Origin Technologies

MrTee · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Posts: 5

:P I hear that the antenna for the Pogo Drive has arrived for those of you that need them, not sure on price as yet, but I bet it's likely to be the same as the b2 GPS antenna. I'm enjoying using the PogoDrive, I like the neat way in which you can change from day to night mode by pressing the TFT LCD at the top of the screen, not sure if this is a standard when it comes to this type adhoc NAVI systems. I don't seem to have a volume issue (but then again I'm told I have selective hearing) The pogo drive however doesn't keep nagging me and from an earlier post, it does calculate time over distance as well! Moving on, I'm not sure at this point if when navigating, pressing 'M' for menus, then having to re-enter the post code or road from the 'recent' menu is a problem for me... If I'm lost, I leave it to help me find my way home - no point in interfering whilst driving Rolling Eyes

Have a good Easter.

MrTee · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Posts: 5

Correction on the Pogo antenna... not in stock - oh well. Confused

BBQKing · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject:

Hi

Despite having purchased a GPS antenna for my PogoDrive from pogo-gps website (this is NOT the official Pogo website, but an authorised reseller), I did have an improvement in obtaining a signal. However, I still had moments when it took ages to lock on, and have still had occurences of the signal dropping in and out for 10 mins or so.

I therefore decided to purchasea re-radiating GPS antenna (not a waste as my other system will take advantage of it too). Due to the relative difficulty in obtaining one in UK, I purchased one from Australia via Ebay. Not only did it arrive in record time (time taken to deliver to UK puts Royal Mail to shame!), it really does make a massive difference in signal strength and how quickly that signal is locked on to. Within 45 seconds of a hard reset my PogoDrive picked up 4 Satellite's and within another 20 seconds, 2 more satellite's were also picked up. I have never had that sort of signal pickup and quality before, even with PogoDrive's GPS antenna.

One more thing to add the size of the re-rad antenna is bigger than the PogoDrive's one. Does this make a difference??

BB
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"To Err Is Human - To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer! (or SatNav)"

BBQKing · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:29 pm Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject:

BBQKing · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:13 pm Post subject:

Yes, I am aware of the legality of the item, but there are alot of activities we do in the UK that are illegal yet somehow that doesn't stop us from doing them! Under age drinking, speeding, reversing onto a major road are but a few examples.
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"To Err Is Human - To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer! (or SatNav)"

craigpenton · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 11, 2007 Posts: 27

BB,

This sounds a very interesting alternative :D

Is it this kind of thing? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330056081552

So am I right in thinking you don't actually need to connect the antenna to the Pogo at all? (Sorry if terribly dim question but I have not heard of this before!). Very interested indeed if this is the case!

Cheers!

Craig

PS Thanks for highlighting the legal perspective Darren ... I will bear it in mind.

BBQKing · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:31 pm Post subject:

BBQKing · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:49 pm Post subject:

OK, I'm a bit vague in my last post - I mean the re-radiating antenna part is mounted vertically behind my rear view mirror. The external antenna is way back on the roof of the car!!

BB
_________________
"To Err Is Human - To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer! (or SatNav)"

GJF · Frequent Visitor Joined: Feb 08, 2007 Posts: 894

Hi all,

Yep, i know i'm on the wrong thread as i haven't a PogoDrive, also i am not in the need for the re-radiating GPS antenna, but your topic is interesting.

How does it work?

Why is the re-radiating GPS antenna illegal?

Why exactly would you need one?

Hope you don't mind me asking, but find all your thread on the Pogo interesting.
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Drive-Smart GPS with Loader v1.4.16
HTC Advantage X7500 MS 6.1 Tchart Speed Sentry
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Fuzion 32 HUD Bluetooth GPS receiver

BBQKing · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:27 am Post subject:

Hi GJF

This post here will explain the legality side of re-rads:
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=42745&highlight=ofcom

As for why you would use one, its handy to have in vehicles that have windscreens, especially athermic windscreens that drastically reduce the GPS signal. Although I only have a Ford Quick Clear windscreen it does seem to affect signal strength and quality, especially for the PogoDrive. Either that or its all the extra gadgets I have installed doing something too!

They are also handy in that one re-rad will serve multiple GPS devices. Otherwise, you would need one normal external GPS antenna for each GPS device you might own, in my case 3. It will also save you the trouble of having to connect up the external antenna plug to the GPS device as well. These are some of the benefits.

