The Tom Tom iPod Connect Cable and Audio Cable lets you enjoy easy, safe in-car entertainment by controlling your iPod via your Tom Tom GO’s screen. Just plug in the iPod cable and connect the audio cable to the car stereo, and you can instantly brighten up your journey with your favorite songs and playlists in safety.
The iPod Connect Cable is designed to link an iPod to your compatible Tom Tom GO models. This unit has a 2.5-millimeter stereo-style connector on one end, and an iPod connector on the other, and is 200 centimeters in total length. This cable allows you to control your iPod via your GO touch-screen, so you can play all mp3s from your iPod and from your GO through the GO speaker. During spoken instructions and use of hands-free calling on your compatible GO, the music will automatically pause, and then start again once the call has ended.
The audio cable included in this set is a standard line-out audio cable for linking your Tom Tom GO to your car stereo. This unit has a 3.5-millimeter stereo-style connector on each end, and is 200 centimeters in total length. This cable allows you to play mp3s from your GO through your car’s speakers, as well as receive spoken instructions through the car speakers. During spoken instructions and use of hands-free calling on your GO, the music will automatically pause and then start again once the call has ended.
When used in combination, these two cables let you not only control your iPod from your Tom Tom GO, but play all of your favorite music from both units through your car’s speaker in an easy, plug-and-play fashion. The system lets you operate all the necessary iPod functions, such as: play, pause, fastforward, rewind, next song, previous song, shuffle, select and browse, as well as viewing the current: playlist, composer, artist, album, genre, song, and audio books. The system is compatible with iPod mini, iPod photo, iPod nano, iPod video, iPod 3rd generation and iPod 4th generation iPod products, as well as the GO 510, GO 710 and GO 910 Tom Tom products.
User’s should note that the audio cable is already included in the GO 910 box as a standard, and that the iPod Connect Cable cannot be used at the same time as the Tom Tom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver, which uses the same connector. Also make sure before purchasing this product that your car stereo has a 3.5-millimeter audio jack in order to connect via the audio cable.
What’s in the Box
iPod connect cable and audio cable.
Lets you enjoy easy, safe in-car entertainment by controlling your iPod via the GO screen Play all of your favorite music from both your iPod and GO through your car’s speaker in an easy, plug-and-play fashion During spoken instructions and hands-free calling, the music will automatically pause and then start again once the call has ended Compatible with most popular iPod products, as well as your Tom Tom GO 510, 710, and 910 models Requires a stereo with a 3.5mm audio input jack in order to run through your car’s speakers
Item Weight: 4.8 ounces
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
ASIN: B000FEKEN4
Item model number: 9V00001
Tom Tom iPod Connect Cable and Audio Cable
DUAL XGPS251 Portable GPS & Battery Cradle for iPod touch?
The GPS cradle adds full GPS capabilities to an iPod touch. The GPS receiver works with most apps, so you can now use your iPod touch with many GPS-aware apps and add dozens of new uses to your device–from car and boat navigation to geocaching and golfing–anywhere you go: around the corner or around the world.
An iPod touch inside the GPS and battery cradle.
Add dozens of new, cool uses to your iPod touch, including:
Portable GPS Cradle:
High-sensitivity GPS receiver enables the use of most GPS-aware apps on the iPod touch (apps not included)
Rechargeable battery for powering GPS or recharging iPod
Amplified speaker for boosting navigation voice prompts
Microphone for voice memos and communications apps (iPod touch 1G, 2G, and 3G models only)
A design that works anywhere in the world (does not require car power)
Windshield Mount for Car or Boat:
Adjustable to landscape and portrait views
Securely docks and charges the cradle/iPod via DC power jack
Mini USB to USB cable, 3.5-mm audio cable, and 12V cigarette lighter adapter
The portable GPS and battery cradle works with all iPod touch 1G, 2G, and 3G models. The GPS receiver provides location information to most any GPS-aware app available in the App Store.*
The portable GPS and battery cradle–front view.
The portable GPS and battery cradle–back view.
An adjustable windshield mount is included for use in a car and on a boat windscreen.
GPS
The high-sensitivity GPS receiver is built directly into the cradle (not the windshield mount), giving you GPS capabilities on the iPod touch wherever you go. The GPS receiver provides location information to most any GPS-aware app that requests it, enabling dozens of new uses on the iPod touch.
