COLUMBUS V-900 BLUETOOTH GPS DATA LOGGER WITH FREE 1GB MICROSD CARD
- 51 channels MTK chipset with enhanced positioning system technology (up to 1.5m accuracy with EPS Technology
- Voice-Tag function with built-in microphone grants adding live voice labels to any waypoint
- MicroSD Slot with support up to 2GB* capacity (about 25,000,000 waypoints, more than 2 years) *NOTE: 1GB microSD card is optional in the package
- Push-To-Log (POI anchor key) enables you to mark a POI at any time
- Unique SPY mode grants continuous standby logging of more than one month
Product Description
Columbus V-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger is the world first data logger with Voice-Tag function for adding your personal voice labels to any waypoints. It is simple to use, compact, and provides excellent GPS performance. You name it, the Columbus V-900 data logger records nearly all available GPS parameters such as: Date, Time, Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, Speed, Heading, Fix Mode, PDOP, HDOP, VDOP and Voice!.
Software compatibility: The Columbus V-900 is compatib… More >>
Columbus V-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger with Free 1GB microSD card
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December 1, 2009 - 1:18 pm
I received my columbus logger last week and took it out for a test drive this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at how fast it acquired the GPS signal.
When I got home, I checked out the software and found the application to be a bit confusing at first, but once I figured it out, it wasn’t hard to use. The fact that it was Java based was odd, but I guess its the easiest way to do something cross-platform.
Once I pointed the app at my photos, it successfully tagged each photo without problems. (make sure you set the clock on your camera before taking pictures).
I am very happy with my purchase.
Conclusions:
Pros:
+ Small form factor fits easily in pocket, or hanging from my backpack.
+ Simultaneous logging and bluetooth gps
+ POI button
+ Long lasting battery
+ audible beep confirmation
+ removable memory card
+ voice tagging
Cons:
- no removable battery (internal)
- no USB connection to device (usb charges only)
- software isn’t perfect, but does the job
- file format is non-standard, but software can export kml or nmea
Rating: 4 / 5
December 1, 2009 - 3:50 pm
This is a very small, very sensitive GPS logger. Today I put it in my front pants pocket (with some other stuff) and drove around town for about an hour in a metal-top sedan. Upon arriving home, I wondered if it had recorded any of my route. Surprise, it recorded it all!
The TimeAlbum software is pretty self-explanatory…you start the app, plug the micro-SD card into your PC (in my case, Vista 64-bit), import the track files, export a KMZ file, double-click the KMZ and see your track on Google Earth. The same app can also geotag your photos. As another reviewer has noted, the app silently creates a GPDed folder and puts geotagged copies of your photos in it. If you have a gigabyte of vacation photos, after the software finishes you will have 2 GB of vacation photos. The software successfully geotagged the EXIF data in photos from new-ish Panasonic and Nikon consumer cameras. I haven’t yet tried to see the photos and hear voice annotations in Google Earth.
The unit comes with a wrist strap, but it’s very difficult to thread it through the case.
A previous reviewer, also in Texas, said that his order arrived in 2 days. I ordered 3 days before beginning a short vacation, paying for expedited shipping to make certain I got it in time. Unfortunately, the vendor took a couple of days to mail the GPS so the extra cost was wasted. The first unit that I received was defective, and getting an exchange from the vendor took longer than I thought it should, but the replacement works fine.
Rating: 5 / 5
December 1, 2009 - 4:06 pm
I ordered this device based on the product information that it should work with a Mac (OSX 10.5.6).
The Columbus 9000 is indeed a very small slick device that appears to be well made.
Problem for Mac users is that the Micro SD card has to be formated in FAT16. While Disc Utility only can write FAT32. This is rarely a problem to be compatible with windows / dos based devices in this case it is. I have had the same problem with a digital picture frame that needed the old FAT16 format.