BB
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"To Err Is Human - To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer! (or SatNav)"

craigpenton · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 11, 2007 Posts: 27

BBQKing · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:27 am Post subject:

Hi craigpenton

I basically placed the external antenna at the rear of my vehicle (Mondeo Estate), on the roof (it has a magnetic base) and threaded the rest of the cable in via the rear upper brake light cable then along the roof lining inside the car to the front. It is then fed down the passenger A pillar to behind the glovebox (where a 3-in-1 car adapter is waiting). The internal antenna is then connected to the plug and reworked back up the A pillar and along the roof lining again to the rear view mirror, where it just hangs downward.

This seems to be the best position for it as my PogoDrive is now picking up the best signal its ever had. No more wandering off the map, no more dropping of the signal. Best thing I ever purchased.

BB
_________________
"To Err Is Human - To Really Foul Things Up Requires A Computer! (or SatNav)"

nuttynurse · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject:

Not a good start to Pogo's day yesterday. I decided to take a journey to Swansea with the wife using her car. Nothing special about it an old 92 Honda Del Sol. The night before I had discovered the fuse had blown in the cigarette power lead and was unable to charge the unit which had run low and wouldn't power up. I had however plugged it into the usb and updated to the latest database download the night before also. Having obtained the appropriate fuse from Maplins before setting out I attempted to tell Pogo where I was going but although the main navigation screen would come on it would do nothing else except boing as I touched the menu buttons. Pressing reset or any other option made no difference, so for instance I wasn't able to go to take the safety only option from here. I knew the way to Swansea so navigation was more for experient fortunately. Not being able to set the safely option was more annoying. Eventually after numerous attempts I was able to set the safety camera option providing it seemed, as long as I didn't go to the navigation menu first. Before setting out from Swansea I again tried the navigation side. This time it appeared it was going to let me set my destination to home. All appeared well until I didn't take the turn it instructed. It froze. I reset it and after a mile it again froze. One more attempt I thought then sod it. This time it worked all the way home. I had also been getting on screen messages saying no "mapping data found" or some such statement.

I had been more keen to use the safety feature rather than the navigation. I was surprised to find relatively few gatzo cameras on my chosen route: Gloucester to Ross on the A40, down through Monmouth, Abergavenny, along the Heads of the Valley road to Neath and onto Swansea. Now this is largely dual carriage way or three lane corridors for the majority of the journey from Ross onwards. Now if memory serves me right I had two false gatzo 30mph warnings given going and three given on the return journey, all given whilst travelling on dual carriage ways in either direction. Whether these were old temporary road work sites, local sites on minor roads passing beneath or nearby I don't know but in any event it does show that the database is not 100% accurate. If false alerts can be given it must follow that some cameras may be missing from the database, though I would rather have a false alert that discover a camera was missing.

Having had the Pogo for a few weeks or more, I would probably advise people to consider the Alert rather than the Drive. The Drive is good from a screen point of view, having the largely 3.5" but the navigation side is definitely proving to basic and sometimes to unstable a feature to be of any great value. Although my journey's are few and far between I am now realising that being able to tell the unit what you want from a journey rather than it tell you is essential. Even my brother's Garmin i3 will recognise that you have desided to take a detour from its given route and give you a viable alternative to get you home whereas the Pogo will continue to steer you forever back to its own given route even 10 or 15 miles on.

BBQKing · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 2:32 pm Post subject:

Hi NN

Sorry to hear of your problems with your PogoDrive, but I do agree with your comments on the Pogo's inability to re-route effectively if you do not follow its suggested route. I too have come face-to-face with it's less than ideal routing. Shame really. I am hoping that this may change over time as new firmware upgrades may fine-tune this feature further. I'm sure if we make a concerted effort to send feedback to Origin about suggested changes, we could make its SatNav part more usable.

As for my issues, now having the re-rad antenna in the car has made a BIG difference to GPS signal lockon. Furthermore, I no longer experience the "drive in the field" effect I used to have before. Again, I am sure this can be fine-tuned in firmware upgrades, but as Darren pointed out earlier, if it has the latest SirfIII chipset, I should not be experiencing this sort of problem without aid. Mind you the re-rad antenna was worth purchasing as it will also serve my other GPS gadgets too.

Despite these niggles (or major problems depending on your tolerances), my PogoDrive has been used in every journey I make so far, simply because of its speed cam detection. This facility alone makes it worthy of windscreen space (I know others will disagree, but thats the power of free speech and I value their views as well).

BB
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