Dell F6681 Handheld GPS Receiver
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- Form Factor: Handheld, Plug-in
- GPS Type: Handheld (Outdoor)
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Dell GPS Navigation System for Axim Handhelds
Pros
NAVTEQ Maps, Easy to Use, Notification before turns, Dual Power Cable
Cons
Fitting and transferring maps to handheld, User manual
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The DELL GPS receiver is a great compliment to the Axim handheld. It is accurate, easy to use, and does not take up much space.
Some Assembly Required
When I opened the box, I quickly saw several cables and realized some assembly was required. There is a one page quick start guide written in five languages, which was somewhat useful. Typical with most PDA (Handheld) systems, you first install the software on your PC and then transfer it to your PDA. The basic software installation was relatively easy by following the installation wizard. However, the installation process took several minutes to load all of the maps onto my PC. I almost canceled the process because it was taking so long, but I decided to be patient and it did finally finish.
Things to Consider
After loading the maps to my PC, I was ready to transfer them to my handheld. I quickly discovered that the size of the maps would exceed my 512 Mb SD storage card for my Axim. Some of the maps are very large, so you will want to store them on SD memory card. I was able to get about 5 states surrounding my locale on my memory card.
If you plan to take a trip across the United States, you may need to have more than one memory card. It also takes several minutes to transfer the maps from the PC onto the memory card. You will need some patience setting up the GPS system.
What I Liked
Once I plugged the GPS receiver into my minivan's power outlet and into my Dell Axim within a few seconds it was working. I found the software intuitive and easy to use. Even my wife who tends to avoid using my handheld was playing around with the navigation system.
First, I was impressed with the accuracy of the maps. The system appeared accurate to within a few (6-10) feet. It even showed my speed, which matched my speedometer exactly. I understand why they have a warning not to drive based on the system. In 3D mode, the maps almost turn the road ahead of you into a video game like mode. The NAVTEQ maps were very accurate and the directions were great.
The notification system is amazing when you have entered a destination. I was driving down the Interstate at 70 MPH and the system gave me a warning that my turn was coming up in plenty of time. It then began a countdown telling me how many feet before the turn. The view switched to show a close up view of what I would need to do in order to navigate the turn. It took me a couple of times to fully understand what it was doing, but once I figured it out it was awesome. I can't imagine missing a turn with this system.
Speaking of missing a turn, I did purposefully miss a turn to see what it would do. It quickly replotted a path to get me back on track. I played with the system quite a bit, deliberately getting off the defined path. About 90% of the time I was happy with the choices it made to get me back on the correct path. However, there was one time when it wanted me to go out of my way almost a mile (and I might add backtracking) when I could have proceeded straight about 800 feet and been right back on track. It did figure it out when I was within about 750 feet.
The dual power cable is a must. My Dell Axim was on solid for almost 4 hours during a trip, running in High Performance mode, and with a bright display so I could easily see it. There is no way the handheld could run on battery power for that long, so it must be plugged in. Not to mention the GPS receiver must be plugged in to work as well. The single cable plugs into your car's power outlet (cigarette lighter), and then splits into two cables. One cable goes to the GPS receiver and the other plugs into your Axim (using the standard synch connection). The best part, my Axim handheld was fully charged when we reached our destination.
Some more Facts & Info
The GPS Navigation system comes with a flexible arm that connects to your windshield using a suction cup system. It works very well and did not fall off. It was actually a little difficult to get it peeled off, when I was ready to take it down. On the other end of the flexible arm is a cradle that adjusts to fit your Axim. Two soft pads on either side allow you to get a snug fit, so the Axim will not easily fall out of the cradle. I actually had to use the release button to get my handheld out. I think this is pretty standard stuff, so I won't elaborate. It did its job and worked well.
Final Recommendation
If you own a Dell Axim and want a GPS Navigation system, this is an affordable solution that will likely meet your needs. The system is designed to work in a car, requiring power from the car in order to work. So this is not something you can use for hiking, biking, or as a personal GPS system that you carry on yourself.