Rechargeable Battery
The cradle’s rechargeable battery can power the GPS receiver for approximately 10 hours of continual operation. You can also use the battery to recharge the iPod, doubling the life of the iPod battery. Charge the cradle’s battery via your car’s cigarette lighter or the USB port on your computer.
Navigation on iPod touch*
The GPS receiver will work with most any car and boat navigation app available in the App Store, including apps from TomTom, Magellan, and Navigon. A built-in amplified speaker loudly delivers navigation voice prompts. When in a car, you can also easily connect the cradle to your car stereo and play your music and navigation voice prompts through your car speakers.
Secure Docking for Car or Boat
The included windshield mount securely docks the cradle with the iPod and attaches it to the windshield for easy viewing and access. The mount is fully adjustable, including portrait and landscape positions. It has a built-in DC power jack for charging the cradle’s battery from the car’s cigarette lighter, as well as a 3.5-mm audio out to connect to a car stereo. Ideal for use with car navigation apps as well as marine chart plotter apps.
Easy Charging and Syncing
The cradle features a mini USB port for charging the rechargeable battery and syncing the iPod without having to remove the cradle. Mini USB to USB cable is included.
*Important:
Apps not included. The cradle works with most apps that are available for the iPod touch and do not require a network connection. Navigation apps must have built-in maps. The XGPS251 model does not work with the Dual NavAtlas app. Please visit GPSCradle.dualav.com for more information and to review a list of tested apps.
Warranty
One-year limited (for more details, please visit http://www.gpscradle.dualav.com/cradle.html and download a copy of the owner’s manual).
Audio out: 3.5 mm Volume control: Yes Portrait/Landscape support: Yes Windshield mounting: Yes iPod touch charging: Yes Cradle charging time: Approx. 4 hours GPS operation time: Approx. 10 hours Dimensions (W x L x H): 0.75 x 2.5 x 5.0 in/1.9 x 6.35 x 12.7 cm Weight: 2.8 oz/79.38 g GPS and battery cradle Car windshield mount with 3.5-mm audio out and DC power jack Mini USB to USB cable 12V cigarette lighter adapter cable Audio cable to connect to car stereo
Allows iPod touch to be used for car and boat navigation, golfing, hiking, geocaching, cycling, or a number of other uses Visit http://gpscradle.dualav.com for more information.
High-sensitivity GPS receiver provides location information to most GPS-aware apps
Built-in rechargeable battery makes the GPS fully portable and provides up to 10 hours of use on a single charge
Amplified speaker makes it easier to hear spoken navigation instructions, or use 3.5-mm audio out to connect to stereo
Includes windshield mounting kit, complete with 12V cigarette lighter adapter cable
Allows iPod touch to be used for car & boat navigation, golfing, hiking, geocaching, cycling or a number of other uses.
Amplified speaker makes it easier to hear spoken navigation instructions
Built-in rechargeable battery makes the GPS fully portable.
Includes windshield mounting kit
DUAL XGPS251 Portable GPS & Battery Cradle for iPod touch?
Be sure you know that this model comes without navigation software and it is for an iPod Touch, not an iPhone. The Dual iPod GPS that costs about twice has software.
For navigation there is plenty of software that covers boating, driving, hiking and even flying that is all available at the iTunes store. I’m busy learning some of them. In addition to navigation it will help with iPhone applications that want to find nearby restaurants and coffee shops.
What makes this item a good deal at $100 is that it also works well as a “protection case” and “battery extender”. Separately, those items would cost around $60. Also included are a car cord, windshield mount and wall charger that make it easy to use as a music/audiobook/podcast player in a car.
So, what you get is pretty good GPS functionality for about $40. I like it!
i think this product is pretty good. and it arived on time and in perfect condition. you’ll never go wrong ordering form this company.
The line works fine. BUT, it adds another wire or two to your driving space. And, I don’t have an aux jack in my jeep, so I rely on tomtom’s FM transmitter which gives static on every “free” channel. It sounds terrible and I’ve tried every suggested station over and over. If you have a aux jack, this will work great, but it would probably be easier to not include the tomtom in your music playing at all and save a wire. So, the wire works fine, but its a waste for me because I don’t use the ipod while driving due to the static.
