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Thinking of getting a GPS receiver to add data to OSM? These reviews are here to help. If you think about other mapping related hardware too, look at the Hardware Guide.
If you buy a GPS unit via any of our retail partners then up to 10% of the purchase price will be donated to OpenStreetMap. This helps to help keep our servers running. See the Shop for details.
The correct term is GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), though the most common system GPS have become the name most people use (if you go to your local shop and ask for a GNSS, the clerk will probably not know what you mean).
Legend for the summary tables
Units are listed alphabetically.
Type can be:
- Data Logger: the GNSS includes an automatic geographic position logging system with extraction possibility to another electronic device
- Recreational: the GPS receiver can either simply deliver a geographic position for another device or display it on a simple screen with no navigation facility.
- Navigator: the GNSS includes a screen with maps and software for turn-by-turn navigation assistance
- Mobile Phone: the GPS is included in a mobile phone device
- Professional GNSS: the GNSS is designated for massive or accurate geographic survey. Many such devices also combines the various GNSS technologies, such as combined GPS/Glonass receivers and evaluate the different carrier signals.
Glonass is also available as a backup/augmentation in some GPS receivers, but at the moment not available as standalone handheld units.
Storage can be:
| Internal
|
MultiMedia (MMC)
|
Secure Digital (SD)
|
None
|
| Specify the capacity
|
 , or 
|
 ,  , or 
|
none
|
Common GPS chipsets are:
- SiRFStar I, II, IIe, IIe/LP, IIt, III
- SiRFLoc
- SiRFXTrac
- Nemerix
- RFMD
- MTK
- Sony Solution
- u-Nav + iTrax 3rd Gen
- Atmel Antaris 4l
- u-blox
- Ublox
- Xemics
- HP6515 AGPS
- Skytraq Venus 5
- Skytraq Venus 6
Methods of DGPS correction / Augmentation can be
- SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS), Beacon, NTRIP, Direct IP, IALA are free services, with various coverage.
- Spotbeam, Inmarsat, Veripos, HP/XP are semiglobal services but requires licenses and are not likely in handheld units.
- Corrections can be transmitted as proprietary formats, single station corrections, or 'RTCM' format correction list. Some receivers might use RTCM as identifier for corrections, but the source than is one of the systems mentioned above.
Alternative forms of GNSS are named according to the promoters of the satellite constellations: the existing GPS system properly named, Glonass, Galileo (still in deployment), and COMPASS. On devices equiped with tuners capable of hearing multiple constellations, it may be possible to get more precision and better coverage than what can be done today with just the GPS alone (some newer constellations will provide additional services not limited to one-way geolocating, such as Argos-style emergency signals for search and rescue).
AGPS is an abreviation for Assisted GPS, and is usually an enhancement for GPS-enabled cell phones. It allows receivers quicker startup time, as well as continuing to give positions with weak or missing satellite data.
Connectivity can be achieved by:
| WiFi
|
Bluetooth
|
IrDa
|
NFC/RFID
|
USB
|
PS/2
|
Serial RS232
|
|
|
|
)))
|
|
|
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Summary table
| Brand
|
Name
|
Type
|
GPS Chipset
|
No Channel
|
Augmentation
|
Data Logging Capacity
|
Storage
|
Connectivity
|
Estimated Price
|
Supports DOP
|
GLONASS Chipset
|
Galileo Chipset
|
| Bad Elf
|
GPS-2200
|
Recreational, data logger
|
MTK
|
66
|
SBAS, WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
|
360,000 (100 hrs at 1 Hz)
|
64 MiB internal
|
(to Apple iOS)
|
US$150
|
|
no
|
?
