Dear Lazyweb,
I am looking for a simple GPS receiver for my laptop. Ideally, it would disappear into one of the PCMCIA or SD slots, but I am having a tough time finding something like this. Alternatively, if Bluetooth is the only sensible answer, tell me I’m dreaming, and perhaps suggest one that will work well with the 770 and my laptop. I am dipping my toe into the river of GPS for the first time, so any help from experienced users will be greatly appreciated!
I shouldn’t have to mention my operating system of choice, should I? He’s fat, he’s happy, he’s a penguin… 
Love, Jeff
Update: Okay, everyone’s telling me that only a doofus would get a non-Bluetooth GPS unit. Simon Rumble pointed me to some very simple, good quality, inexpensive ones that charge over USB and have Nokia-style batteries (you can find them all over eBay). Of course, now I’m looking into it, I’m getting the taste for one that does logging…
25 Comments
I want one too. Similar use cases: with my n800 + maemomapper. Also, I’d like to be able to carry it with me and have it record my movements, and then somehow be able to geotag photos as I pull them off my camera based on what my GPS knows about my location at the time specifed by the camera..
Works on the N800 (possibly 770 too?), with an official software kit, and Kismet for wardriving
It’s also on the nokia site, but apparently they want Flash now, so I couldn’t find it there.
https://shop.navicoretech.com/productgroup_show.php?productid=54&catid=13
Have you considered an N95? Not exactly pucky-mucky, but it’s a device you’d have with you anyway… I don’t know if they talk nicely to PCs though, let alone N770/N800s..
It’s not exactly simple, but openmoko is what I’m holding out for as far as a GPS. I’ve been wanting something extremely simple/dumb for a while so I can track myself when taking photos for later geotagging, but if I can have Google Maps on a 640x480 screen, too, I’m willing to do something crazy like replace my phone.
There are screen less USB units but ive been looking at cheap Garmin gps though they are all serial the screen will mean i can use it without my laptop and ofcourse there are serial to USB adapters,
the Garmin Geko 201 is popular(though not 12 channel) there is even a howto page on OSM and it’ll only cost me 100 euros.
Check the Nokia site: http://europe.nokia.com/770 They are advertising the Navicore Personal 2007 (software + GPS device) Info here: http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/navicore_personal_2007.html
Howdy,
One of my co-workers had a small bluetooth unit that he used with his iPaq, I borrowed it and it worked great with my 770 + maemomapper (better than it did with the pocketpc!). I don’t remember the exact brand but can find it out. It was a 12-channel unit which supported egnos/WAAS (google if gpsisms are new to you) and it got wonderful receiption, with very short wait for initial fix.
I’d like to point out a significant advantage of a bluetooth receiver: positionability. Metal ceilings (i.e. your car roof) wreak havoc on satellite reception, and so it is very helpful to put the receiver right up against the front windshield, and keep your laptop / 770 somewhere comfortable. anything else might mean fickle reception, or needing to carry around an antenna with a cord.
Just my $0.02.
Zhasper, did you mean something you could carry with you, that would work on its own and record your movements? If so, that’s precisely what I’d want. I really don’t need it to show me maps, coordinates or anything - just store my location so I can retrieve it later. And I shouldn’t require another device (such as a laptop) to be present. If anything like that exists, I’ll be hard pressed not to buy it. I shall follow these comments with the greatest of interest.
When I was looking for one myself a few weeks ago, there weren’t really any cheap units that did logging and didn’t have ancient chipsets (like the Geko201 or the NaviGPS thing), so in the end I just went for a £30 bluetooth GPS ‘mouse’ thingy with Sirf-III chipset (which gives you much better results in cities) and nokia battery. Works great in combination with my mobile phone and a java track logger too. Can’t wait until the Neo1973/OpenMoko phone comes out though.
I’m using a BGT-11 which was recommended by OpenStreetMap with my N800:
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/GPS_Reviews#NaviGPS_.2F_.28B.29GT-11
While it is a bit bigger than most bluetooth GPS units, it has some nice advantages:
* USB charging (and data retrieval)
* Data logging on a SD card (which means I have almost unlimited storage of tracks)
* Display that can do simple things like store POIs and show coordinates, meaning that I can use the device for navigation also without a laptop or PDA
* Rugged design that should be able to withstand motorcycling use
Go for the Bluetooth version, therefore should work with pretty much anything without the issue of cable connections, and connection types. I have one that I use with a PDA, smartphone and laptop. I just have to reconnect when I switch devices but I can easily move partnerships.
If I change device as long as bluetooth exists I can connect.
