DELL AXIM X30/COPILOT 5 BLUETOOTH FAILURES

PONDEROUS

The following is similar to a post in the TomTom forum, which I misplaced (apologies).

I run Copilot 5 on a Dell Axim X30, 624 MHz Bluetooth/Wifi model using an Emtac bluetooth receiver.

The Axim frequently loses its bluetooth facility altogether, sometimes when I am merely travelling and receiving GPS signals, and other times when I switch applications; for example, when I look at the battery level or at a spreadsheet.

When the problem occurs, the bluetooth icon on the "Today Desktop" disappears, and in the bluetooth connection screen under "System", an instruction to "Insert a bluetooth card" has replaced the usual Bluetooth ON/OFF options. In other words, the Axim no longer recognises its own hardware. As far as I can see, the only way out when it happens is a soft reset.

Neither exchanging the Axim nor upgrading Copilot 5 to the latest update makes any difference. There appears to be plenty of memory free (27Meg or so) when the failure occurs. It happens equally with Copilot running on its own and with other programmes running in the background.

Has anyone any solution, or clues as to the cause, please?

lbendlin · Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 5:29 pm Post subject:

Hi there,

I deleted your other two identical posts.

I would suggest you try to identify the problem with your Bluetooth connection first, without involving CoPilot (yet). Can you use the Bluetooth manager to simply establish a connection to the GPS receiver, and see how long this holds? (it should last for a few minutes before it times out).

Next, use a program like Crux_View or VisualGPSce to monitor the GPS receiver for a while.

You may also want to install a task manager to make sure there are no programs running in the background on your Axim - because there is a chance that the operating system will arbitrarily close programs when resources get low.
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PONDEROUS

Thank you for your advice.

I have tried monitoring the bluetooth gps receiver (Emtac) connection with no application software running. It disconnects between 1.5 to 2 minutes. The disconnection is not accompanied by the fault in question; i.e. the loss of the Axim's recognition of its own Bluetooth hardware. I have two Emtac receivers, both of which disconnect after the same period.

The fault in question occurs both with and without applications running in the background, and also when there is 20+ Meg of application-allocated RAM still unused.

I have yet to try the monitoring software that you recommend, but will do so very soon.

Could I possibly raise a further couple of questions, please? In the presumably unblikely event that both receivers are faulty, is it likely that such a fault would cause the Axim to "lose" its onboard bluetooth hardware? Similarly, is such a condition a likely result of a software application being shut down or malfunctioning, whether in the foreground or the background. Would anything other than the Axim itself, or its own operating system, cause such loss of the bluetooth?

Thank you again.

Markee · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 31, 2004 Posts: 6

Hi,

I too have the Dell X20 624Mhz Wireless PDA.

I bought the Dell package with their own Bluetooth GPS receiver and software.

I have had NO problems at all with Bluetooth drop outs using this hardware, which indicates you may have a hardware problem.

Also, the Dell software provided is a little basic compared with Tom Tom and Co Pilot, what do you think of Co Pilot on the Dell X30?

Markee

PONDEROUS · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 5:40 pm Post subject:

Markee

Thanks for your reply.

It really is a mystery, as I am on my third Axim X30, and all have had the same problem.

I was initially pleased with Copilot, as early remarks of mine on the Pocketgps TomTom forum show. However, that was before I had looked fully into its manual routing, and what it does when supposedly going the "shortest" route. Please see my remarks in the Pocketgps Copilot forum for further details.

Very disappointing really, and expensive!!

gbdoc2b · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 6

Oh my God! I have EXACTLY the same problem as you. In fact, that's why I'm on this forum right now.

I just got my dell axim 30 high with the bluetooth GPS bundle last Wednesday. I have the same problem as you where the axim tells me to "Insert a bluetooth card." When this happens, I have to soft reset for the axim to recognize that the bluetooth card is there.

Not only do I have that problem, which has happened at least once a day in a random fashion, when I'm driving and using the GPS, I have to reassociate the axim handheld with the Bluetooth receiver in the MIDDLE of driving.

I'll be driving along a road, the map will disappear, and I have to tap the GPS bluetooth icon to reassociate the two devices. Having to do that while I'm in the middle of driving is not only frustrating but DANGEROUS. This has happened four times already.

What should I do now? Should I send the whole package back for a refund? Ponderous, have you talked to dell support?

PONDEROUS · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:32 pm Post subject:

Hi, gbdoc2b

Dell have so far said that there are "no known issues" concerning bluetooth and this model, although I have seen others on the web forums saying otherwise.

Having alerted them to the issue over 3 weeks ago, I still know no more. Dell say that they will start investigating the fault tomorrow. To be fair, I have been experimenting with new software; however, there has not exactly been a rush to assist now that I have reported on the results.

I can tell you that changing GPS software has not made any difference, and that the problem occurs when running my bluetooth audio headset, whether or not the GPS is also running.

As to what you should you do, I do not know enough about how you will get on with other Pocket PCs, or with other manufacturers' support mechanisms? Having said this, both are proving poor so far at Dell. I can only hope that they will improve very soon!!

