[OSM-newbies] Cheap GPS device

[David Ellams]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:49:06 +0600, Ishtiaque Ahmed
<ishtiaque at csebuet.org> wrote:

> Can anyone suggest me about which are the cheap GPS devices that I can
> use
> for mapping? Is there any other way to get some idle GPS devices from any
> other places as a help for mapping Bangladesh?

Depends what kind of device you want. You can get very cheap keychain
gps devices (not loggers) which will interface with a smartphone, and
free software for the smartphone to do the logging. Or you may want a
standalone GPS logger without a screen, or a fully blown Personal
Navigation Device with a screen, maps, etc. 

I know some people insist a screen is a must, but I get on ok with a
cheap GPS logger with no screen. I use a notepad (or occasionally a
camera) to record the details of my waypoints. Yes, it does mean you
cannot see whether you have a good constellation of satellites, but I
almost never get home to find the trace is unusable. I use the iBlue
747A+, which in the UK you can get on ebay for £25 - £30, but I have no
idea of availability or price in Bangladesh! I would personally
recommend this device to anyone who wants a GPS logger of this sort. I
find it reliable and easy to use*, it has a large memory and excellent
battery life. There is also an excellent unofficial free desktop (and
mobile) application available (BT747) for managing the device (or other
devices with the same chipset), downloading tracks and saving to
OSM-compatible gpx files. I have read the chipset is not well calibrated
for walking, but I usually find my walking traces usable, if not as
visually appealing as my cycling traces.

But I have not tried any other devices. There are lots of feature
comparisons and some user reviews here:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/GPS_Reviews

David

*At least I did - I lost mine two weeks ago :(