Bluetooth GPS Receiver for Blackberry

That said, not all BlackBerry PDA phones are compatible with all GPS receivers, so you have to shop carefully to ensure that the two components will work together in harmony. After all, what's the point of having two units that can't communicate properly with one another.

What Do I Need?

Let's talk briefly about how this arrangement will operate. The GPS receiver "talks" to your BlackBerry via Bluetooth. The receiver will typically have no display of its own and only acts as an antenna to grab the signal from GPS satellites orbiting the Earth. By connecting to several of these satellites, it is able to determine its relative location (coordinates), sending this information to the BlackBerry.

On the other side of the equation is your BlackBerry handheld. In addition to the GPS receiver itself, you will also need some software that will be able to translate the information provided by the GPS receiver into something you can actually use. This usually involves downloading applications and maps. It is up to the individual software package to provide you with directions, points of interest and all those other features that standalone GPS units come with -- such as those made by Garmin, Magellan and TomTom.

Generally speaking, any Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver will be compatible with a Bluetooth-enabled BlackBerry device in order to provide you with real-time maps and directions. However, one major hurdle that you will encounter is that several BlackBerry devices do not support the appropriate "type" of Bluetooth communication. More specifically, you want to ensure that it supports the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile. Check with Research in Motion (the manufacturers of BlackBerry), your local retailer or other support services to confirm this functionality.

Bluetooth GPS Receiver for BlackBerry

The latest and most popular GPS chipset used not only in Bluetooth receivers for cell phones and PDAs, but also in standalone and car-mounted navigation units is what is known as SiRFStar III, sometimes simply referred to as SiRF III. You can oftentimes find a cheaper deal on receivers with older technology, but for the minimal difference in price, you are probably better advised to get the newest technology.

This ensures that you receive the most accurate signal possible, the fastest response time, and the least amount of problems.

Here are three Bluetooth GPS receivers that you may want to consider pairing with your RIM BlackBerry device. This is in no way an endorsement of these products, but is rather simply designed to give you an idea of what is available in the marketplace.

• GlobalSat BT-359 Bluetooth GPS Receiver: Compact and easy to mount on a car's dashboard, this is one of the more affordable options out there. The BT-359 boasts SiRFStar III technology with low power draw, Bluetooth 2.0 for speedy data transfers and a built-in ceramic patch antenna.

• Seidio RBT-2110 Bluetooth GPS Receiver: Still compact but definitely not thin, this unit also has a SiRF Star III chipset, as well as 17 hours of continuous battery power, 3D captures in less than 60 seconds, and the ability to charge via a computer's USB port.

• Holux GPSlim 240 Bluetooth GPS Receiver: Slightly more expensive than the above two options, this is one of the smallest and slimmest available GPS receivers on the market. This means that it'll fit into the smallest of purses, the tiniest of glove compartments. They say that the GPSlim 240 "tracks up to 20 satellites at a time, re-acquires the satellite signal every one-tenth of a second and updates position data once a second."