External Surface Pro 3 GPS device

I have the same question and also what kind of GPS software will work. I have seen navmii which you can download for free at the microsoft store app. Does anyone have any experience with navmii and an external GPS adapter with the surface?

Hi there. I picked up a BU-353-S4 a while back and used it With Streets and Trips 2013 for a couple days. It worked well enough on my Surface Pro 3 at the time. I didn't use it for long enough to test any Modern apps. It was a novelty purchase for to be honest. However I have seen it work.

As far as 32 bit apps go, they can run on 64 bit versions of windows. The app will  install in  C:\Program Files (x86) versus C:\Program Files.

So If you like a particular GPS it may not hurt to reach out to the vendor and see if have tested with the Surface Pro 3 regardless of the apps being 32 or 64 bit.   In fact you might wait until Windows 10 launches before making a purchase and get a GPS that is supported on that platform as well.

I would contact \*\*\* Email address is removed for privacy \*\*\* to be certain that they support and will continue to support Windows 8.1.

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Datasheet 

About The BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver

The BU-353-S4 is a USB magnet mount GPS receiver that features a highly sensitive, low power consumption chipset in a ultra compact form factor compatible with Microsoft Windows 8, as well as 7, Vista & XP. The BU-353-S4 is powered by a SiRF Star IV GPS chipset, and will provide you with superior performance in urban canyons, and in dense foliage. With the SiRF CGEE (Client Generated Extended Ephemeris) technology, has the capability of predicting satellite positions for up to 3 days in advance, and will deliver a CGEE-start time of less than 15 seconds under most conditions without any network assistance. The Bu-353-S4's MicroPower mode allows the receiver to stay in a hot start-like condition almost continuously while consuming very little power.

 The BU-353-S4 is suitable for the following applications:

• Automotive navigation

• Personal positioning

• Fleet management

• Mobile phone navigation

• Marine navigation

http://usglobalsat.com/p-688-bu-353-s4.aspx#images/product/large/688.jpg

Good News. I have a SP 2 and a phone with GPS and bluetooth. There is an android app "Bluetooth GPS Output" that works flawlessly with my tablet (using an aviation map display). Don't know if there is an equivalent app for apple.

After a week of trying - following the Dual regedit instructions exactly - I am returning the bluetooth GPS device (thank you Amazon.com!) because it never worked at all. I bought it after reading this thread of virtual experience. Unfortunately, my real world experience with the device was sadly disappointing.

I'm definitely in the market for a device that will work and open to suggestions.

All,

Interestingly, this little gem can be found on the Dual website, under FAQ's regarding the XGPS160...

• Does the XGPS160 work with Surface Tablets or Windows 8?
  • Yes. To pair: open the Charms menu (swipe left from the right edge of the screen), then selectSettings->Change PC Settings->PC and devices->Bluetooth. Turn on the XGPS160 and wait for it to appear in the list of devices. Tap the XGPS160 when it appears in the list, and Windows will pair with the GPS. NOTE: the blue Bluetooth light on the GPS will continue to flash, even after pairing is complete. This is normal. The Bluetooth light will glow solidly as soon as a GPS-enabled program starts requesting GPS data.

Once pairing is complete, it is a good idea to see which COM port Windows assigned to the GPS because your GPS program will probably ask you for this. To find the COM port number, go back to theCharms menu and select Settings->Change PC Settings->Control Panel. Under theHardware and Sound section, select View devices and printers. Scroll down to the bottom of the window and find the XGPS160. Right click on the device icon and selectProperties. Select the Hardware tab. In the Name column will be an item named Standard Serial over Bluetook link, followed by a COM number. Make note of this COM number for future reference.

Important note for Windows 8.1 users: Windows 8.1 has a bug which prevents it from properly communicating with many Bluetooth devices, including the XGPS160. There is a workaround, but you must have administrator privileges on your Windows machine. Follow these instructions to make your XGPS160 work with Windows 8.1:

1) Open the Registry Editor. (Press the Win + R keys and type “regedit”, or open a command prompt and type “regedit”.)

2) Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion.

3) In the right pane of the window, double-click on CurrentVersion and change the value from6.3 to 6.2

4) Restart your machine.

The registry value will actually change itself back to 6.3 after the reboot, but the XGPS160 will now work properly.

This seems at least in the domain of 'actual experience'. So maybe this is the answer. Although priced at £80, it should work!!

J

Hi there. I picked up a BU-353-S4 a while back and used it With Streets and Trips 2013 for a couple days. It worked well enough on my Surface Pro 3 at the time. I didn't use it for long enough to test any Modern apps. It was a novelty purchase for to be honest. However I have seen it work.

As far as 32 bit apps go, they can run on 64 bit versions of windows. The app will  install in  C:\Program Files (x86) versus C:\Program Files.

So If you like a particular GPS it may not hurt to reach out to the vendor and see if have tested with the Surface Pro 3 regardless of the apps being 32 or 64 bit.   In fact you might wait until Windows 10 launches before making a purchase and get a GPS that is supported on that platform as well.

I would contact ******@usglobalsat.com to be certain that they support and will continue to support Windows 8.1.

 Support Downloads

Comparison Chart

Datasheet 

About The BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver

The BU-353-S4 is a USB magnet mount GPS receiver that features a highly sensitive, low power consumption chipset in a ultra compact form factor compatible with Microsoft Windows 8, as well as 7, Vista & XP. The BU-353-S4 is powered by a SiRF Star IV GPS chipset, and will provide you with superior performance in urban canyons, and in dense foliage. With the SiRF CGEE (Client Generated Extended Ephemeris) technology, has the capability of predicting satellite positions for up to 3 days in advance, and will deliver a CGEE-start time of less than 15 seconds under most conditions without any network assistance. The Bu-353-S4's MicroPower mode allows the receiver to stay in a hot start-like condition almost continuously while consuming very little power.

 The BU-353-S4 is suitable for the following applications:

• Automotive navigation

• Personal positioning

• Fleet management

• Mobile phone navigation

• Marine navigation

http://usglobalsat.com/p-688-bu-353-s4.aspx#images/product/large/688.jpg