GPS Receiver - USB or Bluetooth?

[ytt105]

My system uses a USB mouse type GPS into a laptop. All good until my receiver decided to go belly up.
Works sometimes, sometimes doesn't and when it does it can be accurate or out by 20 odd metres. So I need a new one.
Do I get another USB type of go for a Bluetooth.
I thought not having wires for the connection would be good, but then realised I'd still need to connect it for battery charging. Also can you put the Bluetooth type outside in the rain.
Pros and cons on both would be good.

[dennisS1]

When you drive a Land Rover that is what the giraffe windows are for, my receiver USB type sits inside under one of the giraffe windows (alpine lights) works fine no wires going out or rain etc.
Dennis

[foz.in.oz]

Check this place out GPSOZ - for all your GPS requirements. (http://www.gpsoz.com.au)

I'm sure they will be able to help.

[D3Jon]

When you drive a Land Rover that is what the giraffe windows are for, my receiver USB type sits inside under one of the giraffe windows (alpine lights) works fine no wires going out or rain etc.
Dennis

I never thought of that... that's a good tip, thanks Dennis!

[simonl8353]

I recently bought one of these (see pic)

brilliant thing, mag base sticks to roof, and very waterproof (drove over an hour 100km/h in a downpour with it still connected and working.

I use OziExplorer and found it very accurate.

good price too, $68

GlobalSat BU-353 USB GPS mouse receiver G-sat - eBay, GPS, Electronics. (end time 21-Apr-08 06:51:13 AEST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260229171939&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RCRX_Pr4_PcY_BIN_IT&refitem=250224570967&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&_trksid=p284.m183&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DS%252BI%26itu%3DUCI%2 52BSI%26otn%3D4)

good luck

[Xavie]

My bluetooth one came from jaycar. Sometimes it disconnects, actually a lot of the time it just seems to drop out. I have had this problem on both laptop and pda so it isn't 's problem as I thought the pda.

This is not just my experience, I have spoken to many people who g thorugh the same thing. The biggest issue with this is when you don't notice and your trying to log a track or make a route and you miss a few km's of it.

Xav

[nosliwedaw]

I recently bought one of these (see pic)

brilliant thing, mag base sticks to roof, and very waterproof (drove over an hour 100km/h in a downpour with it still connected and working.

I use OziExplorer and found it very accurate.

good price too, $68


I'll vote for the BU-353 as well. I have mine mounted under the dash in the freelander 2 and it is still very accurate and quick to aquire a signal.

I briefly thought about a Bluetooth one, but having to charge it or connect it to a power source kind of defeats the purpose of it being wireless.

[D3Jon]

I recently bought one of these (see pic)

brilliant thing, mag base sticks to roof, and very waterproof (drove over an hour 100km/h in a downpour with it still connected and working.

I use OziExplorer and found it very accurate.

good price too, $68

GlobalSat BU-353 USB GPS mouse receiver G-sat - eBay, GPS, Electronics. (end time 21-Apr-08 06:51:13 AEST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260229171939&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RCRX_Pr4_PcY_BIN_IT&refitem=250224570967&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&_trksid=p284.m183&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DS%252BI%26itu%3DUCI%2 52BSI%26otn%3D4)

good luck

I like the look of that! :) I'm currently using my Garmin Etrex Summit handheld which is a bit cumbersome and I need to remember to put batteries in it, etc.

I was wondering if this will work with the 2 Garmin software products I use (MapSource & nRoute) because I know that the Garmin software specifically looks for a Garmin device for it to work.

Is one of the protocols listed for this device Garmin specific?

I think I read about a patch / program that can be installed to fool the Garmin software to think it's still connected to the Garmin device even when it isn't, but I've not been able to find anything just yet.

Jon

[101RRS]

I have a laptop and gps mouse and works fine anywhere in the car.

