GPS antenna

[Laura Duchesne]

Thinking of getting a little GPS antenna that will hook up to the laptop so I can use Streets and Trips to track... does anyone have any recommendations on which brand, make or model I should look for? Never purchased a GPS before in my life, so any help would be great lol.

 

[Jerry Funfsinn]

I've used the "hockey puck" that came with my Delorme software for a number of years. I changed to the Holux GM210 that came with a wxworx unit because it was waterproof and I could roof mount and not run into the problems with reception when rain interfered with the Delorme unit on the dashboard. This year I finally changed to a GlobalSat BU-353 because I can use GPSgate and run Grl3/spotternetwork/Delorme all on the same unit and its waterproof. I had no problems with the unit and it has the fastest fix time of any I've used.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I'll second the Holux brand. I have a Holux 236 I believe. I have it the back of my van by the rear seat drink holders and it gets solid signal reception, even when driving through stuff like parking garages. It connects wirelessly via bluetooth to my laptop and is powered by the van's rear DC outlet. I never considered getting an external antenna. It works great with GPSGate and multiple applications as well.

 

[John Erwin]

Thinking of getting a little GPS antenna that will hook up to the laptop so I can use Streets and Trips to track... does anyone have any recommendations on which brand, make or model I should look for? Never purchased a GPS before in my life, so any help would be great lol.

Not sure if you have Streets and Trips yet Laura; I recently picked up 2008 with the GPS unit included on sale. The GPS unit is small and locks on very quick (Pharos GPS-500).

I've also used a Holux before (although it was an older model) and was happy with it. You can read up on the Holux here (I buy from these guys all the time too):

http://www.durhamradio.com/holux-gr213-usb-gps.html

 

[Tony Perkins]

I second the antenna-less recommendations. I've had a USB wired Delorme puck and a wireless Holux 236 and both work fine as long as they are in a window. Both work sitting on my front or rear dashes. The only reason to have an antenna would be if you need to stash it under a seat or if wires are a concern. With the Holux, it will last about 6 hours on a charge. I'd actually recommend a USB one if you don't mind the wired connection to the laptop, because it's one less thing (bluetooth) that you have to worry about dying unexpectedly, and it's easier to get working with GPSGate that way. The Holux will also let you connect via USB.

 

[Jerry Prsha]

Thinking of getting a little GPS antenna that will hook up to the laptop so I can use Streets and Trips to track... does anyone have any recommendations on which brand, make or model I should look for? Never purchased a GPS before in my life, so any help would be great lol.

Laura,

I know this response is a bit unsolicited but anytime anyone asks GPS Questions in regards to chasing, I always bring up Garmin's Topo Maps. Map software is great on most platforms but really doesn't list most of the roads we use while chasing nor provides the detail. There's SO MANY roads in the middle of nowhere and just the simple detail a GPS provides leaves you guessing. Topographic maps list EVERYTHING including water sources and things to avoid.

It's not cheap but if you get a copy of nRoute plus Topo maps, it's a wonderful combination to let you ferret down to your exact position.

The only drawback is that Garmin's GPS sends a proprietary format that can't be used by other software without something like GPS Gate or other data splitting software that you'll need anyway.

If you go to Garmin's site, you can see the detail for yourself...

 

[Jesse Risley]

I've actually purchased and plan to install one of these antennas:

http://www.wpsantennas.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=528

It's a multi-band antenna that allows you to have an external GPS and cell or wireless antenna in one package. Our business is going to start marketing these for public safety use. If anyone's interested I can sell these for $120.00 plus S&H. There are two coax leads: one for GPS and one for cell or wireless applications:

CON: This model requires a permanent mount on your vehicle. You would also need an adapter for your cell phone or wireless card.

These can be purchased at cheaper prices. Antennex antennas are rugged and durable.

This antenna would only require the purchase of an additional small NMO magnetic mount: http://www.wpsantennas.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=527

 

[Laura Duchesne]

Thanks for the responses guys. How do you find the Streets and Trips GPS works?

Topo maps also sound like a great idea, I was navigating us around a storm in western NE this year and we saw a wall cloud. I wanted to get us to it, and Streets and trips showed a road that went toward it, but it turned out it was just a small cattle road lol.

My main issue is money unfortunately, so I think I may look into the Streets and Trips GPS bundle.