# I got a GPS receiver **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-gps-receiver/114257 "2002-06-15T20:38:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-gps-receiver/114257/1 "2002-06-15T20:38:39Z")
Wal-Mart has some cheap GPS receivers. I was going to get the $100 Magellan GPS 310, but they were out. I got the 315 for $138 instead. My coordinates are: 034° 01.655’ N 118° 24.293’ W 54 Ft. ASL Of course, there is the margin of error built in by the government. The unit’s off at the moment, so I don’t know what the estimated error is. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-gps-receiver/114257/2 "2002-06-15T20:57:07Z")
Me, too! I got mine at a pawn shop for $60. I did buy the PC cable so I can upgrade the OS. 32º 01’ 09N 081º 04’ 37W 39FT ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-gps-receiver/114257/3 "2002-06-15T21:09:25Z")
Mine says > [@](#): > > Connecting to DGPS > > To use the PC interface cable to interface the GPS receiver with the DBR-2 or DBR-3, you must use a null modem (Radio Shack P/N: 26-264A) and a gender changer (Radio Shack P/N: 26-280A) to connect the GPS receiver properly. This is due to the pinout being the opposite of the BD9 connector configuration for a PC connection. But it doesn’t say where to connect it on the GPS receiver. Nor does it say what “DGPS” is. The only thing that remotely looks like somplace something would connect is on the back of the receiver body. There are four contact-looking things in a trapezoid pattern surrounding a screw hole. Is this a way to hook the reciever to a computer? What for? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-gps-receiver/114257/4 "2002-06-15T21:59:39Z")
The four contact points on the back is where the PC cable hooks into. Notice the screw hole in the middle. That’s what holds the cable in place. When you first turn on the unit, the software version appears right after the logo screen. Mine is using 3.07. The new version is 3.15. You can download places of interest into the unit from the DataSend CD. Go the the Magellan website and you can get the updates OS for your receiver as well as other accessories. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-gps-receiver/114257/5 "2002-06-16T02:14:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*Of course, there is the margin of error built in by the government. The unit’s off at the moment, so I don’t know what the estimated error is. \*\* The Gubmint no longer introduces an error. Clinton cancelled selective availability on 1 May 2000. Now your GPS should be good down to ten or twenty yards, whereas with selective availability it would only have been good down to about a hundred yards. [http://www.igeb.gov/sa/](http://www.igeb.gov/sa/) Can’t give you my coords for my old Magellan Trailblazer (1994) can’t pick up a read from my back deck – I have to get out of town for it to work.