Cheap GPS Receiver

194 Comments

gps

Here’s a short guide for converting a Palm III GPS sled into a normal serial GPS receiver. The Palm III is old tech so its accessories can be picked up cheap and modified for other purposes. The GPS receiver needs to be separated from the Palm specific board and a few components need to be transfered between the two. Once that’s done you should have a standard serial GPS receiver. Here’s a cache in case the “Read” link fails.

[thanks nevamore, who has done this hack with success]

194 thoughts on “Cheap GPS Receiver”

  3. too cool! I love gps and navigation technologies. i have the earthmate from delorme integrated into my car and i have the garmin m5 gps pda which is awesome. great hack guys.

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  4. too cool! I love gps and navigation technologies. i have the earthmate from delorme integrated into my car and i have the garmin m5 gps pda which is awesome. great hack guys.

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  6. anyone got a hack out there for making the gps that comes with msft streets and trips ’05 mac compatible? thought i was going to get another dell for college, but the rents surprised me

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  7. I did this hack about a year ago. I used a USB cable to power the board, and put the resulting mess in an altoids can, soldering the antenna to the top. Good stuff!

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  8. I learned a LOT about the nature of GPS while toying with this.

    For compatibility look for devices that are NMEA 0183 compliant. The data coming out of those is just a raw string of numeric data that all mapping software should (had damn well better) be able to parse out.

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  10. I actually tried doing this before, but not separating the two boards… You can just hook directly up to the serial tx/rx leads on the connection to the palm, and then still use the power AC Adaptor.

    However, the circuitry must have been rather sensitive to the soldering heat, since after I soldered two small leads, the entire thing died. :(

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  11. Does anyone know if the Handspring ‘Magellan GPS Companion’ module can be hacked in this way? – I’ve got one lying in a drawer which I used to use with a long since dead Handspring Visor. It would be neat to make a GPS module out of it which I could use with my laptop. If anyone has any links etc, I’d appreciate a mail to iridium_sunrise@hotmail.com
    cheers
    Matt

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  12. Does anyone know if the Handspring ‘Magellan GPS Companion’ module can be hacked in this way? – I’ve got one lying in a drawer which I used to use with a long since dead Handspring Visor. It would be neat to make a GPS module out of it which I could use with my laptop. If anyone has any links etc, I’d appreciate a mail to iridium_sunrise@hotmail.com
    cheers
    Matt

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  13. I have MapSource (Middle East V2 Map), and a normal Serial (PCMCIA) GPS Module in my laptop. Problem is that when i start the Tracking, all the details of Maps are locked, a message on the bottom right corner shows ” Map Details Locked”, what does that mean? and how can i unlock it. I have already unlocked the maps with the key but i don’t understand how to solve this problem.
    I don’t want to contact Garmin cause i am not using Garmin GPS Module.
    So any suggestion or advice?
    Only reason why i am using Garmin Map Source is that they have Middle East detailed maps.
    Thanks in advance.

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  17. Dear Hackers
    You guys seem to know a lot more about GPS than I do.

    I having been searching for quite awhile for an inexpensive GPS system that can be put into automobiles. The system doesn’t have to be fancy it only has to find the location of a car when needed.

    Does anyone know of such a system?
    If so, do you know how much it cost ? and
    Where do I get GPS tracking software

    Thank you in advance

    JZ Zabo
    gpssearch@mycarfs.com, USA

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  18. I have cracked the Garmin Unlock Process (works perfectly with my Garmin V and Atlantic Bluechart), and would like to test it on another Garmin Chartplotter – so if you would like to unlock any Mapsource-area please contact me

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  29. hi papgaard,
    (and everybody interested how to fool your gps)
    I will explain how to make garmin metroguide work for gps and computer (unlocked for both), at the other hand i’ve got the question if it is possible somehow to make the city select v6/v7 work

    for solutions: fritziefrits@hotmail.com

    THERE IS A METHOD BY HACKING YOR GARMIN METROGUIDE v7. First A WARNING: You have to change something in your regedit, this is an essential system-part in your computer. When you change the wrong things or delete something else than that i wil subscribe in the following, your computer or some programmes might not work anymore.

    1)download the program Garmin metroguide v7
    2)Go to start menu and type ‘regedit’ in the ‘run’ program
    3)Now make a new key by clicking on the right mousekey. the key has to be exactly like this: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESSOFTWAREGarminmapsourcefamilieseuropean metroguide v6]

    Now the computer thinks that your metroguide is already is installed on your computer

    4)Install the downloaded garmin metroguide v7
    5)Once you have finished installing, you have to run ‘regedit again AND ONLY DELETE THE KEY ‘[European metroguide v6]

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  30. This old man needs help please. I have Streets and Trips and a new garmin vista c and I can’t make them work together. The garmin has only USB and the S&T map program needs a Nema feed. Is there a way to make these two work together? Hope it’s simple.(grin) Thanks for any help you can provide.
    Shortflake@yahoo.com

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  37. frits i have followed your instructions for the hack for v7 metroguide,but i keep getting error saying that i cannot name key with in it.any help would be great.

    That’s because you have to make subfolders/keys:
    for instance HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESSOFTWAREGarmin is an existing key than make new key by clicking right mouse key give it name mpasource, click on it make new key name it families etc etc.

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  42. I just purchased Etrex Legend “C” ; downloaded City Navigator North America v4.0 (w/crack codes). Works great on my laptop, but handheld Etrex “Can’t Unlock Maps”. Can you help? Anyone with City Select North America??

    Etrex is worthless if I can’t unlock maps on it – Any ideas, please email me.

    Thanks :)
    michael_ps7@yahoo.com

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  43. I just purchased Etrex Legend “C” ; downloaded City Navigator North America v4.0 (w/crack codes). Works great on my laptop, but handheld Etrex “Can’t Unlock Maps”. Can you help? Also, Anyone with City Select North America torrent file??

    Etrex is worthless if I can’t unlock maps on it – Any ideas, please email me.

    Thanks :)
    michael_ps7@yahoo.com

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  45. hi ya

    I purchased a segway and it came with a etrex legend C and north american maps V7 city select…..
    I live in Spain…..
    Not much use to me but i would love to have the spanish/europe maps maps!
    I can send you the maps and my unlock codes if this will help you. or copy/swap the disk.
    Is it possible to send you just the maps that you need?
    Im new to this and have not tried much as the maps are useless to me. Only unlocked for myself out of curiosity.

    Cheers
    Madrid

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  48. Hi

    I can generate unlockcodes for your GPS and MapSource.

    Will you please send an email to:

    gps@pinodyr.com

    With information about:

    – UNITID for your GPS (not SERIAL) – MapSource can extract this UNITID from your GPS.
    – Which Mapsourceproduct AND version you want an unlockcode for (i.e. City Select Europe v7)

    And I will generate a testcode for you.

    Cheers
    Ruder Papgaard

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