Mobile Action i-gotU GT-200E GPS Data logger review

i-gotU is a GPS Device that can record the trace of your journey, auto-add GPS information on the photos taken on your journey, present it in 3rd dimension and export in multiple sharable file formats. i-gotU not only is compatible with all digital cameras & camera phones available in the market, providing you the coolest GPS tracking gadget while saving you extra expenses on other equipments

Forewords

I was greatly surprised to be contacted by Mobile Action.I would like to thank them for having send me a free sample for that review and of course, I encourage all companies around the world to do the same ;-))

Package content

The i-GotU GPS data logger includes the following items in the box:

• GPS Logger Cable works both as GT-200 / GT-200e / GT-120 built-in battery charger and data transfer medium for GT-200 / GT-200e / GT-120.
• @trip PC is an easy to use software tool to fast create and personalize the Travel Blog for your journey.
• Jelly case: Besides especially designed for broader appliances, both GPS Logger (USB) & GPS Logger (Bluetooth) also comes with a jelly case for easier wear or any other kind of attachment.
• GPS Logger Fastening Strap allows you to tie and fasten the GPS Logger anywhere for easier travel.

This is how the package look like

Presentation

The i-gotU 200E GPS measures 46  mm(L) x 41.5 mm(W) x 14mm (H) and fits easily in a coat pocket, purse, backpack.

The interface is minimal but sufficient for most operations:

• The blue LED indicator blinks once when you power it on,
• Both the red and blue indicators blink simultaneously twice when data are logged,
• Long press the button, and the red LED stays red until GPS Logger is powered off,
• The red LED blinks: twice / once when battery is low or memory full,
• The blue and red LED indicators blink in turn for 5 minutes during Bluetooth pairing mode

Top and rear view. the box is 46  mm(L) x 41.5 mm(W)

The i-gotU 200E is about 46 mm long and just under 14 mm thick.

The front of the i-gotU 200E has two LED (red and blue), used to indicate power, free memory status, Bluetooth pairing status.

The Fastening Strap, long enough to be fastened to a backpack, bicycle.

i-gotU 200E Features

• Small device that fits in the palm of your hand. Nothing else needed, just turn it on to record GPS data,
• Mapping for the entire world using the latest cutting edge 3D maps from Google Maps www.googlemap.com.
• Real-time location configurable depending if you are using a car, bicycle, boat and simple walking around,
• Auto-map your photos with GPS location information,
• Durable, lightweight, water-resistant housing which is highly appreciable if you are practicing outdoor photography or wildlife,
• Enhanced sensitivity for indoor and outdoor reporting thanks to the latest SIFR Star III GPS chipset.
  

  Specifications

   

  i-gotU 200E
  Dimension	46 x 41.5 x 14 mm
  Weight	37g
  Chipset	Built-in SiRF Star III low-power chipset
  Antenna	Built-in GPS patch antenna
  Battery	Built-in 750 mAh Lithium-ion battery
  LED indicators	Blue & Red
  Cold start	< 35 seconds
  Warm start	< 35 seconds
  Connection interface	USB 1.1 for PC connection;
  Bluetooth	V2.0 EDR Class 2 for PDA & mobile phones
  Operation temperature	-10 °C to + 50 °C
  Water-resistant	Yes

  Size comparisons

  Let’s compare the size of the i-gotU 200E with the i-gotU GT-120

  

  Front view	Side view	Top view

   

  GPS Chipset SiRFstar III

   

  

  From Wikipedia “The SiRFstarIII chip is distinguished from earlier SiRF chips and from GPS chipsets made by other manufacturers (Garmin or Trimble Inc for example), largely due to its ability to acquire and maintain a signal lock in urban or densely covered forest environments, and its faster time to first fix (TTFF), the time it takes for a GPS receiver to lock onto the satellite signals and determine the initial position. The enhanced abilities of the SiRFstarIII chips are made possible by several features:

  • A 20 channel receiver, which can process the signals of all visible GPS and WAAS satellites simultaneously.
  • The chip consumes 62 mW of power during continuous operation.
  • Receiver sensitivity of -159 dBm while tracking; GPS receivers based on this chipset have routinely performed better than receivers based on other chipsets. Reviewers have praised the SiRFstarIII chipset for its superior sensitivity and tracking capabilities.

    read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRFstar_III and http://www.sirf.com/

     

    Installation

    A windows universal installer which support all Mobile Action devices. Note this version only run on windows, Linux/Mac user will only enjoy basic functionalities (Screenshots) thanks to an open source project located at https://launchpad.net/igotu2gpx

    Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

    

    
    

    Usage Scenarios

    Geo tagging your pictures

    Make sure your digital camera time is correct, and the same as the on on the GT-200E, take both your camera and the GT-200E with you. When you’re back home, the software will be able, based on picture time, to insert GPS coordinates into EXIF metadata.

• EXIF is a standard (see specifications HERE), abbreviation for Exchangeable Image File Format, is a metadata format developed by the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA) that is closely associated with JPEG. Most camera users know that it contain some information like aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and flash use.

  The GPS metadata that are interesting us now are:

  GPS Version GPS Latitude Ref GPS Latitude GPS Longitude Ref GPS Longitude Altitude Ref	GPS Satellites GPS Status GPS Measurement Mode GPS Degree of Precision GPS Speed Ref GPS Speed	GPS Track Ref GPS Track GPS Image Direction Ref GPS Image Direction GPS Map Datum GPS Destination Latitude Ref
  GPS Altitude GPS Timestamp	GPS Destination Latitude GPS Destination Longitude Ref GPS Destination Longitude GPS Destination Bearing Ref GPS Destination Bearing GPS Destination Distance Ref	GPS Destination Distance GPS Processing Method Size GPS Area Information Size GPS Date Stamp GPS Differential

  But there is more Metadata

  EXIF Version Make Model Description MakerNote Size MakerNote Offset Color Space WhitePoint X WhitePoint Y Chromaticity Red(X) Chromaticity Red(Y) Chromaticity Green(X) Chromaticity Green(Y) Chromaticity Blue(X) Chromaticity Blue(Y) YCbCrCoefficient 1 YCbCrCoefficient 2 YCbCrCoefficient 3 Gamma Pixel Columns Pixel Rows Component Configuration Compressed Bits Per Pixel YCbCr Positioning User Comment User Comment Size Related Sound File Date Time Subsec Time Date Time Original Subsec Time Original Date Time Digitized Subsec Time Digitized Exposure Time

  Shutter Speed Aperture Brightness Value Exposure Bias Max Aperture Subject Distance Min (M) Subject Distance Max (M) Subject Distance (M) Metering Mode Light Source Temp Light Source Flash Fired Flash Mode Flash Return Flash Function Flash Red-eye Focal Length (mm) F Number Exposure Program Spectral Sensitivity ISO Speed OECF Size Flash Energy Spatial Frequency Response Size Focal Plane X Resolution Focal Plane Y Resolution Focal Plane Units Subject Area X Subject Area Y Subject Area X Center Subject Area Y Center Subject Area Diameter Subject Area Width Subject Area Height

  Subject X Location Subject Y Location Exposure Index Sensing Method File Source Scene Type CFA Pattern Size Photographer Copyright Editor Copyright Artist Orientation X Resolution Y Resolution Resolution Units Software Custom Rendered Exposure Mode White Balance Digital Zoom Ratio Focal Length 35mm Scene Capture Type Gain Control Contrast Saturation Sharpness Device Settings Size Subject Distance Range Image Unique ID InteropIndex InteropVersion InteropWidth InteropHeight

  For your info, You may also be able to add IPTC (comments metadata) data to most picture in Picasa/Windows Vista

  Headline Action Advised By-Line By-Line Title Caption/Abstract Category City Contact Copyright Notice Country/Primary Location Code Country/Primary Location Name Credit Date Created Digital Creation Date Digital Creation Time Editorial Update

  Edit Status Expiration Date Expiration Time Fixture Identifier History Image Orientation Image Type Keyword Language Identifier Location Code Location Name Object Attribute Object Cycle Object Name Object Type Original Transmission

  Reference Originating Program Program Version Province/State Reference Date Reference Number Reference Service Release Date Release Time Source Special Instructions Subject Reference SubLocation Supplemental Category Time Created Urgency Writer/Editor

  The software will add GPS data into each of your EXIF pictures. A nice feature also built in @trip PC is the ability to export your pictures to Flickr, Picasa and Google Earth/maps or to the Mobile Action online community @Trip

  Travel and Sport logging

  Depending on the kind of travel you are going to do, it is mandatory to connect the i-gotU  200E to an USB port for configuration

  

  Then you can based on profile usage, fine tune (manual mode) or not the tracking interval. It is basically setting how often you would like the GPS to record your position. Most of the time, you can use the following triggers:

  • Based on time, every X seconds, a new GPS point will be saved,
  • Based on speed, starting at speed X, a new GPS point will be saved,
  • Both of the above.

    The objective of all these settings is to avoid recording too many points, and as such flooding the internal memory with redundant positions. The graphical user interface is very intuitive, and quite pleasant to the eyes as seen in the screenshots below:

    Slow walking tracking mode

    
    Bicycle and scooter tracking mode
    
    Boat and car mode
    

    Your device is now ready, depending on the recording speed, you may use it up to 80 hours.

    Importing data back

    To import you data back in the software, just connect your i-Got-U 200E to your PC. The software will ask for a name and then display your travel path in Google Maps. Below is a screenshot of a travel from Zurich to St Gall by train.

    

    Export functions are just a click away

    

    You can easily export to

  • @trip online community server,
  • MHT a single file that contains an HTML page, pictures and JavaScript imitating the @Trip PC interface,
  • KML is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Maps for mobile.
  • KMZ are just zipped KML files.

    Presentation of portal @trip

    The community portal is located at http://www.a-trip.com/ and registration is free. It offer you a way to share your picture online along with your recorded GPS tracks.

    

     

    There is some tutorials online and an active forum

    Conclusions

    The i-gotU GT-200E is one of the most accurate tracking devices I’ve ever tested. The unit uses the same high-performance GPS receiver found in other SiRF’s 20-channel Star III receiver (Accurate to within about 5 meters).  The i-gotU GT-200E use SiRF’s high performance GPS receiver for enhanced positioning indoors where GPS signals cannot penetrate, and Google Maps/Earth is a powerful combination that let you appreciate the  devices accuracy, ease of use, and reporting capabilities. I consider the price also to be quite cheap. The device itself sells online for around (59€ or 89 CHF), money well spent if you have a serious need to track/geo tag your pictures, compare to other proprietary GPS solution from Nikon GP-1 (152€ or 229 CHF) or Canon 3rd party hardware.

    Pros

• The i-gotU GT-200E is a durable, lightweight, water-resistant tracking device that works spectacularly well both indoors and outdoors.
• Extremely accurate SiRF Star III 20-channel receiver,
• Works inside buildings, movie theaters, basements,
• Easy to use setup, applications and use of the web portal,
• Location reports can be viewed from any web browser with Internet access,
• Google Earth/Google Maps provide visually stunning location reports,
• Device can record location/altitude data every x seconds ,
• Small size, power up and forget,
• Water protective casing, a plus for any outdoor photographers,
• Self-contained, requires no installation,
• Huge memory storage: enough for 80 hours of recording or 262.000 points,One the easiest interface to geo tag your pictures (I did use RoboGEO in the past)
  

  Limitations

   

  • Proprietary USB power cable, better not loose it
  • Accuracy of battery life indicator (a blinking led)
  • An OLED screens would have been great to watch the internal status of memory or to switch from tracking point mode. But very few devices on the market are proposing such features anyway.

    Alternatives

    At this level of price versus functionalities, the choice is quite limited but you may want to consider other model from the same brand

    

    i-gotU GT-120 (39 € or 59 CHF)

     

    Where to buy?

    i-Got-U GT-200E  is manufactured by Mobile Action and available for purchase at various retail and online stores.