|
| ClearEvo
|
EcoDroidGPS
|
Professional GNSS for Android
|
UBLOX M8030
|
72
|
SBAS L1 C/A: WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, GAGAN
|
no
|
no
|
(tested 6 simultaneous Android phone connections)
|
US$ 85
|
|
yes
|
yes
|
| Columbus
|
V-900 (Mark II)
|
Data Logger, Recreational
|
MTK MT3339
|
66
|
WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
|
25,000,000
|
max. 4 GiB
|
|
€109
|
VDOP, HDOP, PDOP
|
no
|
no
|
| Columbus
|
V-990 (Mark II)
|
Data Logger, Recreational
|
MTK MT3339
|
66
|
WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
|
25,000,000
|
max. 4 GiB
|
|
€89
|
VDOP, HDOP, PDOP
|
no
|
no
|
| Garmin
|
eTrex 10
|
Data Logger, Navigator
|
MediaTek
|
?
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
10k
|
Internal
|
|
119€ / $109.99 / £99.99
|
no
|
yes
|
?
|
| Garmin
|
eTrex 35 touch
|
Data Logger, Navigator
|
MediaTek
|
?
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
10k, 200 routes, 10000 points, 200 tracks or to SD-card
|
Internal,
|
|
$245
|
no
|
yes
|
?
|
| Garmin
|
GPSmap 276Cx
|
Outdoor mapping GPS
|
?
|
?
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
Internal 8GB
|
|
|
US$600
|
?
|
yes
|
no
|
| Garmin
|
GPSmap 60CSx
|
Outdoor mapping GPS
|
SiRFstarIII
|
12
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
Internal or up to 4 GiB SD-card (since FW 3.90)
|
|
|
US$294.15 (Amazon.com)
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Garmin
|
Oregon 300
|
Outdoor mapping GPS
|
STM STA2062 "Cartesio"
|
32
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
850 MiB internal or microSD-card (4 GiB work well)
|
|
|
€300 (Amazon.com)
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Garmin
|
Nüvi 205
|
Navigator
|
SiRFstarII ?
|
?
|
no
|
940 MiB Internal memory and microSD-card
|
|
|
Discont'd
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
| Garmin
|
Nüvi 760
|
Navigator
|
SiRFstarII
|
?
|
?
|
Internal 10,000 points
|
up to 4 GiB
|
|
~€300
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GiSTEQ
|
CD110BT
|
Data Logger
|
MTK
|
51
|
?
|
internal 150,000 points
|
internal 4 MiB
|
|
GB£~60
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Geneq
|
SX Blue II
|
Recreational
|
?
|
10 + 2
|
WAAS EGNOS MSAS GAGAN
|
0
|
0
|
|
1500€
|
HDOP VDOP PDOP (Sub meter precision)
|
?
|
?
|
| Geonaute
|
Keymaze 300 (see [1] for OSS driver)
|
Outdoor Mapping GPS
|
SiRF Star III
|
?
|
WAAS
|
internal 200 points
|
internal
|
|
~€89
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
DG-100
|
Data Logger
|
SiRF Star III
|
20
|
WAAS
|
60k
|
Internal
|
|
US$110
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BT-308
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star II e/LP
|
12
|
WAAS
|
0
|
no
|
|
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BT-335
|
Data Logger/Recreational
|
SiRF Star III
|
20
|
WAAS
|
60k
|
Internal
|
|
€80
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BT-338
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star III
|
20
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
0
|
no
|
|
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BT-359
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star III
|
20
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
0
|
no
|
|
US$80
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BT-368
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star III
|
20
|
WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
|
0
|
no
|
|
GB£47
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BT-821C
|
Recreational
|
Mediatek MT3339
|
66
|
WAAS/EGNOS/QZSS/MSAS/GAGAN
|
no
|
no
|
(charged over 5V DC power jack 4.0mm x 1.7mm Center PLUS)
|
US$50
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
| GlobalSat
|
BR-355
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star III e/LP
|
20
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
0
|
no
|
|
US$60
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BU-353
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star III e/LP
|
20
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
0
|
no
|
|
GB£28-57
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BR-304
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star II e/LP
|
12
|
no
|
0
|
no
|
|
US$50
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BR-305
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star II e/LP
|
12
|
no
|
0
|
no
|
|
US$50
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GlobalSat
|
BU-303
|
Recreational
|
SiRF Star II e/LP
|
12
|
no
|
0
|
no
|
|
€50
|
|
?
