With all the hype surrounding Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, & the soon to be released Palm Pre; it is easy to forget about the smartphone that started it all: the BlackBerry. Trapster is currently utilized by over 200,000 BlackBerry users Worldwide & that number is rapidly growing daily.

However, with millions of BlackBerry users driving the streets without properly being warned of oncoming speed traps, we thought we would make it easy for you by creating a step-by-step guide on how to install and use Trapster on on your trusty pocket pal.

1. Download Trapster for BlackBerry

To download Trapster v3.1.0 to your BlackBerry use the following instructions:

Open your BlackBerry Web browser, choose “Go to…”, and enter “trapster.com”. The correct download link will automatically show. Click on it and the download will start.

Important notes for users with the new Verizon BlackBerry Storm (9500/9530)
- Do not use Compatibility Mode. Trapster is a native Storm app. If the keyboard won’t go away you are in compatibility mode.
- This does use the internal GPS, you don’t need a Bluetooth puck
- Depress the screen for menus but just touch for map actions
- Volume up/down hardware keys control zoom in/out.
- Known issue: Alerts are too quiet. The next version of Storm OS firmware from Verizon will fix this issue.

Tip: For the brave at heart, a pre-release of the new Storm firmware fixes this audio issue! It was posted by our friends at Crackberry here. Try at your own risk!

2. Installation and Setup

Now that you’ve started the download process, allow the program to install, and then exit the BlackBerry browser.

Look for the Trapster police car icon in the home screen, the Applications folder, or the Downloads folder. Click on it.

If you are not already a Trapster user, choose Signup and enter the required information.

You must enter your correct mobile phone number and carrier to get the confirmation code via text message. When the confirmation code arrives, you will need to open the text messaging app on your BlackBerry to see the message.

To do this, press the menu button and then choose Switch Application and the home screen icon. You should now see the home screen where you can open the text message. Once you get the confirmation code, use Switch Application again and choose the Trapster icon.

Then enter the code here:

If you do not receive the confirmation code text message, you must confirm your account using the code or the link that comes in your confirmation e-mail. If you are already a registered Trapster member, you can log in using your user name (not e-mail address) and password. Forgot your username? If you are already logged in to this Web site, your Trapster username is listed above the blue account links box to the right on this page.

3. Determining Your Location

You can receive spoken alerts, and report trap locations, only after Trapster determines your current GPS location. You will see a “Searching for Location…” message on the map until your location has been determined. You may also notice that the initial location shown is Rancho Santa Fe (and more specifically, our favorite restaurant, Delicias).

Note: If you are reading this Web page on your computer, you are likely indoors. GPS requires a clear view of the sky. Go outside!

If you see something like the image below it means that Trapster has found your current GPS location, but is still loading the map. If you have a poor connection, loading the map can take some time:

After the map loads, you should see something like this:

If your BlackBerry cannot find your location, please see the notes related to GPS troubleshooting in the FAQs page.

4. Speed Traps

If there are traps near your current location, they will appear as icons on the map.

See the help page on Trapster.com for an explanation of what the various trap icons, colors, and types mean.

You can click the icons, and then the “i” to get more information about each trap, such as the confidence level, who reported it, and when it was last reported:

Use the trackball to click icons on phones with a physical keyboard. Touch the icon to click it on touchscreen phones such as the Storm. On the Storm you do not need to depress the screen to select an icon within Trapster. You do need to depress the screen to execute menu operations.

5. Reporting Traps

For devices with physical keyboards, you can report traps at your current GPS location using the shortcut keys. We’ve included a cheat-sheet at the bottom of this page, but it’s also available in the Help menu accessible from the Trapster app.

On the Storm use the trap bar at the top of the screen. When you report a trap, a large icon will appear at the center of the screen.

If the correct trap location is not exactly at your current GPS location, you can pinpoint the position of the trap using the trackball and the map, or by dragging the map on the Storm:

Please try to be as accurate as possible when entering traps. The accuracy of the data is only as good as you, the community, make it.

After pinpointing a trap at the correct location, confirm it by clicking the green checkbox:

6. Rate Traps

You can rate traps entered by other users as follows. Click on the trap icon, and then select either the green thumbs up (if you agree there is a valid trap of this type at the marked location), or the red thumbs down (if you do not agree).

Annoyed by too many false traps in your area? Vote no!

7. Accidental Traps

If you accidentally enter an incorrect trap, you can delete it. Click on the incorrect trap, and then select the blue “i” and choose “Delete” from the menu. You cannot delete a trap that was entered by or rated by another user.

8. Spoken Alerts

There are seven types of spoken alerts supported by this version of the mobile application:

• live police
• red light camera
• fixed speed camera
• usual police hiding place
• combo camera
• mobile speed camera
• checkpoint

For each type of alert, a corresponding audio file will play.

You can customize your alert radius, audio, and other preferences using the Settings menu on the mobile. You can also configure more advanced settings such as Trusted Groups and various trap type alerts on Trapster.com.

9. More Tips

Plug your car charger into your phone while running these apps (GPS consumes battery life)!

If your BlackBerry does not have internal GPS, or if you have a Verizon BlackBerry (you don’t need this with the Storm), you will need to purchase an external Bluetooth GPS accessory to use Trapster. Even if your phone does have GPS, you may want to consider the external Bluetooth accessory. We find that the external accessories get a better signal than the internal GPS, are much faster to acquire a GPS fix, and have much longer battery life.

Since there is no keyboard on the Storm, an on-screen pop-up menu replaces items 1-7, Find me is the icon in the lower left, and acknowledge is the icon in the lower right. Use either the +/- icons, or the volume up/down hardware button on the side of the phone to zoom in/out.

For BlackBerry’s on Verizon (except the Storm), you will need to purchase an external Bluetooth GPS accessory, even if your BlackBerry already has internal GPS, and even if you already have Verizon Navigator working. If the message on the map is stuck on “Searching for Location” and shows you in California, this is likely the issue. See our FAQs for more information.

10. Shortcut Keys

• # zoom in
• * zoom out
• On touch screen phones use the volume +/- keys for zoom in/out
• 1 – Report live police trap (police on location right now with laser/radar or visual observation)
• 2 – Report red light camera
• 3 – Report speed camera
• 4 – Report usual police hiding place (typical speed trap location, but police officer not currently there)
• 5 – Report combo camera
• 6 – Report mobile speed camera
• 7 – Report checkpoint
• 0 – Find Me, re-center map on GPS position
• 9 – Acknowledge current alerts (alerts will stop playing until a new trap is encountered)