Recently bought a Nokia Phone that is compatible with a Blue tooth GPS mouse. The blue tooth mouse also works well anywhere in the car or in the house and connects easily to both phone and computer. Batteries take 3 hours to charge and is advertised to run for 20hours and uses the same charger as the phone - no problem except that the battery only lasts about 8 hours and about four days after getting it the bluetooth side died but it still picks up the satellites. So I have a GPS reciever that cannot communicate to anything. They are cheap $50 so am getting another one that is also solar charging as well as power charging and is advertised to run for 30 hours between charges.

On a side issue a Bluetooth GPS will not connect to more than one appliance at a time - I was hoping it would talk to the phone and laptop in the car at the same time but it doesn't - only connects to the first one. I thought it might just broadcast trannsmit and not need two way comms with the phone or laptop but they are obviously talking to each other all the time when connected.

Garry

[loanrangie]

I use a both a wired serial mouse type and a bluetooth gps with my pda, the wired is good as its powered by the cigi socket and charges the pda as well, the bluetooth unit i just sit on the dash and get a very good signal with no drop outs and even after months of no use there is still plenty of charge - it has never gone flat during use. It uses a standard Nokia ph. size battery if it decides to die. I also have an external ariel for the BT unit so i can place it in a better location if i need to.

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Firstly, I wouldnt use Bluetooth - use wired connections - much more reliable.

Second, the Globalsat mouse receiver is excellent - I can confirm that. Also consider the MR-350 - made by the same people but designed to be mounted externally. The magnet base for the mouse version isnt much good for a Defender!!! The external ones are more waterproof and we have found them to be very durable and reliable.

[feral]

I run a wired USB mouse that slips between the dashboard and the windscreen. It has a LED that tells me if I have a signal or not and I can see this from the drivers seat.

My laptop and all its associated gear is hard wired and sits in the cargo area but to remove the laptop only takes about 1 min.

Not a bad setup.

[Ben]

The magnet base for the mouse version isnt much good for a Defender!!!

My BU-353 gets great reception on my bonnet hinge, the cable running through the front vent into the cabin.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=8048&d=1208438950

[D3Jon]

<snip>I like the look of that! :) <snip>

<snip>I was wondering if this will work with the 2 Garmin software products I use (MapSource & nRoute) because I know that the Garmin software specifically looks for a Garmin device for it to work. <snip>

Jon

In fact I liked the look of it so much that I just bought one, seems like a decent enough seller as well 'cos I asked him a question and he replied within the hour.

Although the seller couldn't tell me about compatability with Garmin software he said it could be returned if it didn't work with it. That's all a bit academic now as I've figured out how to get a non-Garmin GPS to talk to the Garmin software.

The Garmin software only reads GPS data in the Garmin format and will not read NMEA output which the majority of GPS's talk in. To get around this a free program is installed called GPSProxy which takes the NMEA data from the GPS and converts it to Garmin format. Another program called com0com then re-directs the data to another 'virtual" com port which you point your mapping sofware to.... oh bu@@er, as I type this I realise that GPSProxy is probably expecting the GPS to be connected to a COM port and not a USB port... Oh well, I'll have a play with it when it arrives.

At least it'll work with OziExplorer, although I hate that software, it seems to me to be totally overly complicated just for the sake of it.

EDIT: Quick update (this is work in progress :) ), looks like "GpsGate" is the answer to any problems I might encounter. Also lets more than one application use the GPS at the same time, so can run Ozi and nRoute at the same time off the one GPS - costs US$12.95.

Jon

[awabbit6]

I use a bluetooth GPS receiver with my PDA. I have it permanently wired through a 5V regulator under the dash so that the battery is always charged. I then have an antenna plugged into it that sits under the windscreen. The advantage to the bluetooth is that there is no need to plug anything in - just turn on the PDA and it connects. Secondly, it can be removed from the car with a fully charge battery and dropped in your pocket for a portable GPS, again without wires


Firstly, I wouldnt use Bluetooth - use wired connections - much more reliable.


Mine has never lost the bluetooth connection. The only time I have had problems have been software issues that would also cause USB problems.


