There should be a way

[lebanon]

I installed my Tab A tablet on a floor mounted Tablet holder between the passenger seat and the cubby box, the drawback is that the tablet hardly has any satellite lock while using the built in GPS chipset. Since I have my mobile phone positioned behind the windshield and has a good GPS reception, I was thinking of using it as a GPS remote receiver to feed the tablet with GPS data.

Is there a way of connecting both devices via bluetooth? I have tried using different apps (GPS over BT, Bluetooth GPS, GPS to Bluetooth,...) to no success. Can tethering be the answer?

[trout1105]

I sometimes use my laptop as a GPS and because of its size it sits on the passenger seat and i use a GPS "Dongle" on the dash hooked up to the laptop via USB.
The "Dongle" wasn't that expensive and it would be a lot easier to use that mucking about with bluetooth[thumbsupbig]

[AK83]

... between the passenger seat and the cubby box, the drawback is that the tablet hardly has any satellite lock while using the built in GPS chipset. ....

So obviously the location is the issue(as you'd expect), but weird that it doesn't stay locked once it locates satellites tho.
I have a Tab7 from many moons ago(about '09 or so), and while it's in my study, with hardly any sky to see(small windows, only facing south, and low roofline) it does take it's sweet time getting satellites to lock, but once locked, it never loses lock.

Anyhow: on the topic of external GPS.
I've never had luck getting one smart device to use another smart devices GPS via tethering. I think there are hacks to do it, but all of them involve rooting an Android device .. too much work for me with no gain.

But what I have done. One of my GPS devices is a Holux GPS logger(M-1200E to be exact), I mainly use it for my camera for position data loaded into my photos.
I have set it to work with my Tab7 before via bluetooth.
Specifics are: Holux M-1200E, Galaxy Tab7, OziExplorer with the settings in Ozi to use the Holux M-1200E instead of the internal GPS.
I've never seen other GPS/mapping apps allow the ability to use an external device on Android(but I haven't really looked hard either!)

Current problem using Ozi v1.29 tho is that it just don't want to connect to the Holux at all for some reason now [bighmmm]
I have had it running previously, and back in the old days pre smart phones/devices, I used to do similarly when I had OziCE on a PDA.

There is an app called 'Bleutooth GPS' that I use to confirm that the Holux is connected(which it is), but the issue now with Ozi must be Ozi(v1.29) .. and not the tethering process.
Bt GPS confirms that the Holux is connected, and acquired GPSs, and hence a fix, and I can log it's NMEA output .. so ATM, I have no idea why Ozi refuses to use the Holux GPS data.

[Dorian]

x2 for the dongle.
I use a bad elf, with connection for up to 24 satellites and it uses the Russian system as well as the yanks stuff the accuracy far out does the phones GPS system
Cheers Glen

[AK83]

Doh! of course .. I can be a total idiot sometimes!
Delete my comments re: Ozi can't connect to the Bt GPS device [bighmmm]

Why it couldn't connect just before was because I had the GPS data stream connected to the Bluetooth GPS app, so the GPS dongle data stream is not 'multicast'(that is to all programs) .. and only single cast stream(that is only one app at a time can use the Bt GPS data)

I disconnected the GPS from Bluetooth GPS app, closed that process down, and then re run Ozi .. and of course it connected to the Holux GPS instantly!

.. my bad <insert embarrassed emoji here!>

I'll have a quick squizz again if I can do similarly with Ozi/Bt/Phone-Tablet too.
But I think the overall solution you seek may be dependent on what software you're using and currently running too!

[lebanon]

That's a good option when using a laptop because of the multiple USB ports it has, with a tablet it has a single USB port that is used for charging the unit.



I sometimes use my laptop as a GPS and because of its size it sits on the passenger seat and i use a GPS "Dongle" on the dash hooked up to the laptop via USB.
The "Dongle" wasn't that expensive and it would be a lot easier to use that mucking about with bluetooth[thumbsupbig]

[lebanon]

Great info in your reply,




So obviously the location is the issue(as you'd expect), but weird that it doesn't stay locked once it locates satellites tho.


I have a Tab7 from many moons ago(about '09 or so), and while it's in my study, with hardly any sky to see(small windows, only facing south, and low roofline) it does take it's sweet time getting satellites to lock, but once locked, it never loses lock.
With the geographic configuration we have (deep gorges between high mountain ridges and the small windsheild of the Defender, the internal GPS strugles to find a Lock.