Ok like others have pointed out this is for iPod only & you need software for it. (And you need to be careful what software you get.) I use Navigon Mobile Navigator USA
I love this except for a couple things, one I consider minor & the other a real pain.
I find that the speaker in the GPS is still too small to be heard if there is any noise, even with the volume turned up all the way.
My next problem is that I have an Alpine stereo, that has a iPod interface, but the interface is a regular iPod plug that adapts to a USB plug.
But the cable supplied with the GPS is a 3.5mm plug on both ends, and the unit only has a stereo plug-in on the bottom of the unit, not the usual iPod type plug. (If this is iPod specific WHY not use the “standard” plug type!??!?)
And I have been having quite the time trying to find a 3.5mm stereo plug that adapts to a USB.(or a female iPod connector) I wish they had just put the standard iPod plug on the bottom of their windshield mount, so I could still have music while using it as a GPS.
Other than those two gripes, I love it!!
I wasn’t real happy with this at first because of the amount of time it took to lock onto a satellite signal but my opinion is beginning to change after a couple of weeks of ownership.
First impressions are that it’s relatively well built and doesn’t add much bulk to your iPod, in some ways it’s actually nicer to hold with the cradle.
I tried it for geocaching at first and its a little mediocre for that. Signal acquisition takes about twice as long as my garmin and it loses the signal easily. The tradeoff is you get a better user interface with the iPod as opposed to a basic GPS. It does work for geocaching, it’s just not fantastic as a handheld.
I’ve also used it with the offmaps2 app while walking around a couple of different cities, once it gets a signal its nice to be able to pinpoint your location on a map.
Another nice feature is the microphone. I had stopped using skype to make calls to landlines because of the inconvenience of using earbuds with a microphone. Using the cradle for skype calls is great, it’s just like using a regular cell phone.
The cradle can also quickly charge your iPod which is nice.
Up to this point I was so-so on this item and then I downloaded the Navigon app which came on sale for $30. It turned my iPod into a fully functional in car gps which works great. It works just as well as my Nuvi. The bonus is your iPod is charging while your driving and then if you want to get out of your car and use it as a handheld you just pop the iPod/cradle combo out of the holder and go. No wires to unplug, they plug into the mount itself.
Not a bad item for the right person. Don’t expect miracles and spend the money on a few nice apps and you’ll be happy.
Great GPS cradle for the iPod Touch 4 and comes as promised but I almost sent it back and would have regreted it because it really is an awsome product. The reason I almost sent it back was because there are no instructions that comes with the cradle or information on Dual’s web site that tells you what app you can download in order for it to work. I downloaded a free app that did not work so I thought the cradle was broken. I called Dual and spoke to some dude that didn’t know what the hell he was talking about because when I told him that I downloaded the name of the app that didn’t work (can’t remember now which one,) he didn’t tell me that the cradle would not work with that app and instead told me to send it back. Thinking the guy knew less about the cradle then I did, I turned to the net for some real time intel. I had to search the internet for about an hour before I figured out that the cradle will only work with certain apps. The app I chose was Navigon and it is an awsome app. Sure it’s $35.00 bucks but you get what you pay for and believe me Navigon is one of best out there(go to the web and search Navigon to find out what it can do.) Besides, you would be hard pressed to find a GPS unit for the price of the cradle and Navigon. If you demand a good product and need turn by turn voice instructions along with several other popular features the Dual cradle with the Navigon app is an awsome combo. If your thinking about buying the cradle search the internet for the apps that work with the cradle, save yourself some time and go to the web and not Dual’s customer services.
Item arrived as promised. I did get a version with out the latest 10/10 firmware, but luckily I have a 3rd generation iPod Touch.
The Dual XGPS251 works well, although sometimes it takes awhile to get a signal. Like others have said, once it is locked in it stays locked in solidly.
Nevertheless, I would love to keep my iPod Touch in the Duel’s enclosure permanently, however, I find it too BIG. Yes, it still fits in your pocket but it triples the thickness and adds considerable weight. After attempting to just accept this and using the Duel for a few days, this morning I put back my old case and it feels like my iPod won The Biggest Loser contest (that show on TV). So I think I will only use the Duel when I know I need it. Unfortunately, one does not always know when a GPS will be needed. Duel needs to come up with a much slimmed down version.
