External Bluetooth GPS Receiver

[mpboyle]

Has anyone tried using an external bluetooth GPS receiver with Collector?  If so, how has it performed and what model/make is the receiver?  We're looking to get sub-meter accuracy using Collector and am curious if anyone has had success doing this.

Thanks in advance!

[GarethMorgan]

We have been using the Geneq iSX Blue II for around a month now, paired via Bluetooth to iPads running the Collector app. The GPS receiver works really well with collector, giving the sub-meter accuracy we were hoping for.

One issue we're having is that the accuracy indicator when collecting features through the app shows the value for the internal GPS, rather than the external receiver we're using, so there's not currently an indication of how accurate the points plotted are. The UK distributor for Geneq tells me that Geneq are in the process of releasing an app which compares the accuracy of an external receiver with that of the internal receiver, and so flicking back and forth between the two apps might give more of an indication of accuracy. Having the external GPS receiver accuracy displayed through the app would be the ideal situation.

Gareth

[DominickCisson]

Are you saying the Geneq blue worked with Collector?
Has anyone tried the Garmin GLO Bluetooth?

We just recently got a GLO unit in for testing.  So far, it does seem to improve accuracy a bit, though I'm not certain it's markedly better than what an iPhone 5S provides.  One positive is that is does have much a much quicker refresh rate than the phone's GPS, and it also, like any external GPS, can be put on a pole or hat to reduce satellite interference from trying to hold an integrated GPS such as a phone.  Like I said, initial testing (walking some trails with and without the GLO active) seems to indicate that accuracy is improved, but we've not done any precise calculations to quantify those results.

Of course with iOS location data is largely obfuscated, so there's no way to see specifics from the unit such as satellite signal strength, PDOP, and other raw data.  We don't have Android units for testing, which could uncover more of that info with specialized apps.

Another limitation of the unit is that is appears to be bluetooth-only.  It has a USB cable, but only for charging.  So using it as an old school USB connected GPS for an older laptop will not work.  Not a big deal for an app like ArcGIS Collector, but still nice functionality to have for older hardware.

For $99 though if it even improves our accuracy by 25% I'd say it's worth it.  As we continue testing the unit I'll post any updates if they are worth mentioning.

Dominick

[JoeFlannery]

I have used the Garmin GLO clipped to the bill of my ball cap (clip sold separately) and it worked great with a disconnected Collector map.

[VladimirGarcia]

Thanks Dominick for sharing your experiencie, can you tell me if you have tested the Glo with  an IPad wifi? can the  Collector get the coordinates offline?

[MichaelDavis3]

I haven't tested the GLO specifically, but I can confirm that a wifi-only iPad will hook up to and use a bluetooth GPS while offline.

That said - there appears to be a bug in iOS 8.3 with the use of some external bluetooth GPS units.  You might keep this in mind and stick with iOS 8.2 to be safe.

[AndrewMoffitt]

We just purchased a GENEQ SXBLUE II. I just received it yesterday. We are in the process of installing the app on our iPads. My email is   tkukitz@cityftmyers.com. I will post info here when I find out how it works.

Can you provide your experience? I'm interested in it getting one (or a bunch) for my organization.

[BradySmith]

We had done some testing comparing a GLO on a known fixed locations using the collector application on a iphone 5c in an urban environment. The GLO was between 1-4 feet and iphone without the GLO was 2-10 feet. We have found the combination of a 7 inch tablet running collector in disconnected mode, and using the GLO, a very cheep way to collect high quality GPS points in the field.

[KenanMcGuffey]

We are about to get an SX Blue II demo. Very interested in this subject!

[CraigClouet]

Kenan,

I was able to use a SX blue with great results. I could Bluetooth it to my android phone, and to an older Trimble Juno for use in ArcPad. I have a friend who uses it with a large Samsung device with collector, and he really is happy with it. Good luck to you. Craig

[KenanMcGuffey]

Awesome! What model did you use and what accuracy were you getting?