[aprssig] Really CHEAP Puck-type USB GPS Receiver -- WORKS GREAT!

[Steve Noskowicz]

AHHHHH!   Now I get it!  Finally! sheesh!  I never could "get" this virtual com port / "PORT SPLITTER" thing.  It allows one real HARDWARE port to be accessed by many applications.  Not the other way-round.  
Sort of a software port sniffer octopus style....  par excellence.

a "port already open" killer.

Now THAT makes sence.  Sheesh  Dense-o-ramma some times. 

Dense-o-meter back down to zero.
-- 
73, Steve K9DCI

> 
> I received my USD $25 Globalsat BU-353  USB GPS
> today.    Within 3 minutes
> of 
> delivery, I had it plugged into a USB port on my Panasonic
> CF-51 Toughbook
> (15" 
> CoreDuo 1.6 GHz laptop), and working perfectly with 
> Visual GPS, MapPoint, 
> UIview, TopoUSA 8.0   --AND-- Precision
> Mapping 9.0.   All simultaneously
> via 
> the freeware XPort GPS port splitter. 
>    Get this extremely useful GPS
> utility 
> here:
> 
> . <http://www.curioustech.net/xport.html>
> 
> As soon as I plugged the BR-353 in, the existing Prolific
> driver on my
> system (used with several other USB GPSes and Argent Data's
> generic
> serial<-->USB 
> dongle) immediately enabled it.   One reboot,
> and it acquired lock in about
> 1 
> minute positioned by a BASEMENT window under an overcast
> Michigan winter
> sky.
> 
> Normally, I have XPort intercept the physical COM 1 port on
> the Toughbook
> (that I use for a serial GPS) and output virtual COM4
> through COM12 which I
> use with the various apps. All I had to do was change
> XPort's INPUT port
> from COM1 to the virtual COM16 created by the Prolific
> driver to get
> everything to work with the USB Globalsat instead.  No
> changes to any of the
> apps required at all.
> 
> The unit is very small, lightweight but nicely finished,
> with a beveled
> round case that looks like a tiny flying saucer about 2
> inches (5 cm)
> diameter.  
> Should be fairly aerodynamic at high speeds mounted to the
> roof of a
> vehicle. 
> The magnet embedded in the underside is powerful enough to
> stick to a
> textured vertical surface such as a refrigerator without
> slipping.
> 
> Interestingly, the plastic case does NOT have the usual
> sonic-welded
> closure.  
> It is actually held together with 3 tiny Phillips-head
> screws, so opening &
> hacking the device (serial output???) non-destructively
> should be possible.
> 
> A single small low-intensity red LED (thank god not one of
> those
> screamingly-bright blue LEDs currently fashionable on
> digital gadgets!)
> lights solidly during acquisition (verifies USB power) 
> and starts flashing
> when lock 
> is achieved (like the GPS legend on the Kenwood D700
> screen).    This
> indicator 
> will NOT be a blinding distraction on top of a car's dash at
> night.
> 
> I have run it with both the Panasonic Toughbook and an Acer
> ZG5 netbook 
> successfully.   This gadget is definitely an
> excellent value.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> 
> --
> 
> Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
> Skype:        WA8LMF
> Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.net
> 
> *****  NEW   Precision Mapping 9 For
> UIview Released! *****
>     http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/PMap9_Notes.htm
> 
> 
>   Vista & Win7 Install Issues for UI-View and
> Precision Mapping
>      http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/UIview_Notes.htm#VistaWin7
> 
> 30-meter HF APRS over PSK63
>     http://wa8lmf.net/APRS_PSK63/index.htm
> 
> "APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection &
> Digipeating
>    http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> aprssig mailing list
> aprssig at tapr.org
> https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> aprssig mailing list
> aprssig at tapr.org
> https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
>