USB GPS Receiver

mattims · Post by **mattims** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:17 am

I'm looking to buy a USB GPS receiver, to use with my carPC. So i only need a receiver i dont need a screen or anything on the GPS.

Only problem.. i know nothing at all about what sort of GPS's i want and local places seem to only be able to give me advice about the units with a screen and everything.

Does anyone have any experience with these and what sort would be good. I want to use it for SatNav in my car and possibly boating too.

A quick search of ebay shows a Sirf III chipset with 20 channels and a MTK chipset with 32 channels. Are these reasonable units, they only cost around $100 so i was thinking of just buying one and seeing. But if anyone knows that'd be great.

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:46 pm

you want a sirf 3

globalsat BU-353 works wonders.

the www.gpsaustralia.net store carries them, as does electronic frontiers out of NZ. Last one i bought came from NZ for about $135 delivered

http://www.efrontier.co.nz/

direct linkage:
http://www.efrontier.co.nz/estore/produ ... cts_id=113

thats the BU-353 - best receiver i have ever played with

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:37 pm

I have a holux gpslim 236 I bought off ebay, I use it's bluetooth connection to my pda but I read use can use a special usb cable to hook up to a computer, a normal usb cable will only charge the unit. It also has a connection for an external antenna, but it works well enough in the centre console or on the dashboard. I find it pretty good though I may have bought a dodgee one sometimes it takes up to 10mins to get a fix, other times about 20 seconds, there was a few made awhile ago which have this problem but they have fixed it now.

Another thing ive read is you can run a pda emulator so you get tomtom and destinator running on pc/notebook.

mattims · Post by **mattims** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:14 pm

i bought a BU-353.. found one for $95.. thanks for the advice .. now i can blame you if it doesn't work .. just jokes.

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:15 pm

it will work - you should see where mine is in my car and still getting 10sat locks

a tip: install the drivers before you plug the gps in

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:31 pm

Fess up Dane, where is it?

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:46 pm

coiled up amongst a mess of USB cables in my glove box. probably upside down, dont really know

it gets 10 sats like this through the metal plate in the dash and everything