Anyhow: on the topic of external GPS.

I've never had luck getting one smart device to use another smart devices GPS via tethering. I think there are hacks to do it, but all of them involve rooting an Android device .. too much work for me with no gain.
So basically the smart devices aren't that smart after all. :)

But what I have done. One of my GPS devices is a Holux GPS logger(M-1200E to be exact), I mainly use it for my camera for position data loaded into my photos.
I have set it to work with my Tab7 before via bluetooth.

Specifics are: Holux M-1200E, Galaxy Tab7, OziExplorer with the settings in Ozi to use the Holux M-1200E instead of the internal GPS.
I've never seen other GPS/mapping apps allow the ability to use an external device on Android(but I haven't really looked hard either!)
That is a crucial information, the App should be set to use an external device, I normally use Here set to offline, but this applications doesn't offer any flexibility in setting the APP as does OziExplorer.
Current problem using Ozi v1.29 tho is that it just don't want to connect to the Holux at all for some reason now [bighmmm]
I have had it running previously, and back in the old days pre smart phones/devices, I used to do similarly when I had OziCE on a PDA.


There is an app called 'Bleutooth GPS' that I use to confirm that the Holux is connected(which it is), but the issue now with Ozi must be Ozi(v1.29) .. and not the tethering process.
I was able to make the link between the phone using "GPS over BT" and the Tab A using "Bluetooth GPS", data exchange was established, I could monitor it on the the apps main page showing position datum. Yt "here wasn't able to take advantage of it.

Bt GPS confirms that the Holux is connected, and acquired GPSs, and hence a fix, and I can log it's NMEA output .. so ATM, I have no idea why Ozi refuses to use the Holux GPS data.

[AK83]

Haven't heard of Here .. had a quick peek and found "Here .. we go" is that the one?

All apps probably just assume the std config for the smart device .. so assume that the smart device's internal GPS will be used.
If the app doesn't have an option to use anything other than the internal GPS, then I reckon it'll be an uphill battle.

Next time I got some free time, I'll see if Ozi will work with the smartphone as the 'Bt GPS device(instead of the data logger unit).
Never used GPS over Bt, but will have a go with that.

[Dorian]

My understanding with the GPS position is that the app for the unit you are using replaces the GPS info from the phone tablet.

So if your using (in my case) Hema, Navonics, iSailor, these all look at the GPS posn generated by the tablet and from my experience there is no option to change where these apps look for position.

When you use a GPS dongle, the app for that dongle, overwrites the Table / phone GPS position, as this should be more accurate. This saves you from having to redirect several apps to use the dongle instead of the tablet "Posn".

So back to the original question. I think that you'd have to develop an app on the tablet to take the position of the phone and place this in the position for the tablet. I do know that when you "personal hotspot" an Ipad without a sim card, that the Ipad will use the GPS posn of the phone. I wonder if you can turn of the GPS positioning in your tablet off, whether or not that would force the tablet to use the phone position.

Cheers Glen

[DeanoH]

Or just get one of these :)

RA50 re-radiating antenna — GPSOZ (https://shop.gpsoz.com.au/collections/accessories/products/ra50-re-radiating-antenna)

Deano :)

[AK83]

I thought a re-radiating antenna may help the OP with the problem they have, but you also need to be aware of some limitations they have.
That is, namely that the 'GPS' receiver in the device may not simply use just the GPS(ie. US satellite system) but as they noted it also uses GLONASS(Russian system) too.

Some re radiating antennas are only set up to listen only for the GPS system, and not the GLONASS and GALLILEO systems all in unison.
Spec sheets need to be read on what the re radiating antenna can do.

But I reckon a re radiating antenna is probably the way forward on the OPs issue.

[lebanon]

Yes that's the app, a great one for on - road trips with voice turn by turn direction. Got a couple of issues with it when travelling abroad. But still one of the best.




Haven't heard of Here .. had a quick peek and found "Here .. we go" is that the one?

All apps probably just assume the std config for the smart device .. so assume that the smart device's internal GPS will be used.
If the app doesn't have an option to use anything other than the internal GPS, then I reckon it'll be an uphill battle.

Next time I got some free time, I'll see if Ozi will work with the smartphone as the 'Bt GPS device(instead of the data logger unit).
Never used GPS over Bt, but will have a go with that.