Just when you think you have all the little gadgets you could possibly need, something new appears on the market that is a must have. The BT-Q1000P is such a device. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these little devices to try it out and it is an amazing little device.
So what exactly is the BT-Q1000P? Well, it is a high performance GPS data logger that is also a trip recorder that is integrated with Bluetooth technology. This means that it has the ability to work with other Bluetooth devices. The logger will coordinate with your other Bluetooth devices (phones, laptops) and act as a GPS receiver. In fact, I was able to see this in action with my smartphone: the BT-Q1000P acted as a GPS receiver through my phone. I received all the information about my GPS position through my phone. It is a very sensitive GPS receiver that allows you to store up to 200,000 waypoints during your trip. The other good thing is that the GPS signal is easily picked up inside and out.
Before we talk about its unique features, let’s take a look at the unit itself. It is an extremely small device, which fits in the palm of your hand, very light and easy to use. It comes with a rechargeable battery that will last up to 32 hours on a single charge. It has a USB port that allows you to connect it to your computer to download your data, as well as connect to the charger (regular AC charger, a car charger, and even a USB charger).
It is a very basic and simple device. There are several things you need to understand to operate the unit. On the side there is an off button. This will allow you to turn off the unit if you are not using it. If you forget to turn it off, it will continue to record your ride until you turn it off or the battery runs out.
There is also a setting called Browse. This turns on Bluetooth and allows it to pair with your device to use as a GPS system. It still keeps track for you while in this mode.
The last setting is called Registry. In this mode, the unit will stay on all the time. In this mode, it will record your GPS position. Using the software, you determine exactly how the unit will register…for example, you can tell the machine that you are on foot or in a moving vehicle. It will allow you to set how often the device will take a position record by setting the time or distance you want it to record the position.
On the front of the unit there is a red button. This is what is used to help you mark waypoints as you travel. In other words, if you are on a walking tour, you can press the button and it will mark the particular point. Once you get to your computer and download the data into the system, you can designate exactly what the waypoint should be. You can decide if it’s going to be a point of interest, a landmark, or even a gas station or grocery store. The software will allow you to determine this and configure it very easily.
So now that you know what it is, you’re probably wondering what exactly it can do for you. Basically it will allow you to do the following things:
1. It acts as a GPS tracking device. Once the BT-Q1000P is paired with your current cell phone or a computer, the GPS receiver will transmit your position to the device. This means that the device will act as a fully functioning GPS site map.
2. It also acts as a Geotrack device. This means that you will be able to take your photos taken on your trip and integrate them into your data file of the route you took. This is done through a photo services site (such as Flicker). The software allows you to access the photo storage site and integrates the photos into your map.
The other nice thing is that you can integrate your data into Google Earth. This makes the registration information extremely accurate. It’s very easy to follow the path you took and view the photos you took at each specific point you recorded along your journey. Probably what I liked the most was that I could easily share this information via email, or even post it on a website for others to see.
The BT-Q1000P is one of the most outstanding GPS data logging devices on the market today. The device itself is easy to use. The software is simple and uncomplicated. These combined the fact that it is a logger and GPS tracking device and is relatively inexpensive to own. The BT-Q1000P is available for immediate delivery from LiveViewGPS Inc.