| Author | Message | |||
     Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 188 Registered: 01-2006 |
Folks, GlobalSat is refreshing their product line shortly, and the current BU353 USB GPS that I've mentioned in previous posts is now 50% less: about $25 at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/GlobalSat-BU-353-Waterproof-USB-Receiver/dp/B000PKX2KA/ref =pd_bxgy_e_img_b Its replacement (BU-353 S4 that uses the SiRF IV chipset) is due out Q1 2012) features a faster setup time, but not much else in terms of improvements... Get them while you can! | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 181 Registered: 01-2006 |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new, ultra-fast wireless Internet network is threatening to overpower GPS signals across the U.S. and interfere with everything from airplanes to police cars to consumer navigation devices. The problem stems from a recent government decision to let a Virginia company called LightSquared build a nationwide broadband network using airwaves next to those used for GPS. Manufacturers of GPS equipment warn that strong signals from the planned network could jam existing navigation systems. A technical fix could be expensive -- billions of dollars by one estimate -- and there's no agreement on who should pay. Government officials pledge to block LightSquared from turning on its network as scheduled this year unless they receive assurances that GPS systems will still work. The stakes are high not only for the GPS industry and its users, but also for those who would use LightSquared's network. In approving it, the Federal Communications Commission seeks to boost wireless competition and bring faster and cheaper Internet connections to all Americans -- even in remote corners of the country. LightSquared and the FCC both insist the new network can co-exist with GPS systems. But device makers fear GPS signals will suffer the way a radio station can get drowned out by a stronger broadcast in a nearby channel. The problem, they say, is that sensitive satellite receivers -- designed to pick up relatively weak signals coming from space -- could be overwhelmed when LightSquared starts sending high-power signals from as many as 40,000 transmitters on the ground using the airwaves next door. "The potential impact of GPS interference is so vast, it's hard to get your head around," said Jim Kirkland, vice president and general counsel of Trimble Navigation Ltd., which makes GPS systems. "Think 40,000 GPS dead spots covering millions of square miles in cities and towns throughout the U.S." One of the biggest risks is to the GPS navigation systems used by about 40 percent of commercial and private planes. Backup systems that rely on ground-based radio signals are not as accurate and have coverage gaps. Some older private planes have no backup at all. With GPS interference, a pilot "may go off course and not even realize it," said Chris Dancy, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. LightSquared's network could also undermine the Federal Aviation Administration's multi-billion-dollar program to upgrade the nation's air-traffic control system, which is based on World War II-era radar technology. The new GPS-based system is more precise and lets planes fly more direct routes. That will save airlines time, money and fuel and cut pollution. It is also key to accommodating projected increases in airline traffic by enabling planes to fly safely closer together. Public-safety officials, too, are nervous about LightSquared because they rely on GPS to track and dispatch police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. Many 911 systems also use GPS to help locate people. Disruptions could delay responses to emergencies, said Harlin McEwen, an official with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Even the Pentagon has expressed concern as it relies on GPS to guide planes, ships, armored vehicles, weapons and troops. LightSquared plans to compete nationally with super-fast, fourth-generation wireless services being rolled out by the likes of AT&T and Verizon Wireless. It won't sell directly to consumers, though. Instead, LightSquared will provide network access to companies including Leap Wireless, parent of the Cricket phone service, and Best Buy, which will rebrand the service under its own name. LightSquared has its roots as a satellite-phone operator, so its airwaves historically have been reserved primarily for satellite communications. FCC rules adopted in 2003 allowed the company to back up those signals with ground-based wireless service, but only to fill in coverage gaps. In January, however, the FCC gave LightSquared permission to use its airwaves for a broader, conventional wireless data network. Although the company will continue to offer satellite service, it plans to cover at least 92 percent of Americans by 2015 with high-power wireless signals transmitted by base stations on earth. Until now, GPS receivers haven't had much trouble filtering out noise in the adjacent airwaves because it consisted mostly of low-power signals beamed from space. But GPS manufacturers warn that will change once there is a major ground-based broadband network. Both LightSquared and the FCC say