Globalsat
GlobalSat was founded 2000 in Taipei, Taiwan by Prince Cheng and produces many different kinds of GPS devices (e.g. Car Navigators, GPS Engine Boards/Modules, Bluetooth GPS) mainly as an ODM (Original design manufacturer) for different brands. But they also have some products for end-consumers.
Contents |
BR-304
- RS-232
- Price €50-70 (new), €30-40 (used)
- SiRFstarII
- Channels 12
- No internal memory
- Connectors RS-232 and PS/2
As far as I know this is BR-305 with RS-232 connection instead of the USB. Bad thing about this connector is it doesn't have pins for voltage, so there is another connector (PS/2 or USB) for power, and that connector is in the end of a really short piece of wire, because of which I had to get USB-extension. It may seem stupid to use both RS-232 and USB, but the reason is that when USB is used only for power, the receiver doesn't need any drivers at all, in any OS. Another difference between this and 305 is that this one seems to work well in cold, I got to test it in −27 °C for about half an hour.
BR-305
- USB mouse
- Price €40–60
- Trackpoints: 0 points (no memory)
- Connection: PS/2
- SiRFstarII
- Can't handle cold environment
- Channels 12
Works well with laptops. Stops working on low temperature. Uses serial USB, so it should work with all GPS track programs, loads pl2303 on Linux.
Good buy, but I recommend buying the 353 instead.
BT-308
- 110$ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash:no (external: no)
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas, )
- Display: , Connectivity: bluetooth
- Internal: magnetic external antenna Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
Notes:
Full review
BT-335
- 80€ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas;egnos;msas, )
- Display: , Connectivity: bluetooth
- Internal: Batteries: internal Li-ion
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
Notes:
- Shipped with Windows program for configuration and downloads
- Can log position; position, time, speed or position, time, speed and altitude. Recording interval could also be changed.
- For Mac OS, configuration and gps downloads can be made by GlobalSync. Read a review for mac [1].
- Works good with gpsd (tested with xgps on mac, start it with gpsd -p /dev/cu.BT-GPS-.... after you have paired the device the mac)
- Works good on gnu/linux systems with gpsd. Spanish how to use BT-335 on Ubuntu in Tutorial. Spanish how to extract data logger on Ubuntu with GPSBabel in Tutorial
- User review
BT-338
- WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas;egnos, )
- Display: , Connectivity: bluetooth
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
Notes:
- Full review
- NMEA 0183 commands supported (from specs): GGA (1sec), GSA (1 sec), GSV (5 sec), RMC (1sec); (VTG and GLL are optional)
- Transfer rate: 38400,N,8,1
BT-359
- 80$ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas;egnos, )
- Display: , Connectivity: bluetooth
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
Notes:
Full review,Battery from Nokia 3310/3330 fits and works, but too thick, cannot close lid. Should be slimmed versions of these somewhere.
BT-368
- 47£ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas;egnos;msas, )
- Display: , Connectivity: bluetooth
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
BR-303
- 50€ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 12 channels, ( no, )
- Display: , Connectivity: usb
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
BR-305
- 50$ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 12 channels, ( no, )
- Display: , Connectivity: ps2
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
BR-355
- 60$ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas;egnos, )
- Display: , Connectivity: usb;rs232
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
BU-353
- 28£ WWW:
- receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 20 channels, ( waas;egnos, )
- Display: , Connectivity: usb
- Internal: Batteries:
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
Works well with laptops.
Stops working on low temperature.
Uses serial USB, so it should work with all GPS track programs, loads pl2303 on Linux.
Good buy, this unit will almost always get a lock directly, and I really recommend it over BU-303. The sad part is that the lock usually isn't that good. I've experienced very strange behaviour where it will lose GPS lock and get a new bad lock positioning it self 50 m from the right position and then drift back to the right position. I'm not sure why this is, or exactly what is happening. It also has issues when you are stopped or moving slowly where the position jumps around by a few metres. Once it as been running for a 5–10 minutes this problem goes away.
DG-100
- 110$ WWW: http://www.globalsat.com.tw/products-page.php?menu=2&gs_en_product_id=6&gs_en_product_cnt_id=55 Globalsat
- logger,receiver (Navigation: )
- CPU: (OS: ), Flash: (external: )
- GPS: 12 channels, ( waas, )
- Display: , Connectivity: usb
- Internal: wapoint button Batteries: 2AA
| Addresses | POIs |
| Mass Storage mode | ? Waterproof |
- good and bad things: read user manual
- user review
- alternative, open source managing software on sourceforge (a must!)
- dg100utils open source download and configuration software
- JOSM-Plugin to download data directly into josm, where it could be saved as a .gpx file
- dg100ctl setting utility for the DG-100, includes a graphical interface with Qt, works on Ubuntu
- Supported by gpsbabel on linux:
gpsbabel -i dg-100,erase=0 -f /dev/ttyUSB0 -o gpx -F "track.gpx"
Tip: Glueing a washer around the on/off button prevents accidental switch off when carried in a backpack