This works perfectly for adding gps to your ipod touch. I haven’t had any problems tracking my runs with the runkeeper app. It is able to tell me my time, miles and pace throughout the entire run. Then when I get home I can upload it to their website to view the information on a map. Well worth the money.
I bought this cable to use with my brand new TomTom 720 and it works great with my iPod video 30GB. The on screen touch controls are very convenient and accessible and I can easily control my iPod safely while driving. Very handy. I love TomTom !
Hi, This product is the best value if you own an older ipod. I have an ipod 1st generation 8Gb with wifi only. i bought the XGPS 251 last christmas and i tried using the some of the GPS software that i saw others recommend, however i dont have 5Gb to store Navagon and the Tom Tom software is too expensive or maybe vice versa… i use Motion X Drive 8.1 as well as Motion X Terrain v.15 This is the software that they use on the new ipads, and it works perfect as long as you pre download your maps before you leave for long trips. or sometimes i go to dunk n donuts and use their free wifi to get GPS coordinates and directions. the device is a little slow or maybe its my 1st gen ipod i cant tell. sometimes it takes about 1- 5 minutes to find a GPS signal but once is locked on it doesn’t let go. i drove from atlanta to stuart S florida with turn by turn directions (there wasn’t any delay in the directions) i could not have found my destination without it. the built in speaker is plenty loud in quiet room but in a late model volvo i can kinda hear it. it does have audio output via phono jack to your car stereo, that works good. it also has a wind screen cradle which i also use on my office desk sometimes. i also used the GPS on an airplane to record my location as well as speed using MotionX terrian, kinda cool. also my 1st gen ipod doesn’t have a microphone and by having this device i now do. i can take audio notes, and skype calls… it also has a built-in battery charger. i think i burnt out that battery already, but when i first used it yea you can get an extra 4-5 hours. this is a great product and well packaged, the build quality is excellent, i got the one thats kinda rubbery so its easy to hold in your hand….. also i see they dropped the price again….NICE…
I’m very pleased with this product. Along with Navigon, it’s turned my iTouch 4G into an excellent GPS unit, allowing me to dispense with Verizon’s extremely frustrating VZ Navigator. The only minor complaint I have is that the GPS unit occasionally takes a while (two to five minutes at times) to get a GPS lock. That’s the only reason I didn’t give it five stars. Most times, though, it gets a lock in less than a minute, and this problem is not a big deal for me. As soon as it gets a lock, Navigon kicks right in and routes the trip. Response time is immediate. If I choose a different route, it updates immediately. It tracks my speed real time with no delay. I have never had it ‘get lost’ and have to recalculate the route, the way VZ Navigator did routinely throughout every trip. I highly recommend this product (and Navigon).
Follow-up July 2011: the windshield mount is cheap and ineffective. I cannot get it to tighten up enough to hold the unit steady. It’ll hold for a minute, then flop over so I can’t see it. Tightening it further, it just slips past the threads and is loose again. The windshield mount is pretty crucial to functionality, and ought to be improved. Also, BATTER LIFE on my iTouch is really short if I try to use the GPS unpowered.
Packaging is excellent. Works wonderfully (I use it for iNavX and Navigon). Locks on to GPS signal and doesn’t let go.
I bought this rather than buying a separate gadget, and I have to say it works great! I am so glad I bought it, yet another use for my iTouch. The only drawback is it takes a long time to find the GPS satellites… much longer than with any other GPS I have. Even when standing in a open field with a clear view of the sky, the thing can take a couple minutes when first started up, but once it gets going, it works very well!
Initially, I thought I was buying the newer version of the cradle, but as it turns out, it was the XGPS251. Had a few problems early on, but their technical service is quite good and quickly responded to my problems. The problem I was experencing was not picking up a signal with the cradle. It is important to bookmark Dual’s web site as it gives some very timely and updated information. There is a new App that allows you to search for a signal, and I have found this to be very useful and the signal picks up immediately and works fine. Choosing the right app to use with your Touch may be an adventure. I found that Navigon works quite well.
Now I’m going to sit on the fence a little bit here. I bought a TomTom GO 910 a few months ago and bought the iPod cable at the same time. I also wanted to use the TomTom as a hands free kit for my phone, via Bluetooth.
Issue number one is cables! If you’re using all of this then you will have four cables trailing over your car dashboard: TomTom power, external mic, iPod cable, cable to car stereo aux input. You can reduce this cable count by one if you have a car stereo that supports Bluetooth (I don’t so have not tried this).