further testing is needed to determine the true extent of any interference. The FCC is requiring LightSquared to participate in a study group with GPS manufacturers and users. LightSquared won't be allowed to turn on its network until the government is satisfied that any problems are addressed, FCC spokesman Rob Kenny said. "We have every reason to resolve these concerns because we want to make sure there is a robust GPS system," LightSquared executive vice president Jeffrey Carlisle said. Dan Hays, a consultant with the firm PRTM, insists the technical solution is straightforward: GPS devices need to include better filters to screen out the LightSquared signals. Estimates on the costs of a fix, however, range widely. Hays believes it will cost no more than $12 million -- or 30 cents per device -- to install better filters in roughly 40 million standalone GPS units made worldwide each year. Cell phones, he said, will be fine because they don't rely solely on GPS to determine location and have better filters anyway. But Tim Farrar, a consultant with TMF Associates, insists cellphones need upgrades, too -- raising the annual cost to as much as $1 billion. Tens of billions of dollars of existing equipment may also need to be replaced, Farrar said. GPS manufacturers insist that neither they nor their customers should have to pay. That's because GPS receivers were designed to screen out low-power signals next door, and now the government is changing the rules, said Scott Burgett, software engineering manager with Garmin Ltd. But Hays said GPS receivers are "eavesdropping on signals outside of where they are supposed to be" -- in LightSquared's space. That was not a problem -- until now. Moreover, LightSquared and the FCC say the GPS industry should have been preparing for a ground-based network nearby since the FCC first allowed backup wireless systems in that space in 2003. The real dilemma, Hays said, is this: "This is a situation where the neighbor built the fence too far over the property line and may not have realized it at the time. Now the other neighbor wants to build a pool and there is not enough space. So the question is: who has to pay to move the fence?" Associated Press Writer Joan Lowy in Washington contributed to this report. | |||
| Mark Howe Moderator Username: unclemark Post Number: 533 Registered: 08-2003 |
Subject: SPECIAL NOTICE 004-10 03SEP10 Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 10:19:54 -0400 From: eleventh-cg-dlnm@cgls.uscg.mil GPS SYSTEM SOFTWARE INTEGRATION ASESSMENT Mariners are advised that over the course of the next several weeks, the Air Force will conduct an integration assessment of the current GPS Software Baseline. There are no planned GPS Satellite outages for this activity, and the broadcast navigation signal will remain IS-GPS-200 compliant. Mariners who experience GPS anomalies should contact the Coast Guard Navigation Center as soon as possible. | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 122 Registered: 01-2006 |
Greetings folks, a blurb from Rose Point Navigation (makers of Coastal Explorer chart plotting software) regarding integration of their software with Garmin GPS units: How to upload information to your Garmin from Coastal Explorer: Most Garmins seem to ignore the route sent to them when they are in NMEA 0183 mode. While their manuals don't come out and say that it won't work, they typically do say that waypoints will work and don't say anything about routes. This is not a Coastal Explorer problem; it is just a limitation of the Garmin receivers. However, all Garmin's support the "Garmin Transfer Protocol" or "Garmin Interface" (same thing, different names on different models). This is the preferred way to send routes, waypoints, and other things to a Garmin, and most programs require you to switch to this mode for performing a transfer and then back to NMEA 0183 mode for position tracking. Coastal Explorer 1.1 has full support for the Garmin protocol so you can leave the Garmin in that mode and Coastal Explorer will still receive a GPS fix. The only limitation with the Garmin protocol that we are aware of is that it will not send depth information to the PC if you have a sounder attached to your GPS/plotter. To use the Garmin Transfer Protocol, you need to select it in the menu system of the Garmin unit and then use "Tools > Options > Instruments > Port Settings" (or Auto Detect) in Coastal Explorer to select the Garmin Interface on the port it is connected to. When you use the "Send To GPS" command in Coastal Explorer and select a port that is configured to use the Garmin protocol, the route will be sent using the Garmin protocol no matter what. | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 113 Registered: 01-2006 |
Greetings folks, for those of you that would like to peer behind the curtain, I found a great resource for getting intimate with your GPS, a book called Hacking GPS by Kathie Kingsley-Hughes. About $5 new half.com: http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQcpidZ1264569993QQprZ43887649 Has great references to free and low cost GPS software and utilities, a section on geo-caching, several DIY projects like creating your own external antennas and mobile power sources. Lots of information to get the most out of your GPS. | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 106 Registered: 01-2006 |
