PSP gets GPS accessories.

[vicaphit]

PSP just got the capabilities to navigate the world through GPS, but it is only availible in Japan so far.

Apperently you can still buy the reciever and ship it over, then use homebrew apps to get it to work in the us.

Wanted to let you PSP owners know this, just in case you were thinking about GPS purchases. The PSP GPS is said to be around $60.

[aloverof1]

but when does it com 2 the us

[bobletman]

wow i have a psp and I hate it. I only like PC games. but it looks like I finally have a use for it.

[ZhengHe]

I heard about this early and it's still really mind boggling. How can they afford to do this when the absolute cheapest GPS units on the market today are over 3x that much and normal unit well over 5x the price? I do have to wonder exactly how stripped own is the device though or how bulky?

[KnightRid]

I would be VERY surprised if this has voice direction capabilities. Also I would think you would have to download/buy maps for different sections of the globe since I do not think they could fit it all in the psp's memory. Maybe it would come with a 4gb or so memory card that holds all the map data, or I guess a UMD could hold it too. Just cant update a UMD, so you would still need memory sticks for updates

Mike

If it is more than the ones you can get for a laptop, I dont think it will sell very well. They are under $80, so it would have to be REAL cheap.

[vicaphit]

All you have to add is the GPS reciever because the screen is already there. GPS units are expensive because they have to include touch screens, software, etc.

Personally, for automotive GPS needs, a laptop is not ideal.

[hnzw_rui]

I imported the official PSP GPS receiver from Japan last year. You can buy the receiver with mapping software or by itself. I bought just the receiver and used it with the homebrew program Map This! I'm now an owner of a Magellan Maestro 3140.

My main complaint with the receiver is it's very slow at picking up satellite signal. The Maestro 3140 usually locks on to 5 or more satellites a few seconds after you turn it on. With the PSP receiver, it takes several minutes (sometimes around 15~30). It also suffers severely from interference from the PSP itself. Some people have taken to creating a custom USB extension cable or shielding the back of the PSP with aluminum to reduce interference.

The official Maplus software in Japan has voice direction. I'm just not sure if it also includes street names. Iirc, you can even purchase additional voices for 800 yen. From videos I've seen, the official Japanese Maplus software works pretty good.

If Sony releases a better receiver for the US (SiRFstar III based ones are pretty good), then GPS on the PSP would be a viable alternative to stand-alone GPS units for those who already own a PSP. Otherwise, it's kinda pointless to have one if it doesn't lock on to a signal until after you've arrived at your destination.

[KnightRid]

I imported the official PSP GPS receiver from Japan last year. You can buy the receiver with mapping software or by itself. I bought just the receiver and used it with the homebrew program Map This! I'm now an owner of a Magellan Maestro 3140.

My main complaint with the receiver is it's very slow at picking up satellite signal. The Maestro 3140 usually locks on to 5 or more satellites a few seconds after you turn it on. With the PSP receiver, it takes several minutes (sometimes around 15~30). It also suffers severely from interference from the PSP itself. Some people have taken to creating a custom USB extension cable or shielding the back of the PSP with aluminum to reduce interference.

The official Maplus software in Japan has voice direction. I'm just not sure if it also includes street names. Iirc, you can even purchase additional voices for 800 yen. From videos I've seen, the official Japanese Maplus software works pretty good.

If Sony releases a better receiver for the US (SiRFstar III based ones are pretty good), then GPS on the PSP would be a viable alternative to stand-alone GPS units for those who already own a PSP. Otherwise, it's kinda pointless to have one if it doesn't lock on to a signal until after you've arrived at your destination.

THANX!

Excellent and helpful little review!!!! I would have never guessed about interference or that it would take so long to aquire sat signals!

If it takes that long, it is VERY worthless!

I wonder if you leave it turned on 24/7 if it keeps the connections? Say you are going on a trip and want to use it, if you turn it on an hour before you leave and then leave it on the whole time in the car using an auto adapter for power, does it keep the sats or does it have to re-aquire them at certain intervals?

Mike

[hnzw_rui]

THANX!

Excellent and helpful little review!!!! I would have never guessed about interference or that it would take so long to aquire sat signals!

If it takes that long, it is VERY worthless!

I wonder if you leave it turned on 24/7 if it keeps the connections? Say you are going on a trip and want to use it, if you turn it on an hour before you leave and then leave it on the whole time in the car using an auto adapter for power, does it keep the sats or does it have to re-aquire them at certain intervals?

Mike

What I do to reduce interference is to underclock my PSP. I do turn it on before the trip but most of the time it still loses the signal anyway (e.g. when you bring it to a basement garage or passing through a tunnel or something). The length of time needed to acquire satellite signal depends mostly on your location. I live in a densely populated area with tall buildings everywhere so it's hard for me to get signal. As great as MapThis! is, it's also quite prone to hanging when left on for long periods of time. Since I just use the GPS receiver with homebrew, I have no way of knowing if it works better if used in conjunction with the official Sony mapping software. Oh well, I reckon we'll see plenty of reviews once Sony finally releases it for the US.

A comment about MapThis! - even without a GPS receiver, it's still a nifty program to have on your PSP. We got lost once, and I forgot the Thomas Guide in the other car. MapThis! saved the day. Maps do take a bit of space since they're images downloaded from Google maps (or Yahoo or Microsoft, whatever floats your boat). I have a dedicated 1GB stick for MapThis! with a couple of emulators and ebooks thrown in to keep me occupied when I'm too lazy to switch memory sticks.

[KnightRid]

I might have to look for Mapthis! for the psp! Would be nicer than taking my laptop everywhere for mapping software ;)

Thanx for the tips!

Mike

[hnzw_rui]

Just a warning, MapThis! doesn't have routing capabilities yet. You need to save routes downloaded from Google or Yahoo or something via a program (GMDL) and copy them over to your memory stick before your trip - meaning if you miss a turn, that's just too bad. As a replacement to Thomas Guide, it works pretty well. Text entry is a pain as always, but once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad.

[vicaphit]

glad I didn't wait for this instead of buying a standalone GPS. Doesn't sound like this is going to be a good GPS unless the US version is much better.