I paid to have all of my cables routed behind the car dashboard. They come out in a neat little cluster by the corner of my windscreen. The iPod connector comes out in the glove compartment (the cable is plenty long enough).
So, functionality:
No iPod charging! This is a pretty serious omission, especially for long journeys.
The on-screen iPod controls are OK, but not excellent. Relatively responsive, but clunky compared to the iPod itself (not entirely surprising).
There is no support for compilations, so the artist list contains artists who only feature on a compilation album. This is a bit annoying, but not the end of the world.
No support for album art.
It takes a few seconds to transfer the song list to the TomTom. I have about 4000 songs on my iPod, transfer takes 2-3 seconds.
Annoyingly the TomTom volume control changes the volume of the directions voice and the iPod. It would be better to have two volume controls, or to just have the iPod audio level fixed.
When the TomTom has something to say, the iPod is paused. This is useful, but it would be nicer if there was an option to just lower the iPod volume.
And quality:
There is definitely noise on the line. It’s not noticeable when driving and listening to music, but when stopped in traffic listening to an audio book you can hear the noise.
There are some bugs in the system. Occasionally the TomTom loses contact with the iPod and I have to unplug/replug it. Also sometimes after I’ve been playing music the TomTom will go silent (no more talking) until I power off/on.
Overall I’m happy with the product as it means I can listen to anything from my iPod when I’m driving, and cost less than getting a new car stereo with iPod support, but it could certainly do with some improvements.
I just recently got it for my gen4 touch and am happy with it so far. I decided to pair it up with the newly released Garmin app that gives me Canada and the US maps right on the device. It grabbed the signal pretty well, and was as good as my TomTom. I am looking at getting some geocaching software next to start a new hobby with the kids.
I have not used it much yet, but from what I have it has worked as I had expected. I like the fact that it has its own battery to run the gps thus saving on the iPod battery and when using the iPod without the gps the built in battery extends the iPod run time.
The Dual XGPS251 Portable GPS & Battery Cradle for Ipod Touch is much better than I ever imagined it would be!
It is extremely light weight and adds very little “bulk” to my Ipod touch while adding additional protective cushioning. It takes about 25 seconds after I dock my Ipod, power it up, and turn on the free GPS status tool app for it to lock onto the signal.
I have tried over a dozen free mapping, tracking, and turn by turn navigational apps in addition to a paid turn by turn navigational app, and it has been extreemly accurate on every one that I have tried it with.
The mounting bracket fastens easily and securely to the windshield with a lever activated suction cup. It comes with every thing you need to make your Ipod touch into a dash mounted GPS system and an independently powered portable GPS, except for the Ipod and the apps that you want to use it with. The built in battery can also be used to extend the battery life of the ipod when it is not being used as a GPS.
One other feature that appealed to me, since my ipod touch 3rd Generation doesn’t have one, is the built-in microphone. It can be used in conjunction with the Skype app or other voice communication apps to make internet phone calls. The only disapointment I have is that the price went down $15 on Amazon 3 days after I purchased mine.
I got this for the 4th Gen iPod Touch. If you have a 4th Gen, you will need to make sure the model you get has their latest 10/10 firmware, or you will need to send the unit back to the manufacture to get it replaced withe a newer one. That process takes 1 to 2 weeks depending on how close you are to Illinois where their warehouse is.
I found all the shortcomings are more with Apple’s design of the 4th Gen Touch. While the speaker works, the front mic doesn’t with any app I’ve tried. It seems like Apple doesn’t support audio input via the dock connector. Also facetime will use neither this nor the speaker on the cradle. I’ve seen that facetime does not do audio out through the dock connector while other audio functions do. This is kind of a shame because the iPod’s built in speaker is often too quiet far facetime chats.
The GPS is very accurate most of the time and usually shows me on or a few feet from the lane on the road I’m on. I find it kind of annoying to shut off and turn wifi back on for it to quickly obtain a GPS location. One alternative I found was the use one GPS apps from MotionX. These let you manually select what the source is to obtain your location. This way you can force the iPod to use the GPS instead of wifi proximity for location data. Their apps are $3 or less, and they even have a lite version for free. I found Google official Latitude apps crashes frequently with this, while the app is stable when just using wifi proximity. Of course you’ll need a mobile hotspot for that to be useful most of the time anyway.
