Co-Pilot GPS Navigational software review by phil-t

[Guest rikwebb]

Remeber boy's no matter if its Copilot or TomTom, it will a subscription service !!

I bought a Snooper s4 camera detector, and then found out I needed to give them money each month, to keep it up to date........

If memory serves me, the Hp version of traffic info (Livewire) was between 70 to 100 quid a year.

Just a warning. We will have to wait until they release it to find out how much, but way up its usefullness?. If you travel around a lot (ie a rep on the road), then it may be worth the extra. For ocasional use ???

Rik

[Guest spacerace]

I saw somewhere here a poster quote 9EUR/month for the PPC version ? That wouldn't be so bad, but you're right its useless speculating till we see quoted prices.

However if one offers it and another doesn't it would sway my decision knowing its available as a feature. I can't really see TT letting this go if a competitior is offering it tho.

[Guest pete1312]

I vaguely recall TT Mobile stating that "Trafic" would be released Q4 2004, i.e. anytime now. Can't recall where I read it, but something around EUR 9 per month was mentioned.

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

The mention of Traffic was in a reply to a letter from

The_ugly_north in the TTMobile thread.

[Guest travisb]

Quick question before I install.

If, having installed via the sd card, if I then copy the sd card contents onto a larger sd card will everything still work ok?

Or should I copy onto the larger card first, then install

[Guest fozzie]

Just got CoPilot & Fortuna ClipOn today. Very impressed so far. Screens nice and clear, directions clear. I like the 3D screen and think it's very easy to read. I've noticed a couple of bugs:

1. CoPilot app doesn't keep backlight on or stop Homescreen from timing out.

2. I can't seem to add a 'Stop' from a contact. If I try, I get "No matches found for that address. Please check your entry", despite all the address fields being correctly filled in.

3. Despite installing to SD card, all the .wavs are on the phone.

4. Editing the 5 cutom categories (on the PC app) from the import categories screen causes the categories to go screwy. They're ok though if edited from the main POI settings.

I didn't bother with the quick start SD card or even copying everything from it to my exisitng larger card. I went for the install from the CDs, just to make sure that I didn't have anything uneccesary on the SD card.

Very happy with the product so far :)

[Guest travisb]

I've noticed a couple of bugs:

1.  CoPilot app doesn't keep backlight on or stop Homescreen from timing out.

I had to set the Homescreen timeout to Never to stop it.

I can now confirm that you can copy the content from the CoPilot mini sd to a larger card ok (after installation)

I can also confirm that a lot of the map detail in Gwynedd is inaccurate (I'm being polite!). Navteq must be sick of me pointing out the errors of their ways, complete with multimap screenshots :roll:

[Guest rikwebb]

I can also confirm that a lot of the map detail in Gwynedd is inaccurate (I'm being polite!). Navteq must be sick of me pointing out the errors of their ways, complete with multimap screenshots  :roll:

Do they have cars in Wales yet? :wink:

I think this problem exsists with most of the electronic maps. Its time they sorted it out, they are more interested in getting all the 'Mac D's' in the map of London (the big smoke to us bumpkins!).

How are people getting on in scotland, i suspect thats another area where there are ommisions and errors :?:

I am with you on this one - we pay our money - we expect some quality and acuracy.

Rik

Sheep have feelings too! :wink: :wink:

[Guest travisb]

The irony is that good maps are surely more important in rural areas where sign posting, road names etc are going to be less frequent.

Mind you if the European commission have decided that Wales doesn't exist ( see here ), what hope do we have with Navteq. Unless they supplied the map :)

[Guest Zahid]

How much longer can I wait???

I've been waiting for TomTom for the C500 to be released for what seems like ages!

Finding it very difficult refraining from buyin Co-Pilot.....what do I do :? ??

It's sods law that the day after I buy Co-Pilot, TomTom will be released.

Decisions, decisions.....

[Guest pete1312]

I've got Tomtom on my E200 and can't praise it enough.

I feel sorry for you C500 techies ^_^

[Guest Zahid]

I've got Tomtom on my E200 and can't praise it enough.

I feel sorry for you C500 techies ^_^

This has happened so many times; just as I persuade myself to go with Co-Pilot, I read a comment like this which plants another seed of doubt - i should wait for TomTom :roll: :D

[Guest Brody]

I have CoPilot, it is very good, then again so was TomTom on my PPC! ^_^

[Guest fozzie]

CoPilot - it's the puppy's parts. Had it for two weeks now on my C500. Crystal clear displays - 3D mapping and safety screen are excellent. Got mine with the Fortuna BT ClipOn GPS. Always had solid coverage ^_^

[Guest Zahid]

CoPilot - it's the puppy's parts.  Had it for two weeks now on my C500.  Crystal clear displays - 3D mapping and safety screen are excellent.  Got mine with the Fortuna BT ClipOn GPS.  Always had solid coverage ^_^

Fozzie, hello again.

Where did you get yours from, and how much was it with the Fortuna?

Cheers

[Guest fozzie]

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk for £240 incl. delivery. It was a bundle with the Fortuna and an Arkon phone mount. I've just had a look and the bundle doens't seem to be there any more; just the on with the CoPilot GPS. Might be worth giving them a call to see if they still do the bundle.

[Guest SamMac]

I have just installed CoPilot for smartphone on an Orange E200. I sucessfully bonded the BT GPS (EMTAC) receiver with the phone and was ready to go. Unfortunately the BT connection was lost soon after starting and was not re-acquired. After contacting ALK and being guided through the entire BT bonding procedure all was well albeit in the office. Upon returning to the car the connection was established but the dreaded message "No GPS Signal" was displayed within 200 yds. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Has anyone got any suggestions??