To get around this a free program is installed called GPSProxy which takes the NMEA data from the GPS and converts it to Garmin format. Another program called com0com then re-directs the data to another 'virtual" com port which you point your mapping sofware to.... oh bu@@er, as I type this I realise that GPSProxy is probably expecting the GPS to be connected to a COM port and not a USB port... Oh well, I'll have a play with it when it arrives.


I just had a look at GPSProxy and while I don't have a USB port on my PDA, it looks to have the facility to connect to USB.

[loanrangie]

In fact I liked the look of it so much that I just bought one, seems like a decent enough seller as well 'cos I asked him a question and he replied within the hour.

Although the seller couldn't tell me about compatability with Garmin software he said it could be returned if it didn't work with it. That's all a bit academic now as I've figured out how to get a non-Garmin GPS to talk to the Garmin software.

The Garmin software only reads GPS data in the Garmin format and will not read NMEA output which the majority of GPS's talk in. To get around this a free program is installed called GPSProxy which takes the NMEA data from the GPS and converts it to Garmin format. Another program called com0com then re-directs the data to another 'virtual" com port which you point your mapping sofware to.... oh bu@@er, as I type this I realise that GPSProxy is probably expecting the GPS to be connected to a COM port and not a USB port... Oh well, I'll have a play with it when it arrives.

At least it'll work with OziExplorer, although I hate that software, it seems to me to be totally overly complicated just for the sake of it.

EDIT: Quick update (this is work in progress :) ), looks like "GpsGate" is the answer to any problems I might encounter. Also lets more than one application use the GPS at the same time, so can run Ozi and nRoute at the same time off the one GPS - costs US$12.95.

Jon

I tried gpsgate but didnt like, now use port splitter and find it works better for my app - and i found it on a t&rr*nt site.

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Garmin software will accept NMEA data streams on Com1 or Com2 when running on a PC. Com1 or Com2 can be a USB-Serial virtual port.

Good idea about the GPS on the bonnet hinge - hadnt thought of that.

[D3Jon]

I just had a look at GPSProxy and while I don't have a USB port on my PDA, it looks to have the facility to connect to USB.


I tried gpsgate but didnt like, now use port splitter and find it works better for my app - and i found it on a t&rr*nt site.


Garmin software will accept NMEA data streams on Com1 or Com2 when running on a PC. Com1 or Com2 can be a USB-Serial virtual port.

Thanks fella's.

[garryc]

In fact I liked the look of it so much that I just bought one, seems like a decent enough seller as well 'cos I asked him a question and he replied within the hour.

Although the seller couldn't tell me about compatability with Garmin software he said it could be returned if it didn't work with it. That's all a bit academic now as I've figured out how to get a non-Garmin GPS to talk to the Garmin software.

The Garmin software only reads GPS data in the Garmin format and will not read NMEA output which the majority of GPS's talk in. To get around this a free program is installed called GPSProxy which takes the NMEA data from the GPS and converts it to Garmin format. Another program called com0com then re-directs the data to another 'virtual" com port which you point your mapping sofware to.... oh bu@@er, as I type this I realise that GPSProxy is probably expecting the GPS to be connected to a COM port and not a USB port... Oh well, I'll have a play with it when it arrives.

At least it'll work with OziExplorer, although I hate that software, it seems to me to be totally overly complicated just for the sake of it.

EDIT: Quick update (this is work in progress :) ), looks like "GpsGate" is the answer to any problems I might encounter. Also lets more than one application use the GPS at the same time, so can run Ozi and nRoute at the same time off the one GPS - costs US$12.95.

Jon

I loaded nRoute and got a non Garmin USB GPS receiver and then discovered the Garmin problem. I loaded GPSproxy and com0com and it works from a USB port just fine. It doesn't care whether the the connection is USB or serial.

[D3Jon]

I loaded nRoute and got a non Garmin USB GPS receiver and then discovered the Garmin problem. I loaded GPSproxy and com0com and it works from a USB port just fine. It doesn't care whether the the connection is USB or serial.

That's good to know, cheers mate! :D