Gps For $35 + S&h, Cheap GPS in USB and CF formats Options

[dbowden]

Geeks.com currently has two USB receivers for $39.00
Here's a link to the CF version:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=FG...1&cpc=SCH&srm=0
Here's a link to the USB version:
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=US...0&cpc=SCH&srm=0
Oops -- the USB version's on sale today (until Weds) for $34.00. You can save an extra $1!

I bought the USB version last week, threw in a CAT5 crimp tool and a cheap USB mouse and paid $8 for the cheapest shipping option. I used the coupon code DEALNEWS for 10% off non-sale items (thus the $35 in the topic title).

I live near Detroit. I placed the order on Tuesday, and it arrived Friday or Saturday (I don't remember which. I had no time to look at it until this morning).

I plugged the USB version into my SL-C1000 (running pdaXrom) this morning, fired up gpsd and verified the connection, started roadmap, (waited 10 minutes), (moved the antenna to the top of my bookshelf), and it found my current location, from inside my office building. The console lists 10 satellites currently in view, and varies from a lock on 6 to none, but that's still pretty impressive for inside a building. It's a lot better than the 1st gen handheld which was the last GPS device I used. It took 10 minutes to find 1 satellite standing next to a window (I can almost see a window from where I'm sitting now), and I eventually had to move outdoors to get it to work.

The USB version I have has a 6 foot cable, and a magnetic base, so you could stick it to the top of the car, but the magnet isn't particularly strong, so I don't know whether I'd trust it at highway speeds.

I'll try it in the car later, and see how it tracks.

I know nothing about the CF version, except that it's about the same price.

David

[xjqian]

Thanks. Haven't bought anything for a while, guess I need some toy to play with, so bought the following from Geeks president's day sale.

FGPCFCD01 -- GPS Navigation Receiver CompactFlash Card 1
$35.99 $35.99
USB-UG-200 -- UG-200 USB 12-Channel NMEA-0183 GPS Recei 1
$34.00 $34.00
W9828-SIL -- USB 87-Key Mini Keyboard (Silver) 1
$5.99 $5.99
BLK-24XEXT-CDR -- 24x USB External CD-ROM Drive (Black) 1
$24.00 $24.00
HE-130R -- USB to RJ-45 Ethernet Adapter 1
$7.99 $7.99
TST630CQ -- Micro Stylus for Compaq iPAQ 3100/3600/3700 1
$0.44 $0.44
UTB -- USB Rechargeable Battery Charger 1
$5.25 $5.25

Hopefully all go well with my 6K . Will report back how both GPS toy worked. For the CF GPS, I found the data sheet and the user manual from google. It's a 2004 model manufactured in Taiwan. Only 8-channel and no bells nor whistles as the latest models.

Attached File(s)

 CFGPSuserguide.pdf ( 513.07K ) Number of downloads: 89
 FGPCFCD01GPS20CF20Card.pdf ( 226.49K ) Number of downloads: 56

 

[ceffyl]

Hopefully all go well with my 6K . Will report back how both GPS toy worked. For the CF GPS, I found the data sheet and the user manual from google. It's a 2004 model manufactured in Taiwan. Only 8-channel and no bells nor whistles as the latest models.

Excellent! I look forward to hearing about how things work. I have a 6k also and would love to have a GPS unit to use with it. Hard to pass up the price on this one...

Ceffyl

[xamindar]

just a quick question before I buy it. Does this usb gps work on sharp roms?

EDIT: dang, it looks like they are out of them.

[xjqian]

A quick update. Got my shipment today. The CF GPS, although a generic one, quite amazingly worked out of box (even don't need cardctl resume to power up) and get along very well with zroadmap, qpegps and zgps.

cardctl ident
product info: "CF CARD", "GENERIC", "", ""
manfid: 0x0278, 0x950b
function: 2 (serial)

[xjqian]

update: both CF GPS and USB GPS works pretty well. They are in the exactly same generic package and both manufactured in Taiwan.

1. CF GPS worked out of box
gpsd -p /dev/ttyS3 -s 4800

cardctl resume (upon suspend | resume)

1. USB GPS used the popular pl2303 serial to usb converter, whose driver does not come precompiled in the stock rom.

For 6K User, you have to first flash to fast kernel and load the pl2303 driver (attached, rename it to pl2303.o and place it under .../kernel/driver/usb/serial/), both compiled by adf.
see: guyhelm rom/fast kernel thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7476

For 1000/3x00 user, Jonathan compiled the pl2303 for you
see this thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9843

gpsd -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -s 4800

Attached File(s)

 pl2303.txt ( 17.23K ) Number of downloads: 86

 

[xjqian]

update: usb ethernet adaptor worked

This is ADMtek ADM8511 "Pegasus II" USB Ethernet adaptor, whose driver does not come precompiled in the stock rom.