Your issue may be driver sets etc on the various platforms versus more industry standard OS’s on phones and laptops etc
This is a shop at Pymble who specialise in mobility solutions, and where I got my GPS bluetooth receiver
http://store.pressdigital.com.au/contact_us.php
So what was recommended??? You can’t ask and then not tell! :=)
Wintec WB201. Works fine with Maemo Mapper, logs 128K points, supported by gpsbabel (N800 port on by yours truly.
Works with accuracy and reliability, even under quite heavy foliage / tree cover.
Wonderful export service from Semsons (4 days from California to England, so Oz must be a doddle for them). UBS charging.
Highly recommended.
-jh
Jeff: can you do a followup post with the details of your final decision.
Take a look at this USB GPS unit. It works pretty well , but it always depends on how much money you are willing to spend and what you exactly want to do with it.
http://www.haicom.com.tw/gps204III_USB.shtml
P.S. It works with Ubuntu
I saw your update and was wondering which models Simon Rumble pointed out?
Best to look at wiki.openstreetmap.org for reviews of various GPS’s as much of the review content will apply for more than just gathering data for openstreetmap. (which is a very interesting project to get involved in)
I’ve got 2 GPS’s so can only compare those,
Holux GPSlim 236 (New brought off ebay):
Is a receiver only so will need something to record to via bluetooth(or usb i think) (i’ve only connected it to a pocket pc with bluetooth but guys from the local lug have used it with various devices)
Charges via USB socket (comes with mains charger), is very good at getting a lock on your position in weak signal areas (under trees etc) but sometimes isn’t as accurate in those conditions. (Cost about £50uk)
NaviGPS BGT-11 (the bluetooth version):
From http://www.storagedepot.co.uk for the UK but there are other sellers i believe for other parts of the world. (cost about £80uk)
Connects and charges the same way as the one mentioned previously. Can receive and pass on the data to a computer (linux drivers are available, possibly even built in - my laptop lacks a bluetooth receiver though, the driver download contains sources for a module called pl2303. But i just modprobed pl2303 and it loaded in a stock ubuntu without installing/compiling the downloaded driver)
This device also allows you to record the tracks to a SD card (but can be picky about which cards it accepts and the formatting of the card) also it has internal memory for storing tracks too but i don’t think there is yet a linux driver to remove tracks stored internally. It has a b/w screen so can be used as a navigation aid and can have waypoints and routes programmed in, but you can’t upload a map to the device.
In comparison the tracks it stores are quite accurate (better than the NaviGPS often) but it is more prone to loose signal and won’t work in a covered area nearly as well, first time i brought it i was standing outside for about 15mins till it found it’s first lock, but after the initial setup it was only a few mins there after.
I would recommend the NaviGPS (or Garmin equivilent) if want a GPS that can be used standalone (handy when you don’t want to take a palmtop with you on a rainy day which was my reasoning)
I would recommend the Holux GPSlim if you want a small receiver thats cheap and has no unwanted extras, but yet is very capable at it’s job.
If you want to support openstreetmap there are some suppliers that will donate part of there profits from your order to openstreetmap. (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Merchandise)
Sorry for the extra long comment, Daniel
Since I probably want one too… what was the model that Simon suggested?
Jonas,
I’ve been looking for a GPS data logger too, and here’s what I’ve found. There are a couple of iBlue units, the 747 and 757, both available in Oz:
http://www.exploroz.com/Shop/DisplayItems.asp?ItemID=1242
http://www.exeltek.com.au/secure/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/1067
Windows software only, unfortunately, but I did come across a Java app on gpspassion.com which provided partial support on Linux. The MTK chipsets they use reportedly aren’t as good as the SiRF III at tracking at low-speed (e.g. walking).
The BGT-11 looks good, and if it had a SiRF III chipset I’d buy one.
If you’re willing to do a bit of assembly, Spark Fun Electronics have a simple GPS logger using a Globalsat SiRF III module and an SD card:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8237
They have other GPS modules too, including another logger using a Trimble chipset.
Finally, there’s gumstix. Their basix cpu with gpsstix will do the job, but at a much higher cost than any of the other options.
For me, it’s a toss-up between the BGT-11 and the SFE GPS logger. Maybe I’ll have to buy both …
Jeff your level of doofus has no relationship to GPS
Well, what would would be nice if we could locate friends in a physical map using GPS (via their IP adress?), then everytime we don’t have to “/msg” them and ask.
I am starting to consider buying one meself.
Windows powered mobile devices with GPS have access to such software already, many delivery companies also have such faclilities to track the drivers/trucks via the same configuration.
So any feedback on what you got and how it worked?
beh