The battery on this seems to work as advertised. The cradle does not charge itself and your ipod using its usb port unless you have it in the included car unit. There is a tiny embedded button in the bottom on the cradle that needs to be pressed to allow both to be charged. The car unit has a tab that presses this button when the cradle is hooked into it. I imagine the reason for this design is to prevent it from drawing too much power from a computer’s usb port. Some computers will shut down their usb bus if they detect too much power being drawn. I did discover that the car unit works with some power adapters from some portable hard drive cases. You do this at your own risk and need to make sure the plug is the right size, 5 volts, positive tip, and supports at least 1500mA of current.
Another bonus with this is I found it much more comfortable hold the ipod with the this cradle than without. With a little more weight, and softer edges its a much better feel. The car unit can be snapped onto or removed from a suction cup mount. It would be great if they sold other accessories with this unit that could snap onto such as bicycle mount or a car vent mount for smaller cars where its hard to mount on the windshield without obstruct the view.
Overall this is a great add-on for an iPod touch. I imagine even more so with the 2nd and third gen touches that don’t have mics built in or the 1st gen that doesn’t have a speaker. And at $89 seems like a good price compared to similar products.
I am not sure why so many other people had issues with this device. If you use it correctly and are using a tomtom 720 or higher there is no background noise and it even works with my iphone. I am glad I do not have to touch my phone while driving ever again.
As others have said, if you already have an iPod touch and don’t want to get yet another separate device for GPS, this will work with some additional software downloads.
Have used this product several times now and it works great. No real instructions needed as it is very easy to use.
Being really cheap and not wanting to spend $$ on the iphone, instead I bought the iPod Touch 4G (nice!) with hopes of turning it into my wifi phone (truphone & skype) and travel companion (games, books, …). So far, it has turned out pretty decent. The Dual GPS and Battery Backup provides two key capabilities – GPS for mapping (Offline Maps) and for better battery life (makes a huge difference). It also provides a hidden benefit -> it allows synch and charging using a standard usb cable. This offers a surprising benefit of not needing the specialized ipod connector cable. I can use the same usb as my phone. If you consider it 1) adds GPS, 2) adds a battery backup, 3) serves as a case/protector, and 4)keeps you from buying specialized IPOD cables/adapters, I think it is a good bang for the buck.
I was looking for an integrated GPS solution for free satellite setup. The graphical representation, direction and elevation are very helpful in such small packages like the IPod Touch 4G.
One example is Sat finder. This is a cool app but has too many requirements that this cradle prevents from using. The rear camera is used for an image background for the location of a satellite. This gives an obstacle review before installing.
Another model would allow the use of the rear camera. But, the cradle is more secure. For special events, this might be a better option.
As for apps, I am finding very few which actually work with this device. Free compass softwares do not work at all. One app, based on stars, does not work because the rear camera is blocked by the cradle.
For sound and max volume, the cradle speaker distorts. Setting the volume to Max-1 bar doesn’t destroy. Not bad, for such a device.
I have not seen any reviews as for velocity accuracy. I have yet to see any compelling software to validate this. My Garmin Nuvi 1300 is what I want to compare this to. I would like to see a less taller solution which will allow for the rear camera to work.
The good: The gps gets a signal quickly. The battery life is quite good. It works well with my motion-x gps app.
The bad: My particular unit won’t send the voice through the headphones. Also I had a problem with the mount staying on the windshield of my Jeep when hitting potholes.
I bought this to use on my motorcycle. I ultimately want to use the bluetooth to talk to my helmet communication system rather than the headphone jack, but I haven’t tried it yet. I will follow up with results.
Bought this for my son. He says it does what he needs it to.
Hey guys I was thinking about buying this for my TomTom but heard of the poor sound quality which was a huge deal to me. I normally plug my iPod in through the auxilary port of my car but that will be taken up by my nav system now.
What did I do? I went to radio shack and got an audio splitter for about $10. This allows me to plug both the iPod and TomTom into a single port with no interference. The only downside is no controlling iPod with the TomTom but I’m used to that anyway.
I have just briefly tested this product but I’m liking it a lot. I have been trying to use ipod touches for location-based augmented reality games for a couple years now, and I think this is what I’ve been waiting for. I compared this unit attached to a 4G ipod touch with an iphone 3Gs outside this evening. This unit was very accurate and tracked super quickly. It was much better than the iphone.
