Ready to buy GPS

[Walt VanRheen]

I am ready to buy a USB gps. There are so many out there. Some boasting 20channels, others only 12. All have their specs full of unknown acronyms. What should I be looking for?

Price is not a factor, provided I am truly getting a benefit (ie. accuracy, speed, sensitivity) for a more expensive unit or is that all really necessary.

I plan to use one or more of the wx software and probably some position reporting software/service as well, all via GPSgate on my Vista32 laptop.

I am sure others are pondering the same thing. Come on techies, please enlighten us in laymen terms.

 

[Jeff Russell]

I am ready to buy a USB gps. There are so many out there. Some boasting 20channels, others only 12. All have their specs full of unknown acronyms. What should I be looking for?

Price is not a factor, provided I am truly getting a benefit (ie. accuracy, speed, sensitivity) for a more expensive unit or is that all really necessary.

I plan to use one or more of the wx software and probably some position reporting software/service as well, all via GPSgate on my Vista32 laptop.

I am sure others are pondering the same thing. Come on techies, please enlighten us in laymen terms.

USGlobalSat BU-353 is my choice.

 

[Walt VanRheen]

Jeff, why did you choose it? what lead you to that unit?

 

[Walt VanRheen]

I should have also mentioned, I am also looking for mapping software. I am more interested in map detail (ie. Street, hwy, road, even dirt roads) than I am services like gas, restaurant and hotel. Anyone have info on the best and most recent updates on road info? Again, price is not an issue as long as it is the most recent “street” data.

 

[Christopher E. Kincaid]

Jeff, why did you choose it? what lead you to that unit?

I second the Globalsat.... it is cheap and it works great. It quickly finds sats even during "cold" starts. I used one last year and never had a problem. I tried 2 Garmin hockey pucks that didn't work. After hours with their tech support they finally admitted the problem was their unit does not work with "non-Intel chipsets". Get the BU-353 you won't be disappointed.

 

[Skip Talbot]

I should have also mentioned, I am also looking for mapping software.

Delorme Street Atlas is my vote. The interface may not be as asthetic as Microsoft Streets and Trips, but it has more features. The databases are updated regularly on both. You'll also want to get yourself Franson GpsGate. It will let you use your GPS for multiple applications such as GrLevel3 and Spotter Network.

 

[Terry Tyler]

I am ready to buy a USB gps. There are so many out there. Some boasting 20channels, others only 12. All have their specs full of unknown acronyms. What should I be looking for?

Price is not a factor, provided I am truly getting a benefit (ie. accuracy, speed, sensitivity) for a more expensive unit or is that all really necessary.

I plan to use one or more of the wx software and probably some position reporting software/service as well, all via GPSgate on my Vista32 laptop.

I am sure others are pondering the same thing. Come on techies, please enlighten us in laymen terms.

I use a De Lorme Earthmate LT-40. Its yellow USB puck thats probably as inexpensive as you can find on the market but its good. I dont know what kind of additional features your going to get with one that costs more but this one here has served me very well. When i use it with my level3, setting it up is pretty much as simple as your going to get. When using the de lorme serial emulator, you have 3 different ports to connect to that have the option of "raw" and "nmea". From scratch, it takes about 15-20 seconds to get a satellite signal and all you have to do is have it lying flat and facing the sky.

I should have also mentioned, I am also looking for mapping software. I am more interested in map detail (ie. Street, hwy, road, even dirt roads) than I am services like gas, restaurant and hotel. Anyone have info on the best and most recent updates on road info? Again, price is not an issue as long as it is the most recent “street” data.

As far as mapping, i use microsoft streets and trips 09 i find its relatively easy to use and has 4 different map scemes, including one for night driving. I found using that at night elimiated alot of the glare off my windsheild. Ill tell you the truth though, more then half the time i try to use the shapefiles ive loaded on gr level 3 coupled with google maps. My philosophy on that is you want to try to keep your set-up as lite possible unless you have a serious machine. I have 1gb of ram on mine and it struggles hard. When your running level3 loaded with all the shapefiles, internet, the GPS, then running trips, windows media and many other programs. It can be overload the computer and youll have to kill the some processes and load the programs all over again. That can take up to 10 minutes and is pain. One thing ive got to tell you about that technique is the apparent danger with using shapefiles. On 12/27/08 i was following a following a squall line back home in the dead of night going down a backroad using only the shapefiles for guidance. I had been traveling down the road for about 2 or 3 minutes just fine, and then out of the blue the road just dissapeared and i went clean off the road. Luckily i wasnt going very fast and was able to get back on the road. When i did, i found that all the roads in the immiediate area did not exist. It was a pretty bad experience that could have been alot worse, so dont rely on those things %100 of the time.

Hope that helps you out buddy!

 

[Clarence Bennett]

Third vote for the Globalsat! Works perfectly. Never a problem.

 

[John Erwin]

Save yourself some time and energy and simply buy the Delorme Street Atlas (the one with included GPS) or Microsoft Streets & Trips (also the one with the included GPS). Either program works great and the included GPS unit with each package works very well.

 

[Jeff Russell]

Jeff, why did you choose it? what lead you to that unit?

I believe Daivd Drummond made a comment last year about this unit. Think he said he has one and that it worked under his seat!

 

[Scott Roberts]

I believe Daivd Drummond made a comment last year about this unit. Think he said he has one and that it worked under his seat!

I've had mine work in buildings, under seats, in my mobile home...have yet to find a place where the signal is so weak it can't lock on (haven't tried any bank safes, obviously)

 

[Walt VanRheen]

Thanks for the great advise. I have purchased the USGlobalSat BU-353 and waiting for its arrival.