PSP-290 vs GPSlim236

I would like to just post my review of the PSP-290 and the Holux GPSlim236. I have used both of these with the latest versions of MapThis. Please note i was using in a suburban area about 10 miles north of Detroit.
PSP-290
I used this with many different prx combos. I ended with the 2.71 3.03 combo on firmware 3.03OE-C at 111mhz.
While out side in optimal conditions i would get a fix in about 3 minutes. While in my car not moving it would take any where from 3-5 and that was if i even got a fix. signal strength would never be above 2 bars. I would often be shown about 20 feet away from my actual location. by this i meen instead of being on the road i was driving through houses. i assume this si from lack of signal strength. If i was lucky enough to get a signal and it were to drop from going under a bridge i most likely could not get another fix. All around it was pretty lousy. The only pros are no wires and it is small and shiny.

Hloux GPSlim236
Used my own DIY cable that was very easy to make useing a 1k resistor. Takes less then 40 seconds to fix in my house in my room which is dead center of my house. While outside it seems to fix just as fast. While moving in a car it can take a minute or more. Also it can be slow to get a full signal while moving. Usually a good stop at a red light is enough time for it to get full signal. Very accurate on location. only a slight lag in positioning. When i pass a street it is about 2 seconds behind. If signal drops under a bridge it reconnects very quickly. Battery last for about 8-10 hours or so. Charges quickly. The only con is if you are running around and constantly shutting on and off the unit, it will tend to lock up and not fix. I don't know if it is just my unit or all. It seems that you can turn it off then back on 1 time before this happens. if it does i had to let it sit for about 2 hours before it worked again.

All in all the psp-290 is just shiny plastic and unless you live out in the country i would not recommend it. You can get a GPSlim236/240 for $60/$80 respectively. I understand making the cable can be the #1 deterant from this unit but I plan on making a detailed pictured guide on making a cable. I hope this helps some of you make a decision on which to get. Also i plan on putting a cable auction up on ebay. that moby site seems pretty shady. although i hear everyon gets there cable i think more people would feel more secure being protected by ebay. my seller name is jpc1284 for keep a lookout for it.

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Originally Posted by jpc2

... I understand making the cable can be the #1 deterant from this unit but I plan on making a detailed pictured guide on making a cable. I hope this helps some of you make a decision on which to get. Also i plan on putting a cable auction up on ebay. that moby site seems pretty shady. although i hear everyon gets there cable i think more people would feel more secure being protected by ebay. my seller name is jpc1284 for keep a lookout for it.

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yeah the cable is the only thing tat stops me from buyin gpslim.. if u auction the cable would u send it to Australia?? LOL.. i think moby is sellin way too expensive for that cable..

ill ship world wide the only problem is the actual serial cable the cheapest i can find is like 12 bucks. usb cables are only like 2 dollars. so after shipping it still ends up being about $20 or so. if i could get the cables in bulk it might be cheaper but i cant find them any where in bulk. In fact if any one knows any where i can get them let me know.

I would have to disagree with the performance of the PSP-290. While my unit also takes a bit of time to get a fix and has a lower signal strength (nature of the unit), I have found that the accuracy is perfect and it reconnects very quickly after going under bridges, etc. I have used it driving around Hawaii (Oahu) and walking around downtown Osaka and Hiroshima (which I'm sure are a bit denser urban-wise than Detroit). There is no delay in position and I could maintain the signal in the car even when it was held away from the windshield. Unfortunately it doesn't work on trains at all, especially the Shinkansen, which is often passing through mountains. ;)

While it has some weaknesses, I would say that it is definitely more convenient than a serial unit and especially so when walking.

i am glad you had success with it. i did not have any success. plus since i don't use it while walking around having the serial is not a burden to me.

Thanks for the review. After reading a couple of post's it seems the psp 290 works well outside the US unless this is a factor.
http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=59024
Then again, if anyone can prove this theory.
Plus, I havent read how the units hold up in urban areas like NYC yet.

Also, to jpc2:

1. What is the number of sat dections you get on both units?

2. Were you using mapthis v4.99?

3. What is the difference between Hloux GPSlim236 and 240?

I'm using the PSP-290 and I am really pleased with the performance, its a bit crappy latching on the sats, takes about 4-6 mins (either driving around or staying still), but this is no different to a TomTom !

I am using my own PRXs (3.30 OE) and it works great.. Sometimes when it drops one sat and locks another it shows me off the road, but again thats no different to other GPS receivers.

I bought mine for about £30 from eBay.. bargain.

The only GPS unit I have ever used was a USB receiver for my laptop, and it has never taken more then 2-3 seconds to get a fix... Does a real TomTom really take that long to get a sat fix?

The best performance I've ever had with the 290 was a fix on 8 satellites with a total of 10 in view using the extension cable but I agree it's reception when next to the psp can be poor, it's something that I find really odd that sony wouldn't detect or try and fix such a fundamental problem, and seeing as the GPS unit and software have only been released in Japan I doubt we'll get an answer any time soon

My 240 is also most excellent in aquiring the lock and keeps it quite steadily. I do not use a 1K resistor. Making the cable is quite simple.

Actually, with extension cable, PSP-290 performance seems somewhat comparable with Holux units.
Creating a good cable is a bit tricky. I got pretty good results with a spring bar from an old watch belt, used as power connector...

i tihnk the biggest pluses with the GPSlim 240 are the internal battery and the built-in bluetooth.

the battery - even when it's disconnected from the PSP, the receiver still receives signal from satellites, making it easy to resume using MapThis even if you have to turn the PSP off for a few minutes, say while you grab coffee at starbucks. It's supposed to last about 10hours on its own...i haven't tried this though...the longest I've gone without recharging is about 5 hours or so.

bluetooth - I can use the GPSlim 240 with the PSP, my motorola SLVR L7, my Dell laptop running Vista and OS X. Google Earth Plus (for $20 a year) lets you use the GPSlim 240 as the receiver to give you real-time location. Did I mentioned that I can do these things all at the same time? (except running Vista or OS X, it's one or the other) The GPSlim 240 lets you use BOTH serial and bluetooth connections at the same time.

The down side is that I won't be able to play PSP games that use the GPS receiver, eh, I don't play that many games anyway. That and the fact that bluetooth is broadcasting all the time. If only there's a way to turn that off, then i think the battery life would really skyrocket.

I bought a cable from the first site that Deniska posted as selling premade cables. The thing fell apart yesterday, never even pulled on it or anything, plug part on the end kind of just separated itself from the rest of the cable, so I went to unplug it and the plug stayed in the psp and the cable went with my hand. I have the 236 and a 290, and the 236 blows the 290 away. It takes about 15 seconds to get like 7 fixes where I am. The 290, I sometimes wouldn't even get a fix, let alone 13 satellites compared to the 236. PLUS I put TomTom on my Tmobile MDA and use the 236's built in bluetooth to navigate if I'm not in the PSP mood.

zsc you can open up the Holux (void warranty maybe) and manually disconnect the bluetooth module. That improves batterylife.

My 290 works very well it takes a little to get a fix but i really dont care i just leave it on in the car for ten min and i get back and i have 10 sats sometimes with 8 fixes.....i live in s. fl where there is not much trees due to the hurricanes..but im buying a holux unit this week to test between the units....

On another note.....i find myself getting fixes faster in my car with siruis satellite radio....its very weird...everytime im in my suv with satellite radio i get almost full signal strength even with the psp on my seat...i can go under bridges and keep a signal and if i do lose signal the second i get back out of an obstruction it links again.....once again nice work guys the program is the sh*T.:thumbup: