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Gadgettes Lounge forum: Digital only (no screen) GPS

by: LionsMike August 7, 2008 7:58 AM PDT

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Digital only (no screen) GPS

by LionsMike - 8/7/08 7:58 AM

I have been looking for a handheld GPS device which displays co-ordinates only. These were available years ago (very very expensive) but I cannot find any today.

They should be reasonable with the advances in GPS devices but I cannot fond them at any price.

I might be interested in a unit which has a screen (which would be completely useless and would be nice if it could be turned off to conserve battery) if it has the digital readout.

DOES ANYONE KNOW if such devices are available? if so could you forward information on them.


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Having built one.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 8/16/08 5:48 PM

In Reply to: Digital only (no screen) GPS by LionsMike

I used an off the shelf GPS from Trimble and a small single board computer with a 2 line LCD. The connection was via serial ports and the code was trivial.

Are you able to solder wires and write micro controller code?


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I don't think that will work

by LionsMike - 8/16/08 10:39 PM

In Reply to: Having built one. by R. Proffitt Moderator

If a computer is involved, there are lots of programs which will work.

I am looking for a handheld unit with a fairly long battery life.

When you are out on the water in the middle of a large forest, the LCD display screen is useless. It is simply a solid blue or a solid green screen. If my destination point is N 41-32.3970' X W 71-47.4595' I would like to know where I am in order to get to those co-ordinates.

I have not checked recently but when I was researching, I found that most hand helds had a battery life of less than 12 hours. I would like to feel confidant that I could use the unit for a few days before replacing the batteries.


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I see you can't do this.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 8/17/08 5:19 AM

In Reply to: I don't think that will work by LionsMike

Sorry, I was sharing my experience in using a small single board computer, 2 line LCD and the Trimble unit. Later this was the basis for a schoolbus GPS device to record lat and lon onto the CCTV camera system.

The unit I built could be in a small plastic box with a single button to tell it to wake up and show just the latlong. Battery life looks to be five years.

Its a shame that no one seems to think to build what they can't buy anymore.
Bob


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Battery Life

by LionsMike - 8/17/08 10:04 AM

In Reply to: I see you can't do this. by R. Proffitt Moderator

My concern was the battery lfe between charges. I don't think that you mean charge it and leave it on for five years between charges.

If you do I want to give some thought to that.

Mike


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My design isn't that smart.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 8/17/08 10:10 AM

In Reply to: Battery Life by LionsMike

It's a simple pushbutton that powers it up, GPS and all that wakes up, a reading is displayed and then it shuts down. It was built just a few years ago from off the shelf parts and has the same battery.

Maybe today people don't want to make things but expect anything they can imagine to be on Amazon? (sorry, but I can't find a way to reword that so no offense is intended here.)
Bob


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