GPS – Navigation Mac

Connecting USB/Bluetooth GPS with Mac M1 [Update]

Posted on1 February 202228 March 20227 Comments

The arrival of Macs with Apple M1 processors and macOS systems 11 "Big Sur" and macOS 12 "Monterey" has caused disappointments among users of GPS connected via USB and/or Bluetooth for their navigation applications.

In USB, despite the latest driver available Prolific V.2.1.0, we had to wait for the last update macOS 12.2 to make the GPS BU-353/S4 of GlobalSat operational. The same goes for the GNS3000 (¹) in Bluetooth that was experiencing a recognized instability of the interface for connecting multiple devices, instability that unfortunately does not yet seem to be fully fixed. Read more …

GNS 3000 Bluetooth GPS receiver for mobile

Posted on30 October 20205 November 20206 Comments

The new GNS 3000 announced by Global Navigation Systems since last spring is finally available (¹). It replaces the GNS 2000 More. Now equipped with a Bluetooth transmitter 5.0, it has an SD Card slot for recording position data continuously.

Compatible with Apple products, It caters mainly to non-GPS devices : iPod Touch and iPad WiFi all models. It can also be used with all PDAs, Bluetooth phones and tablets. It has a Li-Ion battery offering an autonomy of 10 continuous hours.

Cyber attacks and boating

Posted on1 September 202016 April 2021Comment

Garmin was the victim of a cyber attack that started on 23 last July and lasted several days. The resulting outage disrupted many of its online services.

Navionics customers could no longer access the Navionics server through their login credentials. L’application Navionics Boating, the chart installer and the Navionics chart viewer were all impacted. products could no longer be purchased directly from the Navionics website. Chartplotters could still be used as stand-alone devices during this Garmin failure, but the maps could no longer be downloaded or updated. Read more …

The accuracy of GPS [brief summer]

Posted on8 August 20206 June 20224 Comments

I'm always being asked - and have been for ages - how much confidence we can put in the GPS on our tablets and smartphones. At the risk of repeating myself, I persist in asserting that our mobile devices are provided with the most accurate GPS receivers that can be found in civilian use, especially for pleasure boating. Read more …

Apple finally ship GALILEO [Update]

Posted on25 September 201713 July 20202 Comments

Good news, a year after its appearance on the first smartphones (¹), Apple finally integrates a GNSS receiver chipset compatible GALILEO. The iPhone 8/8+ and soon iPhone X are now provided with the LTE X16 Snapdragon modem MDM9655 from Qualcomm company, which includes a multi-GNSS receiver : GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), GALILEO (Europe) and QZSS (Japan) (²). Confirmation was given to me by our friends at iFixit.

[Update 15/12/2017] The iPhone 6S and 7 are now compatible with Galileo signals.

BeiDou-3 China rushes its Global GPS

Posted on11 March 201720 August 2020

To date, the Chinese GPS satellite constellation BeiDou-2 covers only a part of East Asia and the Western Pacific. With the commissioning of GALILEO European GPS late 2016, the replacement scheduled of U.S. 2nd generation GPSII by the 3rd generation GPSIII, the launch of the 3rd generation of the Russian GLONASS-M satellites, China intends to catch up with global coverage forced march. Read more …

GALILEO and the Apple mobile

Posted on17 October 201616 April 20214 Comments

Within a month of the launch by Ariane 5 four new satellites of the GALILEO constellation to 18 satellites, manufacturers of components of location have already presented their new chips of location supporting the European GNSS. This allowed the Spanish company BQ to propose early September the first smartphone "Galileo-ready., equipped with the processorQualcomm Snapdragon 652, the Aquarius X 5 more.

We could expect to find the same chip in the iPhone 7 from Apple, that fitted for the iPad and iPhone 4S 3 all its mobile devices with Qualcomm communication processors, integrating GPS reception (US) and GLONASS (Russian), it is not. With this latest smartphone, Apple revives Broadcom, waived for 2012 to ensure these functions, by integrating a chip BCM47734.

GPS and iPad Wi - Fi + Cellular

Posted on23 July 20168 August 202015 Comments

Early January 2011 I wrote started the year in a bad mood (¹) After finding repeated incompetence of Apple sellers, during Christmas, concerning devices they sold, mainly iPad and iPhone. I note unfortunately as 5 years later, nothing has changed, it is to despair !

2016 Year of GALILEO

Posted on31 March 201617 July 2020

Since my first post on GALILEO end 2011 (¹), Europe's space has increased. Despite the economic uncertainties and many budgetary restrictions, Course and schedule have been maintained thanks to a community political flawless. This is to be welcomed because many other areas of European action didn't have the scoop.

The year 2016 has already been dubbed "the year of GALILEO".. This was the clear message of the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit (²) early March. The Munich Summit covered all GNSS systems, but this year focus was squarely on GALILEO. Read more …

AIS, VHF/DSC radio and LEDs lights

Posted on31 August 20152 May 20213 Comments

The Department of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, has published in date of 4 August a boating safety alert about LEDs bulbs (¹). The text warns boaters on the risks of radio interference found where the VHF antennas are close to navigation lights or bridge lamps equipped with LEDs bulbs. Read more …