Greetings folks, for those of you who have purchased the Globalstar or equivalent USB GPS and need an exension USB cable, I've found a 10ft. USB 2.0 M-F Type A connector cable for $5 including shipping: http://www.amazon.com/Foot-Extension-Cable-Free-Shipping/dp/B0002Q7VO0/ref=sr_1_ 4?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1224436932&sr=8-4 | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 100 Registered: 01-2006 |
I mentioned in my April thread below that I've been underwhelmed by the sensitivity of the Garmin GPSMap 76 I purchased some time ago (upgrading from the GPS 48 to get WAAS capabilities) mentioned an external antenna that I have to use when the GPS is at the nav station connected to my computer. For those interested, its a Gilsson model MCX, about two inches square, with a magnetic mount if you want to use it from the roof of your car. Its an amplified antenna, which brings in the signal MUCH better than the either the GPS's internal Garmin helix or Garmin's external antenna. It plugs into the MCX style antenna port on the back of your GPS. Info at: http://www.gilsson.com/garmin_gps/antennas/mcx.htm You can get one for $20 at: http://www.gpsgeek.com/products/amplified-28db-mcx-external-gps-antenna-for-garmin-navman-lowrance-receivers-nuvi350-680-750-880-zumo-colorado-c330-icn720-icn750-ifnderh2o-ifinderpro For those who have not yet bought a GPS to use in conjunction with a laptop charting program, I would strongly suggest one of the new USB GPS units based on the SiRF Star III chipset that are roughly the size of the Gilsson antenna, but don't require separate power cables or an external antenna-just the one USB cable from the unit itself. I've been using the GlobalSat BU-353 and am very impressed with it. Very sensitive, 20 channel receiver, waterproof, and very compact. Cheaper and more capable than the one Garmin puts its name on. You can get it for under $40 at: http://www.buygpsnow.com/bu-353-353-bu-globalsat-gps-mouse-water-proof-receiver- sirf-stariii-usb-gps-water-bu-353-waas-455.aspx You also need a USB extension cable available at any electronics store, as the GlobalSat's cable is 5ft long. | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 61 Registered: 01-2006 |
Greetings folks, a great tool for looking behind the curtain with respect to your GPS
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| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 59 Registered: 01-2006 |
Greetings folks, some time ago Mark Howe and I were having a discussion regarding the horizontal datum configuration on a GPS and how that affects the accuracy of an electronic fix plotted on a chart based on the Lat/Long information displayed by the GPS. We never did come to an agreement during that discussion. Perhaps this link may shed some light on the topic: http://www.boatus.com/husick/n_gpschart.asp and http://www.starpath.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=29;t=000011 | |||
| Ted Lavino Moderator Username: tlavino Post Number: 11 Registered: 01-2006 |
In my opinion portable GPS units work admirably for determining your location, but with such a small screen are sub-optimal in displaying your position in relationship to other things, i.e. being used as a chartplotter. In addition, you are locked into using Garmin's proprietary Blue Chart charts, which are difficult and expensive to keep current and in my opinion are not nearly as intuitive to use as raster charts. I would rather use a laptop with a 15 inch display in a chart plotting role and have my choice of application and at least a half dozen chart sources, one of them being free! That being said the units with color screens have much to be said for them in terms of legibility, particularly in bright sun. The down side is shorter battery life and cost. I own a GPSMAP 76 which has an 8 bit gray scale display, and I'm underwhelmed by the unit's sensitivity and its lack of readability in bright sunlight. It is practically unusable below decks without an external antenna. I upgraded from the GPS 48 (which had no problem receiving signals at a nav station below) for the WAAS support, longer battery life and the better display. Haven't tried the the 60 series... Bottom line for me not using them in a chart plotting mode is WAAS support and battery life. The display is irrelevant. I'm actually considering using one of the disk type USB GPS units that are about the size of a half dollar, allow you to place it where it can get a good signal and run off USB power (i.e. powered from the laptop). No bulky GPS, power or data cables to clutter up the nav station. They are 12 channel WAAS capable, use NMEA communication protocols, don't require a serial port (very scarce in new laptops) and cost about $100. Such a deal! | |||
| Tim Moran New member Username: techtim Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2006 |
Hand Held GPS Revisited Three years ago, The Garmin 76 was the choice when selecting a hand held GPS. Today there are more choices Garmin 76CX and the Garmin 60CX. Is the easy to use Garmin 76 still the Hand held GPS of choice? Can any of you fellow mariners offer your experiences and or recommendation when choosing a hand held GPS? Comfort, ease of use, visible is sun or @ night. Thank you in advance for your attention to this question Tim | |||
