with the GPS Companion will allow you to initialize the
GPS so that you can get your very first position fix within about
two minutes instead of it taking up to five minutes without initialization.
15) What do I do if I turn on GPS from the software application
and get a message telling me that the application is not receiving
data from the GPS receiver?
Make certain that the batteries in your GPS receiver are still
good. Also, make sure that your organizer is securely attached
to the GPS receiver.
16) What do I do if I turn on GPS from the software application
and a get the message “acquiring signal” for more than five minutes?
This probably means that the GPS is unable to find enough satellites
to calculate a position fix. The GPS satellite signals will not
pass through buildings. You must be outside or have your receiver
antenna pointed out through a window in order to pick up the signals.
You may also have difficulty receiving satellite signals if you
are near tall buildings. If you are not in an obstructed location,
then you may have low batteries. Replace them and restart your
application.
17) Should the batteries be installed even if 12 volt external
power is connected?
The unit is intended to operate with batteries installed at all
times. If 12 volt external power is connected, battery life
will be extended by a large amount.
18) Does the GPS Companion have any internal Flash memory for
storing maps or must all maps be stored on the organizer itself?
The GPS Companion for the Palm V & Vx does not have Flash memory
for map storage. The GPS Companion for the Handspring Visor does
have some Flash memory, but it is used to store the default navigation
software which is launched when the GPS is inserted into the Springboard
slot, so there is no room for maps.
Back to Magellan GPS Companion Home Page
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