For 6K User, you have to first flash to fast kernel and load the pegasus driver (attached, rename it to pegasus.o and place it under .../kernel/driver/usb/), again thanks to adf.
see: guyhelm rom/fast kernel thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7476

For 1000/3x00 user, darkloran compiled the pegasus driver for you
see this thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11810

For pdaX rom user, pegasus driver is already included in the rom,
see this thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=16259

ifconfig eth0 up
dhcpcd eth0

Attached File(s)

 pegasus.txt ( 16.63K ) Number of downloads: 68

 

[xjqian]

update: Keyboard and misc

Kyeyboard: 87 Key, 25mm thick, dimensions larger than the PSK-3100 mentioned in this 6K keyboard thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5149. Most keys worked out of box as most generic keyboards do. Need to tweak keyhelper (Qtopia) and xev (X/Qt) a little to get all punctuaction keys in the right place.

Stylus: a little thickr than the 6K slot. But I'm not expecting it to fit anyway.

Battery charger: this is not for Z. but shouls work.

External CD: Works ok in windows, but I've not able to mount it under Z. Btw, very noisy, actually sounds scary, when it starts spinning.

[xjqian]

EDIT: dang, it looks like they are out of them.

It works under the sharp rom provided you have the right module (driver). Although Geeks is out of them, if you google around, you can still find both GPS units at about ~$40.

[Jon_J]

A bit off topic. Have you used this GPS CF card? I ordered it from Staples
Ambicom GPS
Model GPS-CF
Staples# IM1657600
(It was $94.99)
Jon

Attached File(s)

 AmbiCom_GPS_Navigation.jpg ( 16.22K ) Number of downloads: 72

 

[xjqian]

A bit off topic. Have you used this GPS CF card? I ordered it from Staples
Ambicom GPS
Model GPS-CF
Staples# IM1657600
(It was $94.99) 
Jon

no I've nerver used it, but I see some members has it in their sig. Better catch them and ask

[tombraider]

Got the USB version and can't get it to work with my C1000 and Cacko 1.23 ROM. It looks like there's already a pegasus.o in that usb/serial folder but I went ahead and tried the directions to install it anyway and failed miserably at the task. Originally QPEgps lighted up with a green "OK button at first but just would not acquire. Now that I've "fooled with" pegasus.o, it lights up just a second and quits...so I am going backwards on this.

Anyway, do I need to install the pegasus.o since it appears to be already there on Cacko? And what else might I try to get this going???

update: both CF GPS and USB GPS works pretty well. They are in the exactly same generic package and both manufactured in Taiwan.

1. CF GPS worked out of box
gpsd -p /dev/ttyS3 -s 4800

cardctl resume (upon suspend | resume)

1. USB GPS used the popular pl2303 serial to usb converter, whose driver does not come precompiled in the stock rom.

For 6K User, you have to first flash to fast kernel and load the pl2303 driver (attached, rename it to pl2303.o and place it under .../kernel/driver/usb/serial/), both compiled by adf.
see: guyhelm rom/fast kernel thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7476

For 1000/3x00 user, Jonathan compiled the pl2303 for you
see this thread: http://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9843

gpsd -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -s 4800

[xjqian]

Got the USB version and can't get it to work with my C1000 and Cacko 1.23 ROM.  It looks like there's already a pegasus.o in that usb/serial folder but I went ahead and tried the directions to install it anyway and failed miserably at the task.  Originally QPEgps lighted up with a green "OK button at first but just would not acquire.  Now that I've "fooled with"  pegasus.o,  it lights up just a second and quits...so I am going backwards on this.

Anyway,  do I need to install the pegasus.o since it appears to be already there on Cacko?  And what else might I try to get this going???

Maybe my two updates looked so similar in style and led to confusion. You need pl2303.o, the Prolific 2303 serial to usb converter for the usb gps. The pegasus.o is for the usb ethernet adaptor.

[tombraider]

Heh, sorry, my fault there...misread the postings.
Okay, so I copied those files into that modules directory and for good measure into the modules.rom directory and changed the setting in qpegps.conf to -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -s 4800 but all I get is a green ok light but the bar underneath goes green for about 2 seconds and then turns red so I'm not there yet.
The device works fine on my laptop so I know it's not the device.

The directory /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/drivers/usb/serial was already there so I just copied the files from a folder on my cf card to that location.
At any rate, I will double check everything again to be sure I didn't do something stupid.

Any idea why the bar lights green and then goes out...what could cause that?
Thanks for any help.

Edit: I just had to reboot and it started working! I'm psyched.

Got the USB version and can't get it to work with my C1000 and Cacko 1.23 ROM.  It looks like there's already a pegasus.o in that usb/serial folder but I went ahead and tried the directions to install it anyway and failed miserably at the task.  Originally QPEgps lighted up with a green "OK button at first but just would not acquire.  Now that I've "fooled with"  pegasus.o,  it lights up just a second and quits...so I am going backwards on this.

Anyway,  do I need to install the pegasus.o since it appears to be already there on Cacko?   And what else might I try to get this going???

Maybe my two updates looked so similar in style and led to confusion. You need pl2303.o, the Prolific 2303 serial to usb converter for the usb gps. The pegasus.o is for the usb ethernet adaptor.

[xjqian]

Edit: I just had to reboot and it started working!  I'm psyched.

yeah, you have to

insmod <modulename> or
depmod -ae

but a reboot also does it for you.

btw, are you using my attached files? I'd be surprised if it works for you cause those are compiled for 6k with 2.4.18 fast kernel.