Given that I’ve been waiting for this functionality for a long time, I shouldn’t complain. My only suggestions are that a future version could be slimmer to keep the touch pocketable and work without obscuring the camera.
Critical Update: As of 07/18/11 all of the electronic stores in my area that have the initials of BB in my area are clearing these units out. They are available for $29.99. I’m sure that you don’t need my help to figure out what the BB stand for. feel Free to check your local stores. From what I have seen so far at one store in particular the models are not the 10/10 Firmware
I purchased this unit in 03/11. It arrived in just two or three days. The packaging was very “Apple like” which is a good thing. The Dual packaging and box were very well thought out, and certainly protected the unit very well. The unit that I received was the newest unit with firmware 10/10. The box clearly indicated that the unit will work with iTouch devices 1-4. Something that the earlier cradle devices (prior to firmware 10/10) could not do.
I have had the opportunity to navigate with the unit and it works extremely well. I use a Virgin MiFi 2200 for mobile WIFI, and the Motion-X GPS drive, and Motion-X GPS application for navigation. Both applications are approximately 16.5MB vs. 2GB for other iOS mapping solutions. This combination works extremely well.
I really like the XGPS251, It has a very capable speaker compared to the iTouch’s the windshield mount is very well made as is the car charger, and the Cradle itself. I have not tried the microphone yet but am looking forward to testing it.
However after stating the above the XGPS251 is not without it quirks which are easily solved.
Quirk #1:
If you insert the iTouch into the cradle and move the switch on the rear of the unit to the battery position the unit may not charge the iTouch if the iTouch’s battery is already at 100%. When I moved the cradle’s switch to battery position the iTouch had absolutely no reaction – no battery icon, no plug nor lightening bolt icon. It would seem that the unit has some type of logic that only provide current if the iTouch devices’s battery drops below 100%. I’m not sure what percent actually causes the unit to charge the iTouch but I know that it is below 100%. If this should occur for you please don’t think that the unit is defective. Try running the iTouch battery down a bit as a test and then try charging it with the Dual cradle, by putting the switch on the rear to battery position. This behavior is different than the Mophie battery case that I have used in the past. In the example of the Mophie battery case, and other cases that I have tried the iTouch would always show a symbol as long as the Mophie case’s battery had some charge left. That symbol would be either an AC plug or lightning bolt in the battery icon.
Quirk #2:
I wish that the windshield mount used a standard mini USB charger system rather then the male barrow type of plug. The cradle uses a mini USB so why not the windshields mount. A standard micro USB port would add much greater flexibility for the end user.
Quirk #3:
I don’t understand why DUAL’s older iTouch GPS application does not work with the XGPS251 and it would be nice if they had a application available just as an additional option. Also why does DUAL’S Bluetooth GPS application seem much more useful then the application for the XGPS251? The Bluetooth GPS application will tell you how many GPS satellites are locked onto where as the XGPS251 does not appear to provide that information.
