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( gps – gmaps, etc. ) — can surface or any devices such as laptop that can use gps, gmap, and other

designbetter

New Member
can surface use gps?

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/ca...ts-surface-pro-4-and-samsungs-galaxy-tabpro-s

i really dont want a mobile os since there's nothing useful/helpful i would use it for besides only

navigation, gps

and mobile os is very limiting -- http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/can-pro-tablets-replace-your-laptop/#who-this-is-for

( gps – gmaps, etc. ) — are there any devices such as laptop that can use gps, gmap, and other navigation sites/etc. without a mobile type os like having an android, ios, etc.
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
If you use the search to search for GPS you might find some useful information. most, maybe all, non-cellular devices don't include real GPS functionality. However, you can get USB GPS devices that work and are real GPS.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
You can get a USB GPS for any Windows 10 device or you can get one that has built in LTE and it will have similar capabilities but many use Cell Tower triangulation instead of GPS.
 
OP
D

designbetter

New Member
* this 'usb device' that gives gps would work without any significant limitations?

* for all the popular mapping programs?

* in the middle of nowhere like a desert? or mountain?

i guess the 'usb gps device' has in-built 'data plan'

if so that could work, then after that

just have to find a device since the 'usb gps device' would work on most any device

* os doesn't matter? etc.
 

BubbaUK

Member
Are there any apps that can feed the GPS co-ordinates from your phone to the PC, and then use the Maps, Google Earth etc?
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
* this 'usb device' that gives gps would work without any significant limitations?

* for all the popular mapping programs?

* in the middle of nowhere like a desert? or mountain?

i guess the 'usb gps device' has in-built 'data plan'

if so that could work, then after that

just have to find a device since the 'usb gps device' would work on most any device

* os doesn't matter? etc.
Doesn't need a data plan has it is a satellite receiver - not a cell modem. Where a GPS device will struggle is in areas where it is unable to establish line of site back to the satellite network such as canyons or metro areas with many skyscrapers.

Most USB GPS receivers would require Windows or Mac OS X and wouldn't work on mobile OS devices.
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
Are there any apps that can feed the GPS co-ordinates from your phone to the PC, and then use the Maps, Google Earth etc?

The GPS receiver in smartphones (mobile devices) do not generate "NMEA sentences", which are a sort of device-independent text string of the GPS information. This step is not necessary for smartphones, because the GPS information can be used directly and efficiently without the extra step, using a format native to that device.

There are indeed apps and programs which can access the GPS data from a smartphone, which is very taxing on battery life, processing speed, and input/output time. Search for "WinMo", for example, or other software which mentions "NMEA sentences".

So the smartphone would become like a large, heavy, cumbersome, expensive, battery-intensive dongle.

Better to get a tiny Bluetooth dongle which translates satellite data into NMEA sentences directly, or better said, by using a driver, which is reasonably efficient.
 

BubbaUK

Member
Thanks for the good explanation, it's one of those things I'd occasionally find useful, I'll have a scout around. A USB dongle would seem to be the way to go.
 
OP
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designbetter

New Member
so 'gps ubs device' uses satellite

so 'satellite receivers' need dLoS

so that's def something to consider

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sounds like they would work on 'desktop' oses

guess mobile oses doesnt support them
 
OP
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designbetter

New Member
to clarify,

* surface pro or studio doesn't support gmap or other mapping programs

* without this 'gps usb receiver' ?


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best currrent solution sofar in 2017 is to just not do anything that needs nav

there's nothing on amazon taht is 4.7+ or higher with at least 2k sameple size reviews

meaning all these 'gps usb devies' are flawed in various ways
 
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