More importantly, the software that has to be downloaded in order to program this device and process the data is a clunky JAVA application. Since the file format provided by the Columbus was not recognized by Houdah GEO I ended up returning it.
Rating: 3 / 5
December 1, 2009 - 4:52 pm
I just bought the Columbus V900 a week ago. I have an iMAC and the software was easy to install, and I’m using a Canon PowerShot SD600. The unit came essentially fully charged. I had to tweak the UTC (GMT) a bit to see the photos I’d taken;i.e., to compensate for DST, I guess. I generated the .kmz file and then double cliked on it to get the path and photos in Google Earth; but you must remember to adjust the time line(upper left) in Google Earth to see the photos. This is great! so that when I travel I know exactly where the photos were taken
Rating: 5 / 5
December 1, 2009 - 7:22 pm
I looked at Bluetooth GPS receivers for six months before I purchased the Columbus V900 to go with my IPAQ 210. I was all settled on a different product when I came across the Columbus 900. I took a chance and purchased the 900 with just a little research.
What got my attention was that
1) In addition to being a receiver (which is all I really wanted), it acted as a logger, which I realized it would be useful not to have my IPAQ continuously joined to the GPS on very long trips
2) It had a removable memory card (was not sure why I cared)
3) There was an audible over speed feature (wish I had that six months ago when I got my first speeding ticket in 40 years)
I was a bit concerned that this receiver is more expensive than most, and the only support is in Chinese. There is an English version, but you quickly realize it is a duplicate of the Chinese website with all the links broken. Also, the company that makes this receiver is a one product company – not reassuring the company will be around.
I have been using the Columbus 900 for about a month. I am real happy with it. It has easy to understand lighted icons, a sleek design, audible sounds, removable memory card, and if connected to a power source it turns on when power is turned on and turns off when power is turned off (such as power in the car).
It is sensitive and locks onto satellites generally in about 30 seconds even indoors within 8 to 10 feet of the windows. It takes less time (as advertised) if turned off for less than two hours. Its reported location matches my Garmin GPS76 almost exactly.
The instructions do not seem to be in a logical order, and read a bit wonky for an American. It is much better than most translated instruction manuals, so don’t let this comment get in your way. Just read the whole manual first – then go back through the sections in the order that make sense to you.
Connecting to the IPAQ did not follow the instructions at all. Even through both are written for Windows 6, the actual screens and actions to connect the Bluetooth were different. I managed to get it to work somehow after a couple of minutes of fumbling through the screens. I believe this to be an implementation difference in HP’s IPAQs.
The software supplied is not up to par with more advance systems, but better than most and is still useful. Forget about the free version of VisualGPS. If you like the tool, go for the professional version BeeLineGPS (especially with higher resolution devices like the IPAQ 210). The manufacture is at VisualGPS.Net. My Copilot software saw the GPS right away. Other software required a bit of work to figure out the actual serial port – again more of an IPAQ issue.
Somewhere in the literature, Columbus 900 claims to have a replaceable battery – not very likely. Okay, I took it apart to see how it would be done since the instructions give you no indication that you can change the battery. (Don’t do this yourself – I was an electrical mechanical engineer specializing in tiny devices in my day). I see no easy way for a consumer to replace the battery. A battery specialist (or watchmaker) that can deal with microscopic screws may be able to do it.
I have not fully tested the battery life. I did get 12 hours in logging mode before I recharged it. I have used it for an hour or two per day over many different days without running low. By the way, these types of batteries do better if you keep them charged and do not completely discharge frequently.
The log writes to a comma delimited file that I easily imported into Excel. It was said that this was not a standard format; I am not sure what was meant by the statement. I found the information readily useable with all the standard values that GPSs provide although some accuracy measures were defaulted to zero and never seemed to be updated.
I had no expectations that the standard USB port is for power and charging only. This is common now among many devices.
If you are looking for a smarter GPS receiver/logger – this is probably is as advance as they come right now. For its designed purpose, it does very well.
Rating: 4 / 5