|
?
|
| GNS
|
GNS 2000 PLUS
|
Recreational; inbuilt battery
|
Mediatek MT3333
|
99
|
WAAS/EGNOS/QZSS/MSAS/GAGAN
|
54k (date/pos every 5s)
|
Internal
|
(charged over Mini-USB)
|
€96
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
| Holux
|
GPSport 245
|
Recreational
|
MTK3318
|
20
|
?
|
200,000
|
Internal 4 MiB
|
|
$180
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Holux
|
GPSport 260
|
Recreational
|
MTK3329
|
?
|
?
|
160,000
|
Internal 4 MiB
|
|
$340
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Holux
|
M-241+
|
Data Logger, Recreational
|
MTK MT3333
|
66
|
DGPS (EGNOS, WAAS, MSAS)
|
250,000
|
?
|
|
EUR110
|
|
yes
|
no
|
| Holux
|
RCV-3000
|
Data Logger
|
MTK MT3333
|
66
|
DGPS (EGNOS for Europa, WAAS for USA)
|
250,000
|
Internal 4MiB
|
(standard USB cable with USB mini-B plug)
|
~83 Euros (03/2018, amazon.de)
|
Yes (NMEA output); No (logging to memory)
|
yes
|
no
|
| Magellan
|
eXplorist 510
|
Data Logger, Navigator
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
|
|
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Mio
|
Cyclo 605 HC
|
Navigator (Cycle)
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
|
|
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Navilock
|
BT-821G
|
Recreational
|
Mediatek MT3333
|
99
|
WAAS/EGNOS/QZSS/MSAS/GAGAN
|
no
|
no
|
(charged over 5V DC power jack 4.0mm x 1.7mm Center PLUS)
|
€90
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
| Navilock
|
NL-8002U
|
GPS receiver module
|
u-blox UBX-M8030
|
72
|
WAAS, EGNOS, QZSS, MSAS
|
no
|
no
|
|
€66[2]
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
| Qstarz
|
BT-Q1000XT
|
Datalogger
|
MTK II
|
66
|
WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
|
400k, can log 5 Hz
|
|
GPS: log:
|
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Royaltek
|
RGM-4600]]
|
Recreational
|
SiRFstarIV
|
48
|
no
|
0
|
no
|
|
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Solmeta
|
Geotagger Pro2
|
Data Logger with Compass
|
MTK MT3339
|
22
|
EXIF and internal
|
2GB
|
internal
|
Nikon Cord
|
US$200
|
|
?
|
?
|
| Transystem
|
i-Blue 747ProS
|
Data Logger, Recreational
|
MTK II
|
66
|
WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, AGPS
|
250k
|
Internal 8 MiB
|
|
€75 (amazon.de) (~$80 on eBay.com) (2014-03-20)
|
?
|
no
|
no
|
| Umax
|
i-gotU GT-120/USB
|
Data Logger
|
SiRF III
|
20
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
65,000
|
Internal
|
|
€45
|
no DOP, but EHPE available
|
?
|
?
|
| Ventus
|
G730
|
Data Logger
|
SkyTrac Venus 6
|
65
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
256,000 points
|
Internal
|
|
£45-£60
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Wintec
|
WBT-202
|
Data Logger
|
u-blox Antaris 5
|
18 (tracking), 32 (aquisition)
|
WAAS, EGNOS
|
260k internal / 134M with 2GB microSD
|
Internal and (64 MB-2 GB)
|
|
US$99 (?)/€109 (2009-10-24)
|
|
?
|
?
|
See also
|
