[aprssig] what are the currently available inexpensive GPS suitable for APRS

[Stephen H. Smith]

scott at opentrac.org wrote:

>> If someone has a web page that is maintained, this would be a real 
>> asset to the aprs community (and to folks who want to join the 
>> community)
>
>
> Mods kind of depend on what you're connecting it to.  I carry the 
> Deluo GPS Lite, which is a non-WAAS unit with no display.  I pre-wire 
> it with a DB9 for connection to an OpenTracker, TT3, or probably a 
> KPC-3+ though I haven't tested it.
>
> http://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=10 
>
>
> The other one I'd recommend is the Garmin GPS-18.  I'd carry those, 
> too, if I could get a good deal on them.
>

The KPC3+ is not plug compatible with standard DB9 serial connectors on 
GPS devices. 

The KPC3 uses a DB25 serial connector for it's main serial port which 
isn't normally used for a GPS connection anyway.   The KCP3+ has a 
second input-only dedicated GPS serial port that uses the CD pin of the 
9-pin radio interface port.  (You have to give up external hardware 
carrier detect and set the unit to software DCD first.)  You'd then have 
hack the radio interface cable (or make an adapter pigtail) to use the 
Deluo, GPS18 or any other standard DB9-serial GPS on a KPC3+ .    

But then using KPC3s as trackers should be discouraged anyway, since 
they only transmit the long, air-time-wasting non-compressed raw NMEA 
strings.   The main value of the dedicated GPS port is in computer 
installations where it avoids the kludgy HSP port sharing gizmos to get 
both TNC RX and GPS data into a single serial port on a laptop. 



Add to the list of inexpensive "mouse-type" GPS units the $60 GlobalSat 
BR304 GPS  offered on the Byonics website at:
        http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/gps.php      




Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node:      14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.com

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