Acore AG-600 Bluetooth GPS Receiver

Mature technology means consumers have more choices.

In the crowded field of Bluetooth GPS receivers you can already choose from nearly two dozen models.

Let’s see what sets the Acore AG-600 Bluetooth GPS apart from the others.

Is it endurance or performance?

Is it features or looks?

Or is it price?

If you want a combination of “All of the Above”, read the full review here.

Acore Technology in Taiwan has been producing a line of GPS mouse receivers for some time and is now bringing out their first Bluetooth model to cater for wireless GPS applications. The term “wireless” is a bit of an oxymoron as Bluetooth models still need to be charged on a regular basis, compared to a card GPS which have no dangling wires whatsoever. The AG-600 comes with a car charger as well as a wall adapter (110-240V). Plenty of “wires”…

The good news, of course, is that the time you can go without these wires is a very generous 8 or 9 hours. An honest day’s work!

Completing the goodies in the box are a CDROM with User Manual and a black case for carrying the unit.

Now, let’s have a close look at the receiver.

“Size is everything”, they say and the AG-600 needs to be a bit bigger than my “ancient” Emtac Bluetooth GPS receiver to accommodate its larger Lithium-Ion battery. In a further comparison with the Emtac, notice that the Acore is significantly thicker. The larger battery alone should not be the sole reason for the overall size.

The two-tone unit has a pleasant look with a distinctive, decorative V carved in the top panel. The standard three LEDs are quite visible. The rear of the unit houses, next to the On/Off switch, also a Pairing switch for initially setting up a partnership.

There is provision for an optional, external antenna via the MMCX jack on the right-hand side.

A couple of non-slip strips on the bottom should prevent the unit from sliding off most dashboards but mine must have been too slippery...

Setting up for the first time is very simple and the device can be paired quickly by pressing the Pairing switch briefly and entering the Pass Key (0000).

How does it perform in real life?

I have two criteria for assessing a GPS.

1. Does it do the job in my car?

2. And in my airplane?

None of the devices I have tested failed on that score. They all do the job.

Next, I will consider other criteria, such as endurance, ease of use, the VfM factor (Value for Money), etc. I’m not a stickler for examining and comparing every technical detail simply because most consumers are not interested in those aspects either.

So, how does the AG-600 score on the main points?

Yesterday, I had to do a scenic flight from Albany airport. I normally don’t even bother to have the GPS on for local flights but I wanted to check the accuracy of the Acore receiver.

I tested it with OziExplorerCE which provides me with an excellent moving map. The map I used is not strictly an aeronautical chart but more of a general purpose map. However, Ozie can easily handle all types of maps as I’ve demonstrated in an earlier review.

Lateral accuracy is excellent, vertical accuracy leaves something to be desired but that seems to be the case with all GPS receivers we have tested. Take a look at one of the screenshots which shows the aerodrome elevation at 167 feet yet it should be 230 for Albany.

In car accuracy is also quite sufficient. Don’t expect any miracles in marginal areas or away from direct view of the satellites or if only a portion of the sky with few satellites is visible.

My office window faces the southwestern hemisphere and in Australia – that’s bad news. Only a few sats at the best of times. There were long periods of No Fix which, of course, you would not have when you’re out in the open.

Battery life

The unit comes charged so the first thing is to go through a couple of cycles to test Acore’s endurance claim.

The first time I left it on overnight – without having paired it yet. Just wanted to drain the battery. I was pleasantly surprised to see it still blinking away the next morning after 10 hours! And that’s on the factory charge! This is starting to look good… What I also like is that the charger plug is of the iPAQ variety. Same size.

The first recharge seemed to take very long: over 5 hours before the LED became a solid green. However, the next discharge lasted nearly 13 hours!!

In normal use with bluetooth and GPS connected wirelessly to a PDA the endurance dropped to a respectable 9 hours plus.

Other Criteria

Sensitivity

The AG-600 claims high sensitivity, keeping a fix even when the antenna is not facing the sky. Yet, if I compare the Acore unit with my old Emtac Bluetooth receiver I find the latter more sensitive, being able to acquire and hold a fix better in marginal circumstances. With normal driving or flying this should not be an issue.

Price

 The MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) in USD or Euro is between the 200 and 230 mark. I’ve seen it advertised for higher so check for best pricing even though availability may be a problem as Acore is still actively seeking distributors in various parts of the world. You can order it straight from Taiwan and the banner at the end takes you to the Acore website.

Value

Together with the low price, the decent performance and excellent battery life, the Acore AG-600 is a good-looking and complete unit. With upgradeable firmware you should be able to get your money’s worth over the years.

Caution

There is a warning in the manual about not letting the GPS be exposed to temperatures of over 60 degrees Centigrade (140 F) because of the operating limitations of the Li-Ion battery which could explode. These limitations are pretty standard for this type of batteries but it is important here because these units tend to be left on the dashboards of cars and planes and the temperatures in a closed cabin or cockpit when parked, can rise dramatically.

And also, this is a tempting piece of gear and you don’t want to advertise too much that you’ve got the latest and greatest kit for grabs…

Features & Specs

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