This is a powerful little system in a small package. The maps do take up a little space, so you probably will want a decent size memory card to store some of the maps. The software, maps, cables, and hardware all appeared to be high quality. I was not sure what to expect, but the Dell GPS Navigation System easily exceeded my expectations.
When I opened the box, I quickly saw several cables and realized some assembly was required. There is a one page quick start guide written in five languages, which was somewhat useful. Typical with most PDA (Handheld) systems, you first install the software on your PC and then transfer it to your PDA. The basic software installation was relatively easy by following the installation wizard. However, the installation process took several minutes to load all of the maps onto my PC. I almost canceled the process because it was taking so long, but I decided to be patient and it did finally finish.
Things to Consider
After loading the maps to my PC, I was ready to transfer them to my handheld. I quickly discovered that the size of the maps would exceed my 512 Mb SD storage card for my Axim. Some of the maps are very large, so you will want to store them on SD memory card. I was able to get about 5 states surrounding my locale on my memory card.
If you plan to take a trip across the United States, you may need to have more than one memory card. It also takes several minutes to transfer the maps from the PC onto the memory card. You will need some patience setting up the GPS system.
What I Liked
Once I plugged the GPS receiver into my minivan's power outlet and into my Dell Axim within a few seconds it was working. I found the software intuitive and easy to use. Even my wife who tends to avoid using my handheld was playing around with the navigation system.
First, I was impressed with the accuracy of the maps. The system appeared accurate to within a few (6-10) feet. It even showed my speed, which matched my speedometer exactly. I understand why they have a warning not to drive based on the system. In 3D mode, the maps almost turn the road ahead of you into a video game like mode. The NAVTEQ maps were very accurate and the directions were great.
The notification system is amazing when you have entered a destination. I was driving down the Interstate at 70 MPH and the system gave me a warning that my turn was coming up in plenty of time. It then began a countdown telling me how many feet before the turn. The view switched to show a close up view of what I would need to do in order to navigate the turn. It took me a couple of times to fully understand what it was doing, but once I figured it out it was awesome. I can't imagine missing a turn with this system.
Speaking of missing a turn, I did purposefully miss a turn to see what it would do. It quickly replotted a path to get me back on track. I played with the system quite a bit, deliberately getting off the defined path. About 90% of the time I was happy with the choices it made to get me back on the correct path. However, there was one time when it wanted me to go out of my way almost a mile (and I might add backtracking) when I could have proceeded straight about 800 feet and been right back on track. It did figure it out when I was within about 750 feet.
The dual power cable is a must. My Dell Axim was on solid for almost 4 hours during a trip, running in High Performance mode, and with a bright display so I could easily see it. There is no way the handheld could run on battery power for that long, so it must be plugged in. Not to mention the GPS receiver must be plugged in to work as well. The single cable plugs into your car's power outlet (cigarette lighter), and then splits into two cables. One cable goes to the GPS receiver and the other plugs into your Axim (using the standard synch connection). The best part, my Axim handheld was fully charged when we reached our destination.
Some more Facts & Info
The GPS Navigation system comes with a flexible arm that connects to your windshield using a suction cup system. It works very well and did not fall off. It was actually a little difficult to get it peeled off, when I was ready to take it down. On the other end of the flexible arm is a cradle that adjusts to fit your Axim. Two soft pads on either side allow you to get a snug fit, so the Axim will not easily fall out of the cradle. I actually had to use the release button to get my handheld out. I think this is pretty standard stuff, so I won't elaborate. It did its job and worked well.
Final Recommendation
If you own a Dell Axim and want a GPS Navigation system, this is an affordable solution that will likely meet your needs. The system is designed to work in a car, requiring power from the car in order to work. So this is not something you can use for hiking, biking, or as a personal GPS system that you carry on yourself.
This is a powerful little system in a small package. The maps do take up a little space, so you probably will want a decent size memory card to store some of the maps. The software, maps, cables, and hardware all appeared to be high quality. I was not sure what to expect, but the Dell GPS Navigation System easily exceeded my expectations.
