Cheap GPS Dongle

Not sure if it is called a dongle or not but I have a GPS receiver that just fits one of the little USB socket on the side of my lap top. The GPS device takes its power from an internal battery so perhaps it isn't a dongle. Any way, it works well enough and it is aware of its location even when I am lost ! It is compatable with my software too which is a big advantage.

The Maplin device (whatever it is !) looks good to me but, and it is a big but, can you get it to work given that YOUR Phd may be in a different subject ?

73s de
Johnth
 
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Silly Question?

Probably a silly question, but how do you find this type of device works when plugged into the laptop on the chart table? Does it aquire satellites easily enough even through the coachroof or do you need to use a long USB cable out on the hatch? I would imagine there'd be a fair drop off in power though.

When refitting our switch panel I have just hard wired a serial cable into our fixed Furuno to interface with my laptop but it would be good to have one of these as a back-up. Also Maxsea can't work with USB as a primary input can it?

Cheers.
 
emsworthy said:
Probably a silly question, but how do you find this type of device works when plugged into the laptop on the chart table? Does it aquire satellites easily enough even through the coachroof or do you need to use a long USB cable out on the hatch? I would imagine there'd be a fair drop off in power though.

When refitting our switch panel I have just hard wired a serial cable into our fixed Furuno to interface with my laptop but it would be good to have one of these as a back-up. Also Maxsea can't work with USB as a primary input can it?

Cheers.
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I've used a Holox bluetooth GPS receiver for a couple of years which does away with those problems.
 
emsworthy said:
Probably a silly question, but how do you find this type of device works when plugged into the laptop on the chart table? Does it aquire satellites easily enough even through the coachroof or do you need to use a long USB cable out on the hatch? I would imagine there'd be a fair drop off in power though.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

My 353 GPS connected to a USB port on my MacBook works fine inside our Nimbus boat.
 
Maplin GPS Update

I bought one this morning. It works fine, and got a fix far faster than any other GPS I have owned. It comes with software to enable you to test it, and read off positions and see which satellites are in range. It works with the Maptech chart software that I have and should work with any software capable of receiving NMEA0183 data at a baud rate of 38400.
 
Dongle and maptech

Norman_E said:
I bought one this morning. It works fine, and got a fix far faster than any other GPS I have owned. It comes with software to enable you to test it, and read off positions and see which satellites are in range. It works with the Maptech chart software that I have and should work with any software capable of receiving NMEA0183 data at a baud rate of 38400.
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How timely! I have been contemplating the same question. Do you run Chart Navigator/Chart Navigator Pro(CNP) or Offshore Navigator(OSN)? The reason I ask is that I have not updated from OSN because I so hate the way CNP displays tidal currents. I use a GPS72 to drive OSN, but despite the instructions, I have NEVER made it work reliably using the NMEA protocol - I always use the Garmin Protocol, which I assume the dongle cannot squirt out. Also, I think I'm right in saying that the NMEA protocol doesn't allow you to transfer routes, tracks and points from GPS to computer, which I do all the time. I have the GPS72 in the cockpit visible from the helm, and connected via a plug and a long lead to the computer so that I can send the route to it and then steer by it. I don't suppose the dongle has a simulation mode like the GPS72, so that you can get it all working in the living room. Wow that was a lot of questions!

The main one was - does it work with OSN or is all the experience with CN(P)?
 
I use Chart Navigator. The boat is in Turkey so tides are not an issue. Most of my navigation is done with paper charts and the Mk.1 eyeball. I do have a chartplotter but it is at the chart table and is also an old one with rather clunky handling of routes.

For a long or unfamiliar passage I plan a route on the laptop with chart navigator and output the route to the Garmin GPS. With the GPS in the cockpit I can keep on course with the rolling road screen, which is very handy on long passages. Where the dongle will be handy is that I will be able to leave the laptop running at the chart table with the route displayed and the boat symbol showing GPS position in relation to it. My own version of Chart Navigator has worked well with the Garmin in the past. Today, using the dongle, I could only see my GPS position on the outline map of the UK as I do not have UK charts, but it came up first go, and in the right place so NMEA0183 input into the software does not appear to be a problem.
 
Norman_E said:
I use Chart Navigator. The boat is in Turkey so tides are not an issue. Most of my navigation is done with paper charts and the Mk.1 eyeball. I do have a chartplotter but it is at the chart table and is also an old one with rather clunky handling of routes.

For a long or unfamiliar passage I plan a route on the laptop with chart navigator and output the route to the Garmin GPS. With the GPS in the cockpit I can keep on course with the rolling road screen, which is very handy on long passages. Where the dongle will be handy is that I will be able to leave the laptop running at the chart table with the route displayed and the boat symbol showing GPS position in relation to it. My own version of Chart Navigator has worked well with the Garmin in the past. Today, using the dongle, I could only see my GPS position on the outline map of the UK as I do not have UK charts, but it came up first go, and in the right place so NMEA0183 input into the software does not appear to be a problem.
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Thx for that. My brief try of CN and CNP with my GPS72 did get it to appear to work using the NMEA protocol, unlike OSN. N.B. when I tried NMEA on OSN it appeared to work until I actually moved!

You say you download routes to the Garmin. In Garminspeak or NMEAspeak? I didn't think NMEA supported that, but I am ignorant - it seems that you have to hand over serious money to get a copy of the actual NMEA standard.

Aside: The GPS72 is configured to talk to a computer via an RS232 input. No modern laptops have them. Conventionally this problem is obviated by a RS232 to USB convertor. It is possible that some of my problems arise from this. (I initiated some forum banter about this in a previous thread.) This is, in part, my motivation for fancying a native USB solution via the dongle. I think I'll give it a try at the price.
 
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