| Ted Lavino Advanced Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 24 Registered: 01-2004 |
The industry leading plotting application is Nobeltec's VNS, info at http://www.nobeltec.com/ . However I find the interface less that intuitive... A new entry into the field is Coastal Explorer by Rose Point Navigation. A more intuitive than Nobeltec's offering and much cheaper feature for feature. http://www.rosepointnav.com/default.htm | |||
| Ted Lavino Advanced Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 23 Registered: 01-2004 |
Depending on the version of software you can also hook it into your autopilot and have it steer an ordered course for you. Ain't technology grand? I personally use a program called ChartView from Nautical Software (subseqently purchaed by the 800 pound gorilla Nobeltec). Its extremely powerful (more so than The Capt'n or Maptech's Navigator) and I find its interface to be easier to use than Nobeltec's Visual Navigation Suite (VNS). Unfortunately the software is out of production and support, but it seems to work fine on a low powered laptop with Windows 98. I also use it at home on XP with a higher powered desktop, which while unsupported, works fine with one caveat: you need to start the vessel console portion of the program prior to starting the main program if you have a GPS hooked to it, otherwise a processor exception results (Blue Screen of Death to be technical about it). I have Maptech's Region 12 charts for anyone who would like to experiment... I also have a Garmin GPS 76 (cheaper non-map version) and I second Charles' plug. They're really easy to use and have great third party support. I also have an older model I use for backup, a Garmin GPS 48 whose interface I prefer but does not have the WAIS capability. If you use a chartplotter as I do, the spiffier display of the 76 is wasted as you only need to feed position information to the laptop, and therefore an older (read cheaper) unit works great. | |||
| Charles Kepford Intermediate Member Username: Ckepford Post Number: 15 Registered: 05-2003 |
Hi Susie, I am glad you are enjoying it. It's a fun tool. Charles | |||
| Susie Campbell Senior Member Username: Susie Post Number: 58 Registered: 10-2002 |
Charles; After watching you use your GPSMAP76 and your Mapsource program on your laptop last Friday night, I decided I needed one of those nifty resources! Thanks for turning me on to the program. I'm having a BLAST with it! | |||
| Ted Lavino New member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2004 |
Hi Susie, I got my 76 on eBay for $175. You can probably get a better deal if you wait long enough... | |||
| Ted Lavino New member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 4 Registered: 01-2004 |
Hi Susie, what model? | |||
| Susie Campbell New member Username: Susie Post Number: 44 Registered: 10-2002 |
I'll reboot my GPS! Anybody have a push button sequence for rebooting the body?? | |||
| Kendall Bailey New member Username: Bucky Post Number: 39 Registered: 03-2003 |
Susie, Sounds like a software font problem. Call Garmin. My 7 year old Garmin GPSII-Plus was acting up. Over the phone they said this is not unusual and gave me the push button sequence to reboot. After rebooting, all works well again. This resets everything to the factory default settings. You will need to manually record your waypoints before reboot. After reboot, you must configure on the System Setup screen which should take no longer than 30 seconds and then re-enter your waypoints. Even if you decide to buy new, you should attempt to get old one working to use as a backup. Bucky B. | |||
| Susie Campbell New member Username: Susie Post Number: 43 Registered: 10-2002 |
David...can you get that one for me with your discount? The GPSMAP 76. It may save your life someday! | |||
| Dick Bagley New member Username: Dickb Post Number: 14 Registered: 03-2003 |
Susie, Just curious, but have you noticed that the numbers get smaller gradually, year after year? Is the owners manual doing the same thing? ;) | |||
| Charles Kepford New member Username: Ckepford Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2003 |
Hi Susie, I would recommend the Garmin GPSMAP 76. I have had mine for 2 years now and am very happy with it. Marc, Larry and Jon also own that model and it makes for a good support group, we could answer a lot of questions. Also with all of us on the same boat so often, it’s handy to be comfortable with the closest GPS, whoever’s it is. | |||
| Susie Campbell New member Username: Susie Post Number: 41 Registered: 10-2002 |
The numbers on my GPS keep getting smaller and smaller? Have any of you had this problem? I have the little yellow garmin that's 6 years old and I'm ready to break down and get myself a new one with numbers that don't shrink. My question...which one should I get? | |||
| Ted Lavino Senior Member Username: Tlavino Post Number: 133 Registered: 01-2004 |
Greetings All, a great site for all things GPS http://www.gpsinformation.net/ |
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