Looking to start, need a good GPS recommendation

[ashaffer]

I'm looking to really get into this wardriving, and I'm looking for a recommendation for a good starter GPS that will work well with Kismac (basically anything nmea) and just simple usb and/or bluetooth interface. What would be the least expensive device that would just work (I'd prefer it to be available at circuitcity.com, since I get a discount there).

And on that note, is the $99 eTrex any good for wardriving?


Thanks!

[ax0n]

The $99 eTrex is great! It's what I use. I didn't think it was USB but the new data cable might be.

I got a 9-pin serial and 12VDC car power adapter for it from a local reseller I found through pfranc.com who actually met me one day to sell me the cable in person. You can find the cables on eBay too, but I got a good deal buying direct from the guy.

The bottom of the line, yellow eTrex is the one I got. It doesn't store maps but it does store tracks, waypoints, and lots of other information. If you're looking for a good GPS to go camping, hiking, and biking with it works great. It's 12 channel and more than accurate enough for war-driving, but it dosn't have WAAS (Terrestrial augmentation) so you can lose the signal if you lose view of the sky for 10 seconds or more (for instance, getting stopped under a highway overpass in a traffic jam, or going through a tunnel)

The higher up eTrex models offer uploadable maps. I've had my yellow eTrex since xmas 2003, and it's still kicking. It's seen extreme temperatures, rain, snow, 130+ degrees in my parked car in the summer and shows no sign of ever wearing out. I use it daily.

[GeekGirl]

The $99 eTrex is great! It's what I use. I didn't think it was USB but the new data cable might be.

I got a 9-pin serial and 12VDC car power adapter for it from a local reseller I found through pfranc.com who actually met me one day to sell me the cable in person. You can find the cables on eBay too, but I got a good deal buying direct from the guy.

The bottom of the line, yellow eTrex is the one I got. It doesn't store maps but it does store tracks, waypoints, and lots of other information. If you're looking for a good GPS to go camping, hiking, and biking with it works great. It's 12 channel and more than accurate enough for war-driving, but it dosn't have WAAS (Terrestrial augmentation) so you can lose the signal if you lose view of the sky for 10 seconds or more (for instance, getting stopped under a highway overpass in a traffic jam, or going through a tunnel)

The higher up eTrex models offer uploadable maps. I've had my yellow eTrex since xmas 2003, and it's still kicking. It's seen extreme temperatures, rain, snow, 130+ degrees in my parked car in the summer and shows no sign of ever wearing out. I use it daily.

I LOVE my eTrex ( have the yellow one also) but just upgraded my main GPS to a GoPass GPT-700 bluetooth just so that I have fewer cables running around I found, that a GREAT place to get GPS accessories, and where I got my Data/Power cable were at MARINE stores (EG boat and fishing equipment) but I bet REI and other CAMPING/Sporting goods/Hunting stores would have them too

BestBuy/CircuitCity never seem to have anything with a PC interface included, except the MS S&T With Pharos Transmitter, or the Delorme one... CompUSA and Microcenter seem to cary compact flash and bluetooth adapters for the Pharos.... I've also never seen a data cable for one of the handheld units at BestBuy/CompUSA or CircuitCity either...

Oh well, just my 2 cents..

Keep On Stumbling
-GeekGirl

[StartX]

I use an etrex vista, works well but I have to use a USB to serial converter as my notebook lacks a serial port.

[whitedice]

First GPS I got was a Earthmate LT-20 USB. It works alright, would lose signal going under regular 2-lane bridges though. Got it to work w/ kismet, but it took a bit to figure it out. had to modprobe pl2303, and the gpsd command is awkward if I remember correctly, and I can never remember it. (now back up to the bluetooth gps). Bright Yellow, no magnetic base. USB powered.

Second GPS, Globalsat BU-353 ($62 @ http://www.newegg.com... Way better. Waterproof, it has a magnetic base, and so I put it up on the roof.. and it is definitely waterproof, as it has sat on the roof of my car for months, through many rain storms going 65 mph. Works in linux, no extra fooling around, just runs right from gpsd command w/ location of "/dev/tts/USB0". Thinking about getting another one of these babies to replace the lt-20 backup. Tiny & Black. Waas enabled. USB powered.

Third GPS, Globalsat Bluetooth, use it with my xp machine to navigate/netstumble using Franson GpsGate to distribute to multiple ports. Also use it with my Axim & Wififofum "warwalking". Nice little belt clip pouch included. Lasts forever on rechargeable batteries, supposedly 17 hours, but never driven that long. Automatically turns off if no bluetooth communication after 10 or 15 minutes. Has run out of juice while in the middle of a drive w/ no warning, after multiple days of usage. Luckily I noticed it, and fired up the lt-20 and backtracked a little. Tiny, Black, & Wireless. Waas Enabled.

Links:
USGlobalSat
Franson GpsGate

[ashaffer]

Thanks for all of your input on this stuff guys.

I'm probably going to go with the extrex since I'm 110% positive that it works with macs on kismac, I just need to get the right cables for it. Any idea what stores will have the proper cabling for this unit? (I'll need to go to usb, so I'm prepared to get a serial-usb converter).

[StartX]

My etrex vista came with a serial cable, I later purchased a serial+power cable for it off of ebay. The usb-serial cable I use to connect that to my notebook came from some Compusa, BestBuy, or possibly even walmart.

[ax0n]

Yah, I got my eTrex to work with the G4PB I was issued at my last job with a plain old Keyspan USB/Serial adapter.

[i_do_dew]

I had a Garmin GPS 35PC and it had been going strong for 4 years on the roof of my van, Untill I decided I needed to flash it and instead fried it. Its a 12 Channel w/o WAAS. Fully enclosed and powered though the data cable which at 15' long was more than enough to make where I have my PC setup. It would also dead reckon for 30 seconds before reporing a failure for wardriving down those tree lined streets.

[argh]

i'll cast a positive vote for "the little yellow Garmin" as well. I also use a Garmin GPS16 (magmount hockey puck GPS). the Etrex is fine for starting out, and as many have said, quite rugged. it's also nice for geocaching. no maps, very simple, but works well.

mine seemed to be happiest with everything setting it to 4800 baud. for Kismet/GPSd, it's not too hard to rig up a bash shell script to fire everything up, and feed it the right parameters.

[themacuser]

Second GPS, Globalsat BU-353 ($62 @ http://www.newegg.com... Way better. Waterproof, it has a magnetic base, and so I put it up on the roof.. and it is definitely waterproof, as it has sat on the roof of my car for months, through many rain storms going 65 mph. Works in linux, no extra fooling around, just runs right from gpsd command w/ location of "/dev/tts/USB0". Thinking about getting another one of these babies to replace the lt-20 backup. Tiny & Black. Waas enabled. USB powered.

That's mine too. Awesome unit. Works great with gpsd and KisMac on OS X!
/dev/tty.usbserial for me.

[KrisKhaos]

Greetings,
I'm new to the scene and wanted something cheap to toy with, and located this baby on the internet...

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=UT-41&cpc=SCH

I must say I got it and was impressed. It works well, never lost a signal that I know of, and the magnetized base and long cord makes it a nice addition to the roof of my car. (I believe it is WAAS enabled? Not sure.)

This is the cheapest I can find for the time being, and has done me a satisfactory job so far. If you want something inexpensive and works the price is low enough that it shouldn't break the bank even if it doesn't perform as well as you like.