Can you say what make of GPS receiver and software you are using, please?

PONDEROUS · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:54 pm Post subject:

I should also have updated the forum after Ibendlin advised me to try running VisualGPSce.

VisualGPSce shows good GPS signal reception. However, the bluetooth breakdowns still occur, just as they do whichever of my bluetooth-based applications are running, whether they involve GPS reception or not.

gbdoc2b · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 6

Hi, the make of the GPS receiver and the software are the ones Dell is selling on the website bundled with the Axim X30. I actually do not know the exact names. I'm new at this GPS thing; I had heard good thing about Dell and just bought the whole GPS package from the Dell website.

I've noticed that somtimes turning on the wireless button turns on the wireless but not the bluetooth. This happens occasionally. I have called Dell support about this, and they do not know why this happens.

As for the Bluetooth GPS receiver becoming unpaired from the handheld, Dell says there are 3 reasons: strong magnetic fields disrupting communication between the receiver and handheld, interference from other Bluetooth devices in the area, and weak satellite signals to the GPS receiver.

At this point, I wish a solution will be found.

gbdoc2b · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 6

As an aside, I'm thinking about buying the Seidio wired GPS receiver. This way I don't have to deal with Bluetooth anymore. Do you have any opinions about the Seidio wired GPS receiver, or wired GPS receivers in general?

PONDEROUS · Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:10 pm Post subject:

Hi, again, gbdoc2b

Did you mean that the reasons you listed acoount for just your loss of pairing with the GPS receiver, or did you mean it also accounts for the loss of the bluetooth function on the Axim as well?

I do not lose the device pairing at all, but I do lose the bluetooth. Also, the loss occurs away from any magnetic fields. Were they just guessing, or has this really solved your problem?

I too have the button turning on both wireless functions. The man to whom I spoke at Dell says that this is what should happen!?

Wired receivers have wires getting in the way - of course. This might not be too bad in the car, but if you want to walk and look at the navigator it is a real problem. Just wait 'til the first time you catch it on a hedge and yank the connection out! A wired receiver also has to be plugged in and out, so it will eventually cause wear to itself and the Axim even if you don't hook it on a hedge.

gbdoc2b · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 6

Sorry for the confusion. The reasons Dell listed explain why the handheld and receiver occasionally loses BT connection. The tech guy had no answer for why the handheld sometimes doesn't recognize that BT is in place in the handheld.

My problem with the devices becoming unpaired continues to happen. I will be returning the whole package to dell very shortly.

PONDEROUS · Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:13 am Post subject:

gbdoc2b

I know this is academic for you following your decision to return the Axim, but it is not for others.

If the suggestion is that loss of pairing could be caused by a weak GPS signal, then, of course, there is something wrong with the Axim or its operating system. To suggest otherwise is as logical as stating that a blown lightbulb in the lounge would cause the food mixer to malfunction! The same goes for interference from other bluetooth devices. Pull the other one, Dell, for goodness' sake!!

The magnetic field suggestion also sounds dubious. If it was strong enough to remove your receiver installation files, then why did it not wipe any other files?

Dave · Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:48 pm Post subject:

Trying to offer an explanation for earlier posts in this thread. The HP iPAQ 2210 suffered similar BT Dropout issues when SD cards were being used and lots of reading of data was being performed. Also when the processor seemed to be running at 100% or memory resourses were low, then the BT stack was the first to be closed.

I can only presume that the Dell may be exhibiting a similar kind of problem. Dell unfortunately have always had some sort of compatbility issues with GPS Cards (See SysOnChip). The old saying 'You get what you pay for' springs to mind. Not nice I know, but when you compare the features of the Dells to other well known makes you'll find the Dells a lot cheaper and possibly running many inferior components.

As much as I like the features of the X30i I still keep slapping my hand away from that BUY NOW button when I see it on the Dell website. And I'm fairly glad I've resisted thus far.

gbdoc2b · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 6

I really wish I knew what was wrong with the Dell GPS system. As I see it, there are two bugs:

1.) As you know, sometimes the BT card in the axim is not recognized and a soft reset is required for the axim to recognize that indeed there is a BT card in the handheld. Dell has no answer for this, except to recommend a soft reset.

2.) After starting the GPS software, there is an occasional unpairing of the handheld with its BT GPS receiver. This unpairing occurs both when I'm at home learning about the GPS navigation software or when I'm out driving. It comes on at odd times.
This second issue has actually been experienced by others. On a different message board, there is a thread that talks about this issue of unpairing. A reviewer of the Dell GPS system mentioned this unpairing.
Dell suggests magnetic interference, BT interference from other devices, and a weak GPS signal to the receiver as possible causes.

Dave, what is your opinion on just returning ONLY the Dell GPS receiver, and buying a Seidio wired receiver and its accompanying mount? I don't want to deal with this BT headache, but I know BT receivers are the hot item these days and I haven't heard much about wired receivers and how the axim x30 would handle them? Thanks.

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