What is GPS Protocol NMEA-0183, Baud Rate 4800 or 9600? Hardware software compatible problems in Windows Laptop or Android Tablet GPS.

What is GPS Protocol NMEA-0183 ?
What is Baud Rate?
Hardware software compatible problems in Laptop or Tablet GPS Navigator, Chartplotter?

• NMEA: It is the Data format the GPS Receiver talk to the computers. It has been defined by, and is controlled by the US based National Marine Electronics Association. 
• Baud Rate: It's the speed at which the data is transferred from the GPS receiver to the computer. In most cases 4800 is more than enough but different receivers use different speeds. (2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400 ......) 

(You can select any GPS Map (software) that work on GPS Protocol NMEA-0183. 90% GPS Map work on both Baud-Rate 4800 or 9600 but some very old version GPS map work on Baud-Rate 4800 only. )


To prevent the NMEA mode or Baud-Rate compatible problems between the GPS Receiver (Hardware) & GPS Map (Software), read the following hints:

• 90% GPS Receiver (hardware) output the Data in NMEA mode. (Only some old Garmin receiver is in difference mode Known as 'PVT').
• 90% GPS Map (software) work with NMEA mode data. (Some old Garmin Map only works on PVT mode). To prevent any compatible problems, you should only select the same NMEA mode GPS Receiver & NMEA mode GPS Map.
• GPS Receiver’s (hardware) Baud Rate are fixed in factory and cannot change in after. (Usually set at 9600).
• Most GPS Map (software) accept both Baud Rate 4800 & 9600 but some old GPS Map only accept one Baud Rate version (4800).
• There are both versions of Laptop GPS Receiver (4800 or 9600) available on market, select the matching Baud Rate GPS Receiver for your GPS Map or ChartPlotter. 
• Also you can add software in your computer to change the Baud Rate of the GPS Receiver (hardware) to work with difference Baud Rate GPS Map (software). (You can find this software “GpsGate” in internet).

GPS Map work with Baud Rate both 9600, 4800: 
MS AutoRoute (2010 above), Streets & Trips (2010 above), Memory Map, Google Earth Map, Google Map w/ Logger, MapKing, TomTom, Navman, Magellan, Viking, iMap ...
GPS Map work with Baud Rate 4800 only:
Google Earth, MS AutoRoute (2009 or before), Streets & Trips (2009 or before),  Old Garmin Map, SeaPlotter, SeaClear, Cmap, Ozi-Explorer, ..

(For Safety, you should know the Baud Rate of the GPS Map or ChartPlotter before you install it to your computer.)

Links to find free GPS map:
http://www.maps-gps-info.com/fgpfw.html

A Memorial for Standalone GPS Units – Death by Laptop or Tablet GPS

• If you don’t want to pay for a Standalone Chartplotter that costs more than your boat then just bang it on a laptop, hook up the external GPS Receiver and off you go.
• You can buy a 5" Standalone GPS at >US$200 and usually it included a GPS Map that covered a small area of your city with little function. You have to paid extra money again for the GPS Map of other country or city.
• With a Laptop GPS Receiver, you can select lots of GPS Map with special functions you prefer.

• (I want to setup GPS on Android Tablet, Kindle Fire .... ): Android Tablet GPS with Offline Map, without Internet, without 3G, without WiFi

How to use a Laptop as a GPS Navigator FAQ
Laptop GPS FAQ:

• First time to setup a Laptop GPS System
• I got a Baud Rate & GPS Mode (NMEA) compatible problem
• How to use Garmin Map on Laptop with a non-Garmin GPS Receiver
• How to setup a Marine Chartplotter on my Laptop or PC
• What is the difference between a Real GPS & a Fake GPS
• How to minimize temporary loss of signal & improve the 3D Position Accuracy 
• Android Tablet GPS with Offline Map, without Internet, without 3G, without WiFi

Remark:
A good external GPS Antenna is the foundation of a good GPS Navigation system.
A good external GPS Antenna capture more Satellites (max. 12) and give higher "3D position Accuracy".   
(If you want to use the Laptop GPS in a more sheltered position and leave the Antenna at open space then you need a longer Antenna Cable. The RF Antenna Cable can be extending to 30 meters or longer no problem (just like a TV Antenna Cable). You should never use a USB extension cable longer then 2 meters or you will found data lost and system malfunction.)
(Item: GPS Antenna extender). 
Sole supplier:
Get a Laptop GPS Receiver w/ a short USB Cable (0.7 meter) but long Antenna Cable (2, 3, 5, or 10 meters) from the sole supplier.

Tech News: 
Windows 8.x ~10 is an new OS but lack of backward compatibility. All old versions laptop GPS receivers (win7, xp ...) will not work on win8~10 laptop. 
You need a latest versions of Laptop GPS Receiver with win8 chipset. 
The new win8~10 chipset is backward compatible to win7, xp, Android, Mac or Linux. 

Visible Satellites in North America