OpenCPN with u-blox 7 GPS Dongle

[HvyHitter]

I was searching all over for this information. I got a few hits from this forum and I thought I would make a post so it comes up in google searches. Probably a good first post for me here.

If you plug in the U-blox GPS dongle and let windows 10 install the driver it will only install part of the driver. In order for it to install and show up as a com port (which then shows up in OpenCPN) you have to find

u-blox GNSS VCP Device Driver for Windows

VCP stands for Virtual Com Port. Once you do that it fires right up. Enjoy OpenCPN with this super inexpensive GPS dongle.

once I did that it showed up as com5 and went live.

The end.

So GPS is now installed. Time for the 50 dollar AIS and to learn about GRIB files.

[jurdanfrancis]

Good day sir, can u help me about my open cpn. I have GPS info g-star IV its working when I started but I open my opencpn it won't work no position appear. Before its working but after an hour not working anymor til now. I check already the com port but still not working on my open cpn. Please help me sir how to fix this problem

[petter5]

Is your GPS dongle under open sky or indoors ?? The dongle needs to "see" the satelites/signals and open sky gives better reception of these signals
If going to settings -> connections and press " show nmea debug window" does you see any messages in this window ??

Only one program can use the GPS at the same time. Are you sure that no other programs are running that might use the GPS ? if so, close them and restart opencpn.

Originally Posted by jurdanfrancis

Good day sir, can u help me about my open cpn. I have GPS info g-star IV its working when I started but I open my opencpn it won't work no position appear. Before its working but after an hour not working anymor til now. I check already the com port but still not working on my open cpn. Please help me sir how to fix this problem

[Nbarch]

I also bought one of these inexpensive Ublox-7 GPS dongles as it was advertised as being very sensitive. But from a cold start in my back garden it took over 25 minutes to acquire a fix. The ‘GPS Test’ App on an old tablet took just 5 minutes. At first I thought the U-Blox dongle was faulty and tried another older GPS dongle and that also got a cold start fix in 5 minutes.

I did nothing special to install the drivers; Windows 10 did that as I was in WiFi range, except I did additionally download the free U-Center software from U-Blox.

Might start quicker on my boat, but anyway a cheap backup GPS dongle.

[petter5]

Hmmm, I have used several of these cheap dongles with linux/ raspberry pi ( openplotter) All of them has worked flawless and with quick fix.

Originally Posted by Nbarch

I also bought one of these inexpensive Ublox-7 GPS dongles as it was advertised as being very sensitive. But from a cold start in my back garden it took over 25 minutes to acquire a fix. The ‘GPS Test’ App on an old tablet took just 5 minutes. At first I thought the U-Blox dongle was faulty and tried another older GPS dongle and that also got a cold start fix in 5 minutes.

I did nothing special to install the drivers; Windows 10 did that as I was in WiFi range, except I did additionally download the free U-Center software from U-Blox.

Might start quicker on my boat, but anyway a cheap backup GPS dongle.