USB GPS BS-708

[yachtvalhalla]

I just received this USB GPS advertised as a replacement for the BU-353S4.

Plugged it in and Windows installed the driver in a few seconds. Launched OpenCPN which showed the new com port for the device. It had a position already located belowdecks in my FRG boat.

It worked at a baud rate of 4800 but finding some specs on it I found that it works from 4800 to 921600 bps with default of 9600 bps. I changed the baud rate in OpenCPN to 9600 but haven't enough time to see any difference.

More specs shown on the image.

The surprise is the cost is about $13

Terry

[yachtvalhalla]

Installed quickly using Windows 8.1 but needed a restart of the computer after linking in OpenCPN.

Terry

[KeelMe]

The question is.. how long will it last?

My BU-353 is going on five years of non-stop use.

[Oceanride007]

Thanks Terry, I ordered one.

[banjoship]

Terry,
Interesting that it installed on w8 with generic drivers.

I have one, installed on w10. I had to install U-Blox drivers, first a sensor driver, then a VCP driver. Took a while to work it out. Just recently found a write up on OpenCPN help files, always pays to RTFM.

The puck is based on a U-Blox 7 chip, which is single constellation. The current 8 series are 4 constellation. Still, the 7 works fine.

Lee

[patprice]

My Beitian BS-708 seems to work quite well but does not provide a COG.
I find the COG useful when compared with the bearing to a way point.
Am I missing something?

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by patprice

My Beitian BS-708 seems to work quite well but does not provide a COG.
I find the COG useful when compared with the bearing to a way point.
Am I missing something?

Have you moved your boat with the GPS device?

[Oceanride007]

What chart system are you using, OpenCPN? what program you using to see your position.?

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by patprice

My Beitian BS-708 seems to work quite well but does not provide a COG.
I find the COG useful when compared with the bearing to a way point.
Am I missing something?

How do you know it doesn't give a COG?

When you select Tracking do both SOG and COG appear at the bottom of the screen in the Status Bar? (Status Bar needs to be checked in Options/User Interface)

If you are using the Dashboard plugin you must select it in the plugin options.


Tell us more please.

[ian5142]

The U-Block chips only output COG when the speed is above a certain threshold. I have a Chinese knockoff based M8030-KT. It doesn't output COG until it reaches 0.1 kn.

The chips, series 7 and 8 are highly configurable using U-Center software.
NMEA version.
NMEA sentences output (so it doesn't spam GSA and GSV sentences)
Baud rate
GPS vs GPS + GLONASS, affects NMEA talker ID used. I set mine to GPS only so that it only outputs $GP, not $GN and $GP

The above are just some the settings available.

Make sure the U-Center version matches the chip. In my case, v20.10.

[patprice]

Originally Posted by yachtvalhalla

How do you know it doesn't give a COG?

When you select Tracking do both SOG and COG appear at the bottom of the screen in the Status Bar? (Status Bar needs to be checked in Options/User Interface)

If you are using the Dashboard plugin you must select it in the plugin options.


Tell us more please.

Hi again sorry about the delay.
Yes it does show COG when the GPS is moving. It suddenly appears on screen base but goes when the boat is stopped. Tracking does not alter this.

I,m not sure what you mean by Dashboard plugin?

[ian5142]

Dashboard plugin is one of the built-in plugins. It is what displays the Dashboard info (left and right Dashboard windows). https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...gins:dashboard

[patprice]

Built in Dashboard stuff now activated....thanks