Holux M-241 GPS Receiver: Review
GPS is a technology of many faces. Once a GPS device is ready to pick up satellite signals, it can calculate your exact position anywhere on earth, except indoors. This is information can be used in a variety of ways as the Holux M-241 demonstrates. The Holux M-241 GPS receiver is only the size of an old-style film roll, but it provides three useful functions. It can save the route you have traveled and synchronize the location information with photos taken along the route. It can provide GPS positioning data for a navigation application on a mobile device, or it can be used as a speedometer and odometer.
The Holux M-241 looks very much like a roll of Kodak film. Remember the days when photos had to be taken to a lab? And you had to pay for being able to see your photos? Fortunately, it's history. Anyway, the M-241 is about the size of a film roll. The unit is not waterproof, but the two buttons are rubber-covered. The tiny screen displays large, readable characters. The display has a backlight, but you have to push the menu button to switch it on, which opens the menu as well.
The unit is powered by one AA size battery. We used rechargeable batteries without problems. Often, a dedicated GPS device is a problematic to carry because you have to hold it in the hand. The Holux M-241 has a small, but important feature – it comes with a lanyard. Excellent detail, because you can free your hands and let the GPS unit hang around the neck.
Let's take a closer look at all three main features of the product: track logging (geotagging), GPS receiver for mobile devices, and speedometer/odometer.
How Geotagging Works - with Any Digital Camera
With a GPS position tracker and a digital camera – also a camera phone will do – you can record your travel route. This is what you need to do:
1. Make sure the time on your camera is correct. The camera automatically records time in the header (EXIF) data of each image.
2. Switch on your GPS unit before you start snapping photos.
3. Take pictures on your camera as you normally do. Make sure the GPS device can receive satellite signals.
4. Copy pictures from your camera or phone to a PC.
5. Transfer the tracks recorded by the GPS unit to your PC. Use the included Holux PC software to mark the photos to their locations on the track.
6. Use an application, such as Google Earth to synchronize the track information and photos, and display them on a map.
1. Holux M-241 as a Track Recorder (Geotagging Device)
The tiny display is one of the best features of the Holux M-241. It took us only a few seconds to figure out how to turn on the recording mode and start saving track coordinates. The display is also helpful because you can make sure that the unit is receiving GPS signals.
The device itself worked really well as a track recorder. It was easy to use – push a button to start recording and push the same button to stop it. After finding GPS satellites, the M-241 kept itself locked into the signals. We posted our photos to the free Locr service that displayed the pictures on a shared map.
The sad thing with the Holux M-241 as a geotagging device is the included PC software and documentation. When you want to transfer the track data from the device to the PC and sync your photos with your travel route, you are on your own. You have to figure out how the oddly designed PC software works and how to upload your tracks and photos to Google Earth. Next time you do it, the process is easier, but still far, faraway from smooth. It requires medium-to-advanced computing skills. We uploaded our tracks and photos to Google Earth as an KML file.
2. Holux M-241 as an GPS Receiver for a Mobile Device
If you own a mobile phone where you can download maps and a navigation application, like Amaze GPS, Nokia Maps, or Wayfinder, but your phone came without GPS, you need an external receiver that can be connected to the phone via Bluetooth. That's exactly what the Holux M-241 can do for you – turn your phone into a satellite navigator.
After the M-241 received signals from GPS satellites, we could pair (or bond) our smartphone with the device. Tip: If your mobile phone is asking for a passcode or key when you are trying to connect to the M-241, the code is 0000 (four zeros). We couldn't find the information from the documentation. Anyhow, that's all there is to it. After pairing, it was easy and reliable to use the M-241 as the GPS receiver for a smartphone.
Because of its status display, shape, lanyard, and ease-of-use, we regard the Holux M-241 as one of the best Bluetooth GPS receivers for mobile devices we have tried out so far.
3. Holux M-241 as a Speedometer and Odometer
The device is small, shaped like a roll of film, which makes it is easy to hold in the hand while jogging or hiking. The product also comes with a lanyard for wearing it around the neck. This method allows for good GPS signal reception, but the unit tends to swing below the face.
Using the M-241 for measuring speed, distance and time was simple. We only had to push a button to rotate through the speed, distance, coordinates, and time displays.
Competitive products
Other solutions for recording geographic coordinates for use on map applications are, for instance, the ATP Photo Finder, Gisteq Photo Trackr, or the Qstarz Travel Recorder.
What we liked about the Holux M-241 GPS tracking device
- Reliable, easy-to-use GPS receiver that can provide location information to mobile phones via Bluetooth.
- The tiny display on the device was a welcomed feature for ease-of-use. It made it possible to know what was going on in the device, reducing frustration when unsure if GPS signals are being received.
- The device can be used for all of its three main functions (track recorder, GPS receiver, speedometer/odometer) simultaneously.
What we didn't like
- The PC software was nowhere near the level of a commercial product.
- Product documentation was scarce.
- Only trial-and-error method available for syncing tracks and photos and displaying them on Google Earth.
Value for the money: 4 out of 5
The Holux M-241 is a multipurpose GPS receiver. It can be used as a satellite navigator for map applications running on a mobile phone, as a GPS tracker for recording travel routes and syncing photos with location data, and as a simple, lightweight speedometer/odometer by cyclists, joggers, or hikers. Even if you purchase the product for only one purpose, it is good value, but three for the price of one is almost a bargain.
Nonetheless, it was painfully obvious that the PC software and overall documentation hadn't received enough attention during the product development phase. These shortcomings reduced our rating, totaling four out of five. Once we figured out how the track recorder worked with the PC software and with Google Earth, the Holux M-241 was an easy to use, reliable product. When we used it as a GPS receiver for our mobile phone via Bluetooth, the M-241 was one of the best we have tried.
If you can't find the product in your region, check out the Holux web page, or send an email message to customer service.
Holux M-241 key features and specifications:
- GPS receiver with three main functions. 1) GPS receiver for mobile devices that can run navigation applications, 2) track logger for saving location information to digital photos taken on any camera, 3) speedometer/odometer for cyclists, joggers, and hikers.
- MTK GPS receiver chip set.
- Built-in WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS Demodulator for accurate positioning.
- GPS coordinates saved in NMEA, KML (for Google Earth), or GPX format.
- Location tracker can store about 130 000 geographic coordinates with time information.
- Includes a PC application that can synchronize photos taken on a digital camera. (The camera has to record a time stamp into the image EXIF data).
- Tracks and photos can be transferred to Google Earth .
- LCD display in 128 x 32 pixel resolution (32 x 8.9 mm physical size). It can display geographical coordinates, speed, distance, and time. Background light.
- The device can be used as a GPS receiver for a mobile phone via Bluetooth.
- Bluetooth 1.2 wireless GPS data transfer.
- USB cable for transferring recorded tracks to a PC.
- Removable AA-size battery. Up to 12 hours of battery life. It is possible to use rechargeable or alkaline batteries. If you use rechargeable batteries, you have to use a separate charger for them.
- Dimensions length, width, depth: 73 x 30 x 28 mm.
Rate the product:
4.38 (8 votes)
blackhammer 09.11.2008 06:01
can I get this product in Germany?
editor AT avecmobile.com 21.11.2008 04:01
Holux has released a new software product that improves managing tracks recorded by the M-241 GPS logger. ezTour is a PC application that can display the tracks recorded by the M-241 and sync photos from a digital camera with the track. ezTour application can also save GPS coordinates into images and upload them to Flickr. It can upload tracks to Google Earth as well. You can download ezTour here, after you have paid USD 9.99 for it. Because the M-241 tracker didn't come with decent software package, it is good to see the new ezTour application is available, but those who already purchased the M-241 would appreciate they would get the software without extra cost.
Loggerfreund 07.02.2009 03:17
I'have payed $9,90 for the ezTour Software but didn't receive anything. No software, no product key, no email at all. They do not response to my emails. You should consider this, before you make a bank transfer. Was anyone beside me so foolish to gave them money? Matthias
Joe 01.03.2009 20:15
Have you received a product key yet?
Gustas 03.03.2009 08:12
So what getting product key? Is it possible to pay and get it?
Holux Marketing 20.10.2009 04:31 www.holux.com
Holux ezTour has been available for online purchase since 2008. Holux uses Paypal for its customers to purchase ezTour. Once a customer paid US$9.9, Holux will issue a product key for him to use ezTour. The customer will be directed to the ftp site to download the software. Occasionally there may be bandwidth issue for customers to download the software smoothly, but most of Holux’s customers received the product key without any problem. Rarely customers complained the service. If customers eventually do not get the product keys after payment, they can report the problem to Paypal. According to Paypal, you can open a dispute within 45 days of the date when you made the payment. If you are still unable to resolve the issue, you can escalate your dispute to a claim, which means PayPal will review the case and decide the outcome. If you do not escalate to a claim within 20 days of opening the dispute, Paypal will close the dispute. At this point Holux transaction history in Paypal shows no unsettled records for such dispute or claim.