[Guest Zahid]

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk for £240 incl. delivery.  It was a bundle with the Fortuna and an Arkon phone mount.  I've just had a look and the bundle doens't seem to be there any more; just the on with the CoPilot GPS.  Might be worth giving them a call to see if they still do the bundle.

Thanks fozzie,

I was looking there too and was sure I'd seen it before, but couldn't find it.

I've tried calling them a few times in the past but seem to be on hold for ages while "all our operators a busy" .

I'll try emailing them.

Cheers.

[Guest rikwebb]

I have just installed CoPilot for smartphone on an Orange E200.  I sucessfully bonded the BT GPS (EMTAC) receiver with the phone and was ready to go.  Unfortunately the BT connection was lost soon after starting and was not re-acquired.  After contacting ALK and being guided through the entire BT bonding procedure all was well albeit in the office.  Upon returning to the car the connection was established but the dreaded message "No GPS Signal" was displayed within 200 yds.  Has anyone else experienced this problem?  Has anyone got any suggestions??

Try putting the newest Rom upgrade on from Orange. In the later roms they improved Bluetooth.

Check your com port speed setting, you will see it in Copilot settings, try the lowest setting and work upwards.

Rik

[Guest SamMac]

Cheers for the advice I am using ROM 2.7.1.1 and Baud rate 4800. Will try a slower baud rate and reply.

[Guest SamMac]

Have tried all lower baud rates down to 1200 and still no joy.

[Guest rikwebb]

Have tried all lower baud rates down to 1200 and still no joy.

Does it only fail in the car?

Try removing the GPS unit from the phones BT. Then go to the com port settings, turn off com port 7 and save the settings.

Go back in and turn com 7 back on - it will tell you it requires you to bond with a device and will take you to the BT menu's. Add your GPS device, code is 0183 for an Emtec. When that is done - press the home button.

Now try again - see how far you get.

Rik

[Guest Viama]

Hi, I just thought I'd add my own experience of the copilot system, from the point of view of a total GPS newbie. I am also fairly new to the Windows Smartphone world, having just got a C500. I also hope to cover some of the points I myself was unsure of before I bought this.

I ordered it on Monday from , and it arrived midday Tuesday. I went for the £240 bundle including an Arkon windshield mount and the Fortuna Clip-On unit.

As I was at work, I first installed the copilot software. The software comes on two CDs, and a 128mb mini SD card, plus SD adapter. This is great if you don't already have an expansion card, but I already have a 512mb mini SD. Running the installation on your PC will install the PC based software, and the bare bones of the Smartphone app. This installs in a couple of parts - the wavs for the voice guidance, and the application itself. Both seemed to install happily on my existing storage card. The map data seems to be about 83MB.

You then have to install the map data using the PC application. Unfortunately the only way that copilot seems to support the downloading of this data to another card, is by using a card reader mapped to a drive letter. In the end, I noticed that you could select c: as a destination, so I did that, then copied the newly created 'copilot' directory to the root of my storage card, using the activesync connection. It also created a '2577' directory, which appeared to contain the installation files for the smartphone app, so I left those on the PC. I ran the smartphone application, and all was well! It asked me to register, so I did that, and it used the activesync connection to register itself, and then a female voice welcomed my entire office rather loudly to Copilot! (the volume of the guidance voice is perfectly loud to hear in a car at motorway speeds, as you might have gathered!)

The Fortuna Clip-On is very small, a lot smaller than it appears in pictures - about the same size as a box of Swan Vesta matches, but about twice as thick. The supplied magnetic / sticky mount keeps it on my dashboard quite nicely. A word of warning - the City of London is NOT a good place to try and get a first satellite fix for a new GPS unit! I thought I had a faulty unit to start with, in fact I have yet to get a satellite fix on my way to work. I did a bit of reading online, and found that it could be 15-30 mins before first fix. Nowhere in the sparse documentation for the Fortuna does it mention this. As I said, I'm a GPS newbie, so even though this may be common knowledge, I was not aware. As soon as I got home, I placed the unit in my car and by the time I got back inside, it had gotten a fix. I was then able to pair the Fortuna with the phone, and run the Copilot software.

I did get an 'out of memory' crash once, but after clearing out the program memory, all was well. I found Oxios Hibernate useful with this. It's probably best to restart your phone before setting off on a journey.

Others have already covered the usage of the software very well, both in this thread and at http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/copilot-live-smartphone-5.php. I can only add that I'm really happy with it. I chose this over the Tom Tom system, as I wanted a bit more flexibility over which GPS unit I bought, and that I'd be able to get software for my Ipaq later.

Jon

[Guest fozzie]

I've got the same solution and echo everything you've said. I'm very pleased with it ^_^

Also, the Arkon mount is excellent. The .wavs actually get installed to StorageWindows despite the Storage Card being selected. ALK are aware of this. You can stop the LOUD welcome by deleting the relevant .wav :D

It's worth copying the 2577 directory to the root of your storage card; it contains the CoPilot installation files so that you can automatically reinstall if your phone hard-resets when you are away from home :P

Posted from my SmartPhone!

[Guest Viama]

Aha, I did go looking for the wavs, but couldn't find them. I thought that anything in the windows directory was erased on reboot, or it it just after a hard reset?