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BlackBerry Maps has been released for all BlackBerry models, and LBS (Location-Based Services) are facing a continuous growth in quality and in number also.  GPS os BlackBerry doesn't come easy, so here are some tips for using it. Most users will use GPS in conjunction with BlackBerry Maps, and taking into account that paring the GPS puck with the proper GPS procedure is very important, when purchasing a BlackBerry you should think of choosing a device with internal GPS, like, for example, 7520 (although they are old and clunky), or maybe a Bluetooth GPS Receiver.

Using the GPS puck (Bluetooth GPS Receiver) paired with your BlackBerry should be easy if you follow these steps:

1. Turn on the GPS Receiver. It will take about 10 minutes for it to get the position and acquire satellites. There will also be some subsequent attempts for establishing the position, and they will take around 30 seconds to 1 minute until the GPS puck acclimatizes with the North American location (usually they are produces in Taiwan). I recommend setting up the puck outside, because large buildings can interfere with the GPS signal and you may get it distorted. If you connect this Bluetooth receiver when you are inside, where you don't have a clear view of the sky, it might make more difficult the process of finding a signal, and if it works pretty hard, if it makes a "warm search", you should pull out the battery and then pop it back.

2. From smartphone's menu, choose Set Up Bluetooth, and a dialog box will appear with "Please ensure your Bluetooth device is in pairing mode". After this, you should press OK and the phone will begin searching for Bluetooth devices in range. This usually takes up to 1 minute, but the average search lasts for 30 seconds.

3. After the search, the smartphone will list all the Bluetooth devices found within the range and you will have to choose the GPS Receiver from that list. The smartphone will ask you for a passkey. Because it is a first use, type in 0000 or 1234 (these are the most common passwords used), and after the password verification, the Bluetooth should be enabled and the device should be listed.

4. It is strange, but even if Bluetooth has been enabled on the smartphone, it is not turned on. This is one common problem for GPS receiver users, and it it somehow bad because BlackBerry Maps will tell you that the smartphone is paired with a device even when the Bluetooth is not turned on. For using BlackBerry Maps, you should make sure that your connection is on, and you can check this by selecting the icon in the main menu ( it is on when the text changes to "Turn Bluetooth Off" and the icon is highlighted)

5. Enter the BlackBerry Maps applications and go to Options from the menu. Select the GPS Device Option (which should display none), and then select "Change Option" in the menu. The device which you have just paired should be on the list. Select it and then click the TrackBall. The GPS Receiver should be highlighted as the main device. When you exit save the changes.

6.In the BlackBerry Maps menu select Start GPS and if the puck has acquired its position, on the map you should see a Chevron and it should rotate in the direction you are traveling. The screen will display also the bearing and your speed, as well the street you are on, if you zoomed in enough.

7. If you prefer North to be always up, you can set this up from the application's menu, but if you would like the map to rotate as you travel, select the "Track Up" option in the menu. You can also get additional information on the screen, like the time, battery and signal strength, the number of the satellites you receive information from or if you have any e-mails. This can be set up by pressing U on the QWERTY devices or Q on SureType devices. All this information will appear on the Title Bar. If you see that the number of the satellites is 0, it means that the GPS receiver hasn't locked onto the position.

8. Displaying the map on the entire screen is easy too and can be done by pressing space; this will switch the application from GPS mode to Map mode.

There are some applications specially designed for BlackBerry which focus on the geocaching feature. BasicGPS is one of these applications and it is very useful when you are driving a car and you want to know your location or the destination. It works on Windows Mobile (5 or 6) or on PDAs with GPS support. This application requires Microsoft Compact Framework 2.0, which can easily be downloaded from Internet.

Another interesting application is GPSLogger, which records your location on the BlackBerry, with elevation and speed included. It is able to guide you to a previously saved location, and this can be done using the "Guide me Home" feature. This application records your movement in time, displays the coordinates (with good accuracy for latitude and longitude), it shows you the number of satellites which position you and the altitude too, and the heading and speed are also provided. This application has a wide range of view modes available, like Path View, Speed View, Timing or Compass View or the Direction View mode.

Both applications presented here are freeware and they can easily be installed on your BlackBerry. You should know that there are a lot of GPS software applications, and all of them have more or less useful features, but the most important thing is to find one which offers you a high quality positioning and features which fir your needs.