Quirk #4:
In there infinite wisdom DUAL has decided that if the rear switch of the XGPS251 is set to GPS and the unit is not in the windshield mount unit then the iTouch cannot be charged from the USB port on the bottom of the cradle. The battery of the DUAL cradle will still charge but not the battery in the iTouch. This would mean that the iTouch’s battery would be depleted very quickly. The reason for the quick Battery drain is not because the cradle draws power from the iTouch, because it doesn’t, but because the iTouch is being used for WIFI, mapping application, or music/video. The battery would drain even quicker if using the Motion-X software that I mentioned above, because WIFI is needed to download the maps. DUAL’s justification is that they would not want the cradle battery to charge the iTouch’s battery and then die if you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. The way that the cradle knows if it is inserted into the windshield mount is because of a little micro switch on the bottom right hand side of the cradle. Every time the cradle is inserted into the windshield mount that micro switch is depressed, telling the cradle that it is now in the windshield mount. The problem is that if you wanted to have your iTouch on the center console of your car, passenger seat or just sitting on the car’s dash the itouch would not charge even when a mini USB cable is plugged into to USB port on the bottom of the unit. The unit would charge if a Mini USB cable is plugged into the cradle unit and you moved the switch on the back of the cradle to battery, but then the GPS would be turned off. Fortunately there is an easy solution for this problem, but it does require that the unit be taken apart. On the back of the cradle there are two round rubber plugs toward the bottom of the cradle. Under these two rubber plugs there are screws. Remove the two rubber plugs with a knife or toothpick and then remove the two screws. The screws are in very tight so insure that you are using the correct size screwdriver and don’t strip the head of the screws. Once the screws are loose you can lift up on the back bottom of the cradle. There are plastic integrated clips on the top of the cradle, in addition there are two wires going to the speaker in the back of the cover. You will need to lift the back bottom and treat it like a hinge system. The top of the cradle being the hinge. Be careful not to pull the wires out of the speaker. The switch that controls the GPS, off, and battery function has a plastic piece that is separate from the micro switch, be sure not to lose or damage it. At the point that you have separated the two halves you should be able to see how much space you have to work with around the micro switch. What I did was I found a piece of sturdy, thin plastic from a filing cabinet tab. I then cut this plastic to fit inside of the case while also serving the function of permanently depressing the micro switch which tells the cradle that it is in the windshield mount. The plastic only need to be wide and tall enough to stay inside of the case once it is re-assembled. Any plastic will do as long as it is thin and sturdy enough to fit inside of the case once assembled. Once you have inserted the plastic, simply reassemble and you are done. Now the unit will charge the iTouch when using the USB port located on the bottom of the cradle regardless of the switch on the back of the cradle being in the GPS or battery position. The cradle will not charge the iTouch if the switch is in the off position. In addition if the switch is in the GPS position the iTouch will stop charging via the cradle once the external power is disconnected. If the external power is disconnected while the cradle switch is in the battery position the cradle will continue to charge the iTouch if battery of the iTouch is below 100%, even if external power is disconnected. The DUAL cradle will charge regardless of the switch position of the cradle. This solution is reversible if needed and will not void your cradle’s warranty if done correctly.
If You want a free Mapping navigation solution that is community based WAZE can’t be beat. Use it for just navigation without any community participation whatsoever, or get involved in reporting accident, police, traffic congestions and red light cameras, etc. Waze is Motion-X and Trapster all rolled into one application. WAZE works great with the DUAL XGPS251 and won’t cost you a dime. It is an application that will learn adaptive) through your daily commute. So the first time that you route a trip it may be off base but it will get better through its adaptive learning process. It takes traffic into consideration which is the reason that it may take you on a longer route. For Topo maps I recommend “You Need A Map”. This is Topo and street level maps in one application. The application is approximately 2GB in size so be prepared. For the month of april the “You Need A Map” is absolutely free. Check [...] for more information. The maps work great with the DUAL GPS Cradle.
Quirks aside? Great job DUAL
UPDATE:
Now that you have that new XGPS251 why don’t you head on over to the itunes App store and download the Vonage Mobile App for the iTouch? This application will allow you to make free calls from your iTouch while using the built in microphone of the DUAL cradle. Sorry you won’t be able to receive calls unless you have a $ balance on your Vonage account. Basically after you install the Vonage application crate a new account, if you’re a current Vonage Home user the account that you create should be different from your home Vonage account. Now this part is very important, when the application ask you to choose which type of Vonage account you want to sign up for, via a popup window just hit the home button of your iTouch. Reboot the iTouch using the on/off button (located on the top of the device), and the home button located on the front of the device until you get the slide option to “power off the device”. After the iTouch has been powered down simply hold the on/off button on the top of the iTouch until the unit powers up and finish booting. Now when you go into the Vonage application you can simply place a call, which is in the format of area code, and the number, i.e. (123)456-7890. If you just enter the # without a area code you will get an error telling that you have no balance on your account. Remember that this will only work for placing calls from the USA to a USA phone number. In addition you will not be able to receive calls unless you have a $ balance, I know that I said that earlier but it was worth mentioning again. The Vonage app may also let you make calls from/to the same country, but I am in the US so I can’t answer that question.
Dragon Dictation is another great app that will work with the DUAL XGPS251. It will convert speech to text that can then be pasted into a email, etc. Obviously both of the mentioned applications will require WiFi access, which is the reason that I use the Virgin MiFi 2200 device. With my iTouch I can do anything that the iPhone can do without the monthly Services from ATT or Verizon.
Totally Awesome.