Aokatec GPS Receiver AK-G2 on D600

I decided to move my message to its own thread so I didn't hijack the Aokatec D800 thread.

The AK-G2 has the connector that fits the D600.  I received mine today. Fit is very snug in the connector and this is a good thing.

Some have said the LED is very bright. If the LED starts to bug me I'll just cover it with a piece of tape.

Some quick iPhone pics:

My only con is the gap between the body of the GPS receiver and the camera. Because the AK-G2 mounts to the side of the D600, it's more susceptible to impacts and the gap will put torque on the connector and eventually damage it. But this is not a show stopper as I'll just add a piece of closed cell foam between the GPS and camera body to prevent torquing on the connector.

Otherwise, I have no complaints about the unit.  It's nice and small, satellite lock on is quick and I love having heading information. Plus the price was nice.

do you which one is for the d800 ??, neither amazon nor adorama has one that fits the d800

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Hatem Tawfik, MD Cairo Egypt http://www.pbase.com/hatem35/image/36141187.jpg

Aokatec AK-G2 is for the D800.



Wrong!!!!! the AK-G1 is the correct one for the D800!!!!

All of the Aokatec GPS receivers can be found at Semsons.com

Oops, typo.

Any battery drain to report?

Thank you again for posting your feedback - much appreciated.

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Thierry

On the D800E, I neglected to turn the AK-G1 to the "off position" for two days before I noticed it was still on, but the drain turned out to be a meager 1 bar. The unit itself sips juice at a trickle rate, and I can't see that changing simply due to the D600's interface. YMMV.

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design guy

Indeed I don't think it makes a difference between D800e and D600 since they share the same battery. Hence my question in a D600 thread although I have a D800e. In any case we have the same camera, so this is even better ! Thank you for your feedback. This is exactly what I am looking for.

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Thierry

I'd worry about impact with the gps unit.

The d800/d800e have known issues with the 10pin connector.

I personally have the cheap Micnova GPS and I rather have a 90 deg cable that sticks into the 10 pin.

I also do some running around so I worry the weight of the GPS (although light), will weaken the 10 pin.

Gary

the ideal design, would include these units directly inside the camera, or inside the MB- battery packs -- thereby justifying nikon's relatively high price points.

i own solmeta's two port extension cable, but I don't use it with this GPS as it tends to get snagged on objects or inside my camera bag. on the 10 pin port, the Aokatec has slipped off by itself at least three times last week -- which I'd prefer to applying tension and torque on the port itself. because of this, it's  important not to overlook the small lanyard at the bottom of the box, and use it to attach the GPS to your camera strap. JMO.

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design guy

glad to help. but as I wrote elsewhere, make sure you don't overlook the small lanyard at the bottom of the box and attach the unit to your camera strap (or camera strap rings).  this unit tends to pop-out and is fairly easy to lose.

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design guy

Could you please comment on the performance? In particular:

• Cold and warm start times?
• Location accuracy in difficult conditions such as an urban environment with tall buildings?
• Accuracy of the heading from the magnetic sensor?

* About 45sec and 1-2 sec, as expected of usual gps devices. In practical use, I just turn on the GPS when I take out the camera. So when I use the camera, it is allways a warm start.

* I have no experience is such enviroments

* The accuracy of the compass is so bad that the compass has no practical use. It is just a marketing gimmick.

Thanks for the response. The cold and warm start times look pretty good - I've seen far worse from some GPS devices. You mention that you switch the GPS on when you take out your camera, with the implication that you just leave it on after that. What's the effect on battery drain? (I ask because I currently have an AK-N90 -- one of the bluetooth units -- that seems to significantly increase battery drain.) Interesting that you found the compass to be useless - I saw similar comments on a different thread, but earlier in this thread